The Summit Wineries presents Solstice on the Summit Father’s Day weekend
Credit: The Summit Wineries
Father’s Day 2016 is now three days away; have you made your plans? Here are details on a few options in Santa Cruz and nearby including restaurants and wine events. If you missed my first Father’s Day post, here are highlights for San Francisco, Monterey/Carmel Valley/Pebble Beach.
SANTA CRUZ
The Chaminade
The Chaminade (One Chaminade Lane) serves a decadent Father’s Day brunch buffet from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m; the price is $52.95 (adults), $18.95 (kids 6-12), and free for kids under 6. The menu includes grilled steak with Churassco sauce, prime rib, an omelet bar, eggs benedict, cheese blintzes, fresh fruit, a cheese display, and a delectable selection of pastries and desserts. Children’s dishes include chicken strips and curly fries, mini pancakes, and macaroni and cheese. Call (831) 475-5600 for reservations.
Food Lounge
The Santa Cruz Food Lounge (1001 Center St.) has a couple different highlights for Father’s Day weekend:
• Summer Beer Garden debut
All day Saturday and Sunday June 18-19, it’s the first of the Food Lounge’s summer beer garden series. Each month, on the third weekend, the lounge, FL will serve German-style food and local beer on the spacious outdoor patio. There will also be live music, and it’s pet- and family-friendly. Free admission; attendees just pay for food and drinks.
• Father’s Day gifts
All dads who visit the Summer Beer Garden from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday receive a free gift.
Soif
Soif Wine Bar & Restaurant (105 Walnut Ave.) will host European winemakers Johannes Selbach and Vincent Brundlmayer 1-3 p.m. Sunday for a taste of German and Austrian wines, including Rieslings. Tickets are $15 and include bread and snacks. Wine club members get one free entry. Call (831) 423-2020 or email alyssa@soifwine.com to reserve a tasting.
MOSS LANDING
The Haute Enchilada
While the Haute Enchilada Café (7902 Moss Landing Rd., 831-633-5843) doesn’t have a special “Father’s Day menu,” it would still make a great place for Father’s Day lunch. I ate lunch there in March; it was a perfect stop during a drive from Santa Cruz to Carmel Valley and I really enjoyed the food (as I have the other times I’ve gone, once for lunch and once for dinner). During my March lunch, I ordered roasted chile poblano bisque and Brussels sprout salad. For the salad, locally grown sprouts are steamed and sautéed in olive oil with garlic, and mixed with organic arugula, bacon, Parmesan, toasted walnuts and walnut oil/chile de arbol dressing. I had a bite of my husband’s Pork Cubano during lunch and it was equally divine. I have to also mention a fantastic dish that I had during an August 2015 dinner: Peruvian empanadas stuffed w/squash blossoms, zucchini, ricotta and topped with chile de Arbol aioli. Looking at the web site just now, it appears this is currently on the lunch menu and not the dinner menu.
Another note of interest: Haute Enchilada recently received a 2016 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.The achievement celebrates hospitality businesses such as eateries and accommodations that have earned great reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor “bubble rating” of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.
LOS GATOS/SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
Summit Wineries
The Summit Wineries are offering the fifth annual “Solstice on the Summit” Vintners Festival on Father’s Day weekend. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 18-19. A $25 ticket includes a wine glass and is good for admission both days at all five participating wineries (Burrell School, Silver Mountain, Villa del Monte, Wrights Station, and Muns Vineyard—the latter will be at The Summit Store on Sunday only). There will be food, wine tasting, local artisan gifts for sale, live music and tours. Tickets are available from any participating winery. For more information including a list of what is happening at each winery, visit the web site.
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