Verve Coffee Salt on Circulated Live Earth Farm Egg with Pea Puree and Mushroom bacon from April 4 Community Dinner
The restaurant’s renaming officially took place on April 1st. The name Le Cigare Volant corresponds to one of Bonny Doon Vineyard’s most popular wines, which is slated to be released in its 25th vintage this year. Winemaker and BDV founder Randall Grahm commented on the restaurant name change: “It represents a commitment to a more refined, if not empyrean level of cuisine and service, as well as a proclamation of a deeper association between the restaurant and the winery itself.”
New chef Ryan Shelton arrives at Le Cigare Volant from two-Michelin-starred Palo Alto restaurant Baumé where he served as Chef de Cuisine and Pastry Chef. His experience includes positions at Chez TJ in Mountain View, and The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Shelton is excited to be cooking in Santa Cruz. He says, “More than anywhere else I’ve cooked in the Bay Area, people in Santa Cruz know what ‘locally sourced, thoughtfully prepared’ actually tastes like. It’s a great thrill to be held to such high standards.”
Le Cigare Volant is open for dinner Wednesday–Sunday, and for lunch on Saturday and Sunday (12-3pm). The tasting room, open Thurs-Sun from 12-5, just started offering lunch plates so you can have a meal –- such as Devil’s Gulch Pork Shoulder Sliders — while you do your wine tasting.
Wednesday evenings in the restaurant are devoted to Community Table, a special prix fixe, family-style meal celebrating the experience of food and wine shared communally. These have been occuring for about a year; the price is $35. The Community Table theme for April is biodynamic and sustainable farming. April 4’s dinner featured Verve coffee and farms including Devil’s Gulch Ranch. April 11’s dinner is highlighting produce from BDV’s biodynamic San Juan Bautista farm.
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The Details
Le Cigare Volant Restaurant & Tasting Room
328 Ingalls Street (in Swift Street Courtyard), Santa Cruz
(831) 425-6771