Bacon, potato, fontina and rosemary pizza at Bantam
It was announced this morning that Le Cigare Volant, the restaurant at Bonny Doon Vineyard’s Westside tasting room, is closing on Dec. 31. Other Santa Cruz restaurant news includes two recent restaurant openings, Bantam and Lago di Como Ristorante & Pizzeria, plus Zameen launching its own food truck.
Le Cigare Volant will remain open until the end of the year. The tasting room will be closed for a short vacation in early January, but will remain open at its current location (328 Ingalls St. in the Swift St. Courtyard). Bonny Doon Vineyard’s leader and winemaker, Randall Grahm, had this to say regarding the impending closure: “The restaurant business is not for the faint-hearted, nor for anyone who cannot devote 200% of his or her attention to it. We are re-focusing on the things that we are very good at – making wine, that is, and the occasionally too-clever-by-half wine package. This has been an incredible, mostly very joyous ride for us, and we wish to thank everyone – our customers, vendors, and exceptional staff – who has been part of this once in a lifetime otherworldly experience.”
Recent Openings
Lago di Como Ristorante & Pizzeria
Just two days ago, on Dec. 12, the restaurant Lago di Como Ristorante & Pizzeria opened up in the former location of Nuevo Southwestern Grill (831). Currently the restaurant is closed on Mondays. It’s open Tue-Thurs and Sun from 5 – 9:30 p.m., and Fri-Sat 5 – 10:00 p.m. Looking forward to trying it out!
(831) 454-8257, 2-1490 East Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz
http://lagodicomoristorante.com/
Bantam
Former Ristorante Avanti chef Benjamin Sims and his wife Sarah opened Bantam on November 17. The venue has been hopping ever since, drawing lots of happy diners. The rotating menu has featured excellent dishes including homemade tortelli and other stuffed pastas, spaghetti with squid, chicory caesary salad, Dungeness crab salad, and wood-fired pizza with combinations like el Salchichero pepperoni/black olive/jalapeno/arugula, porcini mushrooms/gremolata/egg, and wild nettles/pecorino. Current hours are Mon-Thurs 5 – 9 p.m. and Fri-Sat 5 – 9:30 p.m.
(831) 420-0101, 1010 Fair, Suite J Santa Cruz
facebook.com/Bantam1010
Zameen Food Truck
The great Aptos Mediterranean restaurant Zameen has gone mobile! Inspired by shows like The Great Food Truck Race, Zameen’s owner Ed Watson decided to add a truck and “street food” to the restaurant’s offerings. It served its first food in late October. Items include wraps such as spicy piri-piri chicken or gyros (the latter features seasoned meat with tomatoes, salad & tzatziki sauce), beet and goat cheese salad, falafel, and specials like pulled pork sandwich with pomegranate BBQ sauce. For now, its regular stop is at UCSC’s Performing Arts parking lot from 11:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m. on weekdays (although it’s taking a hiatus while students are gone for Winter break). The truck accepts credit cards.
Main restaurant number: (831) 607-9292
http://www.facebook.com/ZameenMediterraneanFoodTruck