Spotlight on a great Santa Cruz County dish: Eggplant Basil at Avanti

Photo credit: Tara Fatemi Walker

I recently had the opportunity to taste a wonderful vegetarian appetizer, Eggplant Basil, prepared by Avanti. I wasn’t at the actual Westside Santa Cruz restaurant, but the version I enjoyed—at a Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County benefit—is the same one served at the restaurant.

The dish includes layers of roasted eggplant, fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. The flavors, and the texture of layers, come together beautifully. It can be challenging to cook eggplant to the right texture without losing its flavor and quality, and Avanti is successful!

I do plan to check out the actual restaurant someday soon; it’s been a while since I dined there. Glancing at the menu online, I am enticed by many dishes including appetizers like spice-roasted cauliflower (with dates, arugula and pickled onions) and lamb meatballs (with grilled polenta, red bell peppers and sweet onions).

Find Avanti at 1917 Mission St., 831-427-0135. Follow the restaurant on Instagram @avanti_santacruz.

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