88 South Bay Accent MAIN STREET GARDEN & C AFE After housing beloved Theo’s for several decades, this residence-turned-restaurant in Soquel eventually saw another casual, local-ingredient-focused eatery occupy the charming dining area with pretty patio and gardens. This cafe, opened in 2010, boasts a homey ambience and Mediterranean-Italian food like superb roast rabbit with smoked aioli and wood-fired thin-crust pizza. Or sample some curly cavatappi pasta trapping luscious house-made pesto. A hearty winter entree is lamb meatballs with toothy farro made exotic with candy cap mushroom sauce, which smells like maple syrup. It’s a lovely place for lunch on a nice day to accommodate a garden tour, featuring lemon trees, lettuce beds, rows of herbs and a chicken coop. Interestingly, sleepy Soquel has been home to some killer restaurants in the past, but Main Street Garden & Café—renamed and under new ownership—is all that remains. 3101 N. MAIN ST., SOQUEL, 831/477-9265; MAINSTREETGARDENCAFE.COM LILLIAN’S ITALIAN KITCHEN Compared to La Posta, the food here goes in a homespun direction, but that’s just fine with the hordes of locals packing this little trattoria run by the Moreno family. Based on Sicilian family recipes, the food is copious, fresh and well priced. Patrons rave about the Sunday gravy (tomato-based sauce slowcooked with a variety of meats), rib-sticking lasagna and tiramisu. The menu covers all the usual Italian bases—meatballs, prawns diavolo, polenta, plenty of pasta and classic desserts—under the guidance of the owners’ son, “Chef Chris.” Overly small for its popularity, the restaurant is reminiscent of home-cooked dinners in the noisy little dining room of an Italian auntie urging you to take just one more bite of her rich comfort food. The only complaint is the sameday reservation policy, which causes some patrons to Signature lasagna from Lillian's Italian Kitchen features Sunday gravy—a tomato-based sauce made with cuts of slow-cooked beef and pork. wander the neighborhood for awhile before getting seated. 1116 SOQUEL AVE., SANTA CRUZ, 831/425- 2288; LILLIANSITALIANKITCHEN.COM YOU CAN GET A GRASS-FED RIBEYE BUT ALSO A FANTASTIC BURGER AND THE BEST ICE CREAM SUNDAE YOU’VE EVER HAD IN YOUR LIFE. Cavatappi pasta at Main Street Garden & Café entices with house-made arugula pesto and butternut squash.
South Bay Accent - Feb/Mar 2015
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