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Bakeries
The Bagelry
320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA. Tel. 831.429.8049
1636 Seabright Ave, Santa Cruz, CA. Tel. 831.425.8550
4763 Soquel Dr, Soquel, CA. Tel. 831.462.9888
Bagels are only half the story at this sleek, streamlined, no-fuss home of freshly made soups, salads, spreads and, yes, hyperdelicious bagels. The egg salad is legendary, as is the albacore, the hummus and the dazzling array of flavored and spiced cream cheese possibilities. The Duke—a voluptuous arrangement of cream cheese, apple butter and cashews on raisin bagel—is the stuff of inexpensive fantasies. Friendly and easy to like, the Bagelry is a top spot to park yourself for a lunch date. $
Beckmann’s Old World Bakery
2341 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA. Tel. 831.423.2566
Beckmann’s sourdough rounds are found at farmers markets and better grocery stores throughout the Greater Bay Area, but we alone are lucky enough to have regular access to Beckmann’s great oatmeal cookie. A wonder of chewy goodness packed with flavorful walnuts, this is a destination snack. The sandwiches in the deli case—especially the tarragon-inflected chicken salad on croissant and ham and swiss—are also superb, making this the quintessential provisioning stop when heading up the coast for a picnic or a hike. $
Black China Bakery
Mornings at Black China Bakery are filled with the insistent hissing of the espresso machine and perfumed by the aromas of fresh pastry. Fabled for its incomparable dark chocolate cake and addictive cranberry scones, Black China morphed into a café a while back and began serving lunches that were pretty, organic and, yes, vegetarian. Now the boho space on Soquel Drive has taken another plunge. Hoping to appeal to sophisticated vegans and vegetarians, the Café is now open for dining until 9pm Thursday through Saturday. $
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The Buttery
702 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA. Tel. 831.458.3020.
Santa Cruz’s favorite bakery on the Eastside expanded last year into a pit-stop for full-on lunches and early dinners. The famed zucchini muffin, lemon tarts and pecan sandie are still among the best sweet temptations available. But the poached egg breakfasts, Joe’s Favorite Black Forest ham sandwich and Caesar salad lunches now have their own devoted followings. $$
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Emily’s Good Things to Eat
1129 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA. Tel. 831.429.9866
For decades, Santa Cruzans have made a point of stopping in the little shop on Mission Street with the comforting motto above the door (“Relax … you have plenty of time”) for a muffin or a sandwich, and it’s never disappointied. Proprietress Emily Reilly (who’s served two terms as mayor) runs a happy shop; the staff is pleasant and cheerful, and the cakes are always fresh. $
The Farm
6790 Soquel Dr., Aptos, CA. Tel. 831.684.0266
Imagine, if you will, the love child of Frida Kahlo and James Beard joining forces with the spawn of Martha Stewart and Jerry Seinfeld. Such a union might create an enterprise like the Farm—beautiful, iconic, simple, delicious, with an eye for ambience and a twist of humor to keep it all in perspective. The Farm is all this and home to a bakery, cafe and gift shop.
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Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria
504 Bay Ave, Capitola, CA. Tel. 831.462.1200
Saturday mornings, Gayle’s is packed with locals in the know who’ve been working up a jones all week for a flaky downtowner or a buttery croissant breakfast sandwich. The gorgeous Princess cakes in the long pastry case are the stuff of fantasy, and the coffee is just about the best in town. Gayle’s also has a phenomenal deli with daily blue-plate specials for carryout—ribs, roast chicken and gorgonzola pasta are the undisputed stars here. The Jewish rye, sold in half-loaves, is truly extraordinary. $$
Kelly’s
402 Ingalls St, Santa Cruz, CA. Tel. 831.423.9059
Kelly’s French Bakery is a perennial Santa Cruz favorite, and no wonder. Its chewy, flavorful francese and compagnon (whole wheat sourdough) breads are regionally famous, and it turns out real French cream puffs and pain au chocolat. The olallieberry tarts and pumpkin pies in their buttery crusts are excellent as well, leaving us very pleasantly confused as to what really is Kelly’s specialty. We’ll take it all, thanks. $$
