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Featured Italian
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La Posta
538 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz CA 95062 831.457.2782 A beautiful Santa Cruz Italian restaurant, La Posta is known for creative renditions of fine Italian cuisine crafted from organic, locally and sustainably sourced ingredients. The menu changes frequently to highlight cuisines from the varying regions of Italy, and the wine list favors Italian producers with options to complement every dish. Stop in on Sundays to enjoy affordable prix fixe menus of family-style Italian cuisine. Read review
Italian
Bella Roma Cafe
316 Capitola Road, Capitola, CA; Tel. 831.464.2608
I grew up in a large family, so I know firsthand the pluses of being part of a tribal unit, as well as the obvious drawbacks. For my part, I don't miss lying in bed with an upper bunk hovering over me, or the fight for time in the bathroom or on the telephone. I have, however, had some difficulty getting used to eating by myself, even after all these years.
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Bocci's Cellar
140 Encinal St., Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.427.1795
Bocci's Cellar in Santa Cruz features free bocce ball every night, along with tasty Italian cuisine and an excellent happy hour.
Cafe Mare
740 Front St., Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.458.1212
Café Mare's spacious dining room always has a soothing effect. The staff provides plenty of space for in-depth conversation without ignoring patrons' needs. And the location is perfect for Pacific Avenue sightseeing. Read Review
Caffé Lucio
381 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.427.0164
Have you ever played the either/or game: Pepsi or Coke? Boxers or briefs? Tolstoy or Dostoevsky? It's an entertaining diversion and an opportunity to rib your friends about their taste (or lack thereof) and maybe glean more insight into each other's moral compasses. On the menu, it's: fish or chicken? Hot fudge sundae or hot new bikini? Farmed and eco-problematic or wild and mercury-laden?Caffé Lucio
Carniglia's
49A Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.458.3600
Italian/seafood restaurant. Provides culinary depth without tourist-fare condescension.
Kianti's
1100 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.469.4400
This popular downtown restaurant serves pizzas, generous platters of pasta and nice salads at reasonable prices.
Lillian's
1116 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel.831.425.2288
We started with prawns diavola and ended with decadent cannoli. In between we feasted on home-cooked Italian food, Jersey-style. A vibrant neighborhood haunt with no pretensions and plenty of gusto, Lillian’s Italian Kitchen has come into its own. Read Review
Ristorante Avanti
1711 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.427.0135
Various chefs have paved the way for Avanti's current helmsman Benjamin Sims, who continues the high standards that, once set, have never faltered. At the top of every Westsider's list of reliable luxury at moderate prices, Avanti, with its fetching wine list and warm ambience, delivers again and again.
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Ristorante Italiano
555 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.458.2321
Italian-American restaurant. Lasagnas, pastas, scampi in generous portions. Full bar, patio dining.
Scopazzi's Restaurant and Lounge
13300 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek, CA; Tel. 831.338.6441
Seated across the street from where my grandfather’s house once stood, I soaked up the view of redwood slopes sunning in the late summer afternoon. I was, of course, at Scopazzi’s, a roadhouse legend at the bend of Big Basin Way. And it was gratifying, in a world that changes by the minute, to find that this durable landmark still does things in a gracious way. Mountain hospitality is always the special of the house, and I’ll swear the ghost of my uncle Bud, a Scopazzi’s regular for decades, was seated down at the end of the bar, sipping a Scotch while his steak cooked on the grill.
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Star Bene
2-1245 E. Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.479.4307
Italian restaurant. The restaurant draws its menu from the owner's and chef's roots in Italy's Calabria.
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Tavernetta Limoncello
503 Water St., Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.427.0998
Led by chef Giovanni Di Maio, the expert team at Tavernetta Limoncello is renewing Santa Cruz's love affair with Italian cuisine.
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Zoccoli’s
1534 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. 831.423.1711
Landmark downtown deli offers a touch of the last century loaded with flavor freshness. Specialty sandwiches like the legendary Mediterranean, the Castroville—big on marinated artichokes—and the meal-sized muffaletta all turn lunch into a community event. Every deli salad imaginable fills the menu along with a fresh soup each day. Italian pastas, candies, and sauces add to the carry-out temptation. Mostly it’s a treat just to step back into the past and enjoy a genuine, family-run atmosphere.
