Featured Restaurant (March 2009) - Shadowbrook 1750 Wharf Road Capitola, CA 95010 (831) 475-1511 www.shadowbrook-capitola.com

I was in Santa Cruz for a wine tasting event at Cava Wine Bar in Capitola, and my parents and best friend Jessica had planned to join me at the event, so I decided that it would be fun to go out to dinner beforehand. Jessica’s friend Mike Baker is the manager at Shadowbrook so I made reservations and we all headed out there together. When we arrived we were surprised and delighted that the restaurant is set into a hillside over looking the Capitola waterways, and the only way to arrive at the entrance is taking a little tram from the street down to the lower-level front door!

Once settled our waitress Marie greeted us warmly and offered us complimentary Salmon cakes over wasabi greens and julienne vegetables. We also ordered an appetizer of artichoke blanched with wine and garlic aioli, which we enjoyed by sharing a bottle of 2006 Babcock “Rita’s Earth Cuvee” Pinot Noir. When we were ready to order the main course, Jessica and I immediately went for the organic chicken breast marinated in herbs and spices and char grilled with garlic mashed potatoes that had a light cream sauce spread over the whole plate. The chicken was incredibly moist and flavorful and paired perfectly with the subtle fruit flavors of the pinot noir. My parents split the buccatini tossed with heirloom tomatoes in a light olive oil. This dish also came with a ricotta salad with roasted garlic and petite basil that was divine!

We finished the meal off with some coffee and tea, and seeing as how I get my “sweet tooth” from my parents, it was a requirement that we order a couple desserts to share amongst the table. So we chose Shadowbrook chocolate meltdown, which is a rich, dark chocolate cake with a molten truffle core that is served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. We also shared one of their most prized desserts (that has been on the menu since 1974!), a crêpe patisserie that was filled with a warm custard and served with a rich caramel sauce. The whole experience was fantastic, and we left to go to my event at Cava Wine Bar feeling incredibly satiated and satisfied!