Welcome to Lily Belli on Food, a weekly food-focused newsletter from Lookout’s food and drink correspondent, Lily Belli. Keep reading for the latest local food news for Santa Cruz County — plus a few fun odds and ends from my own life and around the web. And do join us as a member, if you haven’t yet.

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… The local Italian restaurant scene has had a major shakeup this past week. On Saturday, Ristorante Italiano in Santa Cruz closed its doors permanently after 42 years. The family-owned restaurant has served Italian American classics since 1981. And in downtown Santa Cruz, Cafe Mare has changed hands. Sugo Italian Pasta Bar co-owners Marco Paoletti and Andrea Loporcaro, both former employees at Cafe Mare, have purchased the restaurant from founder Jean Pierre Iuliano, who opened Cafe Mare in 2002.

Cafe Mare will remain open with the same menu through December, and will close for a remodel in January. Early next year, it will reopen with a new name and dining concept, says Paoletti. Read more on Lookout.

… A few weeks ago, reader Denise in Aptos asked if I would check in on her husband’s favorite taqueria, La Cabaña Taqueria in Santa Cruz. The restaurant closed in September and the shopping center at Mission Street and King Street where it was located has become a construction site. Check out this story from April to learn more about the project.

The good news is that La Cabaña is closed only temporarily. It will reopen in a remodeled space with a brand-new kitchen once construction is complete. The bad news is that it’s not clear when that will happen. But La Cabaña is offering its fresh, vegetarian- and vegan-friendly menu for local catering. Follow on Instagram at @lacabana_taqueria for updates.

CALL FOR BACK-OF-HOUSE NOMINATIONS

It’s time for a second helping of one of my favorite annual projects — celebrating front- and back-of-house workers. Last year, I launched this project to highlight stellar staff members at Santa Cruz County restaurants. Check out these two incredible stories, about Michael Hanson, purchasing manager at Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria in Capitola and Cesar Chagolla, cook at Achilles Restaurant in Santa Cruz.

Most often, my reporting focuses on restaurateurs and chefs, but as the end of the year approaches I want to honor the workers who keep our favorite culinary businesses open. Do you have a dishwasher on your staff who shows up for every shift? Or an all-star line cook who executes every dish with precision and care? Do you know an unflappable server who never fails to make even the most difficult customers feel at ease? If these valuable members of the hospitality industry didn’t show up, our restaurant world would crumble, and I’d like to share their stories.

Do you have someone in mind? Email me at [email protected], put “Industry Nomination” in the subject and — most importantly — share why they deserve to step into the spotlight. Nominations close Friday, Dec. 8.

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EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Venus Spirits is celebrating the release of its Aquavit 02 with a Nordic-themed “Westside Winter Wonderland” dinner party on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. at its Westside tasting room. Aquavit is a traditional Scandinavian spirit, and Venus makes two different versions at its Westside distillery: Aquavit 01 is a caraway-forward spirit with notes of orange, star anise and coriander; the new Aquavit 02 is barrel-aged in a sherry cask with notes of lemon, cumin and oak.

Chef Daisy Keen of Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen Westside will prepare a four-course feast rooted in Nordic cuisine and inspired by St. Lucia Day, a Scandinavian winter holiday known as the “festival of lights” that celebrates the longest night of the year. Salmon cured in aquavit and herbs is on the menu, and desserts will be made by Fika Bakeshop, a Ben Lomond-based Scandinavian bakery. Tickets are $125 per person at venusspirits.com.

LIFE WITH THE BELLIS

I love my job, I really do, and I am so grateful every day that I get to eat food, talk to interesting people and share stories with my community. But sometimes my work puts me in interesting situations with some pretty unconventional workplace hazards.

Take the past few weeks, for example. If you read this column or follow me on Instagram you already know that I’m working on a guide to the best burgers in Santa Cruz County. I’ve been beating the pavement and doing the research to bring my valued readers the information they need to make an informed decision about where they spend their hard-earned dollars when a burger craving strikes. What does that look like? Well, over the past two weeks, I’ve eaten 10 cheeseburgers. Within one 24-hour period, I ate three. There are still four or five on my list that I think have a chance to make it onto the final roster — and my deadline is early next week.

Am I tired of eating burgers? No, the shine has definitely not worn off that apple — I’ve become only more opinionated and enthusiastic as the search has continued. But I have had to balance out the rest of my diet with salads, smoothies and lots of vegetables. My husband, Mike, asked me if we could have pasta this week for dinner and I looked at him like he was nuts. “I’m eating two cheeseburgers today for lunch,” I told him. “Absolutely not.”

FOOD NEWS WORTH READING

➤ Some San Jose food businesses are facing the loss of their parklets, which were installed to temporarily accommodate outdoor dining during the pandemic. The construction costs to make them permanent are too pricey for many business owners, despite sizable city grants. (Mercury News)

➤ What food trends will drive the industry in 2024? Nostalgia will be a big influence, says one market research firm. We might see more European foods on menus, and delivery services will need to answer to customers who say it has become too expensive. (Food Business News)

Happy dining!

~ Lily