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You are here: Home / Archives for Eats and Drinks / Cafe

Cafe

A Chat with the Owner of Flats Bistro

June 5, 2015 by Seb Frey

Jeanne Harrison of Flats Bistro and Cafe Rio
Jeanne Harrison of Flats Bistro and Cafe Rio

Seb Frey with Aptos Community News ambled down to the new Flats Bistro in Aptos to have a chat with the owner, Jeanne Harrison. We wanted to talk about Jeanne’s new venture, and she shared quite a bit.

We talked about their newest menu item: breakfast pizza ($14). According to Jeanne, It’s like having sourdough toast with either bacon or sausage, an egg done over-easy, some spinach and a little bit of cheese.

Most people order the breakfast pizza in the morning, but you can get it any time of day; it’s been a very popular menu item. The breakfast pizza crust has a very nice flavor, it’s super thin and crunchy. Their crust uses a 100 year old starter for the sourdough, and that could be the reason the crust in their pizzas is extra tasty.

Listen to the Discussion

//siliconhomebroker.com/podcastgen/media/chat-with-jeanne-harrison-owner-flats-bistro.m4a
Download audio file…

Their 60 inch pizza oven was made by Mugnaini, a renown pizza oven maker based in Watsonville. The oven runs 650-700 degrees, and in an oven this hot, it’s really difficult to make some specialty crusts. They tried to make a cauliflower crust but it just fell apart in the oven.

Flats Bistro is proving to be fertile ground for Jeanne’s culinary experimentation. For example, she says she’d never really made pizza before she got the idea for Flats Bistro. On the day we visited, she had just added something new to the display case: stuffed Portobello mushrooms with garlic, onion, gorgonzola cheese and a breaded topping. Every morning they have bacon and egg croissants for $5. On Saturdays and Sundays they do biscuits and gravy, and also offer ham and egg sandwiches with that.

They are working on a gluten free pizza crust, but so far they have been unsuccessful. She has tried 5-6 gluten-free crusts and they “taste like cardboard.” If anyone knows of a great gluten-free pizza crust recipe, she’d love to have it!

They make all the food and pastries right next door at Cafe Rio, starting at 5 or 6 AM. All the cookies, cakes, desserts, and salads are made on site. But they have no plans for breakfast burritos because, Jeanne says, they love their neighbors, and don’t want to take anything away from Pixie Deli which has been selling breakfast burritos for years. They don’t deliver yet and don’t offer catering, but this is something they may look at doing in the future.

The bistro has been open for only two months, but already they are enjoying incredible success and a growing clientele. They’ve been doing an Instagram campaign to promote the bistro, and the campaign ends today, June 5. Just tag a photo with #FlatsBistroAptos showing one of their coffee cups for a chance to win a Flats Bistro hoodie.

One for the road! #flatsbistroaptos #aptos #coffee

A photo posted by Sebastian Frey (@sebfrey) on May 29, 2015 at 9:40am PDT

#FlatsBistroAptos on Instagram

Jeanne Harrison of Flats Bistro and Cafe Rio
Jeanne Harrison of Flats Bistro and Cafe Rio

Filed Under: Cafe, Eats and Drinks, News Tagged With: audio, breakfast, cafe rio, coffee, Flats Bistro, jeanne harrison, pizza, rio del mar beach, sourdough

Norma Jean’s Coffee

June 28, 2014 by Seb Frey

Norma Jean's Coffee
Norma Jean's Coffee 3.5 star rating 122 reviews Yelp logo

Norma Jean’s Coffee in Aptos, near the Bayview Hotel, is an independently-owned coffee shop in the heart of Aptos Village. They serve a wide range of coffees and teas, and also feature an array of baked goods that are actually made on-site in their own kitchen. It’s clean, comfortable, cozy, and quiet.

Tip: They have free wi-fi – bring your laptop and stay awhile!

See also:

  • Norma Jean’s Coffee web site
Norma Jean's Coffee
Norma Jean’s Coffee

Filed Under: Cafe, Eats and Drinks Tagged With: Aptos Village, bakery, cafe, coffee, tea

Marianne’s Ice Cream in Aptos

June 25, 2014 by Seb Frey

Marianne's Ice Cream and Market
Marianne's Ice Cream and Market 4.5 star rating 336 reviews Yelp logo

Marianne’s Ice Cream is a Santa Cruz institution, having been a family run business with a single location for over 50 years. In 2014, Marianne’s had the good taste to open their second location in Aptos, in the Seacliff neighborhood, just outside of Seacliff Beach. Marianne’s Ice Cream in Aptos is yet another welcome addition to the Aptos experience.

Tip: They also offer coffee and espresso, and they’ll offer a variety of beach-type items also for sale.

See also:

  • Marianne’s web site
 
Marianne's Grand Opening, June 25, 2014
Marianne’s Grand Opening, June 25, 2014

Filed Under: Cafe, Eats and Drinks Tagged With: ice cream, mariannes, seacliff

Pacific Coffee Roasting Company

May 17, 2014 by Seb Frey

Pacific Coffee Roasting Company & Cafe
Pacific Coffee Roasting Company & Cafe 4.0 star rating 70 reviews Yelp logo

Pacific Coffee Roasting Company in Aptos is located in the Aptos Center shopping center along Soquel Drive, near the State Park Drive freeway exit. They have a big roasting machine right in the store and the aromas fill the air.

Pacific Coffee Roasting Company
Pacific Coffee Roasting Company – Aptos

Filed Under: Cafe, Eats and Drinks Tagged With: cafe, coffee, coffee shop

Bittersweet Bistro

April 25, 2014 by Seb Frey

Bittersweet Bistro
Bittersweet Bistro 3.0 star rating 491 reviews Yelp logo

When it comes to fine dining in Aptos, Bittersweet Bistro has to be near the top of the list. Located near the Deer Park Marketplace Shopping Center, Bittersweet Bistro specializes in what they call American Bistro cuisine with Mediterranean influences. They have a full bar, and also have an extensive wine list and a rich dessert menu.

Adjacent to the Bittersweet Bistro is Cafe Bittersweet, where they serve Breakfast (from 8 AM til 1 PM) and lunch (from 10 AM to 2 PM). They have also opened the Bittersweet Lounge, with leather chairs and three flat panel televisions – including a 110 inch screen! The Lounge is open 7 days a week, but on Friday and Saturday is open only for patrons 21 years and older, but all ages are welcome Sunday through Thursday.

 You will often find live music on the weekends, with a variety of local musicians tuning up and entertaining the crowds.  Whether you are just looking for a quick cocktail and some appetizers or an unforgettable full meal, this is the spot to try in Aptos.

Tip:  Every day of the week they feature $7 “nightly nibbles” starting at 4 PM.
See also

  • Bittersweet Bistro
  • Bittersweet Bistro on Facebook
  • Cafe Bittersweet
Bittersweet Bistro - Aptos
Bittersweet Bistro – Aptos

Filed Under: Bars, Cafe, Eats and Drinks, Restaurants Tagged With: bittersweet bistro, dining, food, gourmet

The Farm Bakery and Cafe

February 18, 2014 by Seb Frey

The Farm Bakery Cafe & Gifts
The Farm Bakery Cafe & Gifts 3.5 star rating 322 reviews Yelp logo

The Farm Bakery and Cafe is located on Soquel Drive, just down the street from Cabrillo College.  It sits by itself, with no competition in sight.  It’s an eclectic place – they sell baked goods such as bread, cookies, a few pastries – as well as a breakfast and lunch menu with lighter, “healthier” fare such as salads and wraps.  Also on offer is a wide range of coffee-house drinks – lattés, espressos, cappuccinos, and the like.

They also have a “gift shop” where they sell a seemingly endless selection of bric-a-brac:  small toys for kids, books, lotions, soaps, gag gifts, jewelry, etc.  The “gift shop” is part and parcel of the Farm Bakery and Cafe’s experience:  it’s loud and proud.

Given that they have no direct competition in the immediate vicinity, the Farm Bakery Cafe (and gift shop!) makes it a good choice to grab a light meal when you’re in the neighborhood. The service can be pretty hit-or-miss; the counter staff can appear distracted and the service for the food itself is slow at times. None of these though are impeachable offenses and shouldn’t deter you from stopping by and giving the Farm a try.

Favorite items:  the fruit tart.  They sell a mean fruit tart, great for bringing to a party.

See also:  http://www.thefarmbakerycafe.com/

The Farm Bakery and Cafe
The Farm Bakery and Cafe
 

Filed Under: Bakery, Cafe, Eats and Drinks Tagged With: aptos, aptos bakery, aptos cafe, aptos restaurant

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