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I came here on a Thursday afternoon for lunch. There was a broad range of items on the specials menu. I chose the quiche with a small salad. Other people ordered items from the specials menu that looked just as good as what I chose. In particular the risotto and lamb soup looked and smelled fantastic. Had I ordered from the menu, I would have chosen the butternut squash ravioli.
I finished lunch off with a black coffee, which by restaraunt standards was superb. It tasted like a cup of well brewed Peets.
The interior isn't anything special, but it is neat and clean. If the owners read this, I'd suggest adding a dash of modern decor, or replacing some of the wall-of-pottery with art.
I will be returning for drinks in the evening at their relatively large bar, that has a good wine selection and chill atmosphere.
I'm beginning to think more along the lines of Scott R. and Pumpkin K. Try as I might, I can't get past the quality of the meals here. While striving to serve only fresh and local foods may be a noble goal, the execution misses the mark. In fact, the food is honestly at or below the quality of the food we can make at home...at 10x the price or more. For those of you who have trouble translating italian when dining out, allow me to offer some insights:
#1) Heirloom tomato bruschetta. $8
Translation: burnt toast with giant slabs of delicious tomato on top.
#2) Caesar Salad.
translation: nothing special.
#3) Fusili with chicken. $14
Translation: 10 corkscrews in an appetizer sized bowl with dry stringy chicken and dehydrated pancetta.
#4) Apple Pie $8
Translation: delicious. the saving grace of the meal.
Note how my previous review was in 2007. Yeah, it's been that long since I ate here last. Based on my most recent meal, it'll be about that long before I return, if ever. Instead I'll keep going to La Posta or Caruso's, which both have better pastas and Italian fare, larger portions, and more reasonable prices.
For some reason gourmet foodies seem to think that the more upscale the restaurant, the less food… Read more »
Wow, what a lovely meal, unassuming restaurant in a mini-strip mall facade. Two dear friends brought us here, and told us it was one of their favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz. Clearly I can see why.
Everything is sourced locally and organically, sustainable, and delicious! Servers were all extremely sweet and friendly.
Appetizers were incredibly succulent flavored wild mushroom ragu on polenta with parm; delightful arugula salad with toasted almonds and shaved hard cheese; warm fresh dungeness crab salad inside half an avocado with separate side salad; fresh green salad.
Entrees were roasted chicken w fusilli and pancetta, tomato, oregano, with a side of fresh grilled/sauteed veggies; fresh papardelle with baked marin sun farm meatballs; local leg of lamb with risotto and other deliciousness greens; lovely halibut with other deliciousness...
Desserts were ice cream sandwiches (vahl chocolate cookies with housemade vanilla gelato) and apple pie crumble with fresh whipped cream drizzled with caramel...
Super solid. Super fun. Super delightful.
I really like that you use local food and the specials are always awesome. The servers are great. I live really close. Why don't I come more often? I finally figured it out...I hate the ambiance. The tables and chairs are not comfortable and the lighting is awful. How about nice padded bench seat running the length of the long wall and some drop lights right above the tables. I would come in ten times more. I just don't feel comfortable when I am there and hesitate to come in. Face lift time? Thank you!!!
Avanti has great food made from the best ingredients. That's the most important thing for a restaurant, and it's where Avanti excels.
The service is excellent, and the staff is friendly.
Nevermind the strip mall location: it's easy to find and get to, and the interior is warm and friendly.
My minor complaints: it's too noisy, and if you're a vegetarian, the portions are too small.
Highly recommended.
I'm going to be very honest. I'm struggling to not just give all stars based purely on how cute and friendly the bartender was last night. On the other hand, I'm struggling with reducing stars based on how awkward the hostess was with us sitting at the bar for a bit while we waited for a table, or the amount of time it took for us to get our drink order in to said cute bartender initially. So while I struggle with that, I'll get on with the good stuff.
First off, make a reservation if you're coming in on a Fri or Sat night. We waited for half an hour, and it was worth it, but had we known I think we would have wound up at the sushi spot up the street.
Second, if you want more olives than the initial dish delivers, just ask.
Third, the room gets loud, so if you tend to be headachy, or prefer quieter atmospheres, this may not be the right spot for your evening.
I had the Albacore tuna, on potatoes, and it hit the spot. I'm craving more right now, and will soon be Yelping for sashimi in Palo Alto, but that's a tale for another review. My uncle had the same, and my aunt had the white sea bass special. All were very tasty, and once we were seated, service was excellent.
But the initial engagement at the door, and that initial wait... I think service trumps attraction. I'll come back, for sure, but I'll be interested in seeing if this was just an off night, or the norm.
It's been awhile since I ate there, but I can still taste the butternut squash ravioli. Excuse me while I wipe my drool. The raviolis were sauteed with butter, hazelnuts and sage. Ohmygodsofreakingyummy. The roasted chicken and fish (can't remember what kind) were huge hits as well. Yes it can get loud in there, but I love the cozy feel of the place and the food is rustic wonderfulness.
I have a friend who is visiting Santa Cruz from Melbourne, Australia; he is attending a literary conference at UCSC this week.
Asked about Italian food, I warmly recommended Ristoranti Avanti having enjoyed my many visits there. This was a bad mistake on my part.
my friend walked in and asked if they had a table for one available and was told by the host "no we don't and won't have one later" (I quote).
then another taller woman came up and said "bye!" and walked away.
I am presuming this was the owner or manager.
Maybe they profiled my friend as a homeless person (he walks with a cane).......anyway I'm deeply embarrassed and ashamed by this experience and will not recommend this restaurant to anyone in future.
I like whores.
Food whores mostly.
The other kind, not so much.
I am not morally opposed to whores by any means.
I would just keep thinking about how many germs said whore is harboring in her inner most recesses from all the greasy fat bastards she's been with.
That's all.
Food whores, on the other hand, are my kind of people.
Open minded, easy to please, and are willing to travel hundreds of miles for the perfect BLT.
That being said, I fancy myself a cheese whore and no cheese gets me going more than fresh Burrata.
Hot damn that shit is good.
Avanti had a Burrata special mixed in with some greens.
We also had the meatballs.
All in all a cool place in the middle of a random strip mall.
Will be back for sure.
Purell.
For years now whenever I go to Santa Cruz for a vacation, Avanti is on my list of places to go. The food is organic, locally grown, sustainable and delectable. They even take the time and trouble to check the Monterey Bay Aquarium list of endangered species of fish before buying for their menu! I have had more interesting and unusual salads at this restaurant than any other. Their blackened brussels sprouts, frisee, butternut squash, and prosciutto salad is simply to die for. Their service is great and the decor very Italian in the Tuscan mode and cozy. Even the bathroom's decor is interesting and cute. Don't let the strip mall location turn you off. It's a whole different world once you step inside the front door.
I ate here with my dad for an early Father's Day celebration this year. We had a reservation, but arrived slightly early, and so we sat at the bar for approximately ten minutes before we were seated. Besides dessert, we ordered all specials. I had a porcini mushroom and squashblossom risotto. My dad ordered some fish atop a fresh corn salad. We split a salad (endives and some extremely delicious cheese) and ordered panna cotta with strawberries for dessert. Everything tasted fresh and delicious (including the bread that came before the meal.)
Our waitress seemed a little bit nervous, but she was friendly and attentive. My main complaint was that the decor and ambience was a little too country-diner for the quality, type, and price of food served. It's also located in a little strip mall (if it can even be classified as such.) I enjoyed the food, but probably wouldn't go back on my own just because the prices are a bit steep for the surroundings and I'm able to satisfy my cravings for yummy foods with slightly less sophisticated options.
2 1/2 stars:
3 stars for food
-.5 star for service:
It was our first time dining here and thought it would be a great dining experience based on all the positive reviews. Most of our food orders were tasty, but sadly the pastas lacked luster. My fish special was perfect, however a friend of mine wished to have a their Caesar salad and wanted to add chicken to it. My friend had offered to pay for the chicken special being offered that evening, but did not want the sides that came with it. The server told her that should could not break it up, and that the chicken, risotto and vegetable were all precisely accounted for and they would not serve it separate. We even asked if she could kindly ask the kitchen if they could accommodate and she refused! WTF?! Strike one and two!
Again, it was our first time there so no idea that they had a "wine rule" stating you can only bring in two bottles per table - no matter the size of the party. We had brought three high end wines, which none were on their wine list and our server said she would not open the third. I suppose we should have brought in Magnums?! Strike three!
Server explained to the manager our wine issue and the manager approached us and said only this one time would she break the "wine rule" and had the server open the third bottle. Retract one strike.
Desserts were excellent as were the espressos.
"IF" we go back again, maybe we will try dining at the bar. There are just way too many rules and attitude in the dining room. Geez, and this is Santa Cruz!!!
It's just okay. The pasta dishes we ordered were just fine, except that they were both drowning in olive oil. I literally filled a quarter of my water glass with the oil sitting at the bottom of my plate.
That's not a good sign.
I can see this place attracting local neighborhood folks; the environment is nice, it's a pleasant place to have a glass of wine/appetizer...and appropriate for dining solo (nice bar). However some of these reviews suggest this is a destination in Santa Cruz. It's not. Yes, they use fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, which is a great plus, but it's just not executed as well as it should be to rate destination.
The food and service is ok, but I am certain I won't return. Even in a slim-pickins food town like Santa Cruz, there are a better options for italian food at the same price point.
First double date ever and we decided to come here. The boys kept talking about steak and when looking it up on Yelp, this place came up. It was nice that this place was so close by.
Our first impression of the place was, "Is it closed?" The lighting was so dim, which, while may seem romantic, was a bit much.
The service was very nice, especially when my date HAD to ask if we got bread. I think everyone at the table did agree, on the part of the bread, some butter would be nice. Or at least some balsamic with that olive oil.
I ordered the Roasted Chicken and Fusili. I appreciated that the ingredients were fresh and flavorful. Our table also had the Butternut Squash Ravioli (she said it was a bit sweet), Niman Ranch Pork Chop (tasty), and Niman Ranch Skirt Steak (my date really enjoyed it, even though he skimped on eating his greens!).
While the portions looked a little skimpy, by the end of dinner, we were all too stuffed to get any dessert. I suppose my eyes are bigger than my stomach, but we all left very pleased.
Wonderful fresh food. Casual ambiance, and a bit noisy, but the food makes up for it. Everything I had was fresh, flavorful, and locally grown/produced. Delicious!
Oh yes. Let's talk about Ristorante Avanti. I've lived in Santa Cruz for a number of years but for some reason I came to Avanti for the first time a few weeks ago for my birthday. Well, you can't live life without any regrets I suppose.
First off, make a reservation. It'll save you LOTS of time. Avanti is a small place and fucking GOOD so expect to wait without a reservation. My party of 3 took about 35 minutes to sit and there weren't that many people ahead of us. Even so, the hostess kept us updated and offered to serve drinks to us there. Classy.
That being said, holy shit. Everything is good here. True, we were starving but still, this place is bomb dig. They didn't mind bringing out bread three times for us and my water glass was never empty which is a huge plus in my book. Each of us ordered our own appetizer and let's just say that they are all good. GET THE POLENTA TORTA. It's like eating an orgasm. That's all I'm gonna say.
The main courses likewise are supreme. I got breaded chicken stuffed with cheese and prosciutto. It ran a bit higher than a meal at some other italian places around town but man was it worth it. The three of us completely finished our plates. I mean, we did their dishes for them. UGH! yum.
Dessert likewise was fabulous. My friend got the biggest piece of tiramisu that I've ever seen. I don't know if it was just the last one or if they are all that big but it was like winning the lottery.
This is a really nice date place. It's cute, not too loud and has a great selection of wines. Not to mention that the food is ridiculous. I'm coming back here for sure.
i had the worst meal in my life here, after enjoying it for more than 15 plus years. the stinging nettles dish was overpriced, dry and bland,
...
horrible.
please remove from your menu.
The Best of Santa Cruz and possibly the North Coast. Food made slowly, with fresh, local and organic… Read more »
I wasn't really hungry when I came to eat here, so I had the minestrone soup which was wonderful and a caesar salad which was a caesar salad, but the garlic croutons were great. The waitress was very friendly. I can't really make a great judgement on the italian food here, since I basically had appetizers, but I would be willing to check out this restaurant again the next time I'm in Santa Cruz.
My favorite restaurant in Santa Cruz. Everything is so fresh and delicious. Great wine selection and excellent service.
As best as I can tell, every single dish here is just really really good. What I like most is that it's Italian food, but not Italian food that you could just as well make at home for 1/10th the cost like your typical pasta/lasagne/ravioli fare. That said, the meatballs are amazing.
Also I must say this is a great place for kids. They have what is basically an $8 prix fixe menu that includes an antipasti dish of apples, raisins, carrots, cheese, then a choice of pasta, followed by -- the best part -- a delicious home made ice cream cookie that's way too big for the kid to eat! So all the adults get to share it!
I also love the cozy atmosphere. It's loud-- just loud enough that tables around you can't hear your conversation but not so loud that you can't hear the people across from you. It's not one of those five table small Italian restaurants, but it's not huge either so make a reservation or plan on waiting at the bar.
The service is just so-so. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but don't expect your water glass to be constantly filled or the bill to come right away. The hostess has a blasé attitude, but not what I'd call rude as someone else did. More like, "well you didn't make a reservation so it's going to be about 30 minutes...tough luck...".
I went here once for dinner during my Santa Cruz trip last summer. It looked pretty cozy and romantic from the outside, so we decided to give it a try. I believe it was on a Friday night, and the wait was not too long at all, despite it did look a little crowded from the outside.
The server we had was really nice and friendly. Recommended a couple of things on the menu that were popular. Great service.
The food was really delicious and the portions were pretty big. We were about half way done when we decided it wasn't possible to fit anymore food in our hungry tummies. So we took the rest and ate it the next morning for breakfast.. still yummy.
Came here for a great dinner at around 5 pm on a Sunday. We were seated right away and brought olives and bread. The decor here is cosy and gives you something to look at as you are waiting for your food.
I shared a Spinach salad with my mom and it was plenty for two. The spinach leaves were fresh and huge, plus the bleu cheese was very good. I had the Chicken Saltimbocca. Their version was pan fried instead of baked and I liked it a good deal. The crust was super crispy and I still can't figure out what kind of bread crumbs they were. The chicken was served on the best butternut squash risotto I've had in a while. I cleared that from my plate so fast!
The dessert was to good to pass up so we managed to cram a creme brulee and a pot de creme into our bellies. We practically had to be rolled out of the place. The pot de creme was a super thick chocolate mousse that was to die for. The chocolate was just right, not overly bitter and not too sweet.
I'm almost surprised to find a place like this in Santa Cruz, but then, the waiter service very quickly reminds me of my location.
Avanti's has some very good Italian food, a little too heavy on the oils but otherwise tasty.
I would highly recommend their soups and salads, especially their salads.
I generally go here when family is in town and we're looking for something good to eat without having to deal with the mess that is downtown Santa Cruz.
Actually, 4 stars for most of the food and all of the service. I had the steak with potatoes and spinich and loved every bite of it. I let my 9-year-old order a $21 lamb special assuming I would end up getting to eat it later. Alas, she ate every bite! The tiramisu was pretty awful. The chocolate pot of creme was amazing. It got really, really loud so I don't think my step mother will want to go back.
Parking is available behind the strip mall.
We went here on a friends recommendation and were sadly disappointed. The atmosphere was okay but the food was lackluster.
We tried the roasted sunchoke appetizer and polenta torta. I felt that the sunchoke were forgettable....I really just put them in my mouth because they were there but it wasn't like I felt like I had to have more. The polenta torta satisfied my cheese craving...it was a "so-so" start to the meal.
We shared the Chicken Saltimbocca for an entree. I didn't think the proscuitto was present at all flavor wise and the chicken was kind of over fried..I didn't feel healthy eating it.
It was unremarkable as a whole and I think next time we want Italian we'll keep trying elsewhere.
I asked about whether the pasta was house made...apparently it's not. This is a big no no to me at an Italian restaurant. it's not top quality if you don't make your own pasta.
Sorry.
the place had a really unusual odd smell. after being seated we ordered very light as we suspected we may need to eat elsewhere. we were right, the food was odd tasting. some of the staff like rolling their eyes at the smallest request. the place is located in a strip mall. no, thank you.
This place really isn't good AT ALL...and I don't know why everyone reviewed it so well!
I decided to come here and eat with my family because of the great reviews on yelp and I don't have words for how disappointed I was. Usually I always trust yelp and it brings me to the best places ever! Or maybe Santa Cruz just doesn't have really good Italian food (NOT TO OFFEND SANTA CRUZERS!)
We ordered two appetizers -- the clam one and the artichoke one. The clam was really bland and boring. The artichoke was really bland and boring. For my actual meal I ate the asparagus thing (the name is really hard to say and I forgot what it is...hehe). In short, not good. My parents didn't enjoy their meal either, especially not for the price of these dishes.
Oo, organic. I love organic, but do I love organic when it takes three hours to prepare? No no no. It literally took 40 minutes to get the appetizers and then 20+ minutes after that to get my dinner. The wait for the food was so upsetting and service did not move quickly. It was just bad.
Avoid it, leave it, deny it!
By far the best Eye Tie joint in town.
Super creative!
not just over priced Spaghettios.
and the carpet is always so clean and fresh
The food itself was pretty good, so I can't give them only one star, but we were treated like crap. Here's an overview of my experience:
We came in with a reservation and had to wait about half an hour and watched a number of other people get seated before us. I went with my boyfriend back in February, and we're in our early 20's and look our ages. One of us ordered a salad, and while the greens all tasted fresh, the salad itself didn't have a nice balance of flavors...it was kind overpowered by the bitterness of the greens. Their olive oil they serve with the bread did have a very nice flavor. Everything they brought out to us seemed to take twice as long as everyone else around. Our actual entrees were tasty, but not worth the price or the wait.
We decided to try a new place around Santa Cruz, and I'm really glad yelpers recommended Ristorante Avanti. Both of us were drained from the day, so we wanted to go somewhere where drunk people weren't patronizing the bar. They do have a bar, but the environment feels intimate without feeling stuffy.
I was envious of other people's entrees around us, while my bf and I ate the bread and the 3 olives soaked in olive oil. The bread was normal (and badly cut in uneven slices); the olive oil was okay. Perhaps I'm too influenced by the Macaroni Grill and other Italian restaurants, but I like some balsamic vinegar in my dip.
My bf had "Lasagne al Forno", which he liked, but didn't quite compare to his mom's homemade lasagna. I tried a bite and liked it, but felt my dish was better :).
I had this very complicated sounding chicken dish that was listed under the Entree section for $19. I don't remember the name, but it seemed to be parmesan crusted chicken breast stuffed with pancetta and cheese. The chicken was served with cherry tomatoes on top and a spinach, leek, and corn on the side. I loved it all! I had to eat through a good 1/3 of it before I discovered the stuffing, but the chicken was moist and well flavored. The side vegetables and cherry tomatoes enhanced the flavor.
Our waitress was very nice and helpful. She recommended the yummy chicken dish and provided good service overall.
Too full for dessert, we ended our meal with two complimentary heart shaped shortbread cookies. Nice touch!
I definitely recommend this restaurant if you're in Santa Cruz, and you want a nice dinner without having to pay a ton.
Ristorante Avanti is the BEST dining experience I have ever had! The food was beyond terrific. The wine was perfect. And the staff was totally exceptional.
My wife and I believe this to be the finest restaurant on the west coast. We will continue to look because Ristorante Avanti is 8 hrs away. Our recommendation is that you put it on your life list of items to do. Easily 10 stars.
Okay I gotta say that I was not too impressed with this place. Buuuuut it was very very very busy the night I went here, there really were no open tables and the hostess did find one hidden someplace and sat us down and it was understandable that we had to wait for service. The next people in line had to wait 30 minutes or something it was so full......
a full restaurant means three things in my book; cheap food, good food and/or filling food.
the food was all of the above but still not quite worth coming back too. I was not impressed because I have had much better Italian food in my life being part Italian and all but this isn't bad if you don't really know the difference AND there are better places in santa cruz to find similar food.
I have nothing against this place though, the staff was friendly and accommodating when it was very hard for them to be and for that I give them 3 stars for effort.
Well, we came here for dinner based on the positive yelping. While we were content with our experience, we weren't wowed. Thankfully, I made a reservation for us because the wait at the front of the restaurant looked painful.
It took a moment to track down the hostess, who was a bit too brusque for my taste. Nevertheless, we were seated close to our reservation time, though our table was clearly waiting for us and a larger, recognized party of 7 was seated at least five minutes before us (we had the same reservation time and the hostess wasn't busy).
We shared the mixed salad ($6), which according to my boyfriend, was a plate of weeds. There was no garnish (i.e. tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, etc.) save for one large crouton slice of bread with some herby cream cheese-type spread. Entrees were spaghetti ($12) and lasagna ($16). The lasagna was definitely tasty but the spaghetti was alright. The food tasted fresh but just nothing too amazing.
I guess I was a bit miffed by the service overall. The hostess simply wasn't friendly - and that set the tone for the restaurant. Our waitress was a bit rushed though the water service was very good.
Better luck next time but we won't be back - simply too many other places to try! The best part of the night was probably discovering a yelp sticker on the restaurant window as we exited!
Santa Cruz isn't known for it's fine dining, but they have a real winner in Avanti. This intimate Cal-Italian restaurant does a commendable job with fine ingredients, delivering a laid back but still delicious experience. It's really a classic California restaurant, pairing fresh local ingredients with modified takes on European cooking methods.
Arriving for our reservations at 8:00 on Friday night, Avanti's intimate space was already packed with contented (and boisterous) adults. This definitely isn't a place that draws a college crowd, with a firmly middle-aged clientele. Not that this keeps the volume or the energy level down - although if you're like me, you may find this ups the fun meter even more.
Avanti is set within a very non-descript strip mall, but the interior features a charming array of Italian countryside thlotchkes, along with a little bit of exposed brick, a lot of aged wood, and some lovely tables and place settings. In any case, we were seated quickly and treated to a high quality breadbasket, featuring an especially memorable foccacia. (Because everyone loves thousand calorie chunks of bread dipped in olive oil before dinner has even begun.) Our server was a friendly and professional middle aged woman, as all the servers seem to be - my dad commented favorably that this place seems to be "run by a bunch of women!"
We began with a light appetizer, the grilled sardines on bruschetta with a celery cole slaw. The sardines were meaty and delicious, brushed in a proper amount of olive oil and cooked to a luxurious, oily char. The bruschetta were somewhat hard and more difficult to chew, but the celery cole slaw was a deserving accompaniment, providing a cooling and clean counterpoint to the unctuous fish.
A promising start. Next to come out was a simple but well-executed field greens salad, in a light balsamic vinaigrette with a small crostini painted with aioli on the side. The salad was not particularly memorable, but I liked it because it personified the spirit of what California dining is and should be: simple, fresh, and light.
But enough virtue. Entrees next.
I selected the special of roasted halibut, served with a salsa verde over a mix of fingerling potatoes, chanterelles, and snow peas. Verdict: The fish was flaky and falling-apart tender, pairing well with the light snap of the Verde sauce. The various vegetables scattered beneath it were generally commendable, especially the chanterelles (although I have rarely met a chanterelle that did not excite me.) The potatoes and snap-peas were serviceable enough, although I would have preferred the use of less butter and olive oil in their preparation. I prefer not to think of eating something as benign as a snap pea as some sort of death-defying experience.
My dad's chicken cacciatore was tender and suffused with a good amount of deep red-wine flavor. It came with a creamy, if somewhat unexciting polenta, and a mound of absolutely crack-like roasted broccoli with onion that I would happily have stolen all of if given the chance. (I am a broccoli addict, a confusing and unexpected issue that no one really understands.) We both were perfectly content with our meals, considering the near-total lack of dinner conversation we engaged in - the mark of a good dinner.
The check came with a smile and a tiny sugar cookie. A nice touch of class and something to chew on as we toppled back out into the street. I'll be returning to Avanti again next time I find myself in Santa Cruz. It's an excellent choice for fine dining without the pretension or (much) of the guilt.
Went for dinner New Year's Day and it was good, if unremarkable.
Service: Though not particularly friendly or pleasant, our service was fine, with no missteps whatsoever.
Food: Rather good, but not fantastic. Dishes are sort of a Mediterranean inspired Italian. Several entrees are somewhat unusual, which is nice. They start you off with yummy, fresh, crunchy Italian bread and olive oil with a few olives.
My chicken cacciatore, a large drumstick and thigh, was salty, but very flavorful, and the super moist meat was falling of the bone. The side of polenta, though tasty, had congealed into a rubbery, sticky blob. My dining partner had the lasagna with sausage, mush, spinach, which was fine and he had no complaints. Both dishes came with a garnish/side of chopped greens that seemed to be comprised of maybe kale, onion & cabbage(?). Whatever it was, it didn't make for good eatin, and served mostly as a space filler on the plates.
Atmosphere: While ambiance is not terrible, you wont mistake it for Florence. Its very casual. It is after all, in a small strip mall directly fronting Mission Street. You wouldnt want to take a date here if you are over, say, 20.
Prices: Considering the overall food and experience, entrees are probably $3 - $5 too high. Pasta entrees started at $14 and pork chops or flank steak were about $22. That's pretty close to "high end" for Santa Cruz. There are definitely better meals in Santa Cruz for those prices (Michael's on Main, Pearl Alley, etc).
The halibut special was UNREAL last time I went in.
Orange zest, fresh tomatos, spring veggies and fresh fresh fresh halibut. SO GOOD
Also the heritage spinach salad was great.
The wine is always good too
I lived in Santa Cruz for 10 years before I moved farther north to the peninsula. This was always the tried and true, I'm feeling happy, I'm feeling blue, let's go eat all our cares, worries and celebrations away restauarant.
When I first moved to Santa Cruz, I brought my mom here, since it's the type of place a you'd want to bring your parent when they're visiting you at college. It was here that I told her I had gotten a tattoo on my back. Her eyes went big and she asked in a hushed voice "How big?" I replied "Big enough, Ma, big enough." I now bring my BF and my BF mom's here when we roll into town since it continues to hold a kind of special sentiment for me.
The food can't be beat nor can the service. It's one of the only places in SC with quality atmostphere, and it has smartly stayed off the tourist track, as so many restaurants in town tend to vear towards that mediocre quality but oh, we're so cool because we're located in Santa Cruz thing.
A secret-- They used to do an awesome breakfast on Sundays. Not sure if it's still going on, but I'd catch it if I still lived within hangover distance of Santa Cruz.
Great food... charming interior.. craptacular strip mall location. But don't let that deter you. This place is fantastic.
Seasonal Cal-Med bistro fare, great specials (check the chalkboard on your right when you walk in), great wine list... pretty hand painted plates on the walls. Romantic but casual. I hope Avanti is around for a long, long time.
A favorite for many years, for every reason. Avanti's been doing local/seasonal/organic for nearly twenty years, I think, and it's just the perfect little restaurant.
We enjoy eating at the bar, too: Katie takes great care of us.
The food is perfect, the service is perfect, and you can feel the good vibes there.
I went with the founders of Edible Communities publications to lunch here, and they were stunned with the quality. And jealous.
Love Ristorante Avanti. Loooooooove it.
A great way to cap off a perfect evening.
The food was simply sublime. The meal started with bread and oil VERY DELICIOUS. This was followed by the calamari appetizer, which was well seasoned and complimented with an appropriate dipping sauce/oil. For the main course I had the steak (medium rare; house recommended) which delivered nothing short of a food orgasm for me.
The atmosphere was charming. The service was excellent. The prices were more than fair for the meal and portions we received (dinner for 2 amounted to about $50 w/appetizer). My only gripe with this place would be its small parking lot, but you can park across the street at the Long's so even that isn't a problem. Be sure to make reservations as my date and I were able to bypass several couples and were seated almost immediately.
This place is worth another visit despite the fact I live 1+ hour away.
Capitola, CA
Category: Italian
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Italian
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Italian
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Restaurants
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