Aptos Trip Day 4 - The Penny Ice Creamery

Local ingredients, creative concoctions, delectable dessert. 

A double scoop with two fantastic flavors. 

Candied Buddha’s Hand, a sweet citrus rind, more sugar than a lemon, more zest than An orange.

Bitter Caramel isn’t really bitter, but it’s like caramel you left in the pot a little longer. It has a feeling of being a toasted which subdues the rush of sugar.  

I made it a little weird with the toasted marshmallow topping because marshmallow and blow torch means I can’t say no. Perfect with the caramel, though; burnt elevating bitter. 

I love ice cream, and they make good ice cream here. A lovely mix of innovative flavors and favorites tried and true make for a difficult decision with no wrong answers. 

Aptos Trip Day 4 - Betty Burgers and The Penny Ice Creamery

An easy dinner outside this diner, a super-chill place with big burgers and plastic booths.

The Mad Mex is one mean burger, a thick and juicy patty topped with pretty good guac and a slice of pepper jack cheese. 

Their Fries are super crispy, 

And even the Chili has a nice kick to it, though they could replace that water with a little tomato purée. 

If you can get past all the sauces being called “lube” (GAG), the food is a bit better than alright. You can count on a solid diner-quality burger at a reasonable price, and some nights, that’s all you need. 

Aptos Trip Day 3 - Mentone

Big things are expected when a man from Manresa drops a new restaurant in Aptos Village, and Mentone didn’t disappoint. It was only a couple of years before Mentone became synonymous with Michelin and earned a coveted Bib Gourmand. 

You’d never know by the menu, which is literally the most understated thing I’ve ever read, but this Franco-Italian bistro is fire. 

Focaccia. Fennel, sea salt. 

A dough full holes so perfectly aerated that you can bite through the entire slice and only touch the perfectly chewy center once. The fennel is so fragrant, an anise-kissed breath brushed with sea salt. Even the world’s pickiest toddler ate an entire order.

Root Vegetable Carpaccio. Kohlrabi, radish, walnut oil. 

Did a Chinese tiger mom stand there while they wrote this? Yes, it’s just plate of razor-thin, laser-cut radish at a glance, but the depth of this dish is indescribable. Each slice carries a significant smoke, and a few folded bits send ash up your nose for a savory quality that makes it almost a vegetarian wagyu. The walnut oil adds an oomph to it all, especially the chopped bed to barely-pickled turnip beneath that faintly channels Chinese mustard.

They do powerful things with vegetables here, and that appetizer is just a preview. The Pansotti is a ravioli resembling a flattened wonton filled with almost-puréed green stuff, a strong leaf like a fresh-cut spinach-grass. Walnut pesto, another understatement of the century; a cream sauce made with crack for a confidently nutty, soupy success.

These dishes will not soon be forgotten, but it’s pizza that makes them popular. The Sardenaira is soaked with ripe tomato sauce, seasoned with salty olive. A single squiggle of sardine permeates an entire slice, and I’ve never know a crust so chewy. This one has so much spring, your jaw will literally rebound.

Imagine a spicy pepperoni pizza for grown-ups as the Soppressata steps up. Salami sizzles and Calabrian chilies pack the heat. Cheese and sauce are pure perfection, but still the crust is key. 

Michelin has disappointed me more than once, but Mentone did not. Mentone manifests mastery with a manner most modest and refined. I’ve had so much fine dining, yet Mentone still makes things I’ve never seen. I can still honestly say I’ve never had a better [fill-in-the-blank with literally anything I ate] than the one I got at Mentone. 

Aptos Trip Day 3 - Cat & Cloud Coffee

Starting an early day right with a Cappuccino. Six ounces of heart-foam are a straight shot to the heart, a counterbalance to the carb coma to come.

Iced Coffee is a smooth brew, a cleanser for a sweet and flaky Chocolate Croissant. 

Lemon Pound Cake is light and they use real zest so you get a fresh citrus breeze from the peel.

A Morning Bun is a sticky pecan roll, a little crunch on the outside, soft cinnamon swirl within. 

A sleek and modern coffee shop, this is Cat & Cloud. Serving coffee the way it’s supposed to be, this sweet shop will give any day a savvy start. 

Aptos Trip - Day 2 - Aptos St Barbeque

Starting the day with googling “how to wash the cover of the car seat”. There is thankfully an outdoor shower to give the entire seat a healthy rinse though a bathtub would have been ideal. The covered patio allows a slab of merciful sunlight to dry the black cover to acceptably damp.

We trapped by the lack of car seat into late afternoon but there’s a picnic table in the loose-gravel patio of Aptos St Barbeque with our name on it. 

The selection of beer is brilliant, and a friendlier, more helpful staff has never existed. 

It pains me to pan the food, but I have to tell the truth. The Brisket was painfully dry, barely chewable at best. 

Pork Ribs are alright, they’ll never fall off the bone but they don’t require too much toothy persuasion. Add some spicy bbq sauce and the meat is enjoyable enough. 

They make a decent cornbread, and grilled bread is always a good idea, but skip the undercooked beans. Slaw is satisfactory, and the mac n’ cheese is my fave. Simply cheesy, a good texture and flavor-feel without making too strong a statement. 

I liked the people, I liked the place, and I liked the idea of the food. A cute and casual joint with so much potential…if someone would just learn to use the smoker.