Stupendous Soif
Feb 24, 2010, by | Read more: News
Standout scallops at the landmark Santa Cruz wine bar
My top meal of 2008 was (and is) a disarming “small plate” I have enjoyed no fewer than five different times at Soif in downtown Santa Cruz. Usually joined by something in the key of grüner veltliner or sauvignon blanc, my favorite meal is the house signature sautéed scallops. I have loved them lounging on a bed of crunchy, roasted cauliflower, ignited by a dazzling sweet and salty puree of raisins and capers. Or maybe I love these fat shellfish just as much in the most recent variation—in which the scallops straddle a latticework of julienned green apples, toasted pumpkin seeds and peppery arugula. This dish never, ever disappoints. Something about the tumescent interior and the glistening, golden-brown, slightly crisp exterior is just astonishing. - Christina Waters, photo by Pete Shea
