Gabriella Café

Aleishall Girard Maxon

I was never really one for dating, but if I had to describe the perfect “date” restaurant, it would be Gabriella Cafe in Santa Cruz, California.

Once occupied by a dental practice in the nineteen thirties, the space now resembles a small, cozy house and the atmosphere is such that you feel as if you are eating in a friend’s living room. The ceilings are low, the linens crisp and the lighting soft. Diners sit close to one another allowing for hushed conversation to take place while the butcher paper and crayons on the table inspire a collaborative work of art in between bites of their incredibly delicious appetizer appropriately titled Pan Amore, a sun dried tomato pesto, roasted garlic and black olive tapenade with focaccia.

Their menu is inspired by the region’s seasonal bounty. The fare is sophisticated but not overdone. Flavor is the paramount concern of the chef, Rebecca King and she executes beautifully. As the café is located just a short walk away from the local farmer’s market, each dish is infused with ingredients that have been grown nearby and the freshness is evident.

I have been to Gabriella several times since I moved to Santa Cruz with my fiancé three months ago and although everything we’ve tasted has been superb, there is one dish that stands above the rest—the porcini gnocchi with a Gorgonzola truffle cream sauce and radicchio.

I am tempted to say there are not words to describe the decadence and utter depth of flavor, but what would be the fun in that? The gnocchi are similar to ravioli in that there is actually a pocket that holds the porcini filling. I am not a lover of mushrooms but the way in which their earthy flavor is combined with a rich but not overly pungent Gorgonzola and the ever-fragrant truffle is beyond any fungi I have ever tasted. Containing about eight pieces, this plate takes you just to the edge of overdrive then teeters on the edge allowing you to feel full but not heavy.