July 4, 2017 – The six restaurants and two bars that comprise Abbott Square Market in Santa Cruz are opening little by little and developer John McEnery couldn’t be happier that the long-awaited project is finally taking off.
Cat, Cloud, Companion coffee and baked goods shop opened Saturday along with the adjacent Pizzeria La Bufala and last night the two bars Front & Cooper and Cooper & Front served their first delighted customers with creative and sophisticated cocktails that set a new benchmark for the Monterey Bay area.
Wednesday Veg on the Edge will start serving vegan cuisine. Then the three remaining restaurants—Poke It, Milk and Wood ice cream and All Aboard oyster bar—are expected to come online over the next few weeks, creating a vibrant new culinary hub and meeting place in downtown Santa Cruz on the ground floor of the Museum of Art and History.
The MAH, which owns the property and spearheaded the development, plans to organize outdoor art exhibits, musical performances and happenings on the square as part of its living museum concept.
If opening night at Front & Cooper is any indication, the square is about to get very lively. World champion bartender Kate Gerwin has been brought on as the creative director, to develop the bar menu and train staff. Her dazzling opening cocktail list includes drinks like Liquid Intelligence, made with liquid nitrogen muddled herbs, gin and lime ($11); Go Fetch, concocted from snap pea infused vodka, cocci rosa, strawberries, mint and lime ($9); and Cereal Killa, made with clarified milk punch, cinnamon toast crunch, infused Don Q gold rum, pineapple and coriander ($10). There are also amusing twists on classic cocktails like the negroni or Ramos fizz.
But my attention was immediately drawn to the menu of six special gin and tonics ($9)—each one made with Aviation American Gin mixed with different combinations of herbs and fruits. Be sure to try #3 which is bright red and made with cassis, port wine and fresh blackberries. The adjacent bar, Cooper & Front, is stocked with wines, beer and cider on tap, including several local favorites.
Outdoor dining is possible on Abbott Square at brand new tables and chairs, some of them under brightly-colored shade umbrellas, which will soon sport heaters and lighting for foggy nights. Follow EMB’s social media to find out about upcoming openings at Abbott Square.
About the author
Deborah Luhrman is publisher and editor of Edible Monterey Bay. A lifelong journalist, she has reported from around the globe, but now prefers covering our flourishing local food scene and growing her own vegetables in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
