Solaire is Chef Stefen Shatto’s New Domain

October 17, 2023 – Walking into the newly remodeled Hotel Paradox in Santa Cruz, the juxtaposition of ancient and modern coming together to create the illusion of being in a forest is visually striking. 

So, too, is the presence of chef Stefen Shatto, whose magnificent profile could easily win him a starring role as Robin Hood, Superman or perhaps King Lear. But rather than commanding the spotlight on a thespian stage, he directs his prodigious culinary talents to crafting the menus at the hotel’s restaurant, Solaire, as well as creating special experiences daily to delight the widely diverse clientele that the hotel is drawing from far and wide. 

“You never know what the theme will be,” said Shatto—a Santa Cruz native, who is one of 8 children—when we visited last Saturday.  

“I love working at hotels because the variety of food you get to create is endless. Since we’ve been open, I’ve created a menu entirely based on baby food (don’t ask), a spooky Halloween themed menu for a drag show and today, we have cyclists on a ride from San Francisco, so the food will be focused on high protein.”

Those lucky cyclists were also going to be treated to massages by the beautiful pool, shining in the morning sun at the far end of the hotel. 

Shatto, whose childhood years were spent on a farm in Iowa, attended culinary school where he excelled at French cuisine, honing his craft at several James Beard acclaimed restaurants in Omaha. Afterwards, he apprenticed in Italy, soaking in the local flavor and learning the cultural traditions of Italian cuisine, in particular from Maccheroni Ristorante’s head chef Lorenzo Panepinto, who would pave the way for Shatto to return to the Central Coast. 

At age 21, Shatto became executive chef at Il Vecchio in Pacific Grove, where he was essential to establishing the dining experience that earned the restaurant the Best Italian Award of Monterey the very first year. The owners of Il Vecchio had hired Panepinto to teach their kitchen staff how to make authentic Italian cuisine, which is how Shatto came into the picture. 

From there, he went on to Schooners at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, Grange at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento and the Inn at the Pier in Pismo Beach. He was a consultant to Breadsong/SteakCraft in Carmel while they searched for an executive chef. And now, by some stroke of luck, he’s back home in Santa Cruz, where he’s been at Hotel Paradox for three months. 

The extensive renovation, which shut down parts of the hotel lobby and restaurant area for 8 months, began in January. The results are extraordinary and filled with contrasts, from the variety of fabrics, floor coverings, lighting elements and wall art — the Jim Phillips skateboard designs are particularly fun—to the rather stunning moss covered orbs that hover over the deep and comfortable booths like giant clumps of mistletoe. 

Dining tables are covered with tile in a green honeycomb pattern, which Shatto has playfully echoed in the lacy honey-infused tuille he places atop his matcha and chocolate pot de crème ring, resting on a crunchy hazelnut date crust, in a desert composition called Birds & Bees Nest. 

“We have bee hives on top of the hotel,” explains Shatto. “I love incorporating honey into the menu.” 

There’s a whimsical side to this seriously talented man, that shows up in the artfully presented honeycomb bread with wildflower honey and rosemary butter, and in the Beet Harmony, a medley of beets and orange segments atop arugula, surrounded by a meringue-like ring of goat cheese and hazelnut puree, that is intriguingly sweet, pungent and salty. Dressed with the burnt orange vinaigrette, served in a separate pitcher, this is a winning salad. 

The Paradise Pad Thai with its smoked mushrooms, broccolini, snap peas, bell peppers and bean sprouts, felt healthy, with its toasted cashews and accents of lemongrass and mint. Shatto insisted we try the Ahi Tuna Wontons with sashimi grade tuna, guacamole, ponzu, and Thai chilis, topped with micro cilantro. 

We also tried the pork belly bao buns with miso maple glaze, and the chili glazed King salmon over couscous, surrounded by a sea of pea puree and citrus salad.  

Equally impressive was the extensive bar menu, which includes a hefty selection of craft cocktails as well as many mocktails, that can be infused with CBD for an extra $5. There are ciders, seltzers, draft beers, non-alcoholic options and wine, including Alfaro Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Sitting poolside definitely works up a thirst. 

The first thing that caught my eye was the Redwood Martini made with Bonny Doon fir infused gin, but we were looking for something colorful, so we chose the mucho spicy but lip-smacking Garden Park Variety, a gorgeous fusion of mezcal, Ancho Reyes liqueur, organic carrot juice, lime, coconut and habanero shrub, expertly crafted by bartender, Rainbow. We also delighted in one of his non-alcoholic creations, the Heat Wave, made from watermelon soda, coconut simple syrup, lemon, lime and jalapeño, rimmed with Tajin and topped with a slice of watermelon. 

“Did I tell you that I worked with this dude back at Il Vecchio?” Rainbow beamed as he asked us what we thought of the drinks he’d made us. He’s been here at Paradox for nine years. “When I found out Stefen was coming here, I was like ecstatic! This guy is fantastic. What a talent! We are so lucky to have him. He’s doing an amazing job.” 

As we dined, the steady flow of luggage-laden visitors in and out of the place indicated a pent-up demand for a hotel that is close to all that Santa Cruz has to offer, and yet has actual parking, and oh, that pool, by which you can dine and enjoy a fantastic libation from said bar, over which the “AI” face is suspended, strangely looking like C-3PO staring down from above. 

Shatto told us it can be lit up in a variety of colors, like a bastardized disco ball: just please don’t make the thing revolve. He says it’s extremely popular with guests of a certain age, of which I am apparently not.

Before we left, Shatto insisted on showing us his Campfire S’mores setup. He arrived with a flaming pot of sterno on a platter, heaped with Hershey’s candy bars, marshmallows and graham crackers. With an enigmatic smile, and a true twinkle in his eye, he assured us that the flames wouldn’t get higher than four inches. “See? It’s not that hot, really,” he said, passing his hand over the tabletop campfire. “You wouldn’t believe how burnt people get the marshmallows, though!” I could just see how little kids of all ages would get into this activity. 

He says this is just one example of how he intends to evolve the menu to make it more interactive and involve guests in the experience of creating their food. Like he said, working at a hotel restaurant is a whole different deal. 

Personally, I was content to dig into the towering wall of warm apple bread pudding, a serving size enough for a table of four, scraping up the divine homemade caramel sauce and folding it around the fluffy mountain peaks of whipped mascarpone. That’s about as interactive as I want to get with my food. 

Solaire is open for breakfast from 7am until 11am and for all day dining, from 11:30 until 9pm. The dinner menu, which includes cioppino, seared scallops, fettucine with housemade Alfredo sauce, prime strip steak with mashed potatoes and a 72-hour short rib over polenta with harvest vegetables, is served from 4pm until 9pm. Save room for dessert.