June 14, 2016 – Get ready to fill up at a new non-GMO, organic food stop for the masses called earthbelly set to open early next month at the corner of Ocean St. and Soquel Ave. in the former Caffe Lucio.
“There are so many people who are struggling and still trying to eat well, we will be cranking out good food that is organic and not going to break the bank,” says Tammy Ogletree, half of the husband and wife chef team behind the project. Ogletree and husband Chad Greer previously owned Beso restaurant in New York’s Hudson Valley, a hotbed of organic agriculture.
The new restaurant and take out bar will be counter-service only to reduce costs. “We are passionate about the inequality that’s everywhere,” she says. “We’ve spent our careers catering to the wealthy and want to do something we feel good about and help people.”
Earthbelly’s menu will include soups, salads, sandwiches, grass-fed burgers, pizzas and flatbreads—along with seasonal daily specials and gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free options. Ingredients will be sourced from local farms and farmers’ markets. Delivery service is also planned.
“At our previous restaurant we had farmers bringing us fresh-picked haricots verts still warm from the sun. We are deeply in love with our farmers,” says Ogletree.
The couple met in the kitchen of a San Francisco restaurant in 1988, where she was the pastry chef and Greer worked the stoves. After 15 years on the East Coast, they moved to Santa Cruz when their daughter was born three years ago and have been looking for the right spot to open their own restaurant.
Meantime, Greer has been working as executive chef at LB Steak on Santana Row in San Jose and spending lots of time at farmers’ markets in the Santa Cruz area developing relationships with local growers.
Partner Sarah Davis will be the general manager. Build out is currently underway at the 2,400 sq ft restaurant and a beer and wine license application has been filed. They are hoping to open on 4th of July weekend.
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.
