March 11, 2014 – There are certainly some benefits to writing about food. One of them is being able to go to things like the soft opening of the most anticipated restaurant in a long time here in Santa Cruz. I left the baby at home with Papa and met my friend for the late preview dinner seating (8:30pm feels late to me these days) at Assembly, the exciting new project being launched by The Glass Jar folks, otherwise known as The Penny Ice Creamery empire.
Walking into the gleaming space, I could immediately tell that the invitation had been extended to many of the who’s who in this food community, including some of Edible Monterey Bay’s recently awarded local heros. The place was packed, and everyone was thrilled to be there, for good reason. Here’s what we sampled.
Bean cooking seems like a pretty basic thing to have in your meal preparation tool kit, yet it seems like there is always something not quite right…too hard, too mushy, cracked skins, bland. The creamy white beans featured in Assembly’s braised chicken leg with housemade chorizo, artichokes, green olives and bread crumbs ($15) is the example we should all strive to perfect. And word is that chef Carlo Espina landed his new gig because of those beans. When owners Kendra Baker and Zach Davis sampled his creation during the interview, the decision was made. The chicken is “The Dish” confided not one, but two different servers at Assembly’s soft opening on Saturday, March 8th.
Chicken is just the tip of the iceberg in exciting discoveries at the new downtown restaurant. And I think anyone who has been lucky enough to sample some of the preview offerings will be first in line to return on opening day. The menu features “snacks” like the fried Castelvetrano olives ($3) filled with homemade sausage and cheese, “Starters” such as a smoky carrot and red lentil soup with fromage blanc and honey toast ($6.50), and a “Roasted, raw and marinated” selection of root veggies with cumin, sunflowers seeds and creamy sheep’s milk cheese ($8). Those same two servers, at different times in the evening, proclaimed this starter to be their favorite.
In the “Mains” category, aside from the famous chicken, the cream-kissed, roasted wild mushrooms on celery root purée with a sunny side up egg ($15) is a dish to remember. Well, pretty much everything I tried is something to remember, from the smear of sweet, salt-sprinkled butter on the bread plate to the beautiful dessert of fromage blanc mousse with roasted dates, chocolate sorbet, pistachios and coconut.
The beer list is awesome, as are the wines on offer, all curated by beverage director Scott Zapotocky. 
He seems able to find a great balance between highlighting local gems and standouts from the rest of the world. And the pricing is really affordable, with beers running $5-6 and wine $6+.
A shiny copper bar, a radiant wall, full of glowing glass lanterns and bold antler chandeliers, create a space that feels good to be in. The servers’ enthusiasm was palpable and not just because they realize they are now on staff at Santa Cruz’s hottest place to be, but because they are proud to present us with delicious, comforting, vibrant food and drink.
Assembly is here to stay. Everything you want, need or crave in a restaurant is covered here, and I’m so happy to report that we now have one more example that the Santa Cruz food scene keeps getting better and better.
The new Pacific Avenue eatery will be open for lunch and dinner from 11am to 9:30pm Tu-Th and Sun. It will be open until 10:30pm on Fri and Sat. A snack menu will be served from 3-5:30pm. Starting on March 22, the restaurant will be opening at 9am on Sat and Sun for brunch.
Meanwhile, the debut of their Pop Up event space next door has been postponed until March 31. SF chef Anthony Myint—of Mission Chinese and Commonwealth—will be serving two lunch dishes for the opening.
About the author
Amber Turpin is a freelance food and travel writer based in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
