Steamer Lane Supply

Chef, farmer and former surfer Fran Grayson is totally shredding it

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GENEVA RICO

Back in the day when Fran Grayson was a surfer, she and her pals liked to “double dip.” That’s surfer slang for surfing for a few hours, taking a break to refuel and jumping back in the water to catch some more waves.

She and the other surfers in the water or on the cliffs often talked about how they wished there was a place nearby to grab a bite rather than having to peel off their wetsuits and drive somewhere. That idea lingered in her mind while she apprenticed and then taught at UCSC’s Center for Agroecology program, while she worked at Santa Cruz’s Ristorante Avanti, and while she worked her own small farm and successful “Truck Stop” food truck.

It was the thought of providing grab-and-go food near popular surf spots that led her to Lighthouse Field State Park and Beach in Santa Cruz, the northernmost point of the Monterey Bay and the location of a legendary surf spot called Steamer Lane. When she first contacted California State Parks about parking her food truck in the Lighthouse Field parking lot across the street from the ocean, she noticed that a concrete block building housing the park’s restrooms had an unused storage room.

Three years later—after working with the state park staff on the details and transforming the storage space with a small kitchen, order counter and shop—she opened Steamer Lane Supply. The dining room was easy—it’s all open-air picnic tables in the park, some shaded by Monterey cypress trees, some under the open sky and all with views of the ocean in the distance.

“Over that three-year period I had plenty of time to think about the menu and what I wanted to do,” says Grayson. “I wanted something craveable, healthy and delicious. I also wanted to create something informed by this space and the people here and what they’re doing. My version of a quesadilla reflects that concept. When you just get out of the water, you want something toasty, warm, easy to eat and easy to carry.”

Grayson’s version of a quesadilla starts with the tortilla and adds an origami twist: picture a flour tortilla folded around a filling into a flat and compact rectangular package. It’s then placed in a panini press until golden, crispy and warm, and tucked into a foil wrapper so you can walk around with it if you want. The ingredients meld (and melt if there’s cheese) together into a toasty, comforting package.

This creative twist on a quesadilla comes in many styles: The Break-a-dilla —scrambled eggs, hash browns, jack cheese, queso fresco, salsa verde and sour cream (adding bacon is a delicious option); the Kimchidilla; Tuna-melt-a-dilla; Pulled Pork ’dilla… you get the idea.

In addition to the popular ’dilla category, the menu falls into three other areas: sandwiches, such as the Classic Tuna, or Spicy Pork made with five-spice pork shoulder, house pickled vegetables, shredded cabbage, jalapeño, cilantro, mayo and hot chili; bowls, like the Tofu Bowl, or the Salmon Poke Bowl with brown rice, Napa cabbage, seaweed salad, avocado, house pickles, ginger mayo and sun sprouts; and the catch-all other category, that features items like breakfast sandwiches, tamales, smashburgers and kimchi hot dogs.

“The menu has gotten bigger and bigger as time has passed,” says Grayson. “I used to offer a special, like a chicken chipotle ’dilla or fish tacos and hamburgers just on weekends, but people wanted them all the time, so we’d add them to the menu.”

Breakfast is served all day, but no matter what time of day you eat there, you’ll see every generation, including the very youngest in strollers and the oldest in wheelchairs, enjoying the fresh air and food. The woodsy Lighthouse Field side of the park is accessible and has wide trails that meander through shady eucalyptus and Monterey cypress trees and open meadows. Walk across the street to get to the Steamer Lane surf spot, to the small Surfing Museum in the lighthouse that gives the park its name and to stairs that lead to Mitchell’s Cove Beach, where dogs are allowed.

“There really isn’t any other eating place that’s more kid friendly or dog friendly,” Grayson says. “Kids can run around and drop food on the ground—it doesn’t matter because the next guest at that table might have a dog who will tidy up. My dogs Nellie and Paloma ‘vacuum’ every morning when I come to work. We even have special dog treats—dog frittatas made with leftover salmon skin, eggs, cheese, rice and things like kale stems. We get lots of dog walkers, lots of families and lots of regulars.”

As soon as children have finished their kids ’dilla (just cheese), housemade berrypacked muffin, breakfast taco or Marianne’s ice cream sandwich, they quickly gravitate to one of the four downed Monterey cypress trees that bisect the 11 picnic tables. The logs are broad and easy to climb or tightrope walk atop for even the youngest child. Older kids can scale a root system or a small tree at the edges of the open-air dining area or set up a giant Jenga game with wooden blocks—it’s a one-of-a-kind natural playground.

Starting around November, flocks of monarch butterflies descend upon Lighthouse Field’s eucalyptus groves to overwinter.

“I bring my camera when I come here in the winter, so I can take pictures of the butterflies,” says Chuck Moker, who couldn’t stop raving about his iced Turkish coffee. “Within about 300 yards you can see huge clusters of butterflies, and then walk a few steps and look out at seals and surfers enjoying the ocean.”

Another repeat customer who comes with her husband and dog Leo, Christine Granados loves the quirky Santa Cruz vibe.

“It’s absolutely beachy” she says. “You look across the table and there’s the water—you smell the sea. Take three seconds and cross the street and you’re looking out at sailboats and seabirds. It may be super casual but the food is really interesting and delicious and fun—and it’s about as Santa Cruz as you can get…full of every kind of person. If you were going to do a postcard of a true California beach town restaurant, this is it.”

Steamer Lane Supply
698 W. Cliff Drive
Santa Cruz
steamerlanesc.com