Ristorante Avanti, Santa Cruz

Twenty years ago we converted an old deli located in a strip mall to a restaurant. We loved the location in heart of the westside Santa Cruz neighborhood, just down the hill from University of California. We decided to create the restaurant with the spirit of one you would find in an Italian village, but adapted to itac2s roots in California. (In fact, the naming inspiration for the restaurant was the Studebaker acoeAvantiacac"a car designed by Raymond Loewy. In 1987 so much of restaurant food was (and still is) prepared from processed and packaged products with artificial flavorings and preservatives, and Italian food was mainly the heavy red sauce style. We wanted to prepare food as naturally and simply as possible, using organic produce, wholesome oils, and real Italian cheeses and meats.