Hwy 17 ughh . Hwy 1 south ughh . Get off on summit rd . Takes you to Soquel . Turn left onto Soquel drive when you arrive at the stoplight. Takes you to aptos without getting on hwy 1
That’s exactly the route our GPS took us on Friday.
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still one of my top places in santa cruz county
sergio in da 
parmigiano reggiano aged 24 months; balsamic
stracciatella, olive oil, house focaccia
persimmon salad, mustard greens, pistachio, chevre
pate de campagna, apple butter, manresa bread levain
eggplant, calabrian pesto, mint, fromage blanc
tagliatelle, chanterelles, parm, grated duck ham
trenette tocco: ‘our bolognese,’ pecorino
black cod, farro risotto, puntarelle
roasted chicken thigh, parsnip puree, carrots, hazelnuts
soppressata, tomato, mozz, salami, calabrian chili, fairy dust
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LOVE Mentone! Atmosphere, execution, bar and staff are top notch. Can’t think of a comparable spot in LA that hits all those notes so perfectly.
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Here’s Looking at You 
has better bar, equally as good food. change my mind
Of course we have terrific food in LA but Mentone has a level of accessibility and a relaxed atmosphere that doesn’t exist here. Staff is knowledgeable and engaged. Room is nicely lit, spacious and beautifully designed. Just an enjoyable experience start to end.
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Spoke with Jeremy Fox last night. He confirmed Sergio Kinch will be cooking from the Mentone menu at the upcoming Birdie G’s event in Santa Monica.
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review forthcoming?
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Not available. Server said chef posts photos of things he doesn’t put on the menu.
Gavi di Gavi was very nice and went well with everything.
Farinata was excellent. Ricotta didn’t make much sense to me.
Duck terrine was fabulous. I wish I knew someplace to get something like that closer to home than Maison Nico. No Manresa bread last night, just focaccia. I forgot to ask if that’s something that happens every Sunday.
Incontro Soppressata di Calabria was great. (Main photo of it turned out blurry.)
Gazpacho was also great, unexpectedly spicy and a bit sweet from peaches. The cheese seemed unnecessary. I wish they’d had bread to clean the bowl.
Sungold pizza was tasty but softer and wetter than I prefer. I expect to like the leftovers more after I crisp them up in a skillet.
Pansotti were good but to my taste the greens should have been more bitter and there should have been more walnut in the sauce.
Sausage and lentils were very good though they should not have sprinkled finishing salt on the already well-seasoned sausage.
Housemade pistachio gelato was really good, tasted like they’d roasted them fairly dark, remined me of salted caramel.
The quartini (250ml carafe) selection was very appealing but I had a long drive home so I’ll get into that sometime when I’m staying overnight nearby.
Polished service, nice bustling atmosphere. Reminded me a bit of the Cafe at Chez Panisse. I’m looking forward to going back.
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cipolla al forno con salsiccia, fonduta - stuffed onion fonduta
tortelli di zucca, amaretti - pumpkin ravioli and hazelnut
coda di bue al nebbiolo “verde” - oxtails braised in nebbiolo wine, green sauce
mentone eggnog
budino al caramello - butterscotch budino
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Dang! That looks nice, how would you compare it to LA Italian places?
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Hi @PorkyBelly
Highlights? The oxtails look delicious. Is that polenta underneath? Thanks.
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Also curious was this a solo dinner? Looks pretty epic if so
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hi @TheCookie
everything was delicious. favorite was probably the stuffed onion for its uniqueness. i think the oxtails were on top of mashed potatoes. yah, thanks.
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four-course lunch with sergio. everything portioned for one.
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