Brunch in Santa Cruz

Who: VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland
What: Brunch in Santa Cruz
Where: Saturn Café, Santa Cruz, Calif.
When: March 8, 2008
Why: Post-yoga indulgence

The Scoop: Looking for a veg-friendly getaway this summer? A funky seaside town full of vegetarian eateries, bookstores, and yoga studios, Santa Cruz just might be that perfect travel destination. Just one-and-a-half hours from San Francisco and the city my Mom now calls home, a weekend in this progressive paradise is always just what the doctor ordered. This past weekend, however, time was short, and I only had a chance to visit one of my favorite dining spots. After finishing up a rigorous morning class at The Yoga Center, I moseyed over a few blocks to Saturn Café for a hearty brunch. A SC institution since 1979, the diner-esque vegetarian restaurant—complete with overstuffed booths, a jukebox, and a lengthy milkshake menu—is popular with locals and tourists alike. I settled into the Vegan Breakfast (a bargain at just $6.50), which included a perfectly seasoned tofu scramble, herb-roasted home-fried potatoes, and two thick slabs of sourdough toast with blackberry jam. It was fabulous, flat-out fabulous. Wanting to linger after I had finished breakfast, I ordered a soy chai latte, which was topped with about three inches of soy foam. I love foam, and if you like foam, you’ll love Saturn’s foam. The one downside to the Saturn Café is the service: it can often be abrupt. My gal was friendly, but I did have to wait longer than normal to place my order and noticed she was sitting at a table with friends enjoying her own breakfast. Other than that, it’s a good stop to make on your veggie tour of Santa Cruz.

Look for the lowdown on all my favorite SC spots in the next few months, only on Press Pass.