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Aptos Life - March 2013 - B 7
Red Apple Cafe: a perfect place for American comfort food By TODD GUILD of Aptos Life
The breakfast cafe, to me, is a cornerstone of contemporary American cuisine. It is a place where locals gather at daybreak to sip coffee and trade gossip. Where seasoned short-order cooks expertly sling together plates of eggs and hash browns. Where families come for a quick bite before church and blearyeyed revelers fresh from the previous nights’ parties come to refuel. Redolent with the smell of coffee and bacon and brightened by animated conversation, such places convey a sense of home and a promise of comfort. Just such a place is the Red Apple Cafe in Aptos. Tucked into the upscale Deer Park Center, the cafe is a deceptively simple place, with a tiny dining room, downhome decorations and a refreshingly welcoming staff. The restaurant’s menu largely stays true to its biscuits-and-gravy heritage, with just a few nods to “California cuisine” such as an artichoke and pesto omelets and turkey and avocado Benedict. Aptos Life photographer Tarmo Hannula and I decided to try the cafe based on the recommendation of a coworker. We approached the restaurant through a large outdoor eating area overlooking a grassy, tree-lined park and into the dining room, where we were immediately greeted and told to sit where we liked. Menus and drink orders quickly followed. Because we arrived after breakfast and just before the lunch crowd came in, we were the only customers and had the place to ourselves. Being an aficionado of breakfast foods, I ordered the traditional eggs Benedict ($9.95), passing up several iterations of the classic including crab cakes Benedict ($12.95). My meal came with the restaurant’s selfdescribed “famous” country potatoes. I also ordered a strawberry chocolate muffin to go along with my piping hot and excellent coffee. Tarmo got the California club sandwich ($10.95), which takes the deli classic and adds a West Coast flair with slices of avocado. With a choice of soup, salad or french fries, Tarmo went with the latter. My muffin came quickly and was warmed enough to slightly melt the chocolate. It had a hint of strawberry and while a tad dry was the perfect start to my breakfast. There is no superlative sufficient to
describe my eggs Benedict. It was the best I have eaten, and honestly left me worried that I won’t be able to enjoy the dish anywhere else I go. The Hollandaise sauce was thick and deeply rich, and complemented the paper-thin slices of ham that were grilled to a crispy perfection. My potatoes were crispy outside and creamy inside, and perfectly seasoned. Tarmo’s sandwich was piled with thick-cut bacon, turkey, lettuce and tomato, and came with a pile of fries Tarmo described as “generous.” While we didn’t have a chance to gauge how well the staff stands up under the pressure of a busy dining room, we thought the service was excellent, with our waitress returning several times to refill my coffee and inquire how we were doing. One of the best parts of the red Apple Cafe is the location — most windows offer a panoramic view of the wooded area outside. Dan and Gracia Krakauer purchased the restaurant in 2009, with a combined 15 years in the business. With a nod to the existing base of loyal customers they decided to keep the menu and the look of the place the same. “We didn’t want anything to change,” Gracia Krakauer said. “There was really a good following and a good reputation, and we’ve followed up on that.” Krakauer describes the menu as traditional American cuisine, “with a little flair here and there.” “We try to infuse a little fun,” she said. The restaurant’s success comes despite the fact that they purchased it in the midst of the fiscal crisis, Gracia Krakauer said. “We’ve been very lucky and very happy with the progress we’ve made,” she said. “We’ve brought the quality up to where we wanted it to be.” ABOVE: The California Club is a popular lunch plate at the Red Apple Cafe in Aptos. BELOW: The Red The restaurant is celebrating its Apple Cafe is situated on the second deck of the Deer Park Shopping Center. 25th anniversary this year, and Dan Photos by Tarmo Hannula/Aptos Life and Gracia Krakauer plan on hosting several events to commemorate the occasion. Krakauer said the Red Apple is known for its eggs Benedict and three-egg omelets, which she describes as “nice, big and fluffy.” But the four-page menu offers dozens of other breakfast and lunch items that could leave the indecisive scratching their heads. “I don’t think anyone would say we are skimpy with the portions,” she said. “You definitely get a lot for your money.” Krakauer said the cooks strive to use local produce when they can, including Gizdich juices and locally grown strawberries. “It’s definitely a labor of love,” she said. “We like it to be a family restaurant where you would meet friends or run into friends, and that happens all the time.”
Red Apple Cafe
The Red Apple Cafe serves a hearty traditional eggs Benedict. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Aptos Life
Cuisine type: American | Food: +++ | Décor: basic, with a rotating display of local artists on the wall | Service: Friendly, efficient | Atmosphere: Small, neighborhood restaurant | Price: $$ Hours: Daily, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed Mondays Red Apple Cafe is upstairs in the Deer Park Center at 783 Rio Del Mar Blvd. in Aptos. For information, call 685-1224 or visit redappleaptos.com. Key: (per meal) $ = $5 - $10 $$ = $11- 20 $$$ = $30 | + = average, ++ = very good, +++ = excellent
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