Quick Review: Hoffman's Bakery and Bistro

The first time I went to Santa Cruz I was on a mission. I was on break last December and was looking for little mini adventures I could take by myself to explore California. I was told to go to Pacific Avenue and walk around town and have hot chocolate at Chocolate. I did both, and grabbed a bite to eat at Chocolate (the food was way disappointing considering how amazing the hot chocolate was), but also checked out places to visit in the future. One of which was Hoffman's a bakery/restaurant.

When I went back a couple months later with my mom, we ate lunch there and the food was spectacular. I had butternut squash ravioli and my mom had the brie sandwhich. Both of the dishes were things that drew me to the menu in the first place, and were really good. Light, flavorful fare that fills you up. Most of the items on the menu are what you would normally see at a cafe, so there is nothing that stands out. But as I watched other people being served, it all looked good. And considering how good our meals looked and tasted, I would bet that most of not all of the menu tastes great.

We didn't get dessert, but the bakery case looked so tempting. While we were looking at the menu, a customer on his way in told us he drives 45 minutes into town once a week just to get a brownie. We ordered one for Nick (which I was only allowed one bite of), and he devoured it. I'm lucky I got that one bite without having my fingers munched off!

While the picture I took from their website makes the restaurant look very chic yet rustic, it's actually more of a diner type place. It's great for a very casual lunch or dinner, but definitely not date night.