I recently visited Santa Cruz with Barrett and stopped at Lillian’s Italian Kitchen. I’m glad we chose to stay and eat there!
We left Turtle Dove in his crate in the car since it was nighttime and cool enough. We were greeted at Lillian’s with a low-light ambiance and Italian big band music playing in the background.
The night began with Moscow mules. They were sweet, not too gingery, and presented in thick, chilled Moscow mule copper mugs. Cheers!
Bread with olive oil and vinegar came to stimulate the appetite.
As an appetizer, we ordered the prawns. They were so fresh, tasted like lobster, and were almost as big! We devoured all seven, accompanied by a delicious sauce. The sauteed prawns were caught from the wild Gulf and cooked with garlic, olive oil, white wine, and a little dash of marinara sauce—served with crostini.
We also couldn’t resist ordering meatballs. Three big ones, all drenched in sauce, with bits of meatballs mixed in for delightful texture and rich flavor. The Sunday gravy and mozzarella on a toasted ciabatta roll make supreme additions to the meatballs.
Eating your fill at Lillian’s Italian Kitchen.
As a main course, we ordered raviolis, and they were flavorful pucks of beauty. They were organized like petals on a flower around a central spread of basil tomatoes and white wine. Simple and elegant.
Although considered boring for some, I’m a sucker for fettuccine alfredo. It hit the spot and delivered what I’m always looking for, buttery goodness with garlic and velvety noodles galore. The included cremini mushrooms and spinach pushed the dish over the top in the best of ways.
Dessert included a cannoli and tiramisu.
Already so very full, we ordered the desserts to go and ate them in our hotel room about an hour after dinner. We were glad to keep Lillian’s party going! The cannolis were tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a creamy and sweet filling of whole milk ricotta, chocolate chips and candied orange zest. The tiramisu was a display of lady-finger biscuits, espresso, creme di mascarpone, coffee liqueur and cocoa powder. Fantastimo!
If you’re ever looking for a delicious Italian restaurant right off Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz, then Lillian’s Italian Kitchen should be the stop for you.
