Real Good Fish delivers to your door
For the past year, Santa Cruz’s Alan and Jenn Lovewell have been delivering boxes of fresh, sustainably caught fish and meat — wild king salmon, for example, Santa Barbara mussels, pasture-raised chicken thighs — to the doorsteps of Santa Cruz and Silicon Valley households, via Real Good Fish.
Now a network of 150 California fishers, farmers and ranchers has helped the company expand its reach to households across the Bay Area and the West. The deliveries offer two customizable package options, each with 10 to 12 servings, available on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis: Best Coast Box ($118 with free shipping) includes a variety of fresh seafood, plus two to three additional proteins sourced from small-scale sustainable producers. Seafood Lover’s Box ($115) features a rotating selection of sustainable and seasonal seafood, flash-frozen to lock in freshness.
DETAILS >> www.realgoodfish.com.
Voyager Coffee opens new Santa Clara shop
Sameer Shah and Lauren Burns had wrapped up eight months’ worth of renovations and received permits for their third Voyager Craft Coffee. All that was left to do was settle on an opening date.
And then the COVID-19 crisis hit. The couple was able to keep their original coffeehouse, on Stevens Creek Boulevard in Santa Clara, open for takeout and delivery. But their landlords at the San Pedro Square Market closed the whole San Jose hall, so their second location had to shut down temporarily.
What to do? “We offer health insurance to our employees, so we needed a source of income,” Shah said.
So Shah and Burns went ahead with the opening of what they call their Voyager @ SCU shop. Java runs through the veins of this building on The Alameda not far from Santa Clara University. For years, this was the old Mission City Coffee Roasting Company, and then it became a Starbucks.
During the health crisis, customers aren’t allowed inside. But from the ordering table at the front door, they can get a peek of the light, airy space and the nature-themed decor: live greenery in planter boxes, etched wood booths, hanging lights with rattan shades.
Inside, the baristas and bakers have a dual mission. They’re filling takeout orders for walk-up customers and preparing donations for health care workers and front-line responders. Donations to a Gofundme page (www.gofundme.com/f/voyager-craftcoffee-helping-our-community) help pay for 100 cold-brew coffees and 100 pastries daily — and keep 32 Voyager employees, including two roasters in Palo Alto, working at least part time.
DETAILS >> Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2221 The Alameda, Santa Clara; www.facebook.com/voyagercraft coffee.
Three Twins Ice Cream shuts down operations
If you’re one of the many fans of Three Twins Ice Cream, better head to your local grocery store ASAP to get a final pint of Bittersweet Chocolate or Dad’s Cardamom. Founder Neal Gottlieb announced on Facebook that the company was ceasing operations April 17, its precarious financial situation made worse by the COVID-19 crisis.
The Petaluma-based company was founded 15 years ago. The Three Twins oxymoron referred to Neal, his twin brother and his brother’s wife, who is also a twin.
“When I started Three Twins as a single ice cream shop in 2005, my goal was to make great organic ice cream that was affordable and accessible, while also giving back. Without any real understanding of business and without a single employee (I couldn’t afford anyone but myself) I set out to make something special,” Gottlieb said. “Three Twins quickly became a Bay Area favorite at our scoops shops, farmers’ markets, and a handful of local grocery stores to which we sold hand-packed pints.”
In his farewell note, a wistful Gottlieb highlighted Three Twins’ ecological legacy. Over the years, he wrote, the Ice Cream for Acres land conservation initiative that was funded by a portion of sales preserved 12,000 acres of rainforest and other sensitive habitats.
Cupertino’s new Pineapple Thai joins the takeout crowd
Pineapple Thai has joined the restaurant-rich Main Street Cupertino complex. Having opened just a week before the current coronavirus crisis, the restaurant is open for takeout and delivery only. But its staff has already pivoted to help feed hospital employees through the Chamber of Commerce and Feed the Need fundraising efforts.
It’s the third Thai eatery in the South Bay from Thalia and Raffy Swangchaeng, who also are co-owners of Must be Thai on Stevens Creek Boulevard in San Jose and Coup de Thai on Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos.
Naturally, customers have already made popular the Cupertino dishes that feature pineapple, including the wok-fried pad pineapple, the pineapple fried rice and mah hor, an appetizer of fresh pineapple with a crunchy coconut relish.
DETAILS >> Open for delivery and takeout from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. at 19369 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino. 669-240-5556; www. pineapplethai.net
But wait, there’s more…
Find details on scores more Bay Area restaurants that are offering takeout, curbside and home delivery options at bayareane.ws/takeout.