This Week on the Central Coast…
Another Michelin Star, students doing incredible things, and a local “Macro Coffee Roaster of the Year”
Monterey
Carmel Restaurant Earns Its Second Michelin Star
Carmel’s reputation for incredible food continues to grow as the city gets its first restaurant with two Michelin stars. Last week, Aubergine was awarded its second star at the Michelin Guide Ceremony at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay.
Chef Justin Cogley’s cooking style, which combines classic techniques with modern aesthetic, and use of high-quality ingredients contributed to the Guide’s decision. Aubergine is known for its daily-changing eight-course tasting menu. Examples of recent tasting menu items can be found on their website:
Oyster with yuzu emulsion and cucumber gelee
Ribeye with kohlrabi and sunflower miso
Chocolate brownie with marshmallow fluff and cocoa nibs
Aubergine earned its first Michelin star in 2019. In addition to the new star, Aubergine has also received Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence, Forbes Travel Guide’s highest five-star rating, and multiple James Beard Foundation nominations.
Salinas
High School Students Complete NASA Program
Students from various schools in Monterey County participated in the NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Aerospace Academy at Hartnell College’s Soledad Education Center. The program is meant to inspire students by providing STEM-focused content, computer applications, and an interactive forum for families.
Students in the program participated in a series of projects. They designed lunar rover wheels in TinkerCAD (a free web application used for 3D design) and tested them in simulations which mimicked the moon’s surface. Then, students analyzed data of their lunar rover wheels to understand the performance of their designs. On the final day of the program, students presented their work on poster boards and demonstrated through simulations.
Certificates of recognition were given to the students for participating in the program. Additionally, the program included networking opportunities with professionals from STEM fields while allowing students to explore college and career opportunities.
Santa Cruz
‘Macro Roaster of the Year’ Goes to a Local Coffee Shop
Verve Coffee Roasters has been named “Macro Roaster of the Year” by Roast Magazine.
The designation is awarded to companies that roast more than 100,000 pounds of coffee annually. it recognizes companies that roast coffees of superior quality, exhibit a dedication to sustainability, promote education to both employees and the community, and demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Verve exemplifies all these qualities and more. They are known throughout the area for their high-quality espresso beverages and has been a leader in innovation in sustainable coffee roasting.
The company is highly conscious of its impact on the environment at all stages of production and they work hard to ensure that their impact is positive. They purposely chose the location of their roastery to be within 75 miles of shipping ports and only send full truckloads to reduce carbon emissions. Their packaging, whether it’s in the cafes or in wholesale, are all reusable, compostable, or at least curbside-recyclable. Verve is currently part of a pilot program with a company called Gaestar. They make 3D-printed compostable clay cups. “It comes from the Earth and can go back to the Earth, completely compostable.”
Verve now has eleven cafes, including seven in California and four in Tokyo.
High Schooler Publishes Her First Novel
Olive Wilson is a 15-year-old Santa Cruz High School student who recently published her first novel: “A Life of Morals and Murder”. The novel tells the story of “four teens … living in a dystopian political landscape and battling against a powerful dynasty. Each teen has their own skills but also mental health issues.
Wilson has always enjoyed writing and consistently received high grades in English. She started writing the novel as a hobby, but then decided to publish it, believing it had potential. She is a fan of the author R.F.Kuang, including the satirical novel “Yellowface”.
You can purchase the novel at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
It's great to get all this GOOD news. It's uplifting, inspiring and begins my day with "awesome!"
What? No car week? (Thank goodness!)