Chopstix, Felton - The Santa Cruz Mountains

Chopstix, Felton – The Santa Cruz Mountains

Some time back Dianthe and I were riding our bicycles along the tight and winding Highway 9 in the redwoods. There are number of towns between Saratoga and Santa Cruz. There is a significant lack of decent places to eat around here. OK, I know I have been sniveling about this for quite some time now. So, when I find a good meal I am 100% going to mention it and give props where they are do. Such is clearly the case with the unfortunately named Chopstix. Upon seeing this place we both began to laugh. Let’s just start with the clear and obvious fact that they have misspelled the word. Yes, perhaps they did it in a ‘clever’ way and really know, deep down, that this is not how the word is spelled. Sure. My guess is that they place was opened in 1910 by a Swedish couple new to the San Lorenzo Valley. Since then the place has clearly changed hands a few times and now the people running the place offer Pho, which last I checked is a Vietnamese dish and not Chinese as their menu suggests.
Sure, so the place has a silly name. Still, options in Felton? Fast-food burgers, pizza (actually quite tasty. I’ll get to this at some point soon) & of course Don Quixote’s for Mexican. So, not many places to eat around here and after leaving the holy lands of Chinese food options in and around San Francisco where you can take dim sum tastings as varied as the wines of Napa and Sonoma County. So, here we have Chopstix. OK. We are game.
Inside we find tables and take a look at the menu. Pho is pretty clearly being touted as the meal of choice at Chopstix and I have not had a bowl in quite some time. I order mine with raw beef and get some steamed shrimp dumplings off the appetizer list for us to share.
The Pho is steaming hot and flawless. The rare beef is indeed rare. This leads me to wonder if the Swedes (who couldn’t spell chopsticks) had moved back to Stockholm and sold the place to some Vietnamese couple. I am pretty sure this is the case and do not bother the waitress with any bizarre questions about why the place is spelled “Chopstix.” Instead I finish off every bit of my Pho and get the check.
If you are in Felton you should eat at Chopstix. Get the Pho. It is prepared with love and affection.

You will not be disappointed.