What You'll Get
Like cumulus clouds, gnocchi are lightweight, fluffy, and likely to explode if left in boiling water too long. Savor perfectly prepared pasta pillows with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of fine Italian fare and wine at Oak Tree Ristorante in Felton.
Named after the ancient tree that embraces Oak Tree Ristorante with its loving limbs, this classic Italian eatery serves up a menu of locally sourced, organic, and seasonal dishes. Glasses of local wine, such as the Skyline Thomas Fogarty '06 ($6) and the Muscat Bonny Doon '08 ($8) prime palates before bites of bruschetta classica ($8) and polenta alla griglia ($10) topped with smoked tomato, garlic comfit, and gorgonzola. Munch main courses of bistecca della casa ($22), a bone-in rib eye swimming in chimichurri sauce with a side of baby spinach, or try the ravioli di granchio ($19), a crab-filled pasta flavorized with white wine, lemon, tomato sauce, mussels, and olives. Finish feasts with the cheese plate ($8), lined with Gorgonzola, Parmigianino, caciotta degli angeli, pears, and strawberries.
Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Oak Tree Ristorante is surrounded by scenic redwoods, rivers, and wineries. Enjoy food with a view inside their airy dining room or out on the patio, surrounded by serene gardens, a bubbling fountain, and invisible forest nymphs.
###Reviews
The Santa Cruz Sentinel and Santa Cruz Good Times reviewed Oak Tree Ristorante; Yelpers give it a four-star average:
- Oak Tree Ristorante has an unbeatable setting, pleasant service and some standout dishes; with polishing, this new restaurant could provide the best al fresco dining around. – Ann Parker, Santa Cruz Sentinel
- Lunch also offers a kaleidoscope of Italian treats. On the counter surrounding the open kitchen sat trays of aromatic focaccia. Slices of this fluffy herb-topped bread made their way to our table along with ovals of sesame seed and oatmeal-crusted wheat bread, flavorful, herbed virgin olive oil, roasted garlic and minced green olives. The soft music of breakfast had morphed into upbeat Italian alt-rock, to which the energetic and light-hearted staff would occasionally sing. – Santa Cruz Good Times
- Excellent fresh salads, amazing seafood salad, perfectly cooked fish, great appetizers and antipasto platters, good wine selection. Outdoor seating in garden under the redwoods is the best in this area. Super friendly service – Norbert T., Yelp
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Jun 28, 2011. Amount paid never expires. Limit 1 per person, may buy 2 additional as gifts. Limit 1 per table of 4, 2 per table of 8 or more. Reservation required. Tax and gratuity not included. Not valid with other offers. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Oak Tree Ristorante
Italy may be a long way from Oak Tree Ristorante in Felton, but Sebastian Nobile refuses to take shortcuts. Inspired by his Italian grandfather’s recipes, the chef crafts all of his dishes from scratch. His attention to detail is apparent in the fluffy nuggets of gnocchi that he drizzles with homemade pesto and the organic vegetables that he sources from local suppliers whenever possible. Chef Nobile’s local focus tends to make the menu more interesting, as it compels him to work with seasonal ingredients.
The restaurant’s dining room betrays the same unstrained elegance as its food. A peaked roof is lined in blonde wood to promote an open, airy feel, and windows climb to the ceiling to allow for views of the gladiators swinging from the branches of the garden's giant oak.