Scopazzi's Restaurant & Lounge: Boulder Creek's Hundred-Year Dining Room
When indoor dining stopped during the pandemic, Talal Janbay took the dining room into the front parking lot.
There were drapes, pictures, lattice, fire pits, even carpet. Paul Violante remembers his late business partner bringing the same care to that outdoor space that he'd spent years bringing to the rooms inside.
Customers kept coming. "We were grateful for their loyalty," Paul says.
Much of what guests see in the dining room at 13300 Big Basin Way came from Talal's eye, built up piece by piece over years.
A room that kept changing
Talal came from Beirut in 1972 and started at Scopazzi's as a busboy, according to his obituary. Paul joined the restaurant in the 1980s. In 1986, the two purchased the restaurant together. Paul recalls that they also eventually bought the building.
The room they first knew looked different. Paul remembers farm tools on the walls and dated carpet. Talal began bringing in antiques and other finds, sometimes adding something new almost every week.
The holidays gave him particular scope. For Paul, that's still the best time to see the room: the Santa Clauses out, the restaurant lit up, the decorations gathered around a place he has spent decades working in.
"My favorite time is the holidays," he says.
Talal's care extended beyond the room. His obituary remembers him coaching youth sports, raising money for Doctors Without Borders, and hosting community events and fundraisers at Scopazzi's. It describes a private man with a quiet sense of humor, whose generosity wasn't always visible to the people around him.
People driving past don't necessarily know what's behind the door. Paul recently heard that from a repair technician who came inside and was surprised by the dining room. It's the sort of reaction he still notices, even after all these years.
Before Paul and Talal
Scopazzi's history reaches back to the Locatelli family's hotel on Big Basin Way. Paul dates the dining room to 1917. In 1955, Johnny Scopazzi Sr. and his brothers bought the restaurant and gave it the Scopazzi's name. Paul says they added the bar and kitchen in 1960.
One of the restaurant's most distinctive traditions came later, through a friendship between Johnny Scopazzi Jr. and Arthur Mangliers. According to Paul, the two met at city college in the Bay Area and worked in upscale restaurants in the city. Johnny Jr. was a cook at Scopazzi's; after one of his uncles retired, Arthur joined the business in the 1970s.
Together, they introduced French cart service. Waiters brought a cart to the table and prepared dishes beside the guests. Paul remembers the repertoire growing to include fettuccine, cannelloni, pepper steak, scallops Bordelaise, Caesar salad and Cherries Jubilee.
"It was an instant success," he says.
Visiting Scopazzi's
Scopazzi's Restaurant & Lounge is at 13300 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek, 831-338-4444. Dinner begins at 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. The restaurant also offers breakfast, lunch and private events; check Scopazzi's website for current hours and menus.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Scopazzi's?
The business grew out of the Locatelli family's Italia Hotel, whose foundation dates to 1915. Paul Violante dates the redwood dining room to 1917. The restaurant has carried the Scopazzi's name since the Scopazzi family bought it in 1955.
Does Scopazzi's take reservations or do private events?
It hosts private events regularly in the Banquet Room, the Creekside Room, and the patio, with capacity up to 200. Custom menus are available. Contact the restaurant directly to make arrangements.
Is Scopazzi's open every day?
No. It closes early in the week, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner run as separate services on different days. Check the restaurant's site or call before you go.
Where is Scopazzi's, and is there a bar?
13300 Big Basin Way, at the north end of Boulder Creek, phone 831-338-4444. The lounge is The Barrel Room, with wine by the glass covering both imported and Santa Cruz Mountains bottles.
Book ahead for a weekend table, and note the dining room is the reservation, not the lounge. More of the town's kitchens are in where to eat in Boulder Creek. If something here needs fixing, tell us.
The Boulder Creek Questions
A perfect day: Light rain, the fireplace going, a cocktail and appetizers to share. Paul favors early autumn or early spring.
Advice for a new neighbor: Come to Scopazzi's for an early dinner and try the Caesar salad.
