Fall 2024

OTTO’S LAUNCHES BRICK-AND-MORTAR, AND BREADHEADS REJOICE Go back to July 2023, when bread savant Otto Kramme announced he would launch a bread and traditional French pastry shop in Oldtown Salinas. Kramme, who previously worked in banking, put it this way:“From banker to baker…this truly is a dream come true.” Then go back to 2016, when the dream started. Kramme, working in Santa Rosa as a credit analyst, had a friend who mastered sour- dough, and it captured Kramme’s imagination. He experimented in his own kitchen, moved back to Salinas and obtained a cottage license, allowing him to bake at home and sell what he produced. Now, in summer of 2024, Otto’s fans (or breadheads, as he calls them) line up on Friday mornings to buy pretzels, baguettes, and ched- dar-jalapeño, olive, or roasted garlic loaves. But also: legit, laminated-dough croissants and, on this particular Friday, a cinnamon-sugar “cruffin” reminiscent of a bowl of CinnamonToast Crunch. Otto’s has attracted fans from around the county, and Kramme has ramped up staffing (two full-time and four part-time) and pro- duction. His shop is open for retail only on Fridays (for now) but his bread can be found at restaurants and shops around the county. His plans: open for retail Wednesday through Friday, sell hot food and beer and wine too, and expand his wholesale operation. Being a breadhead rules. Otto’s Bread Co. is located at 215 Monterey Street in Salinas and on Instagram at @Ottosbread. SUNDAYS AT TWISTED ROOTS MELD GREAT MUSIC AND WINE IN THE SUNNY VALLEY Josh and Julie Ruiz have agriculture in their blood and wine in their hearts. Him: A vegetable grower who found a niche introducing new technology at Duda Farm Fresh Foods. Her: A daughter whose mother grew up on a vineyard in Lodi and whose family has grown grapes since the 1900s. One year, as Julie tells it, they didn’t have a buyer for their petite sirah grapes, so her uncle made a batch of petite sirah on his own. “He was just fooling around with it,” Josh says. But, “we enjoyed it so much,” Julie says, “we decided to open a winery.” Twisted Roots launched in 2010 as a whole- sale operation, and the Ruizes sold wine out of their vehicles.They found a gallery that allowed them to pour on weekends, and ended up buying the building that now houses their sunny, modern tasting room. Now, in 2024, they produce an award-winning cab, old vine zinfandel and the petite sirah. Every other Sunday until October, Twisted Roots hosts music. It’s a free event that fills up fast, and that is also genre-neutral—each event sees a different style of music being performed live. “I want our guests to forget the stress of life, enjoy time with friends and family and enjoy the company of others while listening to great music and drinking great wine,” Julie says. Twisted Roots is located at 12 Del Fino Place in Carmel Valley. For more information, visit www. twistedrootsvineyard.com or call 831/594-8282. 170 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 4 Winemaker Josh Ruiz and wife Julie co-own Twisted Roots with Whitney and Matt Pridey. From now until October, the Twisted Roots team has put together a lineup of free Sunday concerts with music from a variety of genres. Photo: Kelli Uldall