by Taylor Kimble
On Tuesday, July 14th, the locally owned Wylder Space opened its doors to the Santa Cruz Mountains community, inviting food lovers to gather together in a creatively-driven restaurant. The owner (Molly Bravo) began as a private chef in 2004, passionately working her way through different fields of the food industry before sowing her creative seeds off Hwy 9 in Felton. Molly is a down-to-earth, farmer-at-heart who utilizes the restaurant to practice her craft and passion for all things old-fashioned: canning, fermenting, and making homemade bread and jam. She strives to bring the freshest food and provide a comfortable atmosphere to all people, stating that Wylder Space practices an “open-door policy” where guests are encouraged to ask about the ingredients and where they are sourced. Wylder Space offers a rotating menu in an attempt to try new things and consider the community’s desire, keeping the public on their toes every day.
This space specializes in catering weddings and retreats but experienced a slow-down when COVID-19 spread through the area. Molly made the most out of the situation, however, using the opportunity to develop and properly nurture the new dine-in location to ultimately promote a place for creativity and celebration of the community. “It’s everything I love rolled into one,” says Molly, “It’s a space to have complete, creative freedom.” In a generous transparency, she explains that Wylder Space uses their hyper-local food as a medium for bringing people together in ways that encourage individual expression and community care. “My hope is that people will be inspired to live their best life,” she continues, “It’s way more than just food. It’s way more than a restaurant or lounge. It’s a place to foster creativity and inspiration. It’s wild.”
