Santa Cruz Foodie Holiday Gift Guide 2020: Local gifts, part 6

Posted on December 16, 2020 by admin
Aptos Apiary honey, one of many gift options at local farmers markets
Photo courtesy of Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets

Here is part 6 of my holiday foodie gift guide—with some ideas for bakeries, Italian groceries, farmers markets and more. Let’s shop local and support small businesses as much as we can this season (and beyond)!

Also see:

Gift guide part 1

Gift guide part 2

Gift guide part 3

Gift guide part 4

Gift guide part 5

Note: some past installments include events that have taken place, but they also mention local businesses you can still support!

Bakery Gift Cards

Your favorite local bakery can use your support right now. One idea: visit in-person and buy a gift card and one bakery item & put them together for a nice gift! Or if you prefer to shop from home, buy a gift card online. Our wonderful local bakeries include Gayle’s, The Buttery, The Farm, and Companion Bakeshop. Going to Gayle’s? You might combine it with a stop to neighboring Lyons and Melrose, which offers floral arrangements plus a variety of gifts like unique ornaments, European candles, soap, home décor, and packaged sweets. Visiting The Buttery? Its Soquel Avenue location is just four blocks down from the shop Home/Work, which features gift ideas like mugs and bowls, bamboo lunch boxes, beeswax wrap, aprons, homemade hot sauce kits, and seed ball kits like “Pizza Garden” (grow your toppings).  The Farm Bakery, Café & Gifts has its own chock-full-of-fun-items gift shop. You can pick up one of their signature fruit tarts plus things like housewares, linens, whimsical water bottles, cookbooks, candles, toys, and more. Companion Bakeshop has two locations; the Aptos one is in the same center as Outside-In, a shop that has enticing items like botanical candles, travel mugs, Talavera dishes, fleece jackets, puzzles, and ornaments.  

Farmers Markets

Your local farmers market is a wonderful place to shop for gifts. Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets runs these markets: Wednesday downtown Santa Cruz (DT), Saturday westside Santa Cruz (WS), Sunday Live Oak (LO), and Felton and Scotts Valley (both closed for the season). Below is information on several vendors and products, and their corresponding markets. A fun gift idea to either put with these products or use on its own? Each market sells gift certificates in any amount at the information table at. These funds can be spent over time at any stand at any of the markets. For exact market locations, hours, and more info, visit santacruzfarmersmarket.org.

Listed alphabetically:

  • Apricot King – preserves and dried fruit – DT
  • Aptos Apiary – honey – DT
  • Ashby Confections – DT, WS
  • Bella Vista – olive oil – WS
  • Blossom’s Biodynamic Farm – DT, WS, LO
  • Blue House – dry beans and popcorn – WS
  • Copper Moon Apothecary – soaps, lotions and salves – WS, LO
  • Dirty Girl – tomato preserves – DT, LO
  • Fruition Brewing – DT weekly, LO & WS rotation
  • Good Faith Farm – olives and olive oil – DT
  • Hakouya Miso – DT, WS, LO
  • Hidden Fortress – coffee beans – DT, LO
  • Home Away – fresh pastas, sauces, charcuterie, olives – DT, WS, LO
  • Il Biscotto – traditional Italian cookies – DT weekly, WS and LO rotation
  • Pottery – DT, WS, LO
  • Prevedelli – preserves – DT
  • R & K Honey – WS, LO
  • Santa Cruz Cider – DT
  • Stocking stuffers – things like persimmons, pomegranates, kiwis – DT, WS, LO

Italian goodies

Some Italian restaurants—like Seabright’s Tramonti and midtown Santa Cruz’s Sugo—have created “miniature markets” inside their dining rooms in order to sell holiday gifts. Both are posting pics on Instagram of select offerings, so it might be a good idea to browse online before shopping. Also, Aptos-based Italian restaurant Mentone has a few items that would make good gifts. Visit Tramonti (IG @tramonti_santacruz) for pre-assembled gift baskets with artisan Italian selections or a la carte items like a package of Italian chocolates or fancy balsamic vinegar. If you can manage perishable items with your gift they have a refrigerated grab and go section with things like housemade marinated artichokes, jarred housemade Italian sauce, and packaged gnocchi. Visit Sugo (IG @sugoitalianpastabar) – for packaged pasta, sauce, and Panettone, an Italian type of sweet bread that’s traditional around Christmas. Visit Mentone (IG @MentoneCA) for tee- and sweat-shirts, beanies, wine, and cocktail kits. They are also taking pre-orders for Xmas Eve dinner with add-ons like a holiday wine pack and ManresaBread cookies and granola. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention downtown Santa Cruz’s Zoccoli’s Deli, which has been in business since 1948 and is fully stocked all year long with Italian groceries including sweets. All four of these places have gift cards that you can purchase as well, either for the entire gift or to combine with other items to make your own special gift.

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Foodie Holiday Gift Guide 2020: Local gifts, part 5

Posted on December 12, 2020 by admin
A floral cupcake bouquet from The Giving Cake
Photo courtesy of The Giving Cake

Here is part 5 of my holiday gift guide to encourage everyone to shop local and shop from small businesses—it mostly has food-related gifts. I’ll post another guide soon.

Also see:

Gift guide part 1

Gift guide part 2

Gift guide part 3

Gift guide part 4

Note: past installments include events that have already taken place, but they also mention local businesses you can still support!

Restaurant Gift Cards

Just a reminder that your favorite local restaurant (or two) can use your support right now. Same with local ice creameries, breweries, wineries…you get the idea! Buy a gift card and you accomplish two things: you have a gift for a foodie friend or family member, and you are helping a small business survive these challenging times.

Sweets

There are so many sweet Santa Cruz County offerings that I can’t mention them all (I’ve included a couple in previous articles). I’ll highlight a couple here & if possible I’ll include a couple more in a near-future article. Local chocolatiers Mutari Chocolate have lots of delicious gifts like Chocolate Chunk Take & Bake Cookies, craft hot chocolate powder, single origin chocolate bars, and seasonal truffle gift boxes. Order and pick up at 504 A Front St. for someone in town, or have your gift shipped anywhere in the country. Visit mutarichocolate.com.

I don’t know if Anouchka Bakery does gift cards or not, but I just tried baker/owner Anna Landaw’s Snickerdoodle cookies for the first time (her flavors rotate, and she does pies and other items) & I can say with confidence that she knows what she’s doing. And she has free SC County delivery! Update Dec. 13: I discovered she is creating chocolate cream pies & delivering them on Christmas Eve. You can order half-pies or whole pies. Visit anouchkabakery.com.

Last but not least, Anna Lieby launched her new business The Giving Cake earlier this month—but she has been baking for most of her life. She offers boxes of cupcakes or intricate “floral cupcake bouquets” and donates all profits to local nonprofit organizations. Her current list of fund recipients: CASA, Center for Farmworker Families, Digital Nest, Homeless Garden Project, Imagine Supported Living Services, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services, Resource Center for Nonviolence, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County, Teen Kitchen Project and Ventana Wilderness Alliance. I’m excited to be a first-time customer soon—I think I’ll start by buying myself a gift! For information, visit IG @thegivingcake or facebook.com/TheGivingCakeSantaCruz.

Jam and More

Speaking of Center for Farmworker Families, Love Cultivated’s owner Natalie McKinney donates five percent of her profits to CFF, which “promotes awareness about the difficult life circumstances of binational farmworker families while proactively inspiring improvement in binational family life both in the US and in Mexico.” Love Cultivated offers “small batch artisan provisions inspired by the farm and orchard.” I have bought and loved Natalie’s products which include jam and marmalade (made from fruit sourced from local farms and farmers’ markets using copper jam pans and no added pectin), goat milk soap (with milk from the McKinney Family goat herd, & flowers from the family’s cottage garden), and gardeners’ salve and whipped body butter. There are very limited quantities left for holiday shopping but remember you can always purchase post-holiday-season. Visit love-cultivated.myshopify.com or IG @love.cultivated.

Coffee

There are a multitude of local, independent coffee shops that you can support, including Coffeetopia (see Instagram), Cat & Cloud, Eleventh Hour Coffee, Pacific Coffee Roasting Co. (see Facebook), People’s Coffee (see FB), Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co. & Verve. They all have gift cards and various products for sale this holiday season. Verve is also offering (online only) holiday packages like the Cozy Coffee Gift Bundle. It comes with a 12-ounce bag of Holiday Blend coffee, a Verve-branded Kinto mug, a candle, and a Verve knit beanie. In addition, they are doing “Holiday Drink Happy Hours” at all of their locations from 2pm to closing where customers can get seasonal signature beverages for $3. This season’s specialties include Café De Olla Con Panna, which is a shot of espresso sweetened with spiced piloncillo syrup and topped with spiced whipped cream. Verve refers to it as “a holiday take on a classic Mexican drink.” Visit vervecoffee.com.

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Foodie Holiday Gift Guide 2020: Local gifts, part 4

Posted on December 8, 2020 by admin

One of the gift boxes available through the El Pajaro CDC (Community Development Corporation) Commercial Kitchen Incubator Program
Photo courtesy of EPCDC

Here is part four of my foodie holiday gift guide to support local small businesses. I’ll try to post another guide in a couple days. Happy shopping & stay safe out there!

Also see:

Note: past installments include events that have already taken place, but they also mention local businesses you can still support!

Food Gift Boxes from local entrepreneurs

There are two upcoming Kitchen Pop-Ups at El Pajaro CDC, 23 E. Beach St., in Watsonville. The pop-ups include artisan food products for sale, both separately and as part of holiday food boxes that contain enticing product combinations. I have tasted most of these products and they are fantastic. Hours are 3-7 p.m. on two Fridays: Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. Shoppers may order holiday gift boxes at epcdc.square.site, and curbside pickup is available. At this site, you can also order ahead and pick up selected boxes at the Saturday Westside Santa Cruz or Sunday Live Oak farmers market. Some of the entrepreneurs’ products are El Pajaro CDC jam (organic berry jam); Hakouya (miso dressing) Il Biscotto (Italian cookies); Mary’s Fruit Tarts (shortbread cookies); My Mom’s Mole (dry mole mix); Rogue Pye (assorted hand pies); Santa Cruz Balsamics (flavored balsamic vinegars); Scrumptious Fish & Chips (condiment sauce); Teresa’s Salsas (fresh salsas); The Green Waffle (assorted flavors of waffles); and Yoli’s Adobo (sauce). The EPCDC Commercial Kitchen Incubator Program offers a fully equipped, shared-use facility to help culinary entrepreneurs start or expand food businesses. Learn more at elpajarocdc.org. Since they launched seven years ago, they have helped more than 60 businesses. To shop, visit epcdc.square.site.

Packaged Meals

Have people to shop for that don’t have time for cooking or don’t like cooking? You might consider a gift certificate to a business that offers prepared meals. These three local companies offer pickup and delivery options, with menus rotating weekly. I have been a happy customer ordering from all of them!

Foodsmith, based in Soquel, has paleo, vegan, and keto meals with organic produce. You pick from breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner, for two, three, five, or six days. One recent paleo meal was Carne Asada Barbacoa Plate (grass fed beef with roasted peppers, sweet onions, dry-farmed tomatoes, butternut, chili-braised collards, cauliflower rice and avocado lime crema). Since 2017, Foodsmith has donated over 60,000 meals to people in need—including, this year, 1,500 meals to Grey Bears this holiday season (for those who are homebound) and meals to local hospital workers helping fight the pandemic. Buy gift certificates here. For more info, visit myfoodsmith.com.

Golden Roots Kitchen in Scotts Valley offers gluten-free organic dishes. Some are vegetarian or vegan, including the weekly frittata and a recent Roasted Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Pistachio Salad, and a few feature pasture-raised animal proteins including Fogline Farm chicken. Founder and executive chef Melanie Geist emphasizes a farm-to-table philosophy and takes extra steps like “soaking and sprouting to make our plant based food more digestible and bio-available.” Buy gift certificates here. Also, next week they will be offering packaged snacks like warm olives, pan toasted nuts and chai spice molasses cookies and featuring Hanloh Thai Food’s pad Thai kit. “We think this kit would make a really fun gift,” says Melanie. For more info, visit goldenrootskitchen.com.

Golden Roots Kitchen has featured select dishes from Hanloh Thai Food for the last few months, and recently Hanloh joined the same Scotts Valley commercial kitchen as GRK. Hanloh’s founder/chef Lalita Kaewsawang, a former staff member of Michelin-starred restaurant Manresa in Los Gatos, offers a rotating menu of what she calls “Thai comfort food and country-style cooking.” Recent dishes have included vegan green curry (vegetables from Spade and Plow and Windmill Farm), Drunken Noodles, Son-in-Law Eggs, and charcoal-grilled lemongrass chicken. Buy gift cards here. For more info, visit hanloh.com.

Monterey County

The next Big Sur Foragers Festival, an annual benefit for the Big Sur Health Center, was slated for January 2021. Like many events, it’s pivoting to a virtual format—and tickets for one of these offerings, a raffle, would make a great gift. Prizes include a family ‘staycation’ (a suite at beloved Carmel inn Hofsas House plus a gift card for Lugano’s Swiss Bistro, which I still haven’t made it to!), a $500 gift card to popular Moss Landing restaurant Haute Enchilada (one of my favorites when I drive down the coast), and a restaurant trifecta with gift cards from Tarpy’s, Montrio Bistro, and Rio Grill (the first two are Monterey and the latter is Carmel—all wonderful spots). Tickets are only $5 or 6 for $25 and you get to choose which prize(s) you’re trying for. Visit bigsurforagersfestival.org/raffle for more information and a downloadable form.  

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Foodie Holiday Gift Guide 2020: Local gifts, part 3

Posted on December 3, 2020 by admin

Santa Cruz-themed gift assortment from The Local Box Shop. Photo courtesy of The Local Box Shop

Here is part three of my local foodie holiday gift guide – hope you’ll join me in supporting small businesses. I am mostly highlighting food-related gifts, but also mentioning a few non-food items. If you have something you’d like to suggest for a future installment of this guide, please email tara@santacruzfoodie.com.

Also see:

Note: past installments include events that have already taken place, but they also mention local businesses you can still support!

This Sunday is the second installment of the Westside Marketplace: Dec. 6, 11am-4pm.

The collaboration between Food Trucks A Go Go and the Santa Cruz Mountains Makers Market is an outdoor market at the Old Wrigley Building Parking Lot, 2801 Mission Street. There is free admission and more than 35 Santa Cruz County-based vendors plus a range of food vendors. All vendors and attendees are required to wear face masks. Artisans selling products include Ashby Confections, Anuenue Juice California, Arose Teas, Bee Happy Today, and Freedom Touch Studios. See event page for full list of vendors. Food trucks will be Drunk Monkeys, Pana, Taquizas Gabriel, and Aunt LaLi’s ice cream. Beginning in February, there will be outdoor markets at this location the 1st Sunday of every month.

Bee Happy Today, one of Sunday’s vendors, also offers products through “goods4goodmarket,” an online marketplace that local resident Jill Potts recently launched to showcase “gifts that give back.” She features sustainable and socially impactful businesses like Maggie’s Organics, which is donating 10 percent of sales to The Center for Biological Diversity to help protect endangered species; and Bee Happy Today, which is donating a portion of proceeds to benefit Santa Cruz Bee Company. Visit goods4goodmarket.com.

The Local Box Shop offers hand-curated, locally sourced gift boxes including ones featuring items from women-owned Santa Cruz County food businesses like Ashby Confections and Friend in Cheeses Jam Co. Each also has soap from nonprofit Homeless Garden Project. Normally there are two sizes, small and large, but the small SC-themed box has sold out for the season. You can buy the large one here. The Local Box Shop also offer a variety of gift boxes sourced from artisans around the greater Bay Area. Company founder Molly Shane started the business earlier this year, partly to help support many “small businesses, artists and makers struggling to stay afloat in our Bay Area community.” She supports more than 25 small businesses, many of which are women-owned, black-owned, immigrant-owned, and POC-owned. thelocalboxshop.com

Speaking of Homeless Garden Project (HGP), their downtown boutique is open for your holiday shopping at 1338 Pacific Ave. As always, the shop has lots of appealing gifts handmade by trainees in HGP’s program. Food products include Lavender Shortbread Cookie Mix (organic ingredients, including lavender hand-picked from HGP’s farm), herb salts and other seasonings, strawberry lemonade pancake mix, and jam.  You can shop online too. Income from gift sales helps provide job training and transitional employment for people who are homeless, and volunteer and educational opportunities for community members who want to learn about and practice sustainable agriculture and social justice. HGP’s job training program delivers an annual average of 90% success for graduates securing stable housing and employment.

Another gift idea: if you want to give someone a Hanukkah gift or early Xmas present: Dec. 12 is HGP’s next virtual “Sustain in Place: A Series of At-Home Tastings” event. Cultivating Growth with Seedfolks will feature readings from Paul Fleishman’s award-winning book Seedfolks, a story of “personal transformation and growth at a community garden.” Readers will include local renowned author Jonathan Franzen, our current and incoming Santa Cruz Mayors (Justin Cummings and Donna Meyers, respectively), and Santa Cruz Shakespeare Artistic Director Mike Ryan. There are a range of ticket packages including one that includes a gift bag with HGP’s cookie mix and jam plus a loaf of La Posta bread. Visit website for more info & tickets.

Mission Hill Creamery is holding its annual gift card sale. Through Dec. 24, the artisan ice cream shop is offering 20% off gift card purchases if you spend at least $25. Go to the shop’s gift card site to order. During checkout, you need to click “add a coupon code” and enter the code “20%OFF” to receive the discount. If you don’t want to order online, you can also order by phone and they can also ship the cards. 1101B Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, 831-508-0774, missionhillcreamery.com

Johnny’s Harborside is also running a gift card promotion. Buy a gift card for $50 or more and receive 20% back on a separate card. For example, buy a $50 card as a gift and get a free $10 card for yourself, spend $100, get a $20 card, etc. Call ahead for curbside pickup during business hours. 493 Lake Ave, Santa Cruz, 831-479-3430, johnnysharborside.com.


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Foodie Holiday Gift Guide 2020: Local gifts, part 2

Posted on November 26, 2020 by admin
British-style “Scrumptious Fish & Chips” will be at the West Cliff Outdoor Market this weekend. Photo courtesy of Scrumptious Fish & Chips

Here is part two of my local foodie holiday gift guide, including several Santa Cruz County businesses (here is part 1). Happy shopping; let’s support small businesses & buy some gifts for friends and family at the same time.

Can’t decide what to buy but want to support downtown Santa Cruz businesses? Purchase some Downtown Dollars (they come in $10 increments—I’ve been using them as fun gifts for years!) online or in person at Bookshop Santa Cruz, the Downtown Information Kiosk (1130-K2 Pacific Ave.) or Pacific Cookie Company. Your gift recipient can spend the dollars at places including restaurants and grocery-and-other-retailers; see full list on the site. Visit downtownsantacruz.com/discover/downtown-dollars.

Speaking of Pacific Cookie Company this sweet vendor has options like Surf City Sweets Cookie Gift Tower ($19.95) with a dozen two-oz. cookies, The Santa Cruz Cookie Gift Tin ($31.95) with 36 one-oz. cookies, or Sleigh All Day Cookie Basket ($32.95) with 15 cookies on a birch sleigh. They even have a Quarantine Cookie Care Package ($21.95) that includes a dozen cookies plus toilet paper (!). They are offering a 15% discount if you shop online by Sunday, Nov. 29 at 11:59pm PST (enter code EARLY2020 at checkout). You can choose a future ship date if you prefer. UPDATE DEC. 2: I realize that promotion ended; I just heard of a new one that is valid until 12/6 – use HOLIDAY5 at checkout to save $5.

Toque Blanche recently started its Black Friday specials, which last through Monday 11/30. The downtown Santa Cruz kitchenware retailer is featuring discounts on items such as Le Creuset (stock pot, roaster, whistling kettle) and Wusthof knives. Don’t forget they also carry a selection of packaged food including Carmel Honey Company and Rancho Gordo. 1527 Pacific Ave., 831-426-1351, mytoque.com.

Small Business Saturday is this Saturday, Nov. 28. Some retailers are having specials. Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta is offering this bonus: For every $25 you spend on gift cards you get $5 off. Customers must purchase in person at the restaurant. 1100 Pacific Ave., 831-469-4400, kiantis.com

This weekend is the West Cliff Outdoor Market 2020: Friday & Saturday, Nov. 27-28, 10am-4pm.

The socially distanced holiday outdoor market features unique artisans, and food trucks will be there with items for purchase. The market will be held in two parking lots along West Cliff Drive, overlooking Steamers Lane. Social distancing guidelines will be enforced; all vendors and attendees are required to wear face masks. Artisans selling products include Davenport-based Ancient Hands Tile Art and Santa Cruz’s Be Heart Now. See event page for full list of vendors. Food trucks will include Scrumptious Fish & Chips (British-style fish and chips made by England natives who live locally) and Santa Cruz County’s Taquizas Gabriel. Admission is free.

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Santa Cruz Foodie Holiday Gift Guide 2020: Local gifts, part 1

Posted on November 24, 2020 by admin
Baker’s Bacon offers holiday gift options including this subscription box.
Photo courtesy of Baker’s Bacon.

It is holiday shopping season: with lots of local businesses struggling during the pandemic, I wanted to spread the word about as many as I can, especially for food-related gifts for foodies in your life. Let’s all shop local this year!

I’m going to publish a few articles as the weeks go on. I will be publishing about Santa Cruz County and nearby, including a few Monterey County businesses.

Rocky Road from Mamma Camps Creative Confections earned first place awards at the 2019 Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County Fairs. You can order this treat plus other confections like chocolate-covered cherry mice and family-sized chocolate peanut butter cups—all handmade by Jen Campagnolo—at her Etsy store @mammacamps or via her FB group (author’s note: when this was first published Jen was going to be at this weekend’s Holiday Sip & Shop Market at the Chaminade – more details below – but she is now unable to attend). The treats were first made by Jen’s grandmother; recipes were passed from her to Jen’s aunt and then to Jen, who has made slight adjustments to a few ingredients. Jen is a Live Oak local. I haven’t met Jen in person, but we are both elementary school parent volunteers and participated in the same Zoom call recently. One of the other attendees ordered some Rocky Road and gushed about how great it was last holiday season—that’s how I first learned that Jen is a talented candy-maker. Follow her on IG @mammacampschocolates.

Holiday Sip & Shop Market at the Chaminade: Saturday, Nov. 28, 1-5 p.m.

This open-air holiday market features local artisans with both food-related (like honey from Santa Cruz Bee Company) and non-food-related gifts (candles, jewelry, prints, and more, including skin care from Spa at Chaminade). Admission is complimentary for browsing and shopping, and there will be wine, cookies and small bites available for purchase. There are also two 90-minute fee-based classes if you’d like to learn to make a holiday wreath or centerpiece for yourself or to give as a gift. Tickets are limited in order to enforce social distancing; advance purchase is required through event site. Cost is $50 per class or both for $85 and $10 from each ticket benefits Second Harvest Food Bank. Chaminade Resort & Spa, One Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz, (831) 475-5600.

Also this weekend is the 7th Annual Santa Cruz Mountains Holiday Makers Market: Friday & Saturday, Nov. 27-28, 10am-4pm.

This year organizers are spreading the market out over two days to accommodate for social distancing. Masks are required for entry and a limited number of shoppers will be allowed in the building at one time. Admission is free. There are different artists and craftspeople featured each day, and it’s at Felton Community Hall (6191 Highway 9). Vendors will include Ashby Confections, Bee Happy Today, Big Paw Olive Oil, California Jam Queen, and Coastside Homegoods. Visit scmmakersmarket.com/scm-holiday-makers-market for full list (including who is there on each day) and more details.

Finally, if you have any bacon lovers you’re shopping for, here is some great news. Baker’s Bacon is a scrumptious, artisan product made by Monterey County chef Tony Baker. I have been a Tony Baker fan for a long time, having dined at Monterey’s Montrio Bistro back when he was executive chef. The England native launched his bacon company in 2011, and for many years he only sold to high-end restaurant chefs across the county. Now, he is selling bacon to consumers through his website bakersbacon.com and through his retail shop in Marina. There are subscription options and gift boxes perfect for the holidays.

Baker’s Bacon is offered in two styles, British-style Uncured Back Bacon and Dry-Cured Double-Smoked Bacon. It’s made in small batches at a California smokehouse with sustainably raised heritage breed pork (the pigs are from family-owned Iowa farms). I had the pleasure of receiving complimentary samples, and I can say with confidence this is high-quality, delicious bacon.

Gift boxes, with three bacon packages, are $42 plus shipping (anywhere in the country). Subscription boxes, with eight bacon packages, are $95 including shipping (for these, states are limited). If you decide to shop at the Marina retail location (445 Reservation Rd. Suite G, 831-250-0606, weekdays only), note that they also carry products like Santa Cruz County’s Rogue Pyes (frozen) and packaged dinner kits like “everything you need to make pasta Alfredo with bacon.”

Please email tara@santacruzfoodie.com if you have information to share, or corrections, for future articles.

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“Dining in” at Santa Cruz County restaurants, June 19, 2020

Posted on June 19, 2020 by admin
Bacon & egg croissant from Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticerria
Photo courtesy of Gayle’s

So much has changed since my last article at the end of May, with restaurants now being allowed to open for dine-in service if they follow restrictions and social distancing guidelines. Here are some highlights of places that are open for onsite dining, whether that’s on an outdoor patio, in a dining room with limited seating, or both. Many of them are also still doing food to-go. I will try to publish an update in a few days.

Most of these are “listings only” but first, I wanted to share more details for a few local businesses:

Seabright Social, in the former location of Seabright Brewery (519 Seabright Ave., seabrightsocial.com) opened June 12 and features lots of outdoor seating plus some indoor seating. Hours are 11:30am-11:30pm daily (closed on June 22 for one day only). Reservations are recommended at 831-426-2739. After buying the brewpub and restaurant in 2019, local residents/co-owners Jason and Keiki McKay (who run Aptos-based Cantine Winepub in Aptos) and Jon Bates have done renovations to the building and the menu. Food includes salmon ceviche and a street taco trio with chicken mole, pork carnitas, and beef asada. Drinks include several Seabright Brewery draft beers, local wine, and a full bar.

Scrumptious Fish & Chips recently restarted its popups. Upcoming appearances include Steel Bonnet Brewery in Scotts Valley (5-8 p.m. on several Friday nights), the Scotts Valley (Saturday) and Live Oak (Sunday) farmers markets, and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing in Westside SC. Visit https://www.scrumptiousfc.com/find-us for complete schedule.

The Palm Deli has its patio open again, with tables spaced appropriately, at 3000 Valencia Ave. They have returned to regular hours, opening at 7am every day, closing at 6pm weekdays and 5pm Sat-Sun. Visit https://www.thepalmdeli.com.

Hula’s Island Grill at 221 Cathcart St. offers the choice of dining indoors or on the lanai deck out front (takeout is also still available). They open at 2pm every day, and close at 8pm Sun-Thurs and 9pm Fri-Sat. Visit https://www.hulastiki.com/

Gayle’s Bakery at 504 Bay Ave. has newly extended hours of 7am-7pm daily and is now allowing socially distanced sit-down dining. Also, with online orders there is now next-day pick up (shorter wait time—when they first reopened, it was a two-day wait). Visit https://www.gaylesbakery.com.

May’s Sushi closed its 1800 Soquel Ave. location on June 1, and is now operating out of Sesame Korean Grill at 435 Front St. Both cuisines are still available, as the restaurants have the same owners. In addition, the owners announced they will be opening a new restaurant called Crazy Crab, adjacent to Sesame, which will feature seafood boils. Visit https://www.sesame-koreangrill.com/ or call 831-454-8355.

Vim at 2238 Mission St. reopened its dining room and patio on June 17, and it’s open 5-8pm Wednesday-Saturday and 10 am-1pm Sunday (Vim started doing Sunday brunch during shelter in place, and it was popular so they’re continuing now that they’re open for onsite dining). Visit https://www.vimsantacruz.com.

Mentone at 174 Aptos Village Way now offers first-come-first-serve tables outside in the parking lot on the weekend, from 3:30-7pm Fridays and 12-6ish Saturdays and Sundays. There is beer, wine, cocktails, pizzas, salad, and a variety of snacks.  Takeout pizza is available Wednesdays and Thursdays. Visit https://www.mentonerestaurant.com or call 831-708-1174.

Madrone Kitchen, a meal delivery business from chefs Reeny Marquez and Sean Adams, is doing Friday popups at Aldo’s (790 Mariner Park Way) from 5 p.m. to sellout. They sell food items while Aldo’s offers beer, wine and cocktails for sale.  Sample popup menu offerings include Mojo Shrimp Skewers with citrus garlic herb sauce, Cuban-style black beans, rice, and fried plantains. Madrone Kitchen also does weekly Sunday dinner delivery. Visit madronekitchen.com.

Although not yet open for “dining in,” Soif Restaurant and Wine Shop (831-423-2020, http://www.soifwine.com/) now has curbside pickup for food and wine from 4-8 pm  Wednesday-Saturday. They had stopped doing takeout in early April. Also, the May/June issue of California Bountiful, the magazine for the California Farm Bureau Federation, featured an article about Soif’s executive Chef Tom McNary with several recipes. Sister restaurant La Posta (831-457-2782, https://www.lapostarestaurant.com), formerly open Friday-Sunday, is doing pickup 4-8pm Thursday through Sunday. Also, there is a Thursday special: pizza or pasta with salad for one person, for $20.

Colectivo Felix now offers delivery Friday through Sunday to local residents (formerly only Fri-Sat). Empanadas are available by the half dozen or dozen, and they create a rotating variety of salads, soups, and desserts. Also, customers can now order a seasonal Ridge to Reef Organics produce box. Visit https://colectivofelix.square.site/ to order, or email info@colectivofelix.com with questions.

As always, please email tara@santacruzfoodie.com if you have information to share, or corrections, for future articles.

Open for “dine-in” service

Alderwood (831-588-3238 or 831-888-6901, https://www.alderwoodsantacruz.com)

Auntie Mame’s Café (831-438-1840, https://auntiemamescafe.co)

Belly Goat Craft Burgers (at Abbott Square Market on Front St., https://www.bellygoatburgers.com)

Bittersweet Bistro (831-662-9799, http://bittersweetbistro.com)

Blaze Pizza (831-607-2030, https://www.blazepizza.com)

Blue Bunny Tacos (at Abbott Square Market, https://www.instagram.com/bluebunnytacos)

Britannia Arms (831-464-2683, https://www.facebook.com/britanniaarmscapitola/)

Café Iveta (Westside and campus locations, iveta.com)

Café Mare (831-458-1212, http://www.cafemare.com)

Café Rio (831-688-8917, https://www.caferioaptos.com)

California Grill (831-722-8052, www.californiagrillrestaurant.com)

Chaminade’s “The View, A Treeside Restaurant” (831-475-5600, www.chaminade.com/santa_cruz_restaurants)

Chocolate (831-427-9900, https://chocolatesantacruz.com)

Coffeetopia (http://www.coffeetopia.com)

The Crepe Place (831-429-6994, https://thecrepeplace.com)

The Crow’s Nest (831-476-4560, https://crowsnest-santacruz.com)

Daisuki Octagon Sushi (831-316-5464, at Octagon by Abbott Square, http://daisukioctagonsushi.com/)

Dharma’s (831-462-1717, www.dharmasrestaurant.com)

East End Gastropub (831-475-8010, http://eastendpub.com/)

El Jardín (831-477-9384, https://www.eljardinrestaurant.net/)

El Palomar (831-425-7575, https://elpalomarsantacruz.com)

The Farm House (831-536-5363, https://www.farmhousewatsonville.com)

Firefish Grill (831-423-5200, http://www.firefishgrill.net/)

Gabriella Café (831-457-1677, http://gabriellacafe.com)

Holy Smokes Country BBQ (831-471-8787, https://www.holysmokescountrybbqandcatering.com)

HOME Soquel (831-431-6131, http://www.homesoquel.com)

Hula’s Island Grill (831-426-4852, https://www.hulastiki.com)

Jalisco’s (https://www.jaliscorestaurant.com)

Jeffery’s Restaurant (831-425-1485, https://www.facebook.com/Jefferys-Restaurant-2348536278713065/)

Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar (831-469-4400, https://www.kiantis.com/)

The Kitchen at Discretion (831-316-0662, https://www.discretionbrewing.com)

Lago di Como (831-454-8257, http://lagodicomoristorante.com/)

Laili Resaturant (831-423-4545, www.lailirestaurant.com)

Lillian’s Italian Kitchen (831-425-2288, https://www.lilliansitaliankitchen.com)

Michael’s on Main (831-479-9777, www.michaelsonmain.com)

Mission Hill Creamery (831-508-0774, http://missionhillcreamery.com)

Mutari Chocolate (http://www.mutarichocolate.com)

Oasis Tasting Room & Kitchen (831-621-8040, oasissantacruz.com)

Olive Garden (831-462-0120, https://www.olivegarden.com)

Oswald (831-423-7427, http://www.oswaldrestaurant.com)

Oyunaa’s Mongolian Cuisine (831-469-9900, http://www.oyunaas.com)

Palm Deli (831-688-3354, https://www.thepalmdeli.com)

Pizza My Heart (https://www.pizzamyheart.com)

Pizzeria La Bufala (831-999-0301, at Abbott Square Market, https://www.pizzerialabufala.com)

Pleasure Pizza—East Side Eatery (831-6058, https://www.pleasurepizzasc.com)

Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap (831-476-7458, ponohawaiiangrill.com)

Rosie McCann’s (831-426-9930, https://rosiemccanns.com/santacruz)

Roux Dat (at Octagon by Abbott Square, https://rouxdatcajuncreole.com)

Sanderlings at Seascape Resort (831-662-7120, https://www.sanderlingsrestaurant.com/menus)

Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing (831-425-4900, https://www.scmbrew.com)

Scopazzi’s (831-338-6441, www.scopazzisrestaurant.com)

Tortilla Flats (831-476-1754, https://www.tortillaflatstogo.com)

Tramonti (831-426-7248, http://tramontisantacruz.com)

Veg on the Edge (831-423-3000, at Abbott Square Market, https://vegontheedge.com)

Vino Locale Wine Bar & Tapas (https://www.vinolocalesantacruz.com)

Vinocruz Winebar & Kitchen (https://vinocruz.com, 831-426-8466)

Woodies Café (https://www.facebook.com/woodiescafeca).

Woodstock’s Pizza (831-427-4444, https://woodstockscruz.com)

Zachary’s (831-427-0646, http://www.zacharyssantacruz.com)

Zelda’s (831-475-4900, http://zeldasonthebeach.com)

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Posted in Food & Food News, Restaurant News, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “Dining in” at Santa Cruz County restaurants, June 19, 2020

Santa Cruz County food & drink changes & closures, as of May 28, 2020

Posted on May 28, 2020 by admin
Empanadas from Colectivo Felix
Photo by Diego Felix

Here is the current status of many local restaurants, grocery stores and other food/drink vendors, as of the end of the day May 28.

Sad news: Capitola’s Paradise Beach Grille, which was closed for the last couple months due to shelter in place, will not reopen. It would have celebrated its 20th anniversary on Memorial Day.

Some of the items in this article with new or updated listings: restaurant re-openings like Michael’s on Main and Zachary’s; updates on Cat & Cloud Coffee, Chocolate, Crow’s Nest, Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria, Mission Hill Creamery, Pacific Thai, and Pretty Good Advice; and new listings for retail shops from Homeless Garden Project and The True Olive Connection (see Miscellaneous & Farms).

Please understand there will probably be some mistakes, as things are constantly changing. Note that I can’t include every Santa Cruz County business—this is a manual effort.

Please email tara@santacruzfoodie.com if you have information to share, or corrections, for future articles.

Restaurants & other food vendors

  • 11th Hour Coffee: takeout, delivery and curbside available daily 8am-2pm; menu includes breakfast items. 831-331-5273, https://eleventhhourcoffee.com/
  • Abbott Square Market: restaurants are currently closed
  • Akira Sushi: both locations are open Wed-Sun 12-8pm for takeout, Santa Cruz,  831-600-7093, https://www.akirasantacruz.com/, & Aptos, 831-708 2154, https://www.akiraaptos.com/
  • Alderwood: takeout and delivery, Tue-Sun 10am-7pm, menu features freshly baked pastries, coffee, brunch cocktails, breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches until 2 p.m., plus burgers, pasta, and steaks, 831-588-3238 or 831-888-6901, https://www.alderwoodsantacruz.com/
  • Aloha Island Grille: takeout, 831-479-3299
  • Ambrosia India Bistro: takeout and delivery, both locations open, Aptos: Mon-Thurs 4:30-8:30, Fri 11am-9pm, Sat-Sun 4:30-9pm, 831-713-2762, http://ambrosiaib.com/aptos/, Scotts Valley daily 4:30-8:30pm, 831-713-5594, http://ambrosiaib.com/scotts-valley/
  • Aptos St. BBQ: takeout and delivery, http://aptosstbbq.com
  • Ashby Confections: takeout with curbside pickup, chocolates and other treats available, Tues-Sat 11am-3pm, order by calling 831-454-8299, texting 831-234-1171, or going online at ashbyconfections.com (products can be shipped as well). Ashby is also at two local farmers’ markets each week: Wednesday downtown & Sunday Live Oak.
  • Aunt LaLi’s Mobile Café: delivery, order daily by 3pm and receive between 3-7pm, daily Scotts Valley deliveries plus Santa Cruz (Mon & Wed) and Felton (Tues & Thurs). Menu features traditional ice cream truck treats, Marianne’s ice cream, Pacific Cookie Company cookies, Ashby Confections goodies, Hidden Fortress organic coffee, and Rogue Pyes, https://auntlali.square.site/
  • Avanti Restaurant: takeout daily 4-7:30pm, a la carte or family meals serving four, 831-427-0135, http://avantisantacruz.squarespace.com
  • Back Nine Grill & Bar: takeout with curbside pickup, and delivery, daily 11am to 9pm, recently added family meals to menu, 831-226-2350, http://www.backninegrill.com/
  • Bad Animal Books: Wed, Fri & Sun 4-7pm, take-out “family meals” with curbside pickup (emergency first responders get a 50% discount), also now offering pantry items including toilet paper, flour, sugar, butter, coffee, charcuterie, jam, and salad dressing, 831-900-5031, http://badanimalbooks.com
  • Bagelry: downtown Santa Cruz location (320 Cedar St., 429-8049) reopened Fri 5/15; midtown (1636 Seabright Ave., 425-8550) & Soquel (4763 Soquel Dr., 462-9888) reopened Fri 5/22. Takeout hours for all: 8am-2pm
  • Bangkok West: takeout, Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm & 5-9pm (can call to order from 4:30-8:30pm), Sat-Sun 11am-9pm (order by 8:30pm), 831-479-8297, http://bangkokwest.com/
  • Bantam: takeout Mon-Fri 4-8pm, reopened May 18, includes wood-fired pizza, family-style fried-chicken dinners, plus a self-described “physical mercantile” onsite with house-made breads and focaccia, pickles, and preserves, can order online or at restaurant, 831-420-0101, http://www.bantam1010.com
  • Barceloneta: takeout Wed-Sat 4-7pm, cocktails and wine available to go with meals, 831-900-5222, https://eatbarceloneta.square.site/
  • Beach Street Pizza & Bar: takeout, curbside pickup and delivery, Mon-Thurs 2-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-9pm and Sun 12-7pm. Happy Hour is Mon-Fri 4-7pm for appetizers & drinks. 831-471-8530, www.beachstreetpizzaandbar.com
  • Beer Thirty Pour House: Daily 11am-7pm, https://www.beerthirtysantacruz.com/
  • Betty Burgers: newest Aptos location, 415 Trout Gulch Road. 831-612-6668 plus two other locations (41st Ave. and Seabright) are doing takeout daily 12-8pm, http://bettyburgers.com. Downtown location is closed.
  • Bittersweet Bistro: BB has turned its dining room into a “mini market” with pantry essentials including milk, eggs, flour, pasta, produce, marinated meats, paper goods and half price bottles of wine. Hours are Wed-Sun 12-7 pm. The restaurant is serving food Wed-Sun 12-7 pm for takeout or curbside pickup, with delivery to the greater Aptos area on qualifying orders over $75, 831-662-9799, http://bittersweetbistro.com.
  • Blue Bunny Tacos: closed until further notice
  • Britannia Arms of Capitola: takeout with curbside pickup, daily 10:30am-8pm, place orders at 831-464-2583, full menu and special orders available, https://www.facebook.com/britanniaarmscapitola/
  • Bruno’s Bar and Grill: takeout with curbside pickup (plus delivery for Scotts Valley residents), Wed-Sun 2-8pm, https://www.brunosbarandgrill.com
  • Buttercup Cakes & Farmhouse Frosting:  takeout and delivery Fri-Sun 12-4pm, must place orders ahead of time via online Google Form or by emailing scbuttercupcakes@gmail.com, cupcakes and mini-cookies (minimum order of 6 for each category), cakes, other treats, and bouquets from Bonny Doon Flowers, https://www.farmhousefrosting.com/
  • Buttery Bakery: takeout and delivery 7am-5pm, 831-458-3020, http://butterybakery.com
  • Café Brasil: takeout, daily 8am-3pm, 10 percent discount on all orders, 831-429-1855, http://cafebrasil.us/
  • Café Cruz: takeout, recently expanded hours of daily 12-8pm, expanded menu with many choices plus kids’ menu, and wide selection of groceries (items by the pound like sugar, flour, polenta, tomatoes, skirt steak, and bacon; and selections priced by the item like half-gallon of milk, roll of toilet paper, etc.),831-476-3801, http://cafecruz.com
  • Café El Palomar:  takeout, Sun-Thu 8am-8pm, Fri-Sat 8am-8:30pm, 831-477-0371, https://www.cafeelpalomar.com/
  • Café Iveta: takeout and delivery, 9am-2pm, 831-713-5946, https://iveta.com
  • Café Mare: takeout/curbside and delivery (via DoorDash), 831-458-1212, http://www.cafemare.com/
  • Café Sparrow: Tues-Sat 4-7pm, 831-688-6238, http://cafesparrow.com/ 
  • Carpo’s: takeout, 12-8 pm daily, http://carposrestaurant.com
  • Casa Nostra: takeout, daily 4-9pm, 831-609-6132, www.ristorantecasanostra.com
  • Cat & Cloud Coffee: takeout, Aptos daily 7am-4pm, Eastside location Mon-Fri 7am-3pm, Sat-Sun 7am-4pm, Westside Mon-Thurs 7am-3pm, Fri-Sun 7am-5pm, https://catandcloud.com
  • Casa Rositas: takeout, Tues-Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 3-8pm, 831-346-6907
  • Central Coast Juicery: Takeout and delivery. Order by texting 831-747-7085 or emailing (order@juicelocally.com)
  • Charlie Hong Kong: takeout (curbside pickup) or delivery, daily 12-9pm, they will cater & deliver to serve first responders, medical/hospital staff & government workers, 831-426-5664, http://charliehongkong.com
  • Chocolate: takeout with curbside pickup, or delivery, Tues-Thurs & Sun 4-8pm, Fri-Sat 4-8:30pm, launched a new online ordering system May 26, visit https://chocolate-the-restaurant.square.site/. Also, they recently added “pastry-crust pizza” to the menu available in three varieties: Organic Marinara with house-made sausage, roasted peppers and fresh mozzarella; Basil pesto with sundried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella; Gorgonzola cheese with artichokes, caramelized onions and Romano cheese. Delivery info is at https://www.doordash.com/store/chocolate-santa-cruz-284767/
  • Cilantro’s: takeout, daily 11am to 7pm, 831-761-2161, https://cilantroswatsonville.com
  • Coffeetopia: takeout, reopened Mission St. location May 1, and Capitola Rd & Portola locations May 8, all locations open daily 7am-1pm, http://www.coffeetopia.com
  • Colectivo Felix: DeliveryFri-Sat 2-6pm empanada delivery to Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Capitola and Soquel; expanded menu now includes salads, desserts, produce boxes, and more.  Small delivery fee for other areas. https://colectivofelix.square.site/ or email (info@colectivofelix.com)
  • Companion Bakeshop: Westside location open for takeout Tue-Sun 8am-2 pm, Aptos location open Fri-Sun 8am-2pm, https://companionbakeshop.com. Also offering a weekly “Bakers Box” where you order & pay in advance and pick up on Tue or Thu. Three different bakery product boxes are available along with several “add on” items (organic milk, hot sauce, etc.), https://companionbakeshop.com/shelter-box-order 
  • Corralitos Pizza: takeout or delivery (DoorDash) Mon-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sun 11am-10:30pm, 831-722-7220,  https://corralitospizzadelivery.com.
  • Cowboy Bar and Grill: takeout, Wed-Fri 2-8pm, Sat-Sun 12-8pm, 831-335-2330, https://www.feltoncowboy.com
  • Cremer House: closed until further notice, http://www.cremerhouse.com/
  • Crow’s Nest: takeout with curbside pickup, on Memorial Day they began expanded hours: now open daily 9am-9pm, includes family-size meals, also Beach Market next door open weekdays 9am-9pm, weekends 8am-9pm, 831-475-4560, http://www.crowsnest-santacruz.com/
  • Dharma’s: takeout or delivery, Mon-Thurs 11am-7pm, Fri-Sun 11am-8pm (later hours on weekends starting May 29), recently added family-sized trays of American Saute and Bo Thai, 831-462-1717, www.dharmasrestaurant.com, online ordering at https://dharmasrestaurant.square.site
  • Dunlap Donuts: takeout, daily 5:30am-2pm, 831-475-6447, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dunlaps-Donuts/154065311271976
  • Dynasty: takeout and delivery, Sun-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, 831-479-3388, https://www.dynastysantacruz.com
  • East End Gastropub: takeout or delivery (UberEats), Tues-Sun 2-8pm, menu features pizza, burger, spaghetti, etc., plus occasional “dinner for two” with bottle of wine, appetizer, salad, pasta, and dessert, 831-475-8010, http://eastendpub.com
  • East Side Eatery from Pleasure Pizza: takeout and delivery daily 11am-8pm, curbside pickup for online orders, 831-431-6058, http://pleasurepizzasc.com
  • El Chino Mexican Restaurant: takeout, 831-476-7175
  • El Chipotle: takeout, 831-477-1048
  • El Jardin: takeout with curbside option, and delivery, Tues-Sun 12-8pm, 831-477-9384, https://www.eljardinrestaurant.net/
  • El Pájaro CDC Commercial Kitchen Incubator: (412 E. Riverside Dr. Watsonville) Daily pop-up takeout program launched April 1 to support small food businesses (Cuevas Express Foods, My Mom’s Mole, and more), which rotate and offer lunch and dinner. Customers place and pay for food orders ahead of time. For menus and more info, see @elpajarocdc on IG or FB. They publish weekly menus every Sat.
  • El Palomar: takeout with curbside service, open Tue-Fri 2-7:30pm, Sat 12-7pm, Sun 12-6pm, see Instagram & Facebook @elpalomarrestaurant for specials including family packages. Pacific Ave. entrance is closed– enter through Front Street entrance, adjacent to the Soquel/Front Parking Garage, 831-425-7575, http://elpalomarsantacruz.com
  • El Rosal Bakery: takeout food includes tamales, daily 7:30am-8pm, 831-462-1308
  • El Toro Bravo: takeout, Tues-Sun 12-7pm, 831-476-1553,https://www.eltorobravocapitola.com/full-menu
  • Ella’s at the Airport: takeout with curbside pickup, Tues-Sun noon-7pm, 831-728-3282, menu includes family-size meals, https://www.ellasinwatsonville.com
  • Empire Grille: takeout with curbside pickup, daily 11am-8pm, 831-704-2130, http://empire-grille.com/
  • Engfer Pizza Works: Tue-Sun 4-9:30pm, 831-429-1856, http://engferpizzaworks.com
  • Erik’s Deli: takeout, online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery are available at four locations, hours vary: Aptos 831- 688-5656, Capitola 831-475-4646, Santa Cruz 831-462-1919, and Scotts Valley 831-438-4646, http://eriksdelicafe.com
  • Farm Bakery & Café: takeout and delivery, daily 8am-4pm, 831-684-0266, https://www.thefarmbakerycafe.com/
  • Foodsmith: prepared packaged food (heat at home), order by Thurs night for delivery Mon and/or Thurs of following week, http://myfoodsmith.com
  • Full Steam Dumpling: Wed4-8pm they have ready-to-cook ramen dinner (just cook noodles), dumplings, and limited sides. Delivery or pick up on Chestnut St. behind Santa Cruz Food Lounge. Fri 12-4pm, pickup of frozen beef Gyoza, vegan Gyoza & Char Siu Bao at discounted prices. Pickup on Chestnut St. Text or call 626-549-5574
  • Gabriella Café: takeout with curbside service, or delivery to Westside or Seabright with $10 fee, Tues-Sun 5-8pm, call 831-457-1677 after 4pm, website menu updated daily, wine is 30 percent off list prices, http://gabriellacafe.com
  • Garden Liquor & Deli: takeout Mon-Fri 7:30am-4pm, self-serve case stocked daily with fresh salads and sandwiches, 831-475-9191 or https://www.scgardendeli.com
  • Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria: takeout, effective May 27 expanded hours and options, daily from 8am-5pm customers can use the front entrance to do in-person shopping (including new selections starting May 29 like hot breakfast egg croissants and a rotating “cheeseburger du jour” for the lunch hour), or people can do prepaid online ordering and pick up from the  back entrance daily 11am-5 pm, orders placed by 11am are available for pickup 2 days later (order by 11am Mon for pickup Wed, etc.), 831-462-1200, https://www.gaylesbakery.com
  • Golden City: takeout, daily 11am-9pm, order by phone 831-423-0688, or in person
  • Golden Fu-Wah: takeout, 831-515-7508
  • Golden Palace: takeout and delivery, 831-427-9275, www.goldenpalacesantacruz.com
  • Golden Roots Kitchen: prepared packaged food (heat at home), order by Fri early afternoon for following week, https://linktr.ee/goldenrootskitchen
  • Gilda’s: permanently closed
  • Gordo Gustavo’s Food Truck: takeout with drive-through pickup service (delivery also available), selling smoked meat by the pound, Mondays 11am-2pm at Shanty Shack Brewing. Pre-orders required; call 831-420-7396 or visit @gordo_gustavos on Instagram for details.
  • Habit Burger Grill: takeout and delivery daily 10:30am-9pm, 831-466-9264, https://www.habitburger.com/
  • Hanloh Thai: pre-packaged, ready-to-heat food, pick-up Monday (Sante Adairius) and Wednesday (SC Mountain Brewing); https://hanloh.square.site/
  • Harbor Café: takeout (reopened May 2 with limited menu), Fri-Mon 9am-1pm, call 831-475-4948 to order, see temporary menu on Instagram @theharborcafe
  • Hidden Fortress Coffee: takeout daily 7:30am-12:30pm in Watsonville, menu includes breakfast bowls/burritos, sandwiches, and coffee drinks, https://www.hiddenfortresscoffee.com/cafe-menu
  • Hindquarter: takeout and delivery Wed-Sun 1-6 pm, 831-426-7770, https://www.thehindquarter.com/
  • Holy Smokes Country BBQ: free delivery, takeout, curbside pickup, Tue-Sun 11:30am-7:30pm, 831-471-8787 https://www.holysmokescountrybbqandcatering.com/
  • Home: takeout with curbside pickup, taking phone orders after 3pm for pickup Thu-Sat 4-7pm, 831-431-6131, http://www.homesoquel.com, also offering soups/stews, pasta, and (uncooked) sausage at Downtown (Wed) and Live Oak (Sun) farmers markets. Also, as of May 1 they are a “Thursday pickup spot” for Dirty Girl Produce’s CSA box (see dirtygirlproduce.com)
  • Hula’s Island Grill: takeout, reopened May 1, daily 3:30-8:30pm, credit cards only/no cash, call 831-426-4852 to order, see menu at HulasTiki.com, owners invite customers to “keep calm & carry out”
  • Ideal Bar & Grill: takeout, food plus brewed coffee and espresso drinks, daily noon-6pm, order in person at café, or by phone, only two guests at a time are allowed in Ideal for pickup, 831-423-5271, http://www.idealbarandgrill
    India Joze: takeout Tues-Sat 5-8pm, 831-325-3633, http://Indiajoze.com/order/eat 
  • I Wok Bistro: takeout, daily 11am-9pm, 831-335-3430, https://www.iwokbistro.com
  • Jack O’Neill Restaurant at the Dream Inn: Takeout family breakfast Saturday-Sunday 8-11am and family dinner daily 5-7:30pm; each serves 4-6 people, see menu at https://www.jackoneillrestaurant.com/. Gift cards: if you buy a gift card of $100 or more, and are one of the first 50 customers, you receive a complimentary breakfast voucher for a later date. Call 831-460-5012.
  • Java Junction: takeout, all three locations / hours vary, Seabright is daily 7am-3pm, 831-423-5282, Harbor (next to Crow’s Nest) is daily 7am-6pm, River St. is daily 7am-3:30pm http://www.javajunctioncoffee.com/Store-Locations.html
  • Jeffery’s Restaurant: takeout, daily 7am-9pm, 831-425-1485
  • Johnny’s Harborside: takeout, starts May 29, Wed-Sun 3-8pm, items include burger or salmon burger for one, Cioppino or fresh fish for two, and reheatable selections by the quart such as clam chowder with six rolls, 831-479-3430, http://johnnysharborside.com
  • Kaito: takeout Tue-Sun 4-9pm, free delivery Tue-Thu 4-8pm (limited delivery area), 831-464-2586, https://www.smilekaito.com
  • Kianti’s: takeout with curbside pickup, or delivery, Sun-Thu 11am-9pm & Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, 831-469-4400, https://www.kiantis.com/
  • Kickin’ Chicken: takeout & delivery Wed-Fri 6-11pm & Sat-Sun 4-9pm, currently located at the Food Lounge (serving out of the backdoor on Chestnut St.). http://kickinchickensc.com
  • Kitchen at Discretion: takeout, ready-to-eat food is available Thurs-Mon 11:30am-5pm, three-course prix fixe menu plus a la carte items, toasttab.com/discretion-brewing
  • La Posta: takeout with curbside pickup, recently expanded hours and selections, 3-7pm Fri-Sun, fresh sourdough bread loaves, bottles of wine, three pasta options (ready to warm at home, with directions), other ready-to-eat dishes, several pizzas, and dessert. Visit lapostarestaurant.com for menu. Call or email orders and they will confirm: 831-457-2782, lapostarestaurant@gmail.com.
  • Lago di Como Ristorante & Pizzeria: takeout/delivery including free delivery on orders of $75+ to limited areas from 4:30-7:30pm, daily (except Tues) 4:30-8:30pm, menu includes family-size options and they also offer deli case up front for “quick grab and go foods to warm/cook at home,” http://lagodicomoristorante.com
  • Laili: takeout/delivery, daily 11:30am-8pm, 831-423-4545 http://lailirestaurant.com
  • La Placa Family Bakery: takeout, Tues-Sun 8am-8pm, 831-609-6552, https://www.facebook.com/La-Placa-Family-Bakery-1560005784120099/
  • Lillian’s Italian Kitchen: takeout with curbside pickup, free delivery via subshuttleinc.com, Tues-Sun 4-8pm, full menu as well as family-sized lasagna and eggplant parmigiana (half-trays, order a day ahead), 831-425-2288, http://lilliansitaliankitchen.com 
  • Linda’s Sea Breeze: takeout, daily 8am-1pm, cash (ATM available) or check, 831-427-9713, https://www.restaurantji.com/ca/santa-cruz/lindas-seabreeze-caf-/
  • Little Tampico: takeout or delivery (Grubhub or DoorDash), Tues-Sun 11am-8pm, food and margaritas,831-475-4700, http://www.littletampico.com
  • Loard’s Ice Cream: takeout Mon-Thu 2-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-9pm & Sun 12-7pm, next door to Beach Street Pizza & Bar, 831-471-8530.
  • Lupulo Craft Beer House: takeout and delivery, daily 12-8pm, food plus beer, 831-454-8306, http://lupulosc.com
  • Manuel’s: takeout, 831-688-4848, http://manuelsrestaurant.com 
  • Margaritaville: reopened May 8 for takeout, daily 12-7pm, full menu plus cocktails, beer and wine, 831-476-2263, margaritavillecapitola.com
  • Marianne’s Ice Cream: takeout, three locations (1020 Ocean St., 218 State Park Dr., 104 Stockton Ave.) plus ice cream delivery to cities from Santa Cruz to Watsonville. Customers go online to order quarts, novelties, sundae kits, and “cookie sandwich kits” by 5pm for that night’s delivery, http://mariannesicecream.com
  • Mattia Pizza: delivery daily 3:30-7:30 pm, place order by texting 669-236-9182, see Instagram @mattiapizza04 for menu & details
  • May’s Sushi: takeout or DoorDash delivery, daily 12-8pm, 831-427-0201, https://mayssushibarandgrill.weebly.com
  • Maya’s Mexican Restaurant: takeout, 831-438-7004,https://www.mayasv.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
  • Mentone: takeout from David Kinch’s new restaurant (174 Aptos Village Way), call 831-708-1174 to pre-order from 11am until sell-out. Rotating selections including pizza, salad, cocktails, and wine for Wed-Sat pickup (3:30-7pm), plus multi-course prix fixe dinner on Sundays (which can be preordered starting on Friday), http://mentonerestaurant.com
  • Michael’s on Main: takeout, reopened May 15, Tues-Sat 11am-7pm with burgers, pizza, salads, wine, beer, and more, plus family-size dinners from 4-7pm, 831-479-9777, www.michaelsonmain.com.
  • Mission Hill Creamery: takeout w/curbside pickup or delivery, effective May 24 hours are expanded: now daily 12-8pm, selections include ice cream, fresh bread, chicken pot pies, a sundae kit, and some of the ingredients that MHC uses in their products such as Dirty Girl Produce strawberries, Califia oat milk, and organic flour, http://missionhillcreamery.com
  • Mission Street BBQ: takeout, 831-458-2222, (heavily discounted first responder meals) https://www.missionstbbq.com
  • Miyako Sushi: takeout, reopened May 1, Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm & 4:30-8:30pm, Sat 4-8:30pm, 831-462-5288, https://miyakocapitola.com
  • Mobo Sushi: takeout and delivery (DoorDash), daily 5-9pm, 831-425-1700, http://mobosushirestaurant.com/
  • Monster Pot: takeout and delivery, 831-454-8140, takeout is via monsterpostsc.com, delivery is via DoorDash and others
  • Mountain Mike’s Pizza: takeout and delivery, Portola Dr. location (locally owned), daily 11am-9pm, 831-477-7760, https://www.mountainmikespizza.com/
  • Mozaic: takeout or delivery (GrubHub, UberEats, DoorDash), 12-7:30pm daily, 831-454-8663, http://www.mozaicsantacruz.com/
  • Mr. Z’s Crepes & Teas: takeout or delivery (DoorDash), 12-6pm Tues-Sun, menu includes to-go Boba Kits for making tea at home, 831-228-1588, https://mrzsteas.com/
  • Naka Sushi: takeout and delivery, offering 20% discount, Tue-Sun 5:30-8:30 pm, http://nakasushi.org 
  • Nick the Greek: takeout/delivery, 831-431-6313, http://nickthegreeksj.com/locations, and they’re giving out one roll of toilet paper per family per visit
  • Olive Garden: takeout and delivery,831-462-0120, https://www.olivegarden.com/order-togo
  • Oswald: reopened May 13 for takeout, Wed-Sat 4-8pm, oswaldrestaurant.com
  • Otoro Sushi: takeout or delivery (free for Scotts Valley residents), Sun-Thurs 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9pm, free roll of toilet paper with $50 orders and $75 orders also get free hand sanitizer, 831-440-9040, https://www.facebook.com/OtoroSushiScottsValley/
  • Pacific Cookie Company: takeout with curbside pickup, 831-429-6905, https://www.pacificcookie.com/
  • Pacific Thai: takeout and delivery, Thurs-Tues noon-8pm, 831-420-1700, http://www.pacificthaisantacruz.com/
  • Palm Deli: takeout or delivery (DoorDash), daily 7am-2pm, 831-688-3354; ordering in person is okay but phone orders are preferred for safety/limiting time people spend in the deli. They will add in any drinks, chips, grocery items, to the “ready-to-eat food orders” – including Glaum eggs since they are the owners of Glaum Egg Ranch down the road (which is also still open). See https://www.thepalmdeli.com/ and https://glaumeggranch.com/
  • Panda Express: takeout and delivery, pandaexpress.com
  • Panda Inn: takeout (Deer Park Shopping Center), 831-688-8620, or delivery via DoorDash
  • Parish Publick House: takeout, including cocktails to go, both locations, Santa Cruz 831-421-0507, Aptos 831-708-2036, http://theparishpublick.com 
  • Pasatiempo Golf Course: MacKenzie Bar & Grill is closed until further notice; Hollins House takeout and Grab & Grill proteins are available for day-of ordering before 1:30pm and pick-up Tues-Sat from 3-7pm and Sun-Mon from 12-4pm. They are also doing “Grocery Bags” which rotate weekly (two choices, $30 each, one might include things like pasta, flour, yeast, eggs, butter, and paper goods like toilet paper, while the other has produce). These must be ordered by 3pm one day in advance and are available for pick-up on Tue & Thu from 3-7pm.  Pre-order by emailing (togo@pasatiempo.com) or by calling 831-459-9177, https://www.thehollinshouse.com/covid-19/.
  • Paula’s: takeout, daily 8am-12pm, 831-464-0741
  • Penny Ice Creamery: takeout, daily 1-8pm (downtown and Pleasure Point locations), selections include a sundae kit ($16, you get one pint of ice cream, chocolate sauce, organic whipped cream, and a couple other toppings), order at ice cream shop or online, https://www.thepennyicecreamery.com
  • People’s Coffee: takeout, daily 8am-5pm, 831- 464-2739
  • Persephone: takeout, lunch 11:30am-2pm Wed-Sat, dinner 3-5:30pm Thurs-Sat, order online the night before, or by phone the day of. Dinner selections include family meals (with entrée, salad, bread and cookies), 831-612-6511, https://www.persephonerestaurant.com/real-take-out-menu
  • Picnic Basket: takeout and delivery, daily 9am-3pm daily, you can add an ice cream pint to your order from sister business The Penny Ice Creamery, http://thepicnicbasketsc.com
  • Pixie Deli: 831-688-1115, https://www.pixiegoodeats.com/
  • Pino Alto Restaurant at Cabrillo College: closed until further notice
  • Pizza My Heart takeout and/or curbside pickup and delivery, various locations open, https://www.pizzamyheart.com
  • Pleasure Pizza: takeout/delivery at downtown location, 831-600-7859, http://pleasurepizzasc.com/downtown/menus, takeout (no delivery) at Pleasure Point location, daily 11am-9pm, 831- 475-4002, https://www.pleasurepizzasc.com/pleasure-point/menus/
  • Point Chophouse: takeout with curbside pickup, Tues-Sun 4-8pm, bottles of wine 30% off (must purchase food too), cocktails to go are also available, 831-476-2733, http://www.thepointchophouse.com/
  • Pono Hawaiian Grill: downtown location permanently closed
  • Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap: takeout, or delivery via DoorDash, Sun-Thu 12-7:30pm & Fri-Sat 12-8pm, 831-476-7458, menu at http://ponohawaiiangrill.com (not all items are available; customers can check when they call)
  • Pretty Good Advice: takeout, after a short closure they reopened May 28 & changed hours, now open Wed-Sun 9am-3pm, 831-226-2805, https://prettygoodadvicesoquel.com/
  • Real Thai Kitchen: takeout Mon-Fri 11am-2pm & 5-9pm, Sat-Sun 12-9pm, 831-427-2559, http://realthaisantacruz.com
  • Red Apple Café: takeout, daily 8am-3pm, 831-685-1224, https://www.redappleaptos.com
  • Redwood Pizza: takeout, Thurs-Sun 4-9pm, pizza (no salads) plus draft beer in 32-ounce mason jars, 831-335-1500, http://www.redwoodpizza.com
  • Ristorante Italiano: takeout, or delivery (DoorDash, UberEats), Sat-Wed 4-8:30pm, Thurs-Fri 11:30am-2pm & 4-8:30pm, 831-458-2321, https://www.ristoranteitalianosc.com/
  • Riva Fish House: limited takeout menu, plus beer and wine, daily 12-7pm, order takeout at 831-429-1223, in person at the restaurant, or https://www.rivafishhouse.com
  • Robbie’s Sandwiches: takeout and delivery, daily 10am-3 pm,831-515-7411
  • Rosie McCann’s: closed until further notice https://rosiemccanns.com/santacruz
  • Roux Dat: reopened Capitola location May 12 for takeout, or delivery via DoorDash and UberEats, hours are Tues-Sat 11am-5pm, 831-295-6372, https://rouxdatcajuncreole.com/
  • Royal Taj: takeout, plus delivery through DoorDash and UberEats, daily 12-2:45pm, 5:30-9:15pm, 831-427-2666, https://www.royaltajsc.com/
  • Rumblefish: takeout, daily 11:30am-2:30pm & 5-8:30pm, online ordering with contact-free  pickup (you can order most of the menu online) or call in if you want something special like hand rolls, and get food at pickup window), 831-440-9240, http://www.rumblefish-sv.com
  • Sabieng Thai: takeout daily 3-8 pm, 831-425-1020, https://www.sabiengthaicuisine.com
  • Sala Thai: takeout and delivery (GrubHub), daily 11:30am-3pm & 5-9pm, 831-426-1214, http://salathaisantacruz.com
  • Salsa’s: window service only, 831-465-1105
  • Samba Rock Acai Café: takeout, hours vary, 831-458-2224
  • San Marcos Charquito Tacos y Tortas: takeout,831-888-6697
  • Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co., takeout, daily 8:30am-4:30pm, 831-459-0100, www.santacruzcoffee.com
  • Saturn Café: takeout or delivery (GrubHub and UberEats), Thurs-Mon 12-8:30pm (sometimes close at 8 if it’s slow), including a “Pay What You can” special: if someone is low on funds, they can tell restaurant how much money they have (let’s say $3 or $5) and they will prepare something small & low-cost (this is an option if ordering by phone or in person), 831-429-8505, https://saturncafe.com/
  • Sawasdee & Sawasdee By The Sea: takeout at the original Soquel spot (5050 Soquel Dr.) & second location (101 Main St., Santa Cruz), daily from 11am. They take their last phone orders at 8:45pm weekdays and 915pm weekends. Soquel: 831-462-5051, http://sawasdeesoquel.com, & Santa Cruz: 831-466-9009, sawasdeebythesea.com
  • Scopazzi’s: takeout Wed-Sun 12-7 pm, takeout menu includes food (cheeseburgers, spaghetti with meatballs, etc.), cocktails and wine, 831-338-6441, http://www.scopazzisrestaurant.com/
  • Seabright Deli: takeout (walkup window or curbside service) or delivery via DoorDash, daily 11 am-7pm, 831-515-7484, https://seabrightdeli.com/
  • Sesame Korean Grill: UPDATED May 30, takeout, daily 11am-10pm, 831-454-8355, https://www.sesame-koreangrill.com/
  • Shadowbrook: temporarily closed, gift cards available by phone 831-475-1511 or online, https://www.shadowbrook-capitola.com/
  • Showtime Pizzeria: takeout (pizza, wings, ravioli, lasagna & more), 831-662-3362,http://showtimepizzeria.com/
  • Shun Feng: takeout, plus delivery from 5-8:30pm, online ordering https://www.shunfengsantacruz.com/or by phone 831-423-3688 or 831-423-9888
  • Slice Project Pizza: takeout through side window, Thurs-Sat 4-9 pm (last order at 8:30pm), 831-319-4581, 300 Main St. Watsonville, http://sliceprojectpizza.com
  • Soif: Effective April 5, food service stopped (formerly doing takeout) but wine continues: Wine shop staff are available by phone to take orders for bottles of wine. Curbside pickup for pre-ordered and pre-paid wine is now occurring periodically. Contact 831-423-2020 or info@SoifWine.com.
  • Sotola Bar & Grill: takeout Thurs-Mon 12-8pm, reopened May 15, order by phone or online, 831-854-2800, http://www.sotolabarandgrill.com
  • South Point Coffee Bar & Tap Room: coffee bar is open daily 7am-12pm, limited bar menu Thurs-Sun 4-8pm, 831-661-1402, https://www.southpointseascape.com/
  • Star Bene: takeout 5-8 pm daily, 831-479-4307, www.star-bene.com
  • Star of Siam: takeout, 831-479-0366, https://www.starofsiamsoquel.net/
  • Steamer Lane Supply: takeout, curbside pickup available upon request, 9am-6:30pm, full menu plus specials, grab and go foods, take and heat carnitas taco kits for 2. Call in orders, 831-316-5240, or come in person for “touchless socially distanced transactions,” http://steamerlanesc.com/menucom
  • Surf City Sandwich: takeout or delivery, daily 10:30am-3pm, 831-346-6952, http://surfcitysandwich.com
  • Sushi Garden: takeout at all four locations (Aptos, Capitola, Scotts Valley and Watsonvile), http://sushi-garden.com
  • Tacos Morenos: takeout, both locations, Santa Cruz location daily 11am-8pm (831-429-6095) & Capitola daily 10am-7pm, (831-464-8810)
  • Taqueria Los Gordos: daily 9am-7:30pm except Sun when hours may vary, call 831-688-0911 or see IG @Losgordosaptos
  • Taqueria La Cabana: daily 9am-8pm, 831-425-7261
  • Taqueria Santa Cruz: takeout, both locations, http://www.taqsc.com
  • Taqueria Tepeque: takeout, Brown Ranch Marketplace (same Capitola complex as Trader Joe’s), 831-462-2758, https://taqueriatepeque355.wixsite.com/tepeque
  • Taqueria Michoacan: takeout, open Mon-Sat 10am-8:30pm, 831-465-8290, delivery through DoorDash
  • Taqueria Vallarta: takeout, all 4 locations – Soquel (831-457-8226), 41st Ave. (831-464-7022), Mission (831-426-7240), and Felton (831-335-4264), http://taqueriavallartaonline.com/           
  • Togos: takeout with curbside pickup, and delivery, six locations covering Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Watsonville, hours vary,https://www.togos.com
  • Tony & Alba’s: takeout with curbside pickup, or delivery, Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz stores, offering 50% off regular prices (employees volunteered to work for free to keep restaurants open, so owner decided to give back to community). Call 831-439-9999 (SV) or 831-425-8669 (SC, open 3-8pm), http://tonyandalbas.com
  • Tortilla Flats: takeout with curbside pickup, Wed-Sun starting at nooncall 831-476-1754 to place order; pick up 4-8pm, https://www.tortillaflatstogo.com/
  • Toya Sushi: takeout, Mon-Thurs 12-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-8:30pm, sushi, Boba tea, and slushies,
  •  831-464-1818, old Yogurt Delite building on Mission St. (same owners who had Takara Sushi near Capitola Mall) www.toyasushi.com
  • Tramonti: takeout and delivery, 11:30am-9pm, full restaurant menu plus grab-n-go items to heat up at home, 10% discount on “restaurant menu” items (not grab-n-go) when you do takeout, 831-426-7248, http://www.tramontisantacruz.com
  • Ugly Mug: takeout (drinks and coffee beans), 7am-1pm daily except Sun, order at 831-477-1341 or https://the-ugly-mug-109327.square.site
  • Union Foodie Truck: delivery Tues-Sat within Santa Cruz County with $4 fee for orders under $40, deadline to order is 1pm for same day delivery, menu posted weekly—selections include bagels, soup, pasta and take-and-bake hand pies and more, https://www.unionfoodietruck.com/
  • Upper Crust: takeout and delivery, 831-423-9010 (Mission St. location), and 831-476-2333 (Soquel Dr. location), https://uppercrustsc.com/
  • Vasili’s: takeout, daily 12-730pm, plus delivery via DoorDash, 831-458-9808, http://vasilisgreekrestaurant.com
  • Verve Coffee Roasters: takeout, Seabright location (Bronson St.), Pleasure Point/41st Ave., and Fair Ave. are open 7am-3pm. The Pacific Ave. branch is open 8am-4pm. The menu includes ready-to-drink coffee and tea, whole bean packages, and select grab-and-go and pantry items. Customers can order at https://instore.vervecoffee.com/, and pickup at each café’s designated window. People can also place orders in person at the pickup windows, and Verve is offering a daily free “drip quick cup of coffee” as a thank you to “dedicated frontline workers and teachers” at all of its re-opened cafes, https://www.vervecoffee.com/
  • Village Host Pizzeria: takeout and delivery, daily 11am-9pm, Aptos (831-685-8646) and Capitola (831-464-8455) https://villagehost.com
  • Vim Dining & Desserts: takeout, Wed-Sat nights plus brunch on Sundays. To order call 831-515-7033 between 3-7pm, see menu at https://www.vimsantacruz.com. Also, owner/chef Jesikah Stolaroff is continuing to offer “whole celebration cakes” like chocolate peanut butter torte (she has been making cakes while the main restaurant was closed). Email jesikah@vimsantacruz.com to order desserts.
  • Walnut Avenue Cafe: takeout with curbside pickup, daily 8am-2pm, reopened May 18, order by phone, 831-457-2804, http://www.walnutavenuecafe.com
  • Wasabi Sushi: takeout, offering free miso soup, Brown Ranch Marketplace (same Capitola complex as Trader Joe’s), 831-515-7455, https://www.instagram.com/wasabicapitola/
  • Windmill Café: takeout, daily 8am-1pm, 831-464-4698, https://windmillcafesantacruz.com/
  • Woodstock Pizza: takeout and delivery, 831-427-4444, https://woodstockscruz.com, also they’ve partnered with The Salvation Army to give pizza to the hungry, doubling every donation a person makes. A $25 donation will provide pizza for up to 10 people, see https://bit.ly/2UuhOXJ
  • Your Place-Farm to Table: takeout, 3-9pm Tues-Sun, menu includes Family Meal with house salad, choice of salmon, sand dabs, meatloaf, or chicken Parmesan, and dessert, $50; recently launched a box lunch menu Fri-Sun 11:30am-2pm, 831-426-3564, https://www.facebook.com/yourplacesc or https://yourplacesc.com/
  • Zachary’s: takeout with curbside pickup, reopened May 28, Thurs-Sun 8am-1:30pm, some items from regular menu, plus new “shelter-oriented” items and bulk items (including housemade bread, coffee cake, jalapeño corn bread), 831-427-0646, Zacharyssantacruz.com
  • Zameen: takeout Thurs-Sun 12-7:30pm, re-opened Aptos (831-688-4465) and Pleasure Point (831-713-5520) locations May 14 (Watsonville will reopen this summer), order by phone or online, zameencuisine.com
  • Zoccoli’s Deli: takeout with curbside pickup option, Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, 831-423-1711, http://zoccolis.com

Get info for more downtown SC restaurants, & downtown SC food/drink venues, at https://downtownsantacruz.com/downtown-delivered. See menus for some restaurants at the Instagram account @whatsopensantacruz & the site http://whatsopensantacruz.com—they also have some info on other services that are open (I’m not affiliated with these–just sharing resources).

Grocery stores

Note: Several local stores offer delivery service for a fee through InstaCart. These include Costco, Lucky, New Leaf, Nob Hill, Safeway, and Target. Visit https://www.instacart.com.

  • Aptos Natural Foods: 10am-7pm with senior hours of 8-10am (65 years and up, and 10 percent discount during this time), aptosnaturalfoods.com
  • Black Point Market: open with groceries and ready-to-eat food, 831-713-5842, https://www.facebook.com/blackpointmarket/
  • Costco: has a priority policy for healthcare workers & first responders. During all open hours, Costco members who are healthcare workers and first responders (such as police officers, EMTs and firefighters) will be allowed to move to the front of any line to enter the warehouse. Hours: 10am-6:30pm weekdays, 9:30am-6pm Saturdays, 10am to 6pm Sunday. Seniors and vulnerable customers can shop Tues through Thurs 8-9 am—note, “official (published) hours to non-seniors” don’t start until 10am weekdays, but unofficially, on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays Costco is letting non-seniors in right after the senior hour ends at 9. Updated gas station hours are 7:30am-7pm weekdays, 7:30am-6:30pm weekends, 831-469-0961, https://www.costco.com/
  • Del Pueblo Market: this small, family-owned market has a butcher counter, some grocery products, and some dairy and fresh produce (behind Jeffrey’s near Soquel/Capitola Rd), open daily 5am-5:30pm, 831-425-1829, https://www.facebook.com/delpueblomkt
  • Deluxe Foods: open for business, see deluxefoodsofaptos.com
  • Food Bin & The Herb Room: open 8am to 8pm, call 831-423-5526 (Food Bin) or 831-429-8108 (Herb Room) or visit https://www.foodbinherbroom.com
  • Grocery Outlet: hoursare8am to 9pm daily, https://groceryoutlet.com/store-locator
  • Lucky: General hours are 6am-10pm daily except from 6-9am Tuesday and Thursday: these areexclusive hoursfor seniors and guests with compromised health; 831-462-6917, www.luckysupermarkets.com
  • New Leaf Community Markets: reduced hours 9am to 8pm daily for most stores, 8-9am is for pregnant, senior, and immune-compromised individuals. Extended senior discount (formerly Wednesday, now daily). The Aptos location is open 10am-6pm with 10-11am the designated “Community Care Hour” for seniors and vulnerable individuals. For all stores, there are temporary store capacity limits and new waitlist technology that gives customers the option to join a waitlist queue via text with their mobile phone upon arrival at the store. New Leaf asks that families elect one member to do the shopping whenever possible and to limit store visits to 30 minutes or less to help minimize potential wait times, https://www.newleaf.com/stay-healthy. Also—as of early May: New Leaf added a grocery pickup option to three of it stores (Aptos, Westside SC & Half Moon Bay) & is adding Capitola in June. Customers can order groceries through the Instacart app, select a pickup window, drive to the store and have their groceries brought to their car. Save $10 on your first New Leaf grocery pickup or delivery order of $35 or more with code NEWLEAF2020 through June 30, 2020. Learn more at www.newleaf.com/delivery.
  • Nob Hill: open, visit raleys.com/stores/nob-hill-foods-bay-capitola-california
  • Safeway: reduced hours & senior early morning hours on certain days depending on location, https://www.safeway.com/
  • Scotts Valley Market: open, daily 8am-9:30pm, 831-438-4324, https://www.scottsvalleymarket.com
  • Seascape Foods: daily 8am-8pm, 831-685-3134, seascapefoodsaptos.com
  • Shopper’s Corner: 8-10am for seniors and those at high risk, and 10am–7pm for the general public, http://www.shopperscorner.com
  • Staff of Life: reduced hours 9am-8pm, seniors 60 & older can shop at 8am from Monday-Friday, https://www.staffoflifemarket.com
  • Target: reduced hours at stores including Capitola & Watsonville (8am-9 pm), the 8-9 am slot on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is for vulnerable populations only (65 and older, those with underlying health concerns, and pregnant women), https://www.target.com/store-locator/find-stores
  • Trader Joe’s: both Santa Cruz and Capitola locations are open with reduced hours: 9am to 7pm daily plus an early shopping hour from 8-9am for seniors and disabled, https://www.traderjoes.com/
  • Whole Foods: reduced hours 9am-8 pm, seniors 60 & older can shop at 8am https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores

Farmers’ Markets

For the first time, the downtown Santa Cruz Wednesday farmers market is offering—as of May 6—the Market Match Program, which offers customers with CalFresh cards a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10. An example: if a CalFresh customer swipes a card for $10 they receive 10 additional dollars in tokens at no charge. A $7 swipe equals a $7 match, and a $15 swipe equals a $10 match. These can only be used to purchase fresh produce. Now Market Match is available at all five Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets locations. Visithttp://www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org/.

The Wednesday Downtown, Saturday Westside and Sunday Live Oak marketsfrom Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets are currently open. They added a Senior Shopping period. This is 30 minutes prior to the market’s opening time, so it is from 12:30-1pm for the Downtown Market and 8:30-9am for the Westside and Live Oak markets.

The Tuesday Felton market opens June 2 and is offering the Market Match Program to customers with CalFresh (EBT/SNAP) cards. During a double match for June, people get two tokens for every EBT token, up to $10 (so $10 of EBT becomes $30; matching tokens are valid for fresh fruits and vegetables only).

The Saturday Scotts Valley market opens June 6.

Both the Felton and SV markets usually open in May, but the pandemic caused a delay. All markets are following strict safety guidelines. Read more athttp://www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org/sc-community-farmers-markets-and-covid-19.

As of May 20, Belly Goat Craft Burgers is selling “burger boxes” at the weekly downtown SC, Westside SC, and Live Oak farmers markets. Made with organic ingredients and made-from-scratch sauces and sides, the boxes include local grass-fed beef, buns, condiments and seasonings. Customers will also have options to buy “chef-made relishes and savory jams, specialty cheeses and more.”

El Pájaro CDC Commercial Kitchen Incubator Program hosts weekly booths at the Westside and Live Oak farmers’ markets; beginning the second weekend of June, the Saturday booths will switch between Westside and Scotts Valley. Late May & early June vendor appearances are Cuevas Express Foods at Westside May 30, Dos Hermanos Pupuseria at Live Oak May 31 and June 7.

The Saturday Aptos/Cabrillo College market, also open with regular hours, is utilizing safety measures such as hand sanitizer and hand washing stations. Farmers and vendors are wearing gloves. Keep up to date via their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MBFarmersMarket/.

Breweries

  • Discretion Brewing: online ordering (toasttab.com/discretion-brewing) and parking lot pick up from 11:30am-5pm daily
  • East Cliff Brewing Co.: takeout (in person or by phone) and online ordering for pickup, open Mon-Thurs 3-7pm, Fri 1-6pm, Sat & Sun 12-6pm, 831-713-5540, https://eastcliffbrewing.shopsettings.com/
  • Humble Sea Brewing Co.: takeout, daily 12-6pm, a beer was released April 24: All Together – IPA (6.5%) in collaboration with Other Half’s All Together Beer Project, a double dry hopped w/ Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra, & Cascade hops. From Humble Sea: “A worldwide collaboration brewed to support hospitality professionals struggling through the utterly insane times of COVID-19. $5 of every 4-pack goes to our furloughed staff to help them cope with the cost of living during this pandemic;” see humblesea.com to order for pickup or shipping.
  • New Bohemia Brewing Co.: online ordering for pickup (10 beers available as four-packs), delivery, or shipping, https://www.nubobrew.com/
  • Sante Adairius: takeout, daily 12-6pm, rusticales.com.
  • Shanty Shack Brewing: beer drive-through, daily 10am-7pm, free roll of toilet paper when you spend $50, see web site for list of available cans, bottles and crowlers, 831-316-0800

Wine

  • Alfaro Family Vineyards has curbside pickup at the winery by appointment, and on Saturdays between 1-3 p.m. For mail orders, they offer discount shipping ($2 per bottle) and select discounts on purchases over $250. Visit alfarowine.com or call 831-728-5172.
  • Bargetto is open daily from noon-5pm. They offer a 30% discount with purchases of six or more bottles. To order or ask questions, call 888-400-9463 or email wineclub@bargetto.com
  • Bottle Jack Winery has several shelter-in-place specials and is offering takeout food on Saturdays. Buy 3 or more bottles of any wine and receive a 20% discount (30% for club members) and free local deliveries in Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley. It’s also offering 4 different 6-pack specials featuring new releases of 2019 Viognier, 2018 Chardonnay, and a flight of Cabernet Sauvignon at a 33% discount for a limited time and free shipping with minimum 3-bottle purchase. The winery is partnering with Lago di Como Ristorante for advance food purchase and pickup at the Westside Tasting Room (328D Ingalls Street) on Saturdays, when it is also open for wine purchases and pickup (noon-3pm). Menu options include prepared foods like pastas and tiramisu, plus pizza kits and a la carte items. To order wines and food, go to bottlejackwines.com. Call 831-227-2288 or email info@bottlejackwines.com for more information.
  • Integrity Wines is offering in-home wine tasting with winemaker Mark Hoover. Visit https://www.integrity.wine/
  • Pelican Ranch Winery offers free delivery in Santa Cruz County to those who buy three or more items (at 20% discount) from the list at pelicanranch.com. Also, they are now doing personalized virtual wine tastings for two, via Zoom or phone. Tastings include three wines ($36) or four ($48). Call or text owner/winemaker Phil Crews at 831-332-5359.
  • Ser Winery has curbside pickup at the winery on Saturdays between 1-4pm and offers free shipping on orders of three or more bottles (plus a 20% discount on cases). Visit serwinery.comor call 831-901-7806.
  • Silver Mountain Vineyards is holding Saturday hours (12-3pm) for both its tasting rooms, Santa Cruz and Los Gatos, to buy and pick up wine. Also, they are continuing the “Irish Green Sale” for five wines including 2015 Chardonnay, Tondré, and 2011 Pinot Noir, Tondré. Call (408) 353-2278 or visit http://www.silvermtn.com.
  • VinoCruz wine bar, which recently added takeout food options including: Cheese & Charcuterie plates, Red Pepper Hummus w/ Pita, Olives, Toasted Nuts, and Take & Bake Flatbread Pizzas (call ahead to order), has expanded its hours. It’s open daily from 12-7pm for takeout and delivery (for the latter, restrictions apply). A limited food menu is available all day, with a full menu from 4-7pm. Wine, beer, and cider are available in bottles, to-go cups, growlers, and more, 831-426-8466, https://vinocruz.com/
  • Wrights Station Vineyard & Winery has complimentary shipping with any 2 bottle or more purchase, and 25% off any four bottles or more. Pick up can be arranged at the winery by appointment, 408-560-9343, wrightsstation.com

Seafood

Local vendors offering fresh fish for delivery include H&H Fresh Fish and Ocean2Table.

  • H&H’s weekly subscription program: choose between one or two meals and pause subscriptions when you need to. See hhfreshfish.com/community-supported-fishery. Also, they have a retail shop at 493 Lake Ave. (below Johnny’s Harborside) open 10am-5pm daily except Mondays.
  • Ocean2Table: order seafood to be delivered as frequently or rarely as you choose. They have expanded so that people can add limited amounts of local vendors’ eggs, chicken, and produce to their fish delivery. See getocean2table.com.

Miscellaneous & Farms

  • Blossom’s Farmstore and Coffeeshop offers curbside pickup of select local, organic food items and health products. They also offer pickup at the four Santa Cruz area farmers markets they participate in, or delivery (for a fee) for Aptos, Corralitos and Watsonville residents. See https://app.barn2door.com/e/9jx6Q/all. The shop, at 2904 Freedom Blvd. (Watsonville/Corralitos), is open 8am-5 pm Tues-Sat and 8 am-4pm Sun (closed Mon). Products at the farm store include fresh, organic veggies and fruit from their own and other local farms; Dirty Girl Tomato sauce; fresh bread, seasonal homemade soups, salads and frittatas; Kombucha; coffee, and organic and biodynamically grown tea. They also carry immune system boosting herbal supplements and probiotics/ferments, essential oil sprays and salves (antibacterial and anti-viral), and respiratory system healing tonics (all made from Blossom’s Farm herbs), 831-319-4048 or facebook.com/blossomsfarmstorecorralitos.
  • Deke’s Market (334 7th Ave.), which includes In Mah Belly Deli, is open. Order by phone at 831-476-5897. Hours are 8am-8pm Mon-Sat and
    9am-7pm Sun. Visit https://www.facebook.com/dekesmarket/ or dekesmarket.com
  • EatLocal.Farm is an online marketplace for local goods and offers pickups and deliveries every Wednesday and Thursday (this is recent; when they first launched it was just Wednesdays). Customers buy seasonal produce and items from farms and vendors like Aptos Farm, Borba Family Farms, Fogline Farm, New Natives Nursery, and Wild Poppies Olive Oil. Visit https://eatlocal.farm/.
  • Hakouya, makers of my favorite salad dressing (probiotic miso dressing, it’s good on salad, as a sauce for fish and more, dip for veggies, etc.) is temporarily offering free, local delivery of their products if you buy at least $30 worth. That miso dressing comes in two sizes: 11-ounce for $12, 8-ounce for $9. They sell handmade miso paste (red, white, barley, 250 grams) for $15 each, quick miso soup base for $15, and double fermented organic Soy Sauce Koji for $12. Email info@hakouya.com to order; see Hakouya.com to learn about products and browse recipes.
  • Homeless Garden Project recently reopened its Pacific Avenue (831-295-6328) retail shop for curbside pickup, open Fri-Sun 11am-4pm. Offerings include baking mixes, seasonings, jams, and teas made with herbs and spices grown on the organic HGP farm. Visit https://homelessgardenproject.org.
  • Live Earth Farm offers “Grab and Go” boxes (produce is pre-selected) at their farmers’ market booths—these include the downtown market on Wednesdays and Westside on Saturdays. The booths have a separate line for people buying boxes only. Contents change each week depending on availability.
  • Love Cultivated has several Spring Collection gift boxes including one with homemade jams and marmalades (others contain soaps, etc.). As always, they are donating 5% of sales (not just gift box proceeds) to the Center for Farmworker Families. Visit www.love-cultivated.com.
  • Mariquita Farm offers weekly Tuesday pickup options for its “Mystery Boxes” filled with fresh produce grown at its Watsonville farm. Past boxes have included things like French breakfast radishes, basil, summer squash, green garlic, purple Sicilian artichokes, Meyer lemons, and Spring onions. Possibly coming soon: tomatoes. Local areas for pickup include Santa Cruz, Seabright, and Soquel. For more information, call 831-840-9491 or email ladybugbuyingclub@mariquita.com. Also see https://mariquita.com/events/BuyingClub.html
  • Mutari Chocolate (504A Front St.) is open for delivery and pickup Wednesday-Sunday noon-6 pm; visit mutarichocolate.com and check their Instagram @mutarichocolate for promotions/discounts and special popups
  • Santa Cruz Fun Foods (on Instagram @santacruzfunfoods, or at www.santacruzfunfoods.com) now delivers amusement park treats) made by Whiting’s Foods (they’ve been doing Boardwalk food concessions for many years. Treats are delivered by Grubhub and DoorDash, and selections include churros, kettle corn, chocolate dipped frozen bananas, Dippin’ Dots and cotton candy.
  • Sushi Market Sprouts: open 12-6pm Tues-Sat, the store (300 7th Ave.)—run by the same family that runs Kaito Restaurant—carries prepared packaged sushi & a few Japanese groceries & housewares, also refrigerated miso dressing from Hakouya, https://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-market-sprouts-santa-cruz
  • Toque Blanche: the store (1527 Pacific Ave) has hours of 11am-6pm daily. You can shop in person (maintaining a six-foot distance from other shoppers and staff) or place an order by phone (with curbside pickup), or order online. Contact 831-426-1351, and visit https://www.mytoque.com/pages/toque-blanche-and-the-coronavirus
  • The True Olive Connection (106 Lincoln St.) is open two days a week for curbside pickup: Wed & Sat 10am-2pm. Customers can order olive oil, vinegar, and more by phone (831-458-6457) or online, https://www.trueoliveconnection.com
  • The Vitamin Center in Capitola (1955 B-6 41st Ave., http://www.goaskjack.com/) is taking phone orders and offering curbside pickup. Call 831-462-4697; hours are 10am-6pm Mon-Fri and 10am-5pm Sat.

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Posted in Beer, Food & Food News, Restaurant News, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Santa Cruz County food & drink changes & closures, as of May 28, 2020

Santa Cruz County food & drink changes & closures, as of May 18, 2020

Posted on May 19, 2020 by admin
Chicken-sausage gumbo from Roux Dat in Capitola
which reopened May 12 for takeout food
Photo courtesy of Roux Dat

Here is the current status of many local restaurants, grocery stores and other food/drink vendors, as of the end of the day May 18.

Sad news: downtown Santa Cruz’s Pono Hawaiian Grill, which first opened in 2011 and was closed for the last couple months due to shelter in place, will not reopen. It was very challenging to cover rent and utilities, etc. at two locations. The Capitola branch, Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap (which opened in 2019 & has a variety of beer) will remain open. Pono fans are invited to support this still-open location.

Some of the items in this article with new or updated listings: Café Cruz, Colectivo Felix, Dharma’s, and Union Foodie Truck; a few restaurant re-openings like The Bagelry, Bantam, Sotola Bar & Grill, Walnut Avenue Café, and Zameen, and a food vendor selling burger boxes at farmers’ markets (see Farmers Markets section to read about Belly Goat Craft Burgers, which opened in Abbott Square Market earlier this year but has been temporarily closed due to the pandemic).

Please understand there might be some mistakes, as things are constantly changing. Note that I can’t include every Santa Cruz County business, as this is a manual effort.

Please email tara@santacruzfoodie.com if you have information to share, or corrections, for future articles.

Restaurants & other food vendors

  • 11th Hour Coffee: takeout, delivery and curbside available daily 8am-2pm; menu includes breakfast items. 831-331-5273, https://eleventhhourcoffee.com/
  • Abbott Square Market: restaurants are currently closed
  • Akira Sushi: both locations are open Wed-Sun 12-8pm for takeout, Santa Cruz,  831-600-7093, https://www.akirasantacruz.com/, & Aptos, 831-708 2154, https://www.akiraaptos.com/
  • Alderwood: takeout and delivery, Tue-Sun 10am-7pm, menu features freshly baked pastries, coffee, brunch cocktails, breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches until 2 p.m., plus burgers, pasta, and steaks, 831-588-3238 or 831-888-6901, https://www.alderwoodsantacruz.com/
  • Aloha Island Grille: takeout, 831-479-3299
  • Ambrosia India Bistro: takeout and delivery, both locations open, Aptos: Mon-Thurs 4:30-8:30, Fri 11am-9pm, Sat-Sun 4:30-9pm, 831-713-2762, http://ambrosiaib.com/aptos/, Scotts Valley daily 4:30-8:30pm, 831-713-5594, http://ambrosiaib.com/scotts-valley/
  • Aptos St. BBQ: takeout and delivery, http://aptosstbbq.com
  • Ashby Confections: takeout with curbside pickup, chocolates and other treats available, Tues-Sat 11am-3pm, order by calling 831-454-8299, texting 831-234-1171, or going online at ashbyconfections.com (products can be shipped as well). Ashby is also at two local farmers’ markets each week: Wednesday downtown & Sunday Live Oak.
  • Aunt LaLi’s Mobile Café: delivery, order daily by 3pm and receive between 3-7pm, daily Scotts Valley deliveries plus Santa Cruz (Mon & Wed) and Felton (Tues & Thurs). Menu features traditional ice cream truck treats, Marianne’s ice cream, Pacific Cookie Company cookies, Ashby Confections goodies, Hidden Fortress organic coffee, and Rogue Pyes, https://auntlali.square.site/
  • Avanti Restaurant: takeout daily 4-7:30pm, a la carte or family meals serving four, 831-427-0135, http://avantisantacruz.squarespace.com
  • Back Nine Grill & Bar: takeout with curbside pickup, and delivery, daily 11am to 9pm, recently added family meals to menu, 831-226-2350, http://www.backninegrill.com/
  • Bad Animal Books: Wed, Fri & Sun 4-7pm, take-out “family meals” with curbside pickup (emergency first responders get a 50% discount), also now offering pantry items including toilet paper, flour, sugar, butter, coffee, charcuterie, jam, and salad dressing, 831-900-5031, http://badanimalbooks.com
  • Bagelry: downtown Santa Cruz location (320 Cedar St., 429-8049) reopened Fri 5/15; midtown (1636 Seabright Ave., 425-8550) & Soquel (4763 Soquel Dr., 462-9888) reopening Fri 5/22. Takeout hours for all: 8am-2pm
  • Bangkok West: takeout, Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm & 5-9pm (can call to order from 4:30-8:30pm), Sat-Sun 11am-9pm (order by 8:30pm), 831-479-8297, http://bangkokwest.com/
  • Bantam: takeout Mon-Fri 4-8pm, reopened May 18, includes wood-fired pizza, family-style fried-chicken dinners, plus a self-described “physical mercantile” onsite with house-made breads and focaccia, pickles, and preserves, can order online or at restaurant, 831-420-0101, http://www.bantam1010.com
  • Barceloneta: takeout Wed-Sat 4-7pm, cocktails and wine available to go with meals, 831-900-5222, https://eatbarceloneta.square.site/
  • Beach Street Pizza & Bar: takeout, curbside pickup and delivery, Mon-Thurs 2-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-9pm and Sun 12-7pm. Happy Hour is Mon-Fri 4-7pm for appetizers & drinks. 831-471-8530, www.beachstreetpizzaandbar.com
  • Beer Thirty Pour House: Daily 11am-7pm, https://www.beerthirtysantacruz.com/
  • Betty Burgers: newest Aptos location, 415 Trout Gulch Road. 831-612-6668 plus two other locations (41st Ave. and Seabright) are doing takeout daily 12-8pm, http://bettyburgers.com. Downtown location is closed.
  • Bittersweet Bistro: BB has turned its dining room into a “mini market” with pantry essentials including milk, eggs, flour, pasta, produce, marinated meats, paper goods and half price bottles of wine. Hours are Wed-Sun 12-7 pm. The restaurant is serving food Wed-Sun 12-7 pm for takeout or curbside pickup, with delivery to the greater Aptos area on qualifying orders over $75, 831-662-9799, http://bittersweetbistro.com.
  • Blue Bunny Tacos: closed until further notice
  • Britannia Arms of Capitola: takeout with curbside pickup, daily 10:30am-8pm, place orders at 831-464-2583, full menu and special orders available, https://www.facebook.com/britanniaarmscapitola/
  • Bruno’s Bar and Grill: takeout with curbside pickup (plus delivery for Scotts Valley residents), Wed-Sun 2-8pm, https://www.brunosbarandgrill.com
  • Buttercup Cakes & Farmhouse Frosting:  takeout and delivery Fri-Sun 12-4pm, must place orders ahead of time via online Google Form or by emailing scbuttercupcakes@gmail.com, cupcakes and mini-cookies (minimum order of 6 for each category), cakes, other treats, and bouquets from Bonny Doon Flowers, https://www.farmhousefrosting.com/
  • Buttery Bakery: takeout and delivery 7am-5pm, 831-458-3020, http://butterybakery.com
  • Café Brasil: takeout, daily 8am-3pm, 10 percent discount on all orders, 831-429-1855, http://cafebrasil.us/
  • Café Cruz: takeout, recently expanded hours of daily 12-8pm, expanded menu with many choices plus kids’ menu, and wide selection of groceries (items by the pound like sugar, flour, polenta, tomatoes, skirt steak, and bacon; and selections priced by the item like half-gallon of milk, roll of toilet paper, etc.),831-476-3801, http://cafecruz.com
  • Café El Palomar:  takeout, Sun-Thu 8am-8pm, Fri-Sat 8am-8:30pm, 831-477-0371, https://www.cafeelpalomar.com/
  • Café Iveta: takeout and delivery, 9am-2pm, 831-713-5946, https://iveta.com
  • Café Mare: takeout/curbside and delivery (via DoorDash), 831-458-1212, http://www.cafemare.com/
  • Café Sparrow: Tues-Sat 4-7pm, 831-688-6238, http://cafesparrow.com/ 
  • Carpo’s: takeout, 12-8 pm daily, http://carposrestaurant.com
  • Casa Nostra: takeout, daily 4-9pm, 831-609-6132, www.ristorantecasanostra.com
  • Casa Rositas: takeout, Tues-Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 3-8pm, 831-346-6907
  • Central Coast Juicery: Takeout and delivery. Order by texting 831-747-7085 or emailing (order@juicelocally.com)
  • Charlie Hong Kong: takeout (curbside pickup), daily 12-9pm, they will cater & deliver to serve first responders, medical/hospital staff & government workers, 831-426-5664, http://charliehongkong.com (also grubhub.com, seamless.com, mobilebytes.com, doordash.com)
  • Chocolate: takeout/delivery (DoorDash) Tues-Sun 4-8pm (no longer doing Sunday brunch). Pickup info is https://chocolatesantacruz.com/picnic/, need to email order by 4pm for that night or call 831-427-9900 after 4. Delivery info is at https://www.doordash.com/store/chocolate-santa-cruz-284767/
  • Cilantro’s: takeout, daily 11am to 7pm, 831-761-2161, https://cilantroswatsonville.com
  • Coffeetopia: takeout, reopened Mission St. location May 1, and Capitola Rd & Portola locations May 8, all locations open daily 7am-1pm, http://www.coffeetopia.com
  • Colectivo Felix: DeliveryFri-Sat 2-6pm empanada delivery to Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Capitola and Soquel; expanded menu now includes salads, desserts, produce boxes, and more.  Small delivery fee for other areas. https://colectivofelix.square.site/ or email (info@colectivofelix.com)
  • Companion Bakeshop: Westside location open for takeout Tue-Sun 8am-2 pm, Aptos location open Fri-Sun 8am-2pm, https://companionbakeshop.com. Also offering a weekly “Bakers Box” where you order & pay in advance and pick up on Tue or Thu. Three different bakery product boxes are available along with several “add on” items (organic milk, hot sauce, etc.), https://companionbakeshop.com/shelter-box-order 
  • Corralitos Pizza: takeout or delivery (DoorDash) Mon-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sun 11am-10:30pm, 831-722-7220,  https://corralitospizzadelivery.com.
  • Cowboy Bar and Grill: takeout, Wed-Fri 2-8pm, Sat-Sun 12-8pm, 831-335-2330, https://www.feltoncowboy.com
  • Cremer House: closed until further notice, http://www.cremerhouse.com/
  • Crow’s Nest: takeout with curbside pickup daily 11:30am-8pm, includes family-size meals, also Beach Market next door 9am-8pm, 831-475-4560, http://www.crowsnest-santacruz.com/
  • Dharma’s: takeout or delivery (DoorDash), daily 11am-7pm, recently added family-sized trays of American Saute and Bo Thai, 831-462-1717, www.dharmasrestaurant.com, online ordering at https://dharmasrestaurant.square.site
  • Dunlap Donuts: takeout, daily 5:30am-2pm, 831-475-6447, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dunlaps-Donuts/154065311271976
  • Dynasty: takeout and delivery, Sun-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, 831-479-3388, https://www.dynastysantacruz.com
  • East End Gastropub: takeout or delivery (UberEats), Tues-Sun 2-8pm, menu features pizza, burger, spaghetti, etc., plus occasional “dinner for two” with bottle of wine, appetizer, salad, pasta, and dessert, 831-475-8010, http://eastendpub.com
  • East Side Eatery from Pleasure Pizza: takeout and delivery daily 11am-8pm, curbside pickup for online orders, 831-431-6058, http://pleasurepizzasc.com
  • El Chino Mexican Restaurant: takeout, 831-476-7175
  • El Chipotle: takeout, 831-477-1048
  • El Jardin: takeout with curbside option, and delivery, Tues-Sun 12-8pm, 831-477-9384, https://www.eljardinrestaurant.net/
  • El Pájaro CDC Commercial Kitchen Incubator: (412 E. Riverside Dr. Watsonville) Daily pop-up takeout program launched April 1 to support small food businesses (Cuevas Express Foods, My Mom’s Mole, and more), which rotate and offer lunch and dinner. Customers place and pay for food orders ahead of time. For menus and more info, see @elpajarocdc on IG or FB. They publish weekly menus every Sat.
  • El Palomar: takeout with curbside service, open Tue-Fri 2-7:30pm, Sat 12-7pm, Sun 12-6pm, see Instagram & Facebook @elpalomarrestaurant for specials including family packages. Pacific Ave. entrance is closed– enter through Front Street entrance, adjacent to the Soquel/Front Parking Garage, 831-425-7575, http://elpalomarsantacruz.com
  • El Rosal Bakery: takeout food includes tamales, daily 7:30am-8pm, 831-462-1308
  • El Toro Bravo: takeout, Tues-Sun 12-7pm, 831-476-1553,https://www.eltorobravocapitola.com/full-menu
  • Ella’s at the Airport: takeout with curbside pickup, Tues-Sun noon-7pm, 831-728-3282, menu includes family-size meals, https://www.ellasinwatsonville.com
  • Empire Grille: takeout with curbside pickup, daily 11am-8pm, 831-704-2130, http://empire-grille.com/
  • Engfer Pizza Works: Tue-Sun 4-9:30pm, 831-429-1856, http://engferpizzaworks.com
  • Erik’s Deli: takeout, online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery are available at four locations, hours vary: Aptos 831- 688-5656, Capitola 831-475-4646, Santa Cruz 831-462-1919, and Scotts Valley 831-438-4646, http://eriksdelicafe.com
  • Farm Bakery & Café: takeout and delivery, daily 8am-4pm, 831-684-0266, https://www.thefarmbakerycafe.com/
  • Foodsmith: prepared packaged food (heat at home), order by Thu night for delivery Mon and/or Thu of following week, http://myfoodsmith.com
  • Full Steam Dumpling: Wed4-8pm they have ready-to-cook ramen dinner (just cook noodles), dumplings, and limited sides. Delivery or pick up on Chestnut St. behind Santa Cruz Food Lounge. Fri 12-4pm, pickup of frozen beef Gyoza, vegan Gyoza & Char Siu Bao at discounted prices. Pickup on Chestnut St. Text or call 626-549-5574
  • Gabriella Café: takeout with curbside service, or delivery to Westside or Seabright with $10 fee, Tues-Sun 5-8pm, call 831-457-1677 after 4pm, website menu updated daily, wine is 30 percent off list prices, http://gabriellacafe.com
  • Garden Liquor & Deli: takeout Mon-Fri 7:30am-4pm, self-serve case stocked daily with fresh salads and sandwiches, 831-475-9191 or https://www.scgardendeli.com
  • Gayle’s Bakery: re-opened May 18, curbside and front door pick up, hours are 11am-5 pm daily for online, prepaid orders, 831-462-1200, https://www.gaylesbakery.com, orders placed by 11am are available for pickup 2 days later (order by 11am Mon for pickup Wed, etc.)
  • Golden City: takeout, daily 11am-9pm, order by phone 831-423-0688, or in person
  • Golden Fu-Wah: takeout, 831-515-7508
  • Golden Palace: takeout and delivery, 831-427-9275, www.goldenpalacesantacruz.com
  • Golden Roots Kitchen: prepared packaged food (heat at home), order by Fri early afternoon for following week, https://linktr.ee/goldenrootskitchen
  • Gilda’s: permanently closed
  • Gordo Gustavo’s Food Truck: takeout with drive-through pickup service (delivery also available), selling smoked meat by the pound, Mondays 11am-2pm at Shanty Shack Brewing. Pre-orders required; call 831-420-7396 or visit @gordo_gustavos on Instagram for details.
  • Habit Burger Grill: takeout and delivery daily 10:30am-9pm, 831-466-9264, https://www.habitburger.com/
  • Hanloh Thai: pre-packaged, ready-to-heat food, pick-up Monday (Sante Adairius) and Wednesday (SC Mountain Brewing); https://hanloh.square.site/
  • Harbor Café: takeout (reopened May 2 with limited menu), Fri-Mon 9am-1pm, call 831-475-4948 to order, see temporary menu on Instagram @theharborcafe
  • Hidden Fortress Coffee: takeout daily 7:30am-12:30pm in Watsonville, menu includes breakfast bowls/burritos, sandwiches, and coffee drinks, https://www.hiddenfortresscoffee.com/cafe-menu
  • Hindquarter: takeout and delivery Wed-Sun 1-6 pm, 831-426-7770, https://www.thehindquarter.com/
  • Holy Smokes Country BBQ: free delivery, takeout, curbside pickup, Tue-Sun 11:30am-730pm, 831-471-8787 https://www.holysmokescountrybbqandcatering.com/
  • Home: takeout with curbside pickup, taking phone orders after 3pm for pickup Thu-Sat 4-7pm, 831-431-6131, http://www.homesoquel.com, also offering soups/stews, pasta, and (uncooked) sausage at Downtown (Wed) and Live Oak (Sun) farmers markets. Also, as of May 1 they are a “Thursday pickup spot” for Dirty Girl Produce’s CSA box (see dirtygirlproduce.com)
  • Hula’s Island Grill: takeout, reopened May 1, daily 3:30-8:30pm, credit cards only/no cash, call 831-426-4852 to order, see menu at HulasTiki.com, owners invite customers to “keep calm & carry out”
  • Ideal Bar & Grill: takeout food plus brewed coffee and espresso drinks, daily noon-6pm. Place orders in person, at café, or at 831-423-5271. Only two guests at a time are allowed in Ideal for pickup. http://www.idealbarandgrill
    India Joze: takeout Tues-Sat 5-8pm, 831-325-3633, http://Indiajoze.com/order/eat 
  • I Wok Bistro: takeout, daily 11am-9pm, 831-335-3430, https://www.iwokbistro.com
  • Jack O’Neill Restaurant at the Dream Inn: Takeout family breakfast Saturday-Sunday 8-11am and family dinner daily 5-7:30pm; each serves 4-6 people, see menu at https://www.jackoneillrestaurant.com/. Gift cards: if you buy a gift card of $100 or more, and are one of the first 50 customers, you receive a complimentary breakfast voucher for a later date. Call 831-460-5012.
  • Java Junction: takeout, all three locations / hours vary, Seabright is daily 7am-3pm, 831-423-5282, Harbor (next to Crow’s Nest) is daily 7am-6pm, River St. is daily 7am-3:30pm http://www.javajunctioncoffee.com/Store-Locations.html
  • Jeffery’s Restaurant: daily 7am-5pm (sometimes later than 5), 831-425-1485
  • Johnny’s Harborside: temporarily closed, may not reopen until June
  • Kaito: takeout Tue-Sun 4-9pm, free delivery Tue-Thu 4-8pm (limited delivery area), 831-464-2586, https://www.smilekaito.com
  • Kianti’s: takeout with curbside pickup, or delivery, Sun-Thu 11am-9pm & Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, 831-469-4400, https://www.kiantis.com/
  • Kickin’ Chicken: takeout & delivery Wed-Fri 6-11pm & Sat-Sun 4-9pm, currently located at the Food Lounge (serving out of the backdoor on Chestnut St.). http://kickinchickensc.com
  • Kitchen at Discretion: takeout, ready-to-eat food is available Thurs-Mon 11:30am-5pm, three-course prix fixe menu plus a la carte items, toasttab.com/discretion-brewing
  • La Posta: takeout with curbside pickup, recently expanded hours and selections, 3-7pm Fri-Sun, fresh sourdough bread loaves, bottles of wine, three pasta options (ready to warm at home, with directions), other ready-to-eat dishes, several pizzas, and dessert. Visit lapostarestaurant.com for menu. Call or email orders and they will confirm: 831-457-2782, lapostarestaurant@gmail.com.
  • Lago di Como Ristorante & Pizzeria: takeout/delivery including free delivery on orders of $75+ to limited areas from 4:30-7:30pm, daily (except Tues) 4:30-8:30pm, menu includes family-size options and they also offer deli case up front for “quick grab and go foods to warm/cook at home,” http://lagodicomoristorante.com
  • Laili: takeout/delivery, daily 11:30am-8pm, 831-423-4545 http://lailirestaurant.com
  • La Placa Family Bakery: takeout, Tues-Sun 8am-8pm, 831-609-6552, https://www.facebook.com/La-Placa-Family-Bakery-1560005784120099/
  • Lillian’s Italian Kitchen: takeout with curbside pickup, free delivery via subshuttleinc.com, Tues-Sun 4-8pm, full menu as well as family-sized lasagna and eggplant parmigiana (half-trays, order a day ahead), 831-425-2288, http://lilliansitaliankitchen.com 
  • Linda’s Sea Breeze: takeout, daily 8am-1pm, cash (ATM available) or check, 831-427-9713, https://www.restaurantji.com/ca/santa-cruz/lindas-seabreeze-caf-/
  • Little Tampico: takeout or delivery (Grubhub or DoorDash), Tues-Sun 11am-8pm, food and margaritas,831-475-4700, http://www.littletampico.com
  • Loard’s Ice Cream: takeout Mon-Thu 2-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-9pm & Sun 12-7pm, next door to Beach Street Pizza & Bar, 831-471-8530.
  • Lupulo Craft Beer House: takeout and delivery, daily 12-8pm, food plus beer, 831-454-8306, http://lupulosc.com
  • Manuel’s: takeout, 831-688-4848, http://manuelsrestaurant.com 
  • Margaritaville: reopened May 8 for takeout, daily 12-7pm, full menu plus cocktails, beer and wine, 831-476-2263, margaritavillecapitola.com
  • Marianne’s Ice Cream: takeout, three locations (1020 Ocean St., 218 State Park Dr., 104 Stockton Ave.) plus ice cream delivery to cities from Santa Cruz to Watsonville. Customers go online to order quarts, novelties, sundae kits, and recently added “cookie sandwich kits” by 5pm for that night’s delivery, http://mariannesicecream.com
  • Mattia Pizza: delivery daily 3:30-7:30 pm, place order by texting 669-236-9182, see Instagram @mattiapizza04 for menu & details
  • May’s Sushi: takeout or DoorDash delivery, daily 12-8pm, 831-427-0201, https://mayssushibarandgrill.weebly.com
  • Maya’s Mexican Restaurant: takeout, 831-438-7004,https://www.mayasv.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
  • Mentone: takeout from David Kinch’s new restaurant (174 Aptos Village Way), call 831-708-1174 to pre-order from 11am until sell-out. Rotating selections including pizza, salad, cocktails, and wine for Wed-Sat pickup (3:30-7pm), plus multi-course prix fixe dinner on Sundays (which can be preordered starting on Friday), http://mentonerestaurant.com
  • Mission Hill Creamery: takeout w/curbside pickup Tues-Sat 2-9 pm & Sun 2-7pm, selections include ice cream, fresh bread, chicken pot pies, and a sundae kit ($39.95, you get two pints of ice cream, hot fudge or caramel, and five toppings from a list of 12), delivery via GrubHub, DoorDash, and UberEats, http://missionhillcreamery.com
  • Mission Street BBQ: takeout, 831-458-2222, (heavily discounted first responder meals) https://www.missionstbbq.com
  • Miyako Sushi: takeout, reopened May 1, Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm & 4:30-8:30pm, Sat 4-8:30pm, 831-462-5288, https://miyakocapitola.com
  • Mobo Sushi: takeout and delivery (DoorDash), daily 5-9pm, 831-425-1700, http://mobosushirestaurant.com/
  • Monster Pot: takeout and delivery, 831-454-8140, takeout is via monsterpostsc.com, delivery is via DoorDash and others
  • Mountain Mike’s Pizza: takeout and delivery, Portola Dr. location (locally owned), daily 11am-9pm, 831-477-7760, https://www.mountainmikespizza.com/
  • Mozaic: takeout or delivery (GrubHub, UberEats, DoorDash), 12-7:30pm daily, 831-454-8663, http://www.mozaicsantacruz.com/
  • Mr. Z’s Crepes & Teas: takeout or delivery (DoorDash), 12-6pm Tues-Sun, menu includes to-go Boba Kits for making tea at home, 831-228-1588, https://mrzsteas.com/
  • Naka Sushi: takeout and delivery, offering 20% discount, Tue-Sun 5:30-8:30 pm, http://nakasushi.org 
  • Nick the Greek: takeout/delivery, 831-431-6313, http://nickthegreeksj.com/locations, and they’re giving out one roll of toilet paper per family per visit
  • Olive Garden: takeout and delivery,831-462-0120, https://www.olivegarden.com/order-togo
  • Oswald: reopened May 13 for takeout, Wed-Sat 4-8pm, oswaldrestaurant.com
  • Otoro Sushi: takeout or delivery (free for Scotts Valley residents), Sun-Thurs 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9pm, free roll of toilet paper with $50 orders and $75 orders also get free hand sanitizer, 831-440-9040, https://www.facebook.com/OtoroSushiScottsValley/
  • Pacific Cookie Company: takeout with curbside pickup, 831-429-6905, https://www.pacificcookie.com/
  • Pacific Thai: takeout and delivery (Doorbell Dining or DoorDash), daily noon-8pm, 831-420-1700, http://www.pacificthaisantacruz.com/
  • Palm Deli: takeout or delivery (DoorDash), daily 7am-2pm, 831-688-3354; ordering in person is okay but phone orders are preferred for safety/limiting time people spend in the deli. They will add in any drinks, chips, grocery items, to the “ready-to-eat food orders” – including Glaum eggs since they are the owners of Glaum Egg Ranch down the road (which is also still open). See https://www.thepalmdeli.com/ and https://glaumeggranch.com/
  • Panda Express: takeout and delivery, pandaexpress.com
  • Panda Inn: takeout (Deer Park Shopping Center), 831-688-8620, or delivery via DoorDash
  • Parish Publick House: takeout, including cocktails to go, both locations, Santa Cruz 831-421-0507, Aptos 831-708-2036, http://theparishpublick.com 
  • Pasatiempo Golf Course: MacKenzie Bar & Grill is closed until further notice; Hollins House takeout and Grab & Grill proteins are available for day-of ordering before 1:30pm and pick-up Tues-Sat from 3-7pm and Sun-Mon from 12-4pm. They are also doing “Grocery Bags” which rotate weekly (two choices, $30 each, one might include things like pasta, flour, yeast, eggs, butter, and paper goods like toilet paper, while the other has produce). These must be ordered by 3pm one day in advance and are available for pick-up on Tue & Thu from 3-7pm.  Pre-order by emailing (togo@pasatiempo.com) or by calling 831-459-9177, https://www.thehollinshouse.com/covid-19/.
  • Paula’s: takeout, daily 8am-12pm, 831-464-0741
  • Penny Ice Creamery: takeout, daily 1-8 p.m. (downtown and Pleasure Point locations), selections include a sundae kit ($16, you get one pint of ice cream, chocolate sauce, organic whipped cream, and a couple other toppings), order at ice cream shop or online, https://www.thepennyicecreamery.com
  • People’s Coffee: takeout, daily 8am-5pm, 831- 464-2739
  • Persephone: takeout, lunch 11:30am-2pm Wed-Sat, dinner 3-5:30pm Thurs-Sat, order online the night before, or by phone the day of. Dinner selections include family meals (with entrée, salad, bread and cookies), 831-612-6511, https://www.persephonerestaurant.com/real-take-out-menu
  • Picnic Basket: takeout and delivery, daily 9am-3pm daily, you can add an ice cream pint to your order from sister business The Penny Ice Creamery, http://thepicnicbasketsc.com
  • Pixie Deli: 831-688-1115, https://www.pixiegoodeats.com/
  • Pino Alto Restaurant at Cabrillo College: closed until further notice
  • Pizza My Heart takeout and/or curbside pickup and delivery, various locations open, https://www.pizzamyheart.com
  • Pleasure Pizza: takeout/delivery at downtown location, 831-600-7859, http://pleasurepizzasc.com/downtown/menus, takeout (no delivery) at Pleasure Point location, daily 11am-9pm, 831- 475-4002, https://www.pleasurepizzasc.com/pleasure-point/menus/
  • Point Chophouse: takeout with curbside pickup, Tues-Sun 4-8pm, bottles of wine 30% off (must purchase food too), cocktails to go are also available, 831-476-2733, http://www.thepointchophouse.com/
  • Pono Hawaiian Grill: downtown location permanently closed
  • Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap: takeout, or delivery via DoorDash, Sun-Thu 12-7:30pm & Fri-Sat 12-8pm, 831-476-7458, menu at http://ponohawaiiangrill.com (not all items are available; customers can ask when they call)
  • Pretty Good Advice: temporarily closed (formerly doing takeout Tue-Sat 11am-7pm, 831-226-2805, https://prettygoodadvicesoquel.com/)
  • Real Thai Kitchen: takeout Mon-Fri 11am-2pm & 5-9pm, Sat-Sun 12-9pm, 831-427-2559, http://realthaisantacruz.com
  • Red Apple Café: takeout, daily 8am-3pm, 831-685-1224, https://www.redappleaptos.com
  • Redwood Pizza: takeout, Thurs-Sun 4-9pm, pizza (no salads) plus draft beer in 32-ounce mason jars, 831-335-1500, http://www.redwoodpizza.com
  • Ristorante Italiano: takeout, or delivery (DoorDash, UberEats), Sat-Wed 4-8:30pm, Thurs-Fri 11:30am-2pm & 4-8:30pm, 831-458-2321, https://www.ristoranteitalianosc.com/
  • Riva Fish House: limited takeout menu, plus beer and wine, daily 12-7pm, order takeout at 831-429-1223, in person at the restaurant, or https://www.rivafishhouse.com
  • Robbie’s Sandwiches: takeout and delivery, daily 10am-3 pm,831-515-7411
  • Rosie McCann’s: closed until further notice https://rosiemccanns.com/santacruz
  • Roux Dat: reopened Capitola location May 12 for takeout, or delivery via DoorDash and UberEats, hours are Tues-Sat 11am-5pm, 831-295-6372, https://rouxdatcajuncreole.com/
  • Royal Taj: takeout, plus delivery through DoorDash and UberEats, daily 12-2:45pm, 5:30-9:15pm, 831-427-2666, https://www.royaltajsc.com/
  • Rumblefish: takeout, daily 11:30am-2:30pm & 5-8:30pm, online ordering with contact-free  pickup (you can order most of the menu online) or call in if you want something special like hand rolls, and get food at pickup window), 831-440-9240, http://www.rumblefish-sv.com
  • Sabieng Thai: takeout daily 3-8 pm, 831-425-1020, https://www.sabiengthaicuisine.com
  • Sala Thai: takeout and delivery (GrubHub), daily 11:30am-3pm & 5-9pm, 831-426-1214, http://salathaisantacruz.com
  • Salsa’s: window service only, 831-465-1105
  • Samba Rock Acai Café: takeout, hours vary, 831-458-2224
  • San Marcos Charquito Tacos y Tortas: takeout,831-888-6697
  • Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co., takeout, daily 8:30am-4:30pm, 831-459-0100, www.santacruzcoffee.com
  • Saturn Café: takeout or delivery (GrubHub and UberEats), Thurs-Mon 12-8:30pm (sometimes close at 8 if it’s slow), including a “Pay What You can” special: if someone is low on funds, they can tell restaurant how much money they have (let’s say $3 or $5) and they will prepare something small & low-cost (this is an option if ordering by phone or in person), 831-429-8505, https://saturncafe.com/
  • Sawasdee & Sawasdee By The Sea: takeout at the original Soquel spot (5050 Soquel Dr.) & second location (101 Main St., Santa Cruz), daily from 11am. They take their last phone orders at 8:45pm weekdays and 915pm weekends. Soquel: 831-462-5051, http://sawasdeesoquel.com, & Santa Cruz: 831-466-9009, sawasdeebythesea.com
  • Scopazzi’s: takeout Wed-Sun 12-7 pm, takeout menu includes food (cheeseburgers, spaghetti with meatballs, etc.), cocktails and wine, 831-338-6441, http://www.scopazzisrestaurant.com/
  • Seabright Deli: takeout (walkup window or curbside service) or delivery via DoorDash, daily 11 am-7pm, 831-515-7484, https://seabrightdeli.com/
  • Shadowbrook: temporarily closed, gift cards available by phone 831-475-1511 or online, https://www.shadowbrook-capitola.com/
  • Showtime Pizzeria: takeout (pizza, wings, ravioli, lasagna & more), 831-662-3362,http://showtimepizzeria.com/
  • Shun Feng: takeout, plus delivery from 5-8:30pm, online ordering https://www.shunfengsantacruz.com/ or by phone 831-423-3688 or 831-423-9888
  • Slice Project Pizza: takeout through side window, Thurs-Sat 4-9 pm (last order at 8:30pm), 831-319-4581, 300 Main St. Watsonville, http://sliceprojectpizza.com
  • Soif: Effective April 5, food service stopped (formerly doing takeout) but wine continues: Wine shop staff are available by phone to take orders for bottles of wine. Curbside pickup for pre-ordered and pre-paid wine is now occurring every other Wednesday; the next dates are May 20 and June 3. Contact 831-423-2020 or info@SoifWine.com.
  • Sotola Bar & Grill: takeout Thurs-Mon 12-8pm, reopened May 15, order by phone or online, 831-854-2800, http://www.sotolabarandgrill.com
  • South Point Coffee Bar & Tap Room: coffee bar is open daily 7am-12pm, limited bar menu Thurs-Sun 4-8pm, 831-661-1402, https://www.southpointseascape.com/
  • Star Bene: takeout 5-8 p.m. daily, 831-479-4307, www.star-bene.com
  • Star of Siam: takeout, 831-479-0366, https://www.starofsiamsoquel.net/
  • Steamer Lane Supply: takeout, curbside pickup available upon request, 9am-6:30pm, full menu plus specials, grab and go foods, take and heat carnitas taco kits for 2. Call in orders, 831-316-5240, or come in person for “touchless socially distanced transactions,” http://steamerlanesc.com/menucom
  • Surf City Sandwich: takeout or delivery, daily 10:30am-3pm, 831-346-6952, http://surfcitysandwich.com
  • Sushi Garden: take-out at all four locations (Aptos, Capitola, Scotts Valley and Watsonvile), http://sushi-garden.com
  • Tacos Morenos: takeout, both locations, Santa Cruz location daily 11am-8pm (831-429-6095) & Capitola daily 10am-7pm, (831-464-8810)
  • Taqueria Los Gordos: daily 9am-7:30pm except Sun when hours may vary, call 831-688-0911 or see IG @Losgordosaptos
  • Taqueria La Cabana: daily 9am-8pm, 831-425-7261
  • Taqueria Santa Cruz: takeout, both locations, http://www.taqsc.com
  • Taqueria Tepeque: takeout, Brown Ranch Marketplace (same Capitola complex as Trader Joe’s), 831-462-2758, https://taqueriatepeque355.wixsite.com/tepeque
  • Taqueria Michoacan: takeout, open Mon-Sat 10am-8:30pm, 831-465-8290, delivery through DoorDash
  • Taqueria Vallarta: takeout, all 4 locations – Soquel (831-457-8226), 41st Ave. (831-464-7022), Mission (831-426-7240), and Felton (831-335-4264), http://taqueriavallartaonline.com/           
  • Togos: takeout with curbside pickup, and delivery, six locations covering Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Watsonville, hours vary,https://www.togos.com
  • Tony & Alba’s: takeout with curbside pickup, or delivery, Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz stores, offering 50% off regular prices (employees volunteered to work for free to keep restaurants open, so owner decided to give back to community). Call 831-439-9999 (SV) or 831-425-8669 (SC, open 3-8pm), http://tonyandalbas.com
  • Tortilla Flats: takeout with curbside pickup, Wed-Sun starting at nooncall 831-476-1754 to place order; pick up 4-8pm, https://www.tortillaflatstogo.com/
  • Toya Sushi: takeout, Mon-Thurs 12-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-8:30pm, sushi, Boba tea, and slushies, 831-464-1818, old Yogurt Delite building on Mission St. (same owners who had Takara Sushi near Capitola Mall) www.toyasushi.com
  • Tramonti: takeout and delivery, 11:30am-9pm, full restaurant menu plus grab-n-go items to heat up at home, 10% discount on “restaurant menu” items (not grab-n-go) when you do takeout, 831-426-7248, http://www.tramontisantacruz.com
  • Ugly Mug: takeout (drinks and coffee beans), 7am-1pm daily except Sun, order at 831-477-1341 or https://the-ugly-mug-109327.square.site
  • Union Foodie Truck: delivery Tues-Sat within Santa Cruz County with $4 fee for orders under $40, deadline to order is 1pm for same day delivery, menu posted weekly—selections include bagels, soup, pasta and take-and-bake hand pies and more, https://www.unionfoodietruck.com/
  • Upper Crust: takeout and delivery, 831-423-9010 (Mission St. location), and 831-476-2333 (Soquel Dr. location), https://uppercrustsc.com/
  • Vasili’s: takeout, daily 12-730pm, plus delivery via DoorDash, 831-458-9808, http://vasilisgreekrestaurant.com
  • Verve Coffee Roasters: takeout, they recently reopened their cafes. Seabright location (Bronson St.), Pleasure Point/41st Ave., and Fair Ave. are open 7am-3pm. The Pacific Ave. branch is open 8am-4pm. The menu includes ready-to-drink coffee and tea, whole bean packages, and select grab-and-go and pantry items. Customers can order at https://instore.vervecoffee.com/, and pickup at each café’s designated window. People can also place orders in person at the pickup windows, and Verve is offering a daily free “drip quick cup of coffee” as a thank you to “dedicated frontline workers and teachers” at all of its re-opened cafes, https://www.vervecoffee.com/
  • Village Host Pizzeria: takeout and delivery, daily 11am-9pm, Aptos (831-685-8646) and Capitola (831-464-8455) https://villagehost.com
  • Vim Dining & Desserts: takeout, Wed-Sat nights plus brunch on Sundays. To order call 831-515-7033 between 3-7pm, see menu at https://www.vimsantacruz.com. Also, owner/chef Jesikah Stolaroff is continuing to offer “whole celebration cakes” like chocolate peanut butter torte (she has been making cakes while the main restaurant was closed). Email jesikah@vimsantacruz.com to order desserts.
  • Walnut Avenue Cafe: takeout with curbside pickup, daily 8am-2pm, reopened May 18, order by phone, 831-457-2804, http://www.walnutavenuecafe.com
  • Wasabi Sushi: takeout, offering free miso soup, Brown Ranch Marketplace (same Capitola complex as Trader Joe’s), 831-515-7455, https://www.instagram.com/wasabicapitola/
  • Windmill Café: takeout, daily 8am-1pm, 831-464-4698, https://windmillcafesantacruz.com/
  • Woodstock Pizza: takeout and delivery, 831-427-4444, https://woodstockscruz.com, also they’ve partnered with The Salvation Army to give pizza to the hungry, doubling every donation a person makes. A $25 donation will provide pizza for up to 10 people, see https://bit.ly/2UuhOXJ
  • Your Place-Farm to Table: takeout, 3-9pm Tues-Sun, menu includes Family Meal with house salad, choice of salmon, sand dabs, meatloaf, or chicken Parmesan, and dessert, $50; recently launched a box lunch menu Fri-Sun 11:30am-2pm, 831-426-3564, https://www.facebook.com/yourplacesc or https://yourplacesc.com/
  • Zachary’s: closed during shelter-in-place, until further notice
  • Zameen: takeout Thurs-Sun 12-7:30pm, re-opened Aptos (831-688-4465) and Pleasure Point (831-713-5520) locations May 14 (Watsonville will reopen this summer), order by phone or online, zameencuisine.com
  • Zoccoli’s Deli: takeout with curbside pickup option, Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, 831-423-1711, http://zoccolis.com

Get info for more downtown SC restaurants, & downtown SC food/drink venues, at https://downtownsantacruz.com/downtown-delivered. See menus for some restaurants at the Instagram account @whatsopensantacruz & the site http://whatsopensantacruz.com—they also have some info on other services that are open (I’m not affiliated with these–just sharing resources).

Grocery stores

Note: Several local stores offer delivery service for a fee through InstaCart. These include Costco, Lucky, New Leaf, Nob Hill, Safeway, and Target. Visit https://www.instacart.com.

  • Aptos Natural Foods: 10am-7pm with senior hours of 8-10am (65 years and up, and 10 percent discount during this time), aptosnaturalfoods.com
  • Black Point Market: open with groceries and ready-to-eat food, 831-713-5842, https://www.facebook.com/blackpointmarket/
  • Costco: Effective April 8, Costco has a new priority policy for healthcare workers & first responders. During all open hours, Costco members who are healthcare workers and first responders (such as police officers, EMTs and firefighters) will be allowed to move to the front of any line to enter the warehouse. Effective March 30, hours were reduced (closing earlier): 10am-6:30pm weekdays, 9:30am-6pm Saturdays, 10am to 6pm Sunday. Seniors and vulnerable customers can shop Tues through Thurs 8-9 am—note, “official (published) hours to non-seniors” don’t start until 10am weekdays, but unofficially, on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays Costco is letting non-seniors in right after the senior hour ends at 9. Updated gas station hours are 7:30am-7pm weekdays, 7:30am-6:30pm weekends, 831-469-0961, https://www.costco.com/
  • Del Pueblo Market: this small, family-owned market has a butcher counter, some grocery products, and some dairy and fresh produce (behind Jeffrey’s near Soquel/Capitola Rd), open daily 5am-5:30pm, 831-425-1829, https://www.facebook.com/delpueblomkt
  • Deluxe Foods: open for business, see deluxefoodsofaptos.com
  • Food Bin & The Herb Room: open 8am to 8pm, call 831-423-5526 (Food Bin) or 831-429-8108 (Herb Room) or visit https://www.foodbinherbroom.com
  • Grocery Outlet: hoursare8am to 9pm daily, https://groceryoutlet.com/store-locator
  • Lucky: General hours are 6am-10pm daily except from 6-9am Tuesday and Thursday: these areexclusive hoursfor seniors and guests with compromised health; 831-462-6917, www.luckysupermarkets.com
  • New Leaf Community Markets: reduced hours 9am to 8pm daily for most stores, 8-9am is for pregnant, senior, and immune-compromised individuals. Extended senior discount (formerly Wednesday, now daily). Effective April 28, the Aptos location is open 10am-6pm with 10-11am the designated “Community Care Hour” for seniors and vulnerable individuals. For all stores, there are temporary store capacity limits and new waitlist technology that gives customers the option to join a waitlist queue via text with their mobile phone upon arrival at the store. New Leaf asks that families elect one member to do the shopping whenever possible and to limit store visits to 30 minutes or less to help minimize potential wait times, https://www.newleaf.com/stay-healthy. Also—as of early May: New Leaf added a grocery pickup option to three of it stores (Aptos, Westside SC & Half Moon Bay) & is adding Capitola in June. Customers can order groceries through the Instacart app, select a pickup window, drive to the store and have their groceries brought to their car. Save $10 on your first New Leaf grocery pickup or delivery order of $35 or more with code NEWLEAF2020 through June 30, 2020. Learn more at www.newleaf.com/delivery.
  • Nob Hill: open, visit raleys.com/stores/nob-hill-foods-bay-capitola-california
  • Safeway: reduced hours & senior early morning hours on certain days depending on location, https://www.safeway.com/
  • Scotts Valley Market: open, daily 8am-9:30pm, 831-438-4324, https://www.scottsvalleymarket.com
  • Seascape Foods: daily 8am-8pm, 831-685-3134, seascapefoodsaptos.com
  • Shopper’s Corner: as of early April, they changed hours: now 8-10am for seniors and those at high risk, and 10am–7pm for the general public, http://www.shopperscorner.com
  • Staff of Life: reduced hours 9am-8pm, seniors 60 & older can shop at 8 am from Monday-Friday, online shopping with pickup/delivery is coming soon, https://www.staffoflifemarket.com
  • Target: reduced hours at stores including Capitola & Watsonville (8 am-9 pm), the 8-9 am slot on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is for vulnerable populations only (65 and older, those with underlying health concerns, and pregnant women), https://www.target.com/store-locator/find-stores
  • Trader Joe’s: both Santa Cruz and Capitola locations are open with reduced hours: 9am to 7pm daily plus an early shopping hour from 8-9am for seniors and disabled, https://www.traderjoes.com/
  • Whole Foods: reduced hours 9am-8 pm, seniors 60 & older can shop at 8am https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores

Farmers’ Markets

For the first time, the downtown Santa Cruz Wednesday farmers market is offering—as of May 6—the Market Match Program, which offers customers with CalFresh cards a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10. An example: if a CalFresh customer swipes a card for $10 they receive 10 additional dollars in tokens at no charge. A $7 swipe equals a $7 match, and a $15 swipe equals a $10 match. These can only be used to purchase fresh produce. Now Market Match is available at all five Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets locations. In addition, May is DOUBLE MATCH month at the 3 currently open markets (downtown, Live Oak & Westside). For the duration of May, they match your first 10 EBT dollars with $2 of market match. This means a $10 EBT swipe becomes $30 ($10 EBT/$20 Match), a $7 swipe becomes $21 ($7 EBT/$14 Match), a $20 swipe becomes $40 ($20 EBT/$20 Match). Visithttp://www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org/.

The Wednesday Downtown, Saturday Westside and Sunday Live Oak marketsfrom Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets are currently open. They recently added a Senior Shopping period. This is 30 minutes prior to the market’s opening time, so it is from 12:30-1pm for the Downtown Market and 8:30-9am for the Westside and Live Oak markets. The markets are following strict safety guidelines. Read more athttp://www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org/sc-community-farmers-markets-and-covid-19.

Beginning May 20, Belly Goat Craft Burgers is selling “burger boxes” at the weekly downtown SC, Westside SC, and Live Oak farmers markets. Made with organic ingredients and made-from-scratch sauces and sides, the boxes include local grass-fed beef, buns, condiments and seasonings. Customers will also have options to buy “chef-made relishes and savory jams, specialty cheeses and more.”

El Pájaro CDC Commercial Kitchen Incubator Program hosts weekly booths at the Westside and Live Oak farmers’ markets. Upcoming vendor appearances are Hakouya at Westside May 23, and Cali Dawg at Live Oak May 24

The Saturday Aptos/Cabrillo College market, also open with regular hours, is utilizing safety measures such as hand sanitizer and hand washing stations. Farmers and vendors are wearing gloves. Keep up to date via their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MBFarmersMarket/.

The opening dates for the two “seasonal (not year-round) markets” operated by The Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets, Felton and Scotts Valley, have been postponed to the first week of June because of COVID-19. The Felton Market will begin June 2 and the Scotts Valley Market will open June 6.

Breweries

  • Discretion Brewing: online ordering (toasttab.com/discretion-brewing) and parking lot pick up from 11:30am-5pm daily
  • East Cliff Brewing Co.: takeout (in person or by phone) and online ordering for pickup, open Mon-Thurs 3-7pm, Fri 1-6pm, Sat & Sun 12-6pm, 831-713-5540, https://eastcliffbrewing.shopsettings.com/
  • Humble Sea Brewing Co.: takeout, daily 12-6pm, a beer was released April 24: All Together – IPA (6.5%) in collaboration with Other Half’s All Together Beer Project, a double dry hopped w/ Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra, & Cascade hops. From Humble Sea: “A worldwide collaboration brewed to support hospitality professionals struggling through the utterly insane times of COVID-19. $5 of every 4-pack goes to our furloughed staff to help them cope with the cost of living during this pandemic;” see humblesea.com to order for pickup or shipping.
  • New Bohemia Brewing Co.: online ordering for pickup (10 beers available as four-packs), delivery, or shipping, https://www.nubobrew.com/
  • Sante Adairius: takeout, daily 12-6pm, rusticales.com.
  • Shanty Shack Brewing: beer drive-through, daily 10am-7pm, free roll of toilet paper when you spend $50, see web site for list of available cans, bottles and crowlers, 831-316-0800

Wine

  • Alfaro Family Vineyards has curbside pickup at the winery by appointment, and on Saturdays between 1-3 p.m. For mail orders, they offer discount shipping ($2 per bottle) and select discounts on purchases over $250. Visit alfarowine.com or call 831-728-5172.
  • Bargetto is open daily from noon-5pm. They offer a 30% discount with purchases of six or more bottles. To order or ask questions, call 888-400-9463 or email wineclub@bargetto.com
  • Bottle Jack Winery has several shelter-in-place specials and is offering takeout food on Saturdays. Buy 3 or more bottles of any wine and receive a 20% discount (30% for club members) and free local deliveries in Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley. It’s also offering 4 different 6-pack specials featuring new releases of 2019 Viognier, 2018 Chardonnay, and a flight of Cabernet Sauvignon at a 33% discount for a limited time and free shipping with minimum 3-bottle purchase. The winery is partnering with Lago di Como Ristorante for advance food purchase and pickup at the Westside Tasting Room (328D Ingalls Street) on Saturdays, when it is also open for wine purchases and pickup (noon-3pm). Menu options include prepared foods like pastas and tiramisu, plus pizza kits and a la carte items. To order wines and food, go to bottlejackwines.com. Call 831-227-2288 or email info@bottlejackwines.com for more information.
  • Integrity Wines is offering in-home wine tasting with winemaker Mark Hoover. The next session is 1-3pm May 24. Cost is $30 for one person or $50 for two. Visit https://www.integrity.wine/
  • Pelican Ranch Winery offers free delivery in Santa Cruz County to those who buy three or more items (at 20% discount) from the list at pelicanranch.com. Also, they are now doing personalized virtual wine tastings for two, via Zoom or phone. Tastings include three wines ($36) or four ($48). Call or text owner/winemaker Phil Crews at 831-332-5359.
  • Ser Winery has curbside pickup at the winery on Saturdays between 1-4pm and offers free shipping on orders of three or more bottles (plus a 20% discount on cases). Visit serwinery.com or call 831-901-7806.
  • Silver Mountain Vineyards is holding Saturday hours (12-3pm) for both its tasting rooms, Santa Cruz and Los Gatos, to buy and pick up wine. Also, they are continuing the “Irish Green Sale” for five wines including 2015 Chardonnay, Tondré, and 2011 Pinot Noir, Tondré. Call (408) 353-2278 or visit http://www.silvermtn.com.
  • VinoCruz wine bar, which recently added takeout food options including: Cheese & Charcuterie plates, Red Pepper Hummus w/ Pita, Olives, Toasted Nuts, and Take & Bake Flatbread Pizzas (call ahead to order), just expanded its hours. Formerly open four days a week with limited hours, it’s now open daily from 12-7pm for takeout and delivery (for the latter, restrictions apply). A limited food menu is available all day, with a full menu from 4-7pm. Wine, beer, and cider are available in bottles, to-go cups, growlers, and more, 831-426-8466, https://vinocruz.com/
  • Wrights Station Vineyard & Winery has complimentary shipping with any 2 bottle or more purchase, and 25% off any four bottles or more. Pick up can be arranged at the winery by appointment, 408-560-9343, wrightsstation.com

Seafood

Local vendors offering fresh fish for delivery include H&H Fresh Fish and Ocean2Table.

  • H&H’s weekly subscription program: choose between one or two meals and pause subscriptions when you need to. See hhfreshfish.com/community-supported-fishery. Also, they have a retail shop at 493 Lake Ave. (below Johnny’s Harborside) open 10am-5pm daily except Mondays.
  • Ocean2Table: order seafood to be delivered as frequently or rarely as you choose. They have expanded so that people can add limited amounts of local vendors’ eggs, chicken, and produce to their fish delivery. See getocean2table.com.

Miscellaneous & Farms

  • Blossom’s Farmstore and Coffeeshop offers curbside pickup of select local, organic food items and health products. They also offer pickup at the four Santa Cruz area farmers markets they participate in, or delivery (for a fee) for Aptos, Corralitos and Watsonville residents. See https://app.barn2door.com/e/9jx6Q/all. The shop, at 2904 Freedom Blvd. (Watsonville/Corralitos), is open 8am-5 pm Tues-Sat and 8 am-4pm Sun (closed Mon). Products at the farm store include fresh, organic veggies and fruit from their own and other local farms; Dirty Girl Tomato sauce; fresh bread, seasonal homemade soups, salads and frittatas; Kombucha; coffee, and organic and biodynamically grown tea. They also carry immune system boosting herbal supplements and probiotics/ferments, essential oil sprays and salves (antibacterial and anti-viral), and respiratory system healing tonics (all made from Blossom’s Farm herbs), 831-319-4048 or facebook.com/blossomsfarmstorecorralitos.
  • Deke’s Market (334 7th Ave.), which includes In Mah Belly Deli, is open. Order by phone at 831-476-5897. Hours are 8am-8pm Mon-Sat and
    9am-7pm Sun. Visit https://www.facebook.com/dekesmarket/ or dekesmarket.com
  • EatLocal.Farm is an online marketplace for local goods and offers pickups and deliveries every Wednesday and Thursday (this is recent; when they first launched it was just Wednesdays). Customers buy seasonal produce and items from farms and vendors like Aptos Farm, Borba Family Farms, Fogline Farm, New Natives Nursery, and Wild Poppies Olive Oil. Visit https://eatlocal.farm/.
  • Hakouya, makers of my favorite salad dressing (probiotic miso dressing, it’s good on salad, as a sauce for fish and more, dip for veggies, etc.) is temporarily offering free, local delivery of their products if you buy at least $30 worth. That miso dressing comes in two sizes: 11-ounce for $12, 8-ounce for $9. They sell handmade miso paste (red, white, barley, 250 grams) for $15 each, quick miso soup base for $15, and double fermented organic Soy Sauce Koji for $12. Email info@hakouya.com to order; see Hakouya.com to learn about products and browse recipes.
  • Live Earth Farm offers “Grab and Go” boxes (produce is pre-selected) at their farmers’ market booths—these include the downtown market on Wednesdays and Westside on Saturdays. The booths have a separate line for people buying boxes only. Contents change each week depending on availability.
  • Love Cultivated has several Spring Collection gift boxes including one with homemade jams and marmalades (others contain soaps, etc.) If you buy one in April or May, they will donate a gift bag to a heroic community member (essential workers who put themselves at risk to help—medical workers, custodians, postal carriers, grocery store workers, and delivery drivers—they are taking nominees if you know someone). As always, they are donating 5% of sales (not just gift box proceeds) to the Center for Farmworker Families. Visit www.love-cultivated.com. Interested in supporting Center for Farmworker Families? They are doing a fundraising drive for grocery gift cards for farmworkers as the regular April supply distribution was cancelled.  Donate at farmworkerfamily.org/donate.
  • Mariquita Farm offers weekly Tuesday pickup options for its “Mystery Boxes” filled with fresh produce grown at its Watsonville farm. In the past, these have featured French breakfast radishes, green garlic, purple Sicilian artichokes, Meyer lemons, and Spring onions. Possibly coming soon: basil, summer squash, and tomatoes.

Local areas for pickup include Santa Cruz, Seabright, and Soquel. For more information, call 831-840-9491 or email ladybugbuyingclub@mariquita.com. Also see https://mariquita.com/events/BuyingClub.html

  • Mutari Chocolate (504A Front St.) is open for delivery and pickup Wednesday-Sunday noon-6 pm; visit mutarichocolate.com and check their Instagram @mutarichocolate for promotions/discounts and special popups
  • Santa Cruz Fun Foods (on Instagram @santacruzfunfoods, or at www.santacruzfunfoods.com) now delivers amusement park treats) made by Whiting’s Foods (they’ve been doing Boardwalk food concessions for many years. Treats are delivered by Grubhub and DoorDash, and selections include churros, kettle corn, chocolate dipped frozen bananas, Dippin’ Dots and cotton candy.
  • Sushi Market Sprouts: open 12-6pm Tues-Sat, the store (300 7th Ave.)—run by the same family that runs Kaito Restaurant—carries prepared packaged sushi & a few Japanese groceries & housewares, also refrigerated miso dressing from Hakouya, https://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-market-sprouts-santa-cruz
  • Toque Blanche: the store (1527 Pacific Ave) has hours of 11am-6pm daily. You can shop in person (maintaining a six-foot distance from other shoppers and staff) or place an order by phone (with curbside pickup), or order online. Contact 831-426-1351, and visit https://www.mytoque.com/pages/toque-blanche-and-the-coronavirus
  • The Vitamin Center in Capitola (1955 B-6 41st Ave., http://www.goaskjack.com/) is taking phone orders and offering curbside pickup. Call 831-462-4697; hours are 10am-6pm Mon-Fri and 10am-5pm Sat.

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Posted in Beer, Coffee, Food & Food News, Restaurant News, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Santa Cruz County food & drink changes & closures, as of May 18, 2020

Santa Cruz County food & drink changes & closures, as of May 12, 2020

Posted on May 12, 2020 by admin
Dessert from La Placa Bakery in Ben Lomond,
which has savory and sweet items
Photo courtesy of La Placa Bakery

Here is the current status of many local restaurants, grocery stores and other food/drink vendors, as of the end of the day May 11.

Some of the items in this article with new or updated listings: a few Felton/Ben Lomond businesses like Casa Nostra, Cowboy Bar & Grill, Empire Grille, and Redwood Pizzeria; a few restaurant re-openings like Gayle’s Bakery and Margaritaville; and offerings from vendors like Live Earth Farm and Seascape Foods.

Please understand there might be some mistakes, as things are constantly changing. Note that I can’t include every Santa Cruz County business, as this is a manual effort.

Please email tara@santacruzfoodie.com if you have information to share, or corrections, for future articles.

Restaurants & other food vendors

11th Hour Coffee: takeout, delivery and curbside available daily 8am-1pm; menu includes breakfast items. 831-331-5273, https://eleventhhourcoffee.com/

  • Abbott Square Market: restaurants are currently closed
  • Akira Sushi: both locations are open Wed-Sun 12-8pm for takeout, Santa Cruz,  831-600-7093, https://www.akirasantacruz.com/, & Aptos, 831-708 2154, https://www.akiraaptos.com/
  • Alderwood: takeout and delivery, Tue-Sun 10am-7pm, menu features freshly baked pastries, coffee, brunch cocktails, breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches until 2 p.m., plus burgers, pasta, and steaks, 831-588-3238 or 831-888-6901, https://www.alderwoodsantacruz.com/
  • Aloha Island Grille: takeout, 831-479-3299
  • Ambrosia India Bistro: takeout and delivery, both locations open, Aptos: Mon-Thurs 4:30-8:30, Fri 11am-9pm, Sat-Sun 4:30-9pm, 831-713-2762, http://ambrosiaib.com/aptos/, Scotts Valley daily 4:30-8:30pm, 831-713-5594, http://ambrosiaib.com/scotts-valley/
  • Aptos St. BBQ: takeout and delivery, http://aptosstbbq.com
  • Ashby Confections: takeout with curbside pickup, chocolates and other treats available, Tues-Sat 11am-3pm, order by calling 831-454-8299, texting 831-234-1171, or going online at ashbyconfections.com (products can be shipped as well). Ashby is also at two local farmers’ markets each week: Wednesday downtown & Sunday Live Oak.
  • Aunt LaLi’s Mobile Café: delivery, order daily by 3pm and receive between 3-7pm, daily Scotts Valley deliveries plus Santa Cruz (Mon & Wed) and Felton (Tues & Thurs). Menu features traditional ice cream truck treats, Marianne’s ice cream, Pacific Cookie Company cookies, Ashby Confections goodies, Hidden Fortress organic coffee, and Rogue Pyes, https://auntlali.square.site/
  • Avanti Restaurant: takeout daily 4-7:30pm, a la carte or family meals serving four, 831-427-0135, http://avantisantacruz.squarespace.com
  • Back Nine Grill & Bar: takeout with curbside pickup, and delivery, daily 11am to 9pm, recently added family meals to menu, 831-226-2350, http://www.backninegrill.com/
  • Bad Animal Books: Wed, Fri & Sun 4-7pm, take-out “family meals” with curbside pickup (emergency first responders get a 50% discount), also now offering pantry items including toilet paper, flour, sugar, butter, coffee, charcuterie, jam, and salad dressing, 831-900-5031, http://badanimalbooks.com
  • Bagelry:  UPDATE MAY 13: downtown Santa Cruz location (320 Cedar St., 429-8049) will reopen Fri 5/15; midtown (1636 Seabright Ave., 425-8550) & Soquel (4763 Soquel Dr., 462-9888) will reopen Fri 5/22. Takeout hours for all: 8am-2pm
  • Bangkok West: takeout, Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm & 5-9pm (can call to order from 4:30-8:30pm), Sat-Sun 11am-9pm (order by 8:30pm), 831-479-8297, http://bangkokwest.com/
  • Barceloneta: takeout Wed-Sat 4-7pm, cocktails and wine available to go with meals, 831-900-5222, https://eatbarceloneta.square.site/
  • Beach Street Pizza & Bar: takeout, curbside pickup and delivery, Mon-Thurs 2-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-9pm and Sun 12-7pm. Happy Hour is Mon-Fri 4-7pm for appetizers & drinks. 831-471-8530, www.beachstreetpizzaandbar.com
  • Beer Thirty Pour House: Daily 11am-7pm, https://www.beerthirtysantacruz.com/
  • Betty Burgers: newest Aptos location, 415 Trout Gulch Road. 831-612-6668 plus two other locations (41st Ave. and Seabright) are doing takeout daily 12-8pm, http://bettyburgers.com. Downtown location is closed.
  • Bittersweet Bistro: BB has turned its dining room into a “mini market” with pantry essentials including milk, eggs, flour, pasta, produce, marinated meats, paper goods and half price bottles of wine. Hours are Wed-Sun 12-7 pm. The restaurant is serving food Wed-Sun 12-7 pm for takeout or curbside pickup, with delivery to the greater Aptos area on qualifying orders over $75, 831-662-9799, http://bittersweetbistro.com.
  • Blue Bunny Tacos: closed until further notice
  • Britannia Arms of Capitola: takeout with curbside pickup, daily 10:30am-8pm, place orders at 831-464-2583, full menu and special orders available, https://www.facebook.com/britanniaarmscapitola/
  • Bruno’s Bar and Grill: takeout with curbside pickup (plus delivery for Scotts Valley residents), Wed-Sun 2-8pm, https://www.brunosbarandgrill.com
  • Buttercup Cakes & Farmhouse Frosting:  takeout and delivery Fri-Sun 12-4pm, must place orders ahead of time via online Google Form or by emailing scbuttercupcakes@gmail.com, cupcakes and mini-cookies (minimum order of 6 for each category), cakes, other treats, and bouquets from Bonny Doon Flowers, https://www.farmhousefrosting.com/
  • Buttery Bakery: takeout and delivery 7am-5pm, 831-458-3020, http://butterybakery.com
  • Café Brasil: takeout, daily 8am-3pm, 10 percent discount on all orders, 831-429-1855, http://cafebrasil.us/
  • Café Cruz: takeout food including soup, salads, sandwiches and dinners plus kids’ menu, and a wide selection of groceries (items by the pound like sugar, flour, polenta, tomatoes, skirt steak, and bacon; and selections priced by the item like half-gallon of milk, roll of toilet paper, etc.),Tues-Sun, 3-7pm, 831-476-3801, http://cafecruz.com
  • Café El Palomar:  takeout, Sun-Thu 8am-8pm, Fri-Sat 8am-8:30pm, 831-477-0371, https://www.cafeelpalomar.com/
  • Café Iveta: takeout and delivery, 9am-2pm, 831-713-5946, https://iveta.com
  • Café Mare: takeout/curbside and delivery (via DoorDash), 831-458-1212, http://www.cafemare.com/
  • Café Sparrow: Tues-Sat 4-7pm, 831-688-6238, http://cafesparrow.com/ 
  • Carpo’s: takeout, 12-8 pm daily, http://carposrestaurant.com
  • Casa Nostra: takeout, daily 4-9pm, 831-609-6132, www.ristorantecasanostra.com
  • Casa Rositas: takeout, Tues-Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 3-8pm, 831-346-6907
  • Central Coast Juicery: Takeout and delivery. Order by texting 831-747-7085 or emailing (order@juicelocally.com)
  • Charlie Hong Kong: takeout (curbside pickup), daily 12-9pm, they will cater & deliver to serve first responders, medical/hospital staff & government workers, 831-426-5664, http://charliehongkong.com (also grubhub.com, seamless.com, mobilebytes.com, doordash.com)
  • Chocolate: takeout/delivery (DoorDash) Tues-Sun 4-8pm (no longer doing Sunday brunch). Pickup info is https://chocolatesantacruz.com/picnic/, need to email order by 4pm for that night or call 831-427-9900 after 4. Delivery info is at https://www.doordash.com/store/chocolate-santa-cruz-284767/
  • Cilantro’s: takeout, daily 11am to 7pm, 831-761-2161, https://cilantroswatsonville.com
  • Coffeetopia: takeout, reopened Mission St. location May 1, and Capitola Rd & Portola locations May 8, all locations open daily 7am-1pm, http://www.coffeetopia.com
  • Colectivo Felix: DeliveryFri-Sat 2-6pm empanada (and other items) delivery to Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Capitola and Soquel.  Small delivery fee for other areas. https://colectivofelix.square.site/ or email (info@colectivofelix.com)
  • Companion Bakeshop: Westside location open for takeout Tue-Sun 8am-2 pm, Aptos location open Fri-Sun 8am-2pm, https://companionbakeshop.com. Also offering a weekly “Bakers Box” where you order & pay in advance and pick up on Tue or Thu. Three different bakery product boxes are available along with several “add on” items (organic milk, hot sauce, etc.), https://companionbakeshop.com/shelter-box-order 
  • Corralitos Pizza: takeout or delivery (DoorDash) Mon-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sun 11am-10:30pm, 831-722-7220,  https://corralitospizzadelivery.com.
  • Cowboy Bar and Grill: takeout, Wed-Fri 2-8pm, Sat-Sun 12-8pm, 831-335-2330, https://www.feltoncowboy.com
  • Cremer House: closed until further notice, http://www.cremerhouse.com/
  • Crow’s Nest: takeout with curbside pickup daily 11:30am-8pm, includes family-size meals, also Beach Market next door 9am-8pm, 831-475-4560, http://www.crowsnest-santacruz.com/
  • Dharma’s: takeout or delivery (DoorDash), daily 11am-7pm, 831-462-1717, www.dharmasrestaurant.com, online ordering at https://dharmasrestaurant.square.site/,
  • Dunlap Donuts: takeout, daily 5:30am-2pm, 831-475-6447, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dunlaps-Donuts/154065311271976
  • Dynasty: takeout and delivery, Sun-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, 831-479-3388, https://www.dynastysantacruz.com
  • East End Gastropub: takeout or delivery (UberEats), Tues-Sun 2-8pm, menu features pizza, burger, spaghetti, etc., plus occasional “dinner for two” with bottle of wine, appetizer, salad, pasta, and dessert, 831-475-8010, http://eastendpub.com
  • East Side Eatery from Pleasure Pizza: takeout and delivery daily 11am-8pm, curbside pickup for online orders, 831-431-6058, http://pleasurepizzasc.com
  • El Chino Mexican Restaurant: takeout, 831-476-7175
  • El Chipotle: takeout, 831-477-1048
  • El Jardin: takeout with curbside option, and delivery, Tues-Sun 12-8pm, 831-477-9384, https://www.eljardinrestaurant.net/
  • El Pájaro CDC Commercial Kitchen Incubator: (412 E. Riverside Dr. Watsonville) Daily pop-up takeout program launched April 1 to support small food businesses (Cuevas Express Foods, My Mom’s Mole, and more), which rotate and offer lunch and dinner. Customers place and pay for food orders ahead of time. For menus and more info, see @elpajarocdc on IG or FB. They publish weekly menus every Sat.
  • El Palomar: takeout with curbside service, open Tue-Fri 2-7:30pm, Sat 12-7pm, Sun 12-6pm, see Instagram & Facebook @elpalomarrestaurant for specials including family packages. Pacific Ave. entrance is closed– enter through Front Street entrance, adjacent to the Soquel/Front Parking Garage, 831-425-7575, http://elpalomarsantacruz.com
  • El Rosal Bakery: takeout food includes tamales, daily 7:30am-8pm, 831-462-1308
  • El Toro Bravo: takeout, Tues-Sun 12-7pm, 831-476-1553,https://www.eltorobravocapitola.com/full-menu
  • Ella’s at the Airport: takeout with curbside pickup, Tues-Sun noon-7pm, 831-728-3282, menu includes family-size meals, https://www.ellasinwatsonville.com
  • Empire Grille: takeout with curbside pickup, daily 11am-8pm, 831-704-2130, http://empire-grille.com/
  • Engfer Pizza Works: Tue-Sun 4-9:30pm, 831-429-1856, http://engferpizzaworks.com
  • Erik’s Deli: takeout, online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery are available at four locations, hours vary: Aptos 831- 688-5656, Capitola 831-475-4646, Santa Cruz 831-462-1919, and Scotts Valley 831-438-4646, http://eriksdelicafe.com
  • Farm Bakery & Café: takeout and delivery, daily 8am-4pm, 831-684-0266, https://www.thefarmbakerycafe.com/
  • Foodsmith: prepared packaged food (heat at home), order by Thu night for delivery Mon and/or Thu of following week, http://myfoodsmith.com
  • Full Steam Dumpling: Wed4-8pm they have ready-to-cook ramen dinner (just cook noodles), dumplings, and limited sides. Delivery or pick up on Chestnut St. behind Santa Cruz Food Lounge. Fri 12-4pm, pickup of frozen beef Gyoza, vegan Gyoza & Char Siu Bao at discounted prices. Pickup on Chestnut St. Text or call 626-549-5574
  • Gabriella Café: takeout with curbside service, or delivery to Westside or Seabright with $10 fee, Tues-Sun 5-8pm, call 831-457-1677 after 4pm, website menu updated daily, wine is 30 percent off list prices, http://gabriellacafe.com
  • Garden Liquor & Deli: takeout Mon-Fri 7:30am-4pm, self-serve case stocked daily with fresh salads and sandwiches, 831-475-9191 or https://www.scgardendeli.com
  • Gayle’s Bakery: re-opening May 18, curbside and front door pick up, hours will be 11am-5 pm daily for online, prepaid orders, 831-462-1200, https://www.gaylesbakery.com. Starting May 14, customers can place pre-orders for May 18. After that, orders placed by 11am will be available for pickup 2 days later (order by 11am Mon, for pickup Wed, etc.).
  • Golden City: takeout, daily 11am-9pm, order by phone 831-423-0688, or in person
  • Golden Fu-Wah: takeout, 831-515-7508
  • Golden Palace: takeout and delivery, 831-427-9275, www.goldenpalacesantacruz.com
  • Golden Roots Kitchen: prepared packaged food (heat at home), order by Fri early afternoon for following week, https://linktr.ee/goldenrootskitchen
  • Gilda’s: permanently closed
  • Gordo Gustavo’s Food Truck: takeout with drive-through pickup service (delivery also available), selling smoked meat by the pound, Mondays 11am-2pm at Shanty Shack Brewing. Pre-orders required; call 831-420-7396 or visit @gordo_gustavos on Instagram for details.
  • Habit Burger Grill: takeout and delivery daily 10:30am-9pm, 831-466-9264, https://www.habitburger.com/
  • Hanloh Thai: pre-packaged, ready-to-heat food, pick-up Monday (Sante Adairius) and Wednesday (SC Mountain Brewing); https://hanloh.square.site/
  • Harbor Café: takeout (reopened May 2 with limited menu), Fri-Mon 9am-1pm, call 831-475-4948 to order, see temporary menu on Instagram @theharborcafe
  • Hidden Fortress Coffee: takeout daily 7:30am-12:30pm in Watsonville, menu includes breakfast bowls/burritos, sandwiches, and coffee drinks, https://www.hiddenfortresscoffee.com/cafe-menu
  • Hindquarter: takeout and delivery Wed-Sun 1-6 pm, 831-426-7770, https://www.thehindquarter.com/
  • Holy Smokes Country BBQ: free delivery, takeout, curbside pickup, Tue-Sun 11:30am-730pm, 831-471-8787 https://www.holysmokescountrybbqandcatering.com/
  • Home: takeout with curbside pickup, taking phone orders after 3pm for pickup Thu-Sat 4-7pm, 831-431-6131, http://www.homesoquel.com, also offering soups/stews, pasta, and (uncooked) sausage at Downtown (Wed) and Live Oak (Sun) farmers markets. Also, as of May 1 they are a “Thursday pickup spot” for Dirty Girl Produce’s CSA box (see dirtygirlproduce.com)
  • Hula’s Island Grill: takeout, reopened May 1, daily 3:30-8:30pm, credit cards only/no cash, call 831-426-4852 to order, see menu at HulasTiki.com, owners invite customers to “keep calm & carry out”
  • Ideal Bar & Grill: takeout food plus brewed coffee and espresso drinks, daily noon-6pm. Place orders in person, at café, or at 831-423-5271. Only two guests at a time are allowed in Ideal for pickup. http://www.idealbarandgrill
    India Joze: takeout Tues-Sat 5-8pm, 831-325-3633, http://Indiajoze.com/order/eat 
  • I Wok Bistro: takeout, daily 11am-9pm, 831-335-3430, https://www.iwokbistro.com
  • Jack O’Neill Restaurant at the Dream Inn: Takeout family breakfast Saturday-Sunday 8-11am and family dinner daily 5-7:30pm; each serves 4-6 people, see menu at https://www.jackoneillrestaurant.com/. Gift cards: if you buy a gift card of $100 or more, and are one of the first 50 customers, you receive a complimentary breakfast voucher for a later date. Call 831-460-5012.
  • Java Junction: takeout, all three locations / hours vary, Seabright is daily 7am-3pm, 831-423-5282, Harbor (next to Crow’s Nest) is daily 7am-6pm, River St. is daily 7am-3:30pm http://www.javajunctioncoffee.com/Store-Locations.html
  • Jeffery’s Restaurant: daily 7am-5pm (sometimes later than 5), 831-425-1485
  • Johnny’s Harborside: temporarily closed, may not reopen until June
  • Kaito: takeout Tue-Sun 4-9pm, free delivery Tue-Thu 4-8pm (limited delivery area), 831-464-2586, https://www.smilekaito.com
  • Kianti’s: takeout with curbside pickup, or delivery, Sun-Thu 11am-9pm & Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, 831-469-4400, https://www.kiantis.com/
  • Kickin’ Chicken: takeout & delivery Wed-Fri 6-11pm & Sat-Sun 4-9pm, currently located at the Food Lounge (serving out of the backdoor on Chestnut St.). http://kickinchickensc.com
  • Kitchen at Discretion: takeout, ready-to-eat food is available Thurs-Mon 11:30am-5pm,toasttab.com/discretion-brewing
  • La Posta: From 3-6pm Fridays and Saturdays, they are offering pick-up of fresh sourdough bread loaves, bottles of wine, and three pasta options (ready to warm at home, with “easy to follow directions”). Visit lapostarestaurant.com for menu. It’s important to pre-order; they do sell out. Call or email orders and they will confirm: 831-457-2782, lapostarestaurant@gmail.com.
  • Lago di Como Ristorante & Pizzeria: takeout/delivery including free delivery on orders of $75+ to limited areas from 4:30-7:30pm, daily (except Tues) 4:30-8:30pm, menu includes family-size options and they also offer deli case up front for “quick grab and go foods to warm/cook at home,” http://lagodicomoristorante.com
  • Laili: takeout/delivery, daily 11:30am-8pm, 831-423-4545 http://lailirestaurant.com
  • La Placa Family Bakery: takeout, Tues-Sun 8am-8pm, 831-609-6552, https://www.facebook.com/La-Placa-Family-Bakery-1560005784120099/
  • Lillian’s Italian Kitchen: takeout with curbside pickup, free delivery via subshuttleinc.com, Tues-Sun 4-8pm, full menu as well as family-sized lasagna and eggplant parmigiana (half-trays, order a day ahead), 831-425-2288, http://lilliansitaliankitchen.com 
  • Linda’s Sea Breeze: takeout, daily 8am-1pm, cash (ATM available) or check, 831-427-9713, https://www.restaurantji.com/ca/santa-cruz/lindas-seabreeze-caf-/
  • Little Tampico: takeout or delivery (Grubhub or DoorDash), Tues-Sun 11am-8pm, food and margaritas,831-475-4700, http://www.littletampico.com
  • Loard’s Ice Cream: takeout Mon-Thu 2-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-9pm & Sun 12-7pm, next door to Beach Street Pizza & Bar, 831-471-8530.
  • Lupulo Craft Beer House: takeout and delivery, daily 12-8pm, food plus beer, 831-454-8306, http://lupulosc.com
  • Manuel’s: takeout, 831-688-4848, http://manuelsrestaurant.com 
  • Margaritaville: reopened May 8 for takeout, daily 12-7pm, full menu plus cocktails, beer and wine, 831-476-2263, margaritavillecapitola.com
  • Marianne’s Ice Cream: takeout, three locations (1020 Ocean St., 218 State Park Dr., 104 Stockton Ave.) plus ice cream delivery to cities from Santa Cruz to Watsonville. Customers go online to order quarts, novelties, sundae kits, and recently added “cookie sandwich kits” by 5pm for that night’s delivery, http://mariannesicecream.com
  • Mattia Pizza: delivery daily 3:30-7:30 pm, place order by texting 669-236-9182, see Instagram @mattiapizza04 for menu & details
  • May’s Sushi: takeout or DoorDash delivery, daily 12-8pm, 831-427-0201, https://mayssushibarandgrill.weebly.com
  • Maya’s Mexican Restaurant: takeout, 831-438-7004,https://www.mayasv.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
  • Mentone: takeout from David Kinch’s new restaurant (174 Aptos Village Way), call 831-708-1174 to pre-order from 11am until sell-out. Rotating selections including pizza, salad, cocktails, and wine for Wed-Sat pickup (3:30-7pm), plus multi-course prix fixe dinner on Sundays (which can be preordered starting on Friday), http://mentonerestaurant.com
  • Mission Hill Creamery: takeout w/curbside pickup Tues-Sat 2-9 pm & Sun 2-7pm, selections include ice cream, fresh bread, chicken pot pies, and a sundae kit ($39.95, you get two pints of ice cream, hot fudge or caramel, and five toppings from a list of 12), delivery via GrubHub, DoorDash, and UberEats, http://missionhillcreamery.com
  • Mission Street BBQ: takeout, 831-458-2222, (heavily discounted first responder meals) https://www.missionstbbq.com
  • Miyako Sushi: takeout, reopened May 1, Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm & 4:30-8:30pm, Sat 4-8:30pm, 831-462-5288, https://miyakocapitola.com
  • Mobo Sushi: takeout and delivery (DoorDash), daily 5-9pm, 831-425-1700, http://mobosushirestaurant.com/
  • Monster Pot: takeout and delivery, 831-454-8140, takeout is via monsterpostsc.com, delivery is via DoorDash and others
  • Mountain Mike’s Pizza: takeout and delivery, Portola Dr. location (locally owned), daily 11am-9pm, 831-477-7760, https://www.mountainmikespizza.com/
  • Mozaic: takeout or delivery (GrubHub, UberEats, DoorDash), 12-7:30pm daily, 831-454-8663, http://www.mozaicsantacruz.com/
  • Mr. Z’s Crepes & Teas: takeout or delivery (DoorDash), 12-6pm Tues-Sun, menu includes to-go Boba Kits for making tea at home, 831-228-1588, https://mrzsteas.com/
  • Naka Sushi: takeout and delivery, offering 20% discount, Tue-Sun 5:30-8:30 pm, http://nakasushi.org 
  • Nick the Greek: takeout/delivery, 831-431-6313, http://nickthegreeksj.com/locations, and they’re giving out one roll of toilet paper per family per visit
  • Olive Garden: takeout and delivery,831-462-0120, https://www.olivegarden.com/order-togo
  • Oswald: reopening May 13 for takeout, Wed-Sat 4-8pm, oswaldrestaurant.com
  • Otoro Sushi: takeout or delivery (free for Scotts Valley residents), Sun-Thurs 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9pm, free roll of toilet paper with $50 orders and $75 orders also get free hand sanitizer, 831-440-9040, https://www.facebook.com/OtoroSushiScottsValley/
  • Pacific Cookie Company: takeout with curbside pickup, 831-429-6905, https://www.pacificcookie.com/
  • Pacific Thai: takeout and delivery (Doorbell Dining or DoorDash), daily noon-8pm, 831-420-1700, http://www.pacificthaisantacruz.com/
  • Palm Deli: takeout or delivery (DoorDash), daily 7am-2pm, 831-688-3354; ordering in person is okay but phone orders are preferred for safety/limiting time people spend in the deli. They will add in any drinks, chips, grocery items, to the “ready-to-eat food orders” – including Glaum eggs since they are the owners of Glaum Egg Ranch down the road (which is also still open). See https://www.thepalmdeli.com/ and https://glaumeggranch.com/
  • Panda Express: takeout and delivery, pandaexpress.com
  • Panda Inn: takeout (Deer Park Shopping Center), 831-688-8620, or delivery via DoorDash
  • Parish Publick House: takeout, including cocktails to go, both locations, Santa Cruz 831-421-0507, Aptos 831-708-2036, http://theparishpublick.com 
  • Pasatiempo Golf Course: MacKenzie Bar & Grill is closed until further notice; Hollins House takeout and Grab & Grill proteins are available for day-of ordering before 1:30pm and pick-up Tues-Sat from 3-7pm and Sun-Mon from 12-4pm. They are also doing “Grocery Bags” which rotate weekly (two choices, $30 each, one might include things like pasta, flour, yeast, eggs, butter, and paper goods like toilet paper, while the other has produce). These must be ordered by 3pm one day in advance and are available for pick-up on Tue & Thu from 3-7pm.  Pre-order by emailing (togo@pasatiempo.com) or by calling 831-459-9177, https://www.thehollinshouse.com/covid-19/.
  • Paula’s: takeout, daily 8am-12pm, 831-464-0741
  • Penny Ice Creamery: takeout, daily 1-8 p.m. (downtown and Pleasure Point locations), selections include a sundae kit ($16, you get one pint of ice cream, chocolate sauce, organic whipped cream, and a couple other toppings), order at ice cream shop or online, https://www.thepennyicecreamery.com
  • People’s Coffee: takeout, daily 8am-5pm, 831- 464-2739
  • Persephone: takeout, lunch 11:30am-2pm Wed-Sat, dinner 3-5:30pm Thurs-Sat, order online the night before, or by phone the day of. Dinner selections include family meals (with entrée, salad, bread and cookies), 831-612-6511, https://www.persephonerestaurant.com/real-take-out-menu
  • Picnic Basket: takeout and delivery, daily 9am-3pm daily, you can add an ice cream pint to your order from sister business The Penny Ice Creamery, http://thepicnicbasketsc.com
  • Pixie Deli: 831-688-1115, https://www.pixiegoodeats.com/
  • Pino Alto Restaurant at Cabrillo College: closed until further notice
  • Pizza My Heart takeout and/or curbside pickup and delivery, various locations open, https://www.pizzamyheart.com
  • Pleasure Pizza: takeout/delivery at downtown location, 831-600-7859, http://pleasurepizzasc.com/downtown/menus, takeout (no delivery) at Pleasure Point location, daily 11am-9pm, 831- 475-4002, https://www.pleasurepizzasc.com/pleasure-point/menus/
  • Point Chophouse: takeout with curbside pickup, Tues-Sun 4-8pm, bottles of wine 30% off (must purchase food too), cocktails to go are also available, 831-476-2733, http://www.thepointchophouse.com/
  • Pono Hawaiian Grill: downtown location closed for the foreseeable future
  • Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap: takeout, or delivery via DoorDash, Sun-Thu 12-7:30pm & Fri-Sat 12-8pm, 831-476-7458, menu at http://ponohawaiiangrill.com (not all items are available at Capitola location; customers can ask when they call)
  • Pretty Good Advice: temporarily closed (formerly doing takeout Tue-Sat 11am-7pm, 831-226-2805, https://prettygoodadvicesoquel.com/)
  • Real Thai Kitchen: takeout Mon-Fri 11am-2pm & 5-9pm, Sat-Sun 12-9pm, 831-427-2559, http://realthaisantacruz.com
  • Red Apple Café: takeout, daily 8am-3pm, 831-685-1224, https://www.redappleaptos.com
  • Redwood Pizza: takeout, Thurs-Sun 4-9pm, pizza (no salads) plus draft beer in 32-ounce mason jars, 831-335-1500, http://www.redwoodpizza.com
  • Ristorante Italiano: takeout, or delivery (DoorDash, UberEats), Sat-Wed 4-8:30pm, Thurs-Fri 11:30am-2pm & 4-8:30pm, 831-458-2321, https://www.ristoranteitalianosc.com/
  • Riva Fish House: limited takeout menu, plus beer and wine, daily 12-7pm, order takeout at 831-429-1223, in person at the restaurant, or https://www.rivafishhouse.com
  • Robbie’s Sandwiches: takeout and delivery, daily 10am-3 pm,831-515-7411
  • Rosie McCann’s: closed until further notice https://rosiemccanns.com/santacruz
  • Roux Dat: reopened Capitola location May 12 for takeout, or delivery via DoorDash and UberEats, hours are Tues-Sat 11am-5pm, 831-295-6372, https://rouxdatcajuncreole.com/
  • Royal Taj: takeout, plus delivery through DoorDash and UberEats, daily 12-2:45pm, 5:30-9:15pm, 831-427-2666, https://www.royaltajsc.com/
  • Rumblefish: takeout, daily 11:30am-2:30pm & 5-8:30pm, online ordering with contact-free  pickup (you can order most of the menu online) or call in if you want something special like hand rolls, and get food at pickup window), 831-440-9240, http://www.rumblefish-sv.com
  • Sabieng Thai: takeout daily 3-8 pm, 831-425-1020, https://www.sabiengthaicuisine.com
  • Sala Thai: takeout and delivery (GrubHub), daily 11:30am-3pm & 5-9pm, 831-426-1214, http://salathaisantacruz.com
  • Salsa’s: window service only, 831-465-1105
  • Samba Rock Acai Café: takeout, hours vary, 831-458-2224
  • San Marcos Charquito Tacos y Tortas: takeout,831-888-6697
  • Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co., takeout, daily 8:30am-4:30pm, 831-459-0100, www.santacruzcoffee.com
  • Saturn Café: takeout or delivery (GrubHub and UberEats), Thurs-Mon 12-8:30pm (sometimes close at 8 if it’s slow), including a “Pay What You can” special: if someone is low on funds, they can tell restaurant how much money they have (let’s say $3 or $5) and they will prepare something small & low-cost (this is an option if ordering by phone or in person), 831-429-8505, https://saturncafe.com/
  • Sawasdee & Sawasdee By The Sea: takeout at the original Soquel spot (5050 Soquel Dr.) & second location (101 Main St., Santa Cruz), daily from 11am. They take their last phone orders at 8:45pm weekdays and 915pm weekends. Soquel: 831-462-5051, http://sawasdeesoquel.com, & Santa Cruz: 831-466-9009, sawasdeebythesea.com
  • Scopazzi’s: takeout Wed-Sun 12-7 pm, takeout menu includes food (cheeseburgers, spaghetti with meatballs, etc.), cocktails and wine, 831-338-6441, http://www.scopazzisrestaurant.com/
  • Seabright Deli: takeout (walkup window or curbside service) or delivery via DoorDash, daily 11 am-7pm, 831-515-7484, https://seabrightdeli.com/
  • Shadowbrook: temporarily closed, gift cards available by phone 831-475-1511 or online, https://www.shadowbrook-capitola.com/
  • Showtime Pizzeria: takeout (pizza, wings, ravioli, lasagna & more), 831-662-3362,http://showtimepizzeria.com/
  • Shun Feng: takeout, plus delivery from 5-8:30pm, online ordering https://www.shunfengsantacruz.com/ or by phone 831-423-3688 or 831-423-9888
  • Slice Project Pizza: takeout through side window, Thurs-Sat 4-9 pm (last order at 8:30pm), 831-319-4581, 300 Main St. Watsonville, http://sliceprojectpizza.com
  • Soif: Effective April 5, food service stopped (formerly doing takeout) but wine continues: Wine shop staff are available by phone to take orders for bottles of wine. Curbside pickup for pre-ordered and pre-paid wine is now occurring every other Wednesday; the next dates are May ay 20 and June 3. Contact 831-423-2020 or info@SoifWine.com.
  • South Point Coffee Bar & Tap Room: coffee bar is open daily 7am-12pm, limited bar menu Thurs-Sun 4-8pm, 831-661-1402, https://www.southpointseascape.com/
  • Star Bene: takeout 5-8 p.m. daily, 831-479-4307, www.star-bene.com
  • Star of Siam: takeout, 831-479-0366, https://www.starofsiamsoquel.net/
  • Steamer Lane Supply: takeout, curbside pickup available upon request, 9am-6:30pm, full menu plus specials, grab and go foods, take and heat carnitas taco kits for 2. Call in orders, 831-316-5240, or come in person for “touchless socially distanced transactions,” http://steamerlanesc.com/menucom
  • Surf City Sandwich: takeout or delivery, daily 10:30am-3pm, 831-346-6952, http://surfcitysandwich.com
  • Sushi Garden: take-out at all four locations (Aptos, Capitola, Scotts Valley and Watsonville), http://sushi-garden.com
  • Tacos Morenos: takeout, both locations, Santa Cruz location daily 11am-8pm (831-429-6095) & Capitola daily 10am-7pm, (831-464-8810)
  • Taqueria Los Gordos: daily 9am-7:30pm except Sun when hours may vary, call 831-688-0911 or see IG @Losgordosaptos
  • Taqueria La Cabana: daily 9am-8pm, 831-425-7261
  • Taqueria Santa Cruz: takeout, both locations, http://www.taqsc.com
  • Taqueria Tepeque: takeout, Brown Ranch Marketplace (same Capitola complex as Trader Joe’s), 831-462-2758, https://taqueriatepeque355.wixsite.com/tepeque
  • Taqueria Michoacan: takeout, open Mon-Sat 10am-8:30pm, 831-465-8290, delivery through DoorDash
  • Taqueria Vallarta: takeout, all 4 locations – Soquel (831-457-8226), 41st Ave. (831-464-7022), Mission (831-426-7240), and Felton (831-335-4264), http://taqueriavallartaonline.com/           
  • Togos: takeout with curbside pickup, and delivery, six locations covering Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Watsonville, hours vary,https://www.togos.com
  • Tony & Alba’s: takeout with curbside pickup, or delivery, Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz stores, offering 50% off regular prices (employees volunteered to work for free to keep restaurants open, so owner decided to give back to community). Call 831-439-9999 (SV) or 831-425-8669 (SC, open 3-8pm), http://tonyandalbas.com
  • Tortilla Flats: takeout with curbside pickup, Wed-Sun starting at nooncall 831-476-1754 to place order; pick up 4-8pm, https://www.tortillaflatstogo.com/
  • Toya Sushi: takeout, Mon-Thurs 12-8pm, Fri-Sat 12-8:30pm, sushi, Boba tea, and slushies,
  •  831-464-1818, old Yogurt Delight building on Mission St. (same owners who had Takara Sushi near Capitola Mall) www.toyasushi.com
  • Tramonti: takeout and delivery, 11:30am-9pm, full restaurant menu plus grab-n-go items to heat up at home, 10% discount on “restaurant menu” items (not grab-n-go) when you do takeout, 831-426-7248, http://www.tramontisantacruz.com
  • Ugly Mug: takeout (drinks and coffee beans), 7am-1pm daily except Sun, order at 831-477-1341 or https://the-ugly-mug-109327.square.site
  • Upper Crust: takeout and delivery, 831-423-9010 (Mission St. location), and 831-476-2333 (Soquel Dr. location), https://uppercrustsc.com/
  • Vasili’s: takeout, daily 12-730pm, plus delivery via DoorDash, 831-458-9808, http://vasilisgreekrestaurant.com
  • Verve Coffee Roasters: takeout, they recently reopened their cafes. Seabright location (Bronson St.), Pleasure Point/41st Ave., and Fair Ave. are open 7am-3pm. The Pacific Ave. branch is open 8am-4pm. The menu includes ready-to-drink coffee and tea, whole bean packages, and select grab-and-go and pantry items. Customers can order at https://instore.vervecoffee.com/, and pickup at each café’s designated window. People can also place orders in person at the pickup windows, and Verve is offering a daily free “drip quick cup of coffee” as a thank you to “dedicated frontline workers and teachers” at all of its re-opened cafes, https://www.vervecoffee.com/
  • Village Host Pizzeria: takeout and delivery, daily 11am-9pm, Aptos (831-685-8646) and Capitola (831-464-8455) https://villagehost.com
  • Vim Dining & Desserts: takeout, Wed-Sat nights plus brunch on Sundays. To order call 831-515-7033 between 3-7pm, see menu at https://www.vimsantacruz.com. Also, owner/chef Jesikah Stolaroff is continuing to offer “whole celebration cakes” like chocolate peanut butter torte (she has been making cakes while the main restaurant was closed). Email jesikah@vimsantacruz.com to order desserts.
  • Wasabi Sushi: takeout, offering free miso soup, Brown Ranch Marketplace (same Capitola complex as Trader Joe’s), 831-515-7455, https://www.instagram.com/wasabicapitola/
  • Windmill Café: takeout, daily 8am-1pm, 831-464-4698, https://windmillcafesantacruz.com/
  • Woodstock Pizza: takeout and delivery, 831-427-4444, https://woodstockscruz.com, also they’ve partnered with The Salvation Army to give pizza to the hungry, doubling every donation a person makes. A $25 donation will provide pizza for up to 10 people, see https://bit.ly/2UuhOXJ
  • Your Place-Farm to Table: takeout, 3-9pm Tues-Sun, menu includes Family Meal with house salad, choice of salmon, sand dabs, meatloaf, or chicken Parmesan, and dessert, $50; recently launched a box lunch menu Fri-Sun 11:30am-2pm, 831-426-3564, https://www.facebook.com/yourplacesc or https://yourplacesc.com/
  • Zachary’s: closed during shelter-in-place, until further notice
  • Zameen: UPDATE MAY 14: re-opening Aptos (831-688-4465) and Pleasure Point (831-713-5520) locations today, takeout Thurs-Sun 12-7:30pm, order by phone or online, zameencuisine.com
  • Zoccoli’s Deli: takeout with curbside pickup option, Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, 831-423-1711, http://zoccolis.com

Get info for more downtown SC restaurants, & downtown SC food/drink venues, at https://downtownsantacruz.com/downtown-delivered. See menus for some restaurants at the Instagram account @whatsopensantacruz & the site http://whatsopensantacruz.com—they also have some info on other services that are open (I’m not affiliated with these–just sharing resources).

Grocery stores

Note: Several local stores offer delivery service for a fee through InstaCart. These include Costco, Lucky, New Leaf, Nob Hill, Safeway, and Target. Visit https://www.instacart.com.

  • Aptos Natural Foods: 10am to 7pm with senior hours of 8-10am (65 years and up, and 10 percent discount during this time), aptosnaturalfoods.com
  • Black Point Market: open with groceries and ready-to-eat food, 831-713-5842, https://www.facebook.com/blackpointmarket/
  • Costco: Effective April 8, Costco has a new priority policy for healthcare workers & first responders. During all open hours, Costco members who are healthcare workers and first responders (such as police officers, EMTs and firefighters) will be allowed to move to the front of any line to enter the warehouse. Effective March 30, hours were reduced (closing earlier): 10am-6:30pm weekdays, 9:30am-6pm Saturdays, 10am to 6pm Sunday. Seniors and vulnerable customers can shop Tues through Thurs 8-9 am—note, “official (published) hours to non-seniors” don’t start until 10am weekdays, but unofficially, on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays Costco is letting non-seniors in right after the senior hour ends at 9. Updated gas station hours are 7:30am-7pm weekdays, 7:30am-6:30pm weekends, 831-469-0961, https://www.costco.com/
  • Del Pueblo Market: this small, family-owned market has a butcher counter, some grocery products, and some dairy and fresh produce (behind Jeffrey’s near Soquel/Capitola Rd), open daily 5am-5:30pm, 831-425-1829, https://www.facebook.com/delpueblomkt
  • Deluxe Foods: open for business, see deluxefoodsofaptos.com
  • Food Bin & The Herb Room: open 8am to 8pm, call 831-423-5526 (Food Bin) or 831-429-8108 (Herb Room) or visit https://www.foodbinherbroom.com
  • Grocery Outlet: hoursare8am to 9pm daily, https://groceryoutlet.com/store-locator
  • Lucky: General hours are 6am-10pm daily except from 6-9am Tuesday and Thursday: these areexclusive hoursfor seniors and guests with compromised health; 831-462-6917, www.luckysupermarkets.com
  • New Leaf Community Markets: reduced hours 9am to 8pm daily for most stores, 8-9am is for pregnant, senior, and immune-compromised individuals. Extended senior discount (formerly Wednesday, now daily). Effective April 28, the Aptos location is open 10am-6pm with 10-11am the designated “Community Care Hour” for seniors and vulnerable individuals. For all stores, there are temporary store capacity limits and new waitlist technology that gives customers the option to join a waitlist queue via text with their mobile phone upon arrival at the store. New Leaf asks that families elect one member to do the shopping whenever possible and to limit store visits to 30 minutes or less to help minimize potential wait times, https://www.newleaf.com/stay-healthy. Also—as of early May: New Leaf added a grocery pickup option to three of it stores (Aptos, Westside SC & Half Moon Bay) & is adding Capitola in June. Customers can order groceries through the Instacart app, select a pickup window, drive to the store and have their groceries brought to their car. Save $10 on your first New Leaf grocery pickup or delivery order of $35 or more with code NEWLEAF2020 through June 30, 2020. Learn more at www.newleaf.com/delivery.
  • Nob Hill: open, visit raleys.com/stores/nob-hill-foods-bay-capitola-california
  • Safeway: reduced hours & senior early morning hours on certain days depending on location, https://www.safeway.com/
  • Scotts Valley Market: open, daily 8am-9:30pm, 831-438-4324, https://www.scottsvalleymarket.com
  • Seascape Foods: daily 8am-8pm, 831-685-3134, seascapefoodsaptos.com
  • Shopper’s Corner: as of early April, they changed hours: now 8-10am for seniors and those at high risk, and 10am–7pm for the general public, http://www.shopperscorner.com
  • Staff of Life: reduced hours 9am-8pm, seniors 60 & older can shop at 8 am from Monday-Friday, online shopping with pickup/delivery is coming soon, https://www.staffoflifemarket.com
  • Target: reduced hours at stores including Capitola & Watsonville (8 am-9 pm), the 8-9 am slot on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is for vulnerable populations only (65 and older, those with underlying health concerns, and pregnant women), https://www.target.com/store-locator/find-stores
  • Trader Joe’s: both Santa Cruz and Capitola locations are open with reduced hours: 9am to 7pm daily plus an early shopping hour from 8-9am for seniors and disabled, https://www.traderjoes.com/
  • Whole Foods: reduced hours 9am-8 pm, seniors 60 & older can shop at 8am https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores

Farmers’ Markets

For the first time, the downtown Santa Cruz Wednesday farmers market is offering—as of Wed. May 6—the Market Match Program, which offers customers with CalFresh cards a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10. An example: if a CalFresh customer swipes a card for $10 they receive 10 additional dollars in tokens at no charge. A $7 swipe equals a $7 match, and a $15 swipe equals a $10 match. These can only be used to purchase fresh produce. Now Market Match is available at all five Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets locations. In addition, May is DOUBLE MATCH month at the 3 currently open markets (downtown, Live Oak & Westside). For the duration of May, they match your first 10 EBT dollars with $2 of market match. This means a $10 EBT swipe becomes $30 ($10 EBT/$20 Match), a $7 swipe becomes $21 ($7 EBT/$14 Match), a $20 swipe becomes $40 ($20 EBT/$20 Match). Visithttp://www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org/.

The Wednesday Downtown, Saturday Westside and Sunday Live Oak marketsfrom Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets are currently open. They recently added a Senior Shopping period. This is 30 minutes prior to the market’s opening time, so it is from 12:30-1pm for the Downtown Market and 8:30-9am for the Westside and Live Oak markets. The markets are following strict safety guidelines. Read more athttp://www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org/sc-community-farmers-markets-and-covid-19.

El Pájaro CDC Commercial Kitchen Incubator Program hosts weekly booths at the Westside and Live Oak farmers’ markets. Upcoming vendor appearances are Cuevas Express Foods at Westside May 16, Santa Cruz Balsamics at Live Oak May 17, Hakouya at Westside May 23, and Cali Dawg at Live Oak May 24

The Saturday Aptos/Cabrillo College market, also open with regular hours, is utilizing safety measures such as hand sanitizer and hand washing stations. Farmers and vendors are wearing gloves. Keep up to date via their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MBFarmersMarket/.

The opening dates for the two “seasonal (not year-round) markets” operated by The Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets, Felton and Scotts Valley, have been postponed to the first week of June because of COVID-19. The Felton Market will begin June 2 and the Scotts Valley Market will open June 6.

Breweries

  • Discretion Brewing: online ordering (toasttab.com/discretion-brewing) and parking lot pick up from 11:30am-5pm daily
  • East Cliff Brewing Co.: takeout (in person or by phone) and online ordering for pickup, open Mon-Thurs 3-7pm, Fri 1-6pm, Sat & Sun 12-6pm, 831-713-5540, https://eastcliffbrewing.shopsettings.com/
  • Humble Sea Brewing Co.: takeout, daily 12-6pm, a new beer was released April 24: All Together – IPA (6.5%) in collaboration with Other Half’s All Together Beer Project, a double dry hopped w/ Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra, & Cascade hops. From Humble Sea: “A worldwide collaboration brewed to support hospitality professionals struggling through the utterly insane times of COVID-19. $5 of every 4-pack goes to our furloughed staff to help them cope with the cost of living during this pandemic;” see humblesea.com to order for pickup or shipping.
  • New Bohemia Brewing Co.: online ordering for pickup (10 beers available as four-packs), delivery, or shipping, https://www.nubobrew.com/
  • Sante Adairius: takeout, daily 12-6pm, rusticales.com.
  • Shanty Shack Brewing: beer drive-through, daily 10am-7pm, free roll of toilet paper when you spend $50, see web site for list of available cans, bottles and crowlers, 831-316-0800

Wine

  • Alfaro Family Vineyards has curbside pickup at the winery by appointment, and on Saturdays between 1-3 p.m. For mail orders, they offer discount shipping ($2 per bottle) and select discounts on purchases over $250. Visit alfarowine.com or call 831-728-5172.
  • Bargetto is open daily from noon-5pm. They offer a 30% discount with purchases of six or more bottles. To order or ask questions, call 888-400-9463 or email wineclub@bargetto.com
  • Bottle Jack Winery has several shelter-in-place specials and is offering takeout food on Saturdays. Buy 3 or more bottles of any wine and receive a 20% discount (30% for club members) and free local deliveries in Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley. It’s also offering 4 different 6-pack specials featuring new releases of 2019 Viognier, 2018 Chardonnay, and a flight of Cabernet Sauvignon at a 33% discount for a limited time and free shipping with minimum 3-bottle purchase. The winery is partnering with Lago di Como Ristorante for advance food purchase and pickup at the Westside Tasting Room (328D Ingalls Street) on Saturdays, when it is also open for wine purchases and pickup (noon-3pm). Menu options include prepared foods like pastas and tiramisu, plus pizza kits and a la carte items. To order wines and food, go to bottlejackwines.com. Call 831-227-2288 or email info@bottlejackwines.com for more information.
  • Integrity Wines is offering in-home wine tasting with winemaker Mark Hoover. The next sessions are 1-3pm on May 17 and May 24. Each session is $30 for one person or $50 for two. Visit https://www.integrity.wine/
  • Pelican Ranch Winery offers free delivery in Santa Cruz County to those who buy three or more items (at 20% discount) from the list at pelicanranch.com. Also, they are now doing personalized virtual wine tastings for two, via Zoom or phone. Tastings include three wines ($36) or four ($48). Call or text owner/winemaker Phil Crews at 831-332-5359.
  • Ser Winery has curbside pickup at the winery on Saturdays between 1-4pm and offers free shipping on orders of three or more bottles (plus a 20% discount on cases). Visit serwinery.comor call 831-901-7806.
  • Silver Mountain Vineyards is holding Saturday hours (12-3pm) for both its tasting rooms, Santa Cruz and Los Gatos, to buy and pick up wine. Also, they are continuing the “Irish Green Sale” for five wines including 2015 Chardonnay, Tondré, and 2011 Pinot Noir, Tondré. Call (408) 353-2278 or visit http://www.silvermtn.com.
  • VinoCruz wine bar, which recently added takeout food options including: Cheese & Charcuterie plates, Red Pepper Hummus w/ Pita, Olives, Toasted Nuts, and Take & Bake Flatbread Pizzas (call ahead to order), just expanded its hours. Formerly open four days a week with limited hours, it’s now open daily from 12-7pm for takeout and delivery (for the latter, restrictions apply). A limited food menu is available all day, with a full menu from 4-7pm. Wine, beer, and cider are available in bottles, to-go cups, growlers, and more, 831-426-8466, https://vinocruz.com/
  • Wrights Station Vineyard & Winery has complimentary shipping with any 2 bottle or more purchase, and 25% off any four bottles or more. Pick up can be arranged at the winery by appointment, 408-560-9343, wrightsstation.com

Seafood

Local vendors offering fresh fish for delivery include H&H Fresh Fish and Ocean2Table.

  • H&H’s weekly subscription program: choose between one or two meals and pause subscriptions when you need to. See hhfreshfish.com/community-supported-fishery. Also, they have a retail shop at 493 Lake Ave. (below Johnny’s Harborside) open 10am-5pm daily except Mondays.
  • Ocean2Table: order seafood to be delivered as frequently or rarely as you choose. They have expanded so that people can add limited amounts of local vendors’ eggs, chicken, and produce to their fish delivery. See getocean2table.com.

Miscellaneous & Farms

  • Blossom’s Farmstore and Coffeeshop offers curbside pickup of select local, organic food items and health products. They also offer pickup at the four Santa Cruz area farmers markets they participate in, or delivery (for a fee) for Aptos, Corralitos and Watsonville residents. See https://app.barn2door.com/e/9jx6Q/all. The shop, at 2904 Freedom Blvd. (Watsonville/Corralitos), is open 8am-5 pm Tues-Sat and 8 am-4pm Sun (closed Mon). Products at the farm store include fresh, organic veggies and fruit from their own and other local farms; Dirty Girl Tomato sauce; fresh bread, seasonal homemade soups, salads and frittatas; Kombucha; coffee, and organic and biodynamically grown tea. They also carry immune system boosting herbal supplements and probiotics/ferments, essential oil sprays and salves (antibacterial and anti-viral), and respiratory system healing tonics (all made from Blossom’s Farm herbs), 831-319-4048 or facebook.com/blossomsfarmstorecorralitos.
  • Deke’s Market on 7th Ave., with In Mah Belly Deli, is open. Contact 831-476-5897 or dekesmarket.com
  • EatLocal.Farm is an online marketplace for local goods, and offers pickups and deliveries every Wednesday. Customers buy seasonal produce and items from farms and vendors like Aptos Farm, Borba Family Farms, Fogline Farm, New Natives Nursery, and Wild Poppies Olive Oil. Visit https://eatlocal.farm/.
  • Hakouya, makers of my favorite salad dressing (probiotic miso dressing, it’s good on salad, as a sauce for fish and more, dip for veggies, etc.) is temporarily offering free, local delivery of their products if you buy at least $30 worth. That miso dressing comes in two sizes: 11-ounce for $12, 8-ounce for $9. They sell handmade miso paste (red, white, barley, 250 grams) for $15 each, quick miso soup base for $15, and double fermented organic Soy Sauce Koji for $12. Email info@hakouya.com to order; see Hakouya.com to learn about products and browse recipes.
  • Live Earth Farm offers “Grab and Go” boxes (produce is pre-selected) at their farmers’ market booths—these include the downtown market on Wednesdays and Westside on Saturdays. The booths have a separate line for people buying boxes only. Contents change each week depending on availability.
  • Love Cultivated has several Spring Collection gift boxes including one with homemade jams and marmalades (others contain soaps, etc.) If you buy one in April or May, they will donate a gift bag to a heroic community member (essential workers who put themselves at risk to help—medical workers, custodians, postal carriers, grocery store workers, and delivery drivers—they are taking nominees if you know someone). As always, they are donating 5% of sales (not just gift box proceeds) to the Center for Farmworker Families. Visit www.love-cultivated.com. Interested in supporting Center for Farmworker Families? They are doing a fundraising drive for grocery gift cards for farmworkers as the regular April supply distribution was cancelled.  Donate at farmworkerfamily.org/donate.
  • Mariquita Farm offers weekly Tuesday pickup options for its “Mystery Boxes” filled with fresh produce grown at its Watsonville farm. In the past, these have featured French breakfast radishes, green garlic, purple Sicilian artichokes, Meyer lemons, and Spring onions. Possibly coming soon: basil, summer squash, and tomatoes. Local areas for pickup include Santa Cruz, Seabright, and Soquel. For more information, call 831-840-9491 or email ladybugbuyingclub@mariquita.com. Also see https://mariquita.com/events/BuyingClub.html
  • Mutari Chocolate is open for delivery and pickup Wednesday-Sunday noon to 7 pm; visit mutarichocolate.com and check their Instagram @mutarichocolate for promotions/discounts and special popups (these have included brioche donuts on Sunday mornings)
  • Santa Cruz Fun Foods (on Instagram @santacruzfunfoods) recently started delivery of amusement park treats. Treats are delivered by Grubhub and DoorDash, and made by Whiting’s Foods (they’ve been doing Boardwalk food concessions for many years). Selections include churros, kettle corn, chocolate dipped frozen bananas, Dippin’ Dots and cotton candy. See www.santacruzfunfoods.com.
  • Toque Blanche: store hours are 11am-6pm daily. They are offering curbside pickup at our Santa Cruz store, and shipping to customers with flat rate $9.99 shipping for orders over $50, or free shipping for over $99, 831-426-1351, https://www.mytoque.com/pages/toque-blanche-and-the-coronavirus
  • The Vitamin Center in Capitola is taking phone orders and offering curbside pickup. Call 831-462-4697 after 10 am daily except Sunday.

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Posted in Beer, Coffee, Food & Food News, Restaurant News, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged , | Comments Off on Santa Cruz County food & drink changes & closures, as of May 12, 2020