Tag Archives: Cafe Cruz
More Mother’s Day restaurants for the Santa Cruz area
Aquarius Restaurant – Photo courtesy of Aquarius Facebook page
Did Mother’s Day 2018 sneak up on you? Mother’s Day is Sunday – some restaurants in the Santa Cruz area, including Bargetto Winery, which only has one seating – are fully booked, but others are still available. Below are a few.
Refer to my May 3 article for a few Santa Cruz County restaurant highlights (plus one for Monterey), but I am not sure which of those still have reservations available.
Also, if you want something off the beaten path, Roaring Camp Railroads is hosting a brunch buffet ($39 adults, $29 kids) from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Bret Harte Hall (last seating at 1). There are train rides to go on after brunch (diners receive $2 fare discount); visit this site.
As of 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, the following restaurants still had selected Mother’s Day brunch reservations available—these are based on a party of 4. Call or make reservations through OpenTable.com.
BRUNCH
- Chocolate the Restaurant (831) 427-9900
- Ideal Bar & Grill (831) 423-5271
- Jaguar Restaurant (831) 600-7428
- Mozaic (831) 600-7428
- Solaire Restaurant & Bar (831) 600-4545
- Suda (831) 600-7068
- Zelda’s on the Beach (831) 475-4900
DINNER
- Aquarius-Dream Inn (831) 740-8138
- Café Cruz (831) 476-3801
- Chocolate the Restaurant (831) 427-9900
- Gabriella Café (831) 457-1677
- Ideal Bar & Grill (831) 423-5271
- Jaguar Restaurant (831) 600-7428
- Mozaic (831) 600-7428
- Pearl of the Ocean (831) 457-2350
- Persephone (831) 612-6511
- Solaire Restaurant & Bar (831) 600-4545
- Suda (831) 600-7068
- Zelda’s on the Beach (831) 475-4900
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Eat soup Thursday & help Santa Cruz’s Homeless Services Center
A scene from the 2017 Soupline Supper (courtesy of Soupline web site)
Santa Cruz’s Homeless Services Center (HSC) invites the community to eat unlimited soup from dozens of local restaurants, caterers, and other food businesses from 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, April 19, at the Cocoanut Grove.
The 19th annual Soupline Supper assists HSC as it helps families and individuals in our community find safe, permanent homes. Last year’s dinner helped 249 people find a permanent home. For $50 per person, attendees receive soup, salad, bread, and dessert. Wine is available for an additional donation. Kids’ tickets are $20. Buy tickets online.
Participating restaurants in 2018’s Soupline include 99 Bottles, Assembly, The Bagelry, Café Cruz, Erik’s Deli, Gabriella Café, India Joze, Kelly’s French Bakery, La Posta, Manuel’s, Oswald, Shadowbrook, Soif, and Walnut Ave Café. See full restaurant list at souplinesupper.org/restaurants.
The usual set-up is this: there are different tables around the perimeter of the room, all with large containers of homemade soup, with about a dozen available at any one time (selections rotate throughout the evening). Attendees walk around and choose which ones to sample. Public officials and other community leaders serve the soup. This year’s “Celebrity Ladlers” include local politicians Mark Stone, Richelle Noroyan, Cynthia Chase, Zach Friend, Ryan Coonerty, and John Leopold; and arts and community organization leaders such as Keisha Frost (United Way), Nan Mickiewicz (Dominican Hospital), Susan Nemitz (SC Public Library), Susan True (Community Foundation SC County) and Nina Simon (MAH).
Buy tickets and read more information online at souplinesupper.org.
Free parking after 4 pm is available at the Boardwalk lot across from the Cocoanut Grove.
HSC is a non-profit organization that partners with individuals and families to create pathways out of their homelessness into permanent housing. HSC’s vision is that homelessness in Santa Cruz County should be rare, brief, and non-recurring.
Event location: Cocoanut Grove, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz
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Saturday’s Taste of Soquel benefits Second Harvest
Bill and Dee Hongmanee of Sawasdee at a previous “A Taste of Soquel” event
The ninth annual “A Taste of Soquel,” benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank, takes place in the courtyard of the Congregational Church of Soquel Saturday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be lots of food, drinks and music at this family-friendly festival.
Attendees can enjoy food from restaurants and vendors HOME, The Kitchen at Discretion, El Chipotle Taqueria, Café Cruz, Bella Chi-Cha, Jeff Walls’ Family Honey, Aldo’s Italian Bakery, and Sawasdee Thai Cuisine. There will be fresh cider from Everett Family Farm, beer and wine from Discretion Brewing, Soquel Vineyards, Bargetto Winery, Hunter Hill Vineyard & Winery, VinoCruz, Wargin Wines and Poetic Cellars.
See menu details below.
There will be lots of live music, including The Carolyn Sills Combo and “members of the EXPENDABLES Unplugged.” Complimentary coffee will be served by The Ugly Mug, plus tea, lemonade, and more from The Bagelry, Driscoll’s and Donut Station. A kids’ area will feature free activities such as singing with Musical Me, face painting, drumming, art with CherryVale Art Farm, inflatable archery with Kennolyn Camp, and crafts with Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery. More than 50 local businesses participate in the raffle, featuring prizes such as store and restaurant gift certificates.
Tickets are $25 for adults (includes music, food, wine) and $10 for youth 12-20 (includes music, food). Kids under 12 are free. Call 831-475-2867 for details. Advance tickets are available at the church or online www.brownpapertickets.com.
During the past eight years the event has raised over $62,000, providing 250,000 healthy meals to families in need in Santa Cruz County. The Congregational Church of Soquel and the Capitola/Soquel Chamber of Commerce co-sponsor A Taste of Soquel. Learn more at tasteofsoquel.org.
A few selections at Taste of Soquel 2017
Aldo’s: Tiramisu and Lemoncello Bites; Assorted cookies
Bella Chi-Cha: Pesto Sauce; Cheese Spread
The Kitchen at Discretion: Sourdough Crostini, Strawberry Gastrique, Fresh Herbed Ricotta, Pickled Red Onions
Sawasdee: Papaya Salad; Orange Chicken Thai
El Chipotle: Fresh Chips, Guacamole and Red Salsa
Jeff Walls’ Family Honey: Sample honeys from a variety of floral sources their bees have worked including Soquel-Wildflower, Sage, Buckwheat, Pumpkin-Squash, Lima Bean, Tocalote Thistle & Vanilla (infused) Sage while checking out the observation hive where you can see the inner workings of a hive.
Bargetto Merlot and Pino Grigio
Soquel Vineyards Trinity Rosso & Trinity Bianco
Hunter Hill 2014 Merlot & 2013 Chardonnay
Poetic Cellars 2012 Cab Sauvignon & 2010 Pinot Noir
Wargin Wines Sangiovese & Pinot Gris
Everett Family Farm Soquel Cider
Location: Congregational Church of Soquel, 4951 Soquel Dr., Soquel
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Food, wine and beer at 2016 Grazing on the Green benefiting cancer research
The 13th annual Gourmet Grazing on the Green—Saturday, Sept. 24 at Aptos Village Park, features 70-plus vendors including local restaurants and caterers, other food businesses, and local wineries, breweries, and spirits distilleries. Proceeds benefit the Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group (SCCBG).
The event is from noon to 4 p.m. Buy $65 tickets at New Leaf Community Markets (downtown, Westside or Capitola locations) or online http://sccbg.org or it will be $70 at the door if it’s not sold out. If you have a group of 10, you can get tickets for $60 each. Adult admission includes food, drinks and a souvenir wineglass. Kids 10 and under are free; kids ages 10-20 are $35.
Participating restaurants, farms, and food vendors for 2016 include The Crow’s Nest, Café Cruz, Café Rio, Real Good Fish, Niman Ranch, SunRidge Farms, Ashby Confections, Zameen Mediterranean Cuisine, Cremer House, Ella’s at the Airport, Surf City Sandwich, Hula’s, Hollins House and Sid’s Smokehouse.
Participating wineries, breweries and distilleries include Alfaro Family Vineyards and Winery, Beauregard Vineyards, Hallcrest Vineyards, Kathryn Kennedy Winery, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Sones Cellars, Wargin Wines, Wrights Station Winery, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Discretion Brewing, Seabright Brewery, New Bohemia Brewing Co. and Venus Spirits.
Proceeds from SCCBG’s events benefit these local cancer support and research organizations: Hospice of Santa Cruz County, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Association, Katz Cancer Resource Center, researchers from UC Santa Cruz, the Teen Kitchen Project, and WomenCARE Cancer Advocacy.
For more information on the event, see www.sccbg.org.
There is free shuttle service every 15 minutes from Cabrillo College; parking is also free.
Aptos Village Park: 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos
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Santa Cruz area food events: A Taste of Soquel, Charlie Hong Kong kids festival
Charlie Hong Kong
(used with permission)
I want to share the news about two fun food events tomorrow: A Taste of Soquel and Charlie Hong Kong’s Kids Food Festival. More details are below.
A Taste of Soquel: Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
The seventh annual “A Taste of Soquel,” benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank, takes place in the courtyard of the Congregational Church of Soquel (4951 Soquel Drive). For the past seven years the event has provided over 28,000 healthy meals to families in need. Tickets are $25 for adults (includes music, food, wine) and $10 for youth 12-20 (includes music, food). Kids under 12 are free. Call 831-475-2867 for details. Advance tickets are available at the church or online.
Attendees can enjoy food from restaurants and vendors such as Back Porch, Café Cruz, La Gioconda, Surf City Sandwich, Fogline Farm, Jeff Walls’ Family Honey, The Fish Lady, Aldo’s Bakery, and Sawasdee Thai Cuisine. There will be beer and wine from Discretion Brewing, Soquel Vineyards, Bargetto Winery, Hunter Hill Vineyard & Winery, Vino Cruz, Wargin Wines and Poetic Cellars. There will be lots of live music, including Nina Gerber & Chris Webster and the B Movie Kings.
There will be coffee from the Ugly Mug, plus tea, lemonade, water, and more from The Bagelry and Donut Station. A kids’ area will feature free activities such as singing with Music Together, drumming with local musician Ibou, and crafts. More than 50 local businesses participate in the raffle, featuring prizes such as store and restaurant gift certificates.
Charlie Hong Kong Kids Fest: Saturday, Sept. 26, Noon-1:30 p.m.
Charlie Hong Kong is hosting a kids festival at its restaurant (1141 Soquel Ave.). There will be face painting, cooking, photo opportunities, music, art projects, jugglers, prizes, and a special buffet lunch. The cost is $5 and you have to be accompanied by a child in order to attend.
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Lots of food and wine at biggest Grazing on the Green ever to benefit cancer research
Food at a previous Gourmet Grazing on the Green
The 12th annual Gourmet Grazing on the Green, Saturday, Sept. 19 at Aptos Village Park, has more food and drinks than ever before! As of press time, there are 73 vendors including local restaurants and caterers, other food businesses, and local wineries, breweries, and distilleries. Proceeds benefit the Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group (SCCBG).
The event, which is from noon to 4 p.m., usually sells out so it’s smart to buy tickets ahead of time. Buy $70 tickets at New Leaf Community Markets (downtown, Westside or Capitola locations) or online. If you have a group of 10, you can get tickets for $60 each. Admission includes food, drinks a souvenir wineglass, and live music.
Participating restaurants, farms, and food vendors for 2015 include The Crow’s Nest, Café Cruz, Café Rio, Solaire Restaurant and Bar, Real Good Fish, Niman Ranch, Smart Chicken, New Leaf Community Markets, Ella’s at the Airport, Zameen Mediterranean Cuisine, and Sid’s Smokehouse.
Participating wineries, breweries and distilleries include Alfaro Family Vineyards and Winery, Beauregard Vineyards, Cima Collina, Hunter Hill Vineyard & Winery, Kathryn Kennedy Winery, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Sones Cellars, Bonny Doon Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Discretion Brewing, Seabright Brewery, and Venus Spirits.
Non-alcoholic beverages will include drinks from Tulsi Teas, Pacific Coffee Roasting Co., and Pure Valley Water.
Proceeds from SCCBG’s events benefit these local cancer support and research organizations: Hospice of Santa Cruz County, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Association, Katz Cancer Resource Center, UCSC’s fellowship program for cancer research, the Teen Kitchen Project, and WomenCARE Cancer Advocacy.
More details:
There is free shuttle service every 15 minutes from Cabrillo College Lot E; parking is also free.
For more information on the event, see sccbg.org or call (831) 465-1989.
Aptos Village Park: 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos
On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.
Restaurants gather for Santa Cruz Homeless Services Center
2010’s Soupline Supper – credit to Red Bat Photography via Soupline web site
The community is invited to eat unlimited soup from dozens of local restaurants, caterers, and other food businesses on Thursday April 16 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to benefit Santa Cruz’s Homeless Services Center.
The 16th Annual Soupline Supper benefit is at the Cocoanut Grove at the Santa Cruz boardwalk. For $30 per person or $55 for two, you receive soup, salad bread, and dessert. Kids’ tickets are $15. As the event tagline says, you can simultaneously “Feed Your Family. Feed Your Community. Feed Your Philanthropy.”
More than 40 participating restaurants in 2015’s Soupline include new participants Assembly, Tramonti, Cremer House, and The Hideout, plus past participants The Art Bar & Cafe at the Tannery, The Bagelry, Bittersweet Bistro, Café Cruz, Chaminade, Charlie Hong Kong, Crow’s Nest, Dharma’s, India Joze, La Posta, Manuel’s, Sawasdee, Shadowbrook, Soif, The Walnut Ave Café, and Zameen. See full restaurant list at souplinesupper.org/restaurants.
At the event there are different tables around the perimeter of the room, all with large containers of homemade soup, with about a dozen available at any one time (selections rotate throughout the evening). Attendees walk around and choose which ones to sample. Public officials and other community leaders serve the soup. This year’s “Celebrity Ladlers” include local politicians David Terrazas, Cynthia Chase, and John Leopold; pastor Rene Schlaepfer (Twin Lakes Church), business owner Larry Pearson (Pacific Cookie Company), and arts leader Nina Simon (Executive Director MAH).
There are lots of tables set up in the dining room where you can relax and enjoy your meal. There is also a raffle and silent auction. Buy tickets and read more information online at the site souplinesupper.org.
Free parking after 4 pm is available at the Boardwalk lot across from the Cocoanut Grove.
The Homeless Services Center is a community-supported non-profit organization dedicated to the coordinated provision of services for homeless persons. The goal of the Homeless Services Center is to provide both emergency and transitional services to homeless individuals that will enable clients to achieve self-sufficiency.
If you’re on Twitter, please follow me @santacruzfoodie.
Two Santa Cruz area food events this weekend: A Taste of Soquel & Sausagefest
I want to share the news about two fun food events this weekend that benefit great causes: A Taste of Soquel Saturday (late morning through the afternoon) and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing’s Sausagefest Sunday afternoon. More details are below; remember that Saturday is also the always-wonderful festival “Gourmet Grazing” that benefits Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group. Read details in my Sept. 11 article.
A Taste of Soquel: Saturday, Sept. 27, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
The sixth annual “A Taste of Soquel,” benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank, takes place in the courtyard of the Congregational Church of Soquel (4951 Soquel Drive). The theme is “Food & Music for the Common Good.” Read more about the Food Bank at thefoodbank.org.
There will be lots of live music, including Nina Gerber & Chris Webster headlining at 12:25, and the Steve Abrams Latin Jazz Quartet “Chile Con Soul.”
Attendees can enjoy food from restaurants and vendors such as:
Café Cruz, Carpo’s, Fogline Farm, Jeff Walls’ Family Honey, Fish Lady, Aldo’s Bakery, The Kitchen at Discretion Brewing, and Sawasdee
Plus, beer and wine from:
Discretion Brewing, Soquel Vineyards, Bargetto Winery, and Hunter Hill Vineyard & Winery
There will also be coffee from the Ugly Mug, plus tea, lemonade, water, and more from The Bagelry and Donut Station. A kids’ area will feature free activities such as miniature golf, crafts, and dancing. More than 60 local businesses participate in the raffle, featuring prizes such as Weber BBQs from Home Depot; gift certificates from Tortilla Flats, El Chipotle, The Little People’s Store, and Safeway; and a produce basket from Everett Family Farm.
Tickets are $25 for adults (includes music, food, wine) and $10 for youth 12-20 (includes music, food). Kids under 12 are free. Call 831-475-2867 or see ccsoquel.org for details. Advance tickets are available at the church or at www.brownpapertickets.com.
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing’s Sausagefest: Sunday, Sept. 28, 1-4 p.m.
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing is hosting the 8th annual Sausagefest which includes sausage from vendors el Salchichero, Freedom Meats and Corralitos Market, and homemade sauerkrauts, relishes, pickles, and mustards. Additional food will be available from vendors including Buttercup Cakes, Penny Ice Creamery, Companion Bakeshop, and Firely Coffee House.
There will also be lots of organic ale from SCMB, plus beverages from locals including Santa Cruz Cider Co., Uncommon Brewers, and Hallcrest Vineyards. San Francisco punk/polka band Polkacide is performing for the second consecutive year.
The festival has an admission fee of $10 for adults and teens, and it’s free for kids under 12. Food and beverages will be for sale; event proceeds benefit Friends of Santa Cruz Parks. There will be “Radical Redwood Rootbeer” and other non-alcoholic drinks, and some kids’ activities.
Buy tickets at the SCMB taproom, Discretion Brewing, 99 Bottles of Beer, or online at eventbrite.com. Doors open at 12:30pm and the event is at the location of the Westside Farmers Market at the corner of Mission Street Extension and Western Drive. Call 831-425-4900 or see scmbrew.com for details.
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Don’t miss Gourmet Grazing cancer research benefit with a wide array of food & wine
Attendees at a previous Gourmet Grazing on the Green
It’s time for the 11th annual Gourmet Grazing on the Green, where you can enjoy a large amount of first-rate food (from local restaurants and caterers)—plus beverages from local wineries, breweries, and distilleries—in a friendly and festive atmosphere. And you will be helping support the very worthwhile Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group (SCCBG).
Gourmet Grazing is Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014 from noon to 4 p.m. at Aptos Village Park.
The event usually sells out a few days ahead of time, so I recommend you buy tickets soon. This year organizers are allowing 1,200 tickets to be sold instead of 800, so it is possible that tickets won’t sell out as fast—but you never know! SCCBG Board member Mary Anne Carson commented: “Due to its popularity, we’ve expanded our space in order to bring in more food purveyors, restaurants and vintners, as well as more Grazers, this year. We look forward to another stellar event and raising even more funds for the benefit of our beneficiaries.”
Purchase $65 tickets at New Leaf Community Markets (downtown, Westside or Capitola locations) or online. If you have a group of 10, you can get tickets for $50 each. Admission includes food, wine, beer, a souvenir wineglass, and live music. The event is outdoors; last year it actually rained for a short while, but everyone just ran under the few sheltered spots and it stopped as quickly as it started.
New this year is a “big bottle silent auction,” courtesy of new festival partner Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association (SCMWA). There will also be a bottle booth operated by SCMWA, an alliance of more than 60 wineries promoting wine produced from the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation.
Some of the food creations that participants will taste have been created with products generously donated by event sponsors Coke Farm, Watsonville Coast Produce, and presenting sponsor New Leaf Community Markets.
Some of my favorite dishes from last year’s festival included Café Rio’s Rio Prawn Spring Roll (included mung bean noodles, sprouts, carrots, green onion, basil, and mint) and Johnny’s Harborside’s Gazpacho Seafood Cocktail (calamari, scallops, shrimp, garnished with baby romaine and a watermelon radish). For more 2013 highlights, see my recap article.
There are more than 25 participating restaurants, farms, and food vendors for 2014 including The Crow’s Nest, Shadowbrook, Café Cruz, Café Rio, The Whole Enchilada, Solaire Restaurant and Bar, Hula’s Island Grill, Santa Cruz Fish Co., Everett Family Farm, MacKenzie Bar & Grill, Friend in Cheeses Jam Co., Redwood Hill Farms, The Penny Ice Creamery, and The True Olive Connection.
More than 25 participating wineries, breweries and distilleries include Venus Spirits, Alfaro Family Vineyards and Winery, Beauregard Vineyards, Burrell School Vineyards, Hunter Hill Vineyard & Winery, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Seabright Brewery, Sones Cellars, Bonny Doon Vineyards, and Kathryn Kennedy Winery.
This year, Kathryn Kennedy Winery will pour wine including 2011 Kathryn Kennedy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, which sources say is “amazing.”
Proceeds from SCCBG’s events, including this year’s Gourmet Grazing, benefit these local cancer support and research organizations: Hospice of Santa Cruz County, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Association, Katz Cancer Resource Center, UCSC Cancer Research, the Teen Kitchen Project, and WomenCARE Cancer Advocacy. Over the last decade, SCCBG has distributed more than $1.5 million to directly support the Santa Cruz community.
There will be a raffle, with ticket sales benefiting SCCBG. Prizes include jewelry, restaurant gift certificates, a wetsuit from O’Neill, and SCMWA Wine Passports.
More details:
There is free parking and free shuttle service from Cabrillo College Lot E.
For more information on the event, see www.sccbg.org or call (831) 465-1989
Aptos Village Park: 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos
On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.
Local restaurants cook up soup benefiting Santa Cruz Homeless Services Center
A volunteer preparing dessert at Soupline 2010 – credit to Red Bat Photography via Soupline web site
Eat a variety of delicious soup from dozens of local restaurants and shops on Thursday April 24—the event benefits Santa Cruz’s Homeless Services Center.
The 15th Annual Soupline Supper and Benefit Auction is at the Cocoanut Grove at the Santa Cruz boardwalk from 5:30-7:30 p.m. For $25 per person or $50 per family (up to 4 individuals), you receive soup, salad bread, and dessert. Purchase tickets.
The event is set up with different tables where chefs serve their homemade soup, with about a dozen available at any one time (selections rotate throughout the evening). Attendees walk around and choose which ones to sample. Public officials and other community leaders serve as “Celebrity Ladlers.” There are lots of tables set up in the dining room where you can relax and enjoy your meal. Buy tickets and read more information online at the special Soupline site.
More than 40 participating restaurants in 2014’s Soupline include Aquarius, The Art Bar & Cafe at the Tannery, The Bagelry, The Buttery, Café Cruz, Chaminade, Charlie Hong Kong, Crow’s Nest, Gabriella Café, Hula’s, Laili, La Posta, Manuel’s, Sawasdee, Shadowbrook, Soif, The Walnut Ave Café, and Zameen. See full restaurant list.
There is free parking after 4 pm at the Boardwalk lot across from the Cocoanut Grove.
The Homeless Services Center is a community-supported non-profit organization dedicated to the coordinated provision of services for homeless persons. The goal of the Homeless Services Center is to provide both emergency and transitional services to homeless individuals that will enable clients to achieve self-sufficiency.
If you’re on Twitter, please follow me @santacruzfoodie.