Tag Archives: restaurants

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Day Four: Jack O’Neill Restaurant


Appetizers from Jack O’Neill Restaurant including Kennebec potato chips and crab cakes, photo courtesy of restaurant

Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge at Dream Inn Santa Cruz is today’s partner for the “12 Days of Christmas Giveaway” with a $50 gift card prize. Keep reading for how to enter.

Gus Trejo, who currently serves as executive chef for Jack O’Neill and all of Dream Inn’s culinary operations, is very talented and creative. Plus, he sources many ingredients—from seasonings to seafood—from our local community. To name a few: the housemade Kennebec potato chips feature Big Sur Salts diablo sea salt, the cured meat and cheese board includes jam from Friend in Cheese Jam Co., and select entrees include mushrooms from Far West Fungi, produce from Sea to Sky Farm, or chicken from Fogline Farm.

During a recent dinnertime visit, my family enjoyed a delectable flatbread with Kuri squash and Burrata and perfectly flakey Dungeness crab cakes with a scrumptious Remoulade (we fought a little over the last bites). The wonderful entrees included Chef Trejo’s signature Prawns & Pasta with ravioli, prawn bisque, and pea shoots. The variety of ravioli rotates depending on the season.

Jack O’Neill is serving prix fixe multi-course dinners on Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31. Featured Christmas dishes that guests will choose from include Scallop Crudo, Warm Chicories, Wedge Salad, Rib “Eye” of Beef, Gnudi & Lobster, and Death by Chocolate.  For New Year’s Eve, Chef Trejo will prepare dishes such as Celeriac Root Bisque, Lobster Toast, Fillet of Beef, and Vanilla Crème Brulee. That night, there will be live music from 5–7 p.m. & 7:30 –10:30 p.m. Christmas is $85 per person & New Year’s Eve is $110 per person (the latter includes champagne). Reservations are required at Opentable.com or 831.460.5012.

Contact Information

jackoneillrestaurant.com, IG @jack_oneill_restaurant, 175 West Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz

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CONTEST:

One lucky reader will win a Jack O’Neill gift card worth $50.

To enter, email your name to tara@santacruzfoodie.com by Friday Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. with the words “Jack O’Neill” in the subject line. The drawing will take place the next morning and the winner will be notified via email.

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12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Day Three: Shadowbrook Restaurant

Shadowbrook Restaurant’s main dining room, photo courtesy of Shadowbrook

Capitola restaurant Shadowbrook has graciously donated a $75 gift card for Day 3 of my “12 Days of Christmas Giveaway.” Keep reading for how to enter.

Serving local and tourist fans since 1947, Shadowbrook is an icon. Some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes include bacon-wrapped prawns, baked brie, and clam chowder (in the menu’s appetizer section) and entrees like ‘Pacific Rim’ salmon (featured in Bon Appetit magazine) and slow-roasted Angus prime rib. Vegetarians enjoy dishes such as the soba noodle medley with tofu and shiitakes or black truffle gnocchi. Favorite desserts include a famous “Chocolate Meltdown” (molten cake served with vanilla bean ice cream).

The Rock Room Bar & Lounge features a few options from the main dining room menu plus sandwiches and burgers and specialty wood-fired pizzas. Shadowbrook also has one of the best kids’ menus in town, in my humble opinion. Lots of variety for diners 12 and under!

Many people enjoy dining at Shadowbrook all year long, and during the holidays. They are already fully booked for “dining room seating” on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but they accept walk-ins for the Rock Room and for patio seating. For New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, some reservations are still available. Visit the holiday section of Shadowbrook’s website for more information.  

An easy gift for foodies is Shadowbrook gift cards. You can order virtual cards online or shop by phone or in person at the restaurant.

Regular (non-holiday) hours:

Rock Room Bar & Lounge: Mon-Thurs 3:30-10 p.m., Fri-Sun Noon-10 p.m.

Dining Rooms:  Mon-Fri 4-8:45 p.m., Sat 2-9:45 p.m., Sun 2-8:45 p.m.

Information: shadowbrook-capitola.com, IG @shadowbrook_restaurant

Location: 1750 Wharf Road, Capitola, 831-475-1511

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CONTEST:

One lucky reader will win a Shadowbrook gift card worth $75.

To enter, email your name to tfatemi@gmail.com by Friday Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. with the word “Shadowbrook” in the subject line. The drawing will take place the next morning and the winner will be notified via email.

Side note: Please be aware that although my website is called santacruzfoodie.com, I am not affiliated with the Instagram account called santacruzfoodie – that is someone else’s account. My IG is @tarafatemiwalker. I have been told many people mistakenly believe @santacruzfoodie is mine.

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12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Day One: Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap in Santa Cruz

Teriyaki tofu bowl at Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap

Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap on Capitola Road consistently serves happy customers with its Aloha spirit, so I thought it fitting for them to be the first participant in Santa Cruz Foodie’s “12 Days of Christmas Giveaways” with prizes from wonderful local businesses.

Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap currently offers indoor dining, patio dining, takeout, and delivery.

Hours are 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Upcoming holiday hours: Open Dec. 24 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; closed Dec. 25, open Dec. 26 4-8 p.m., Jan 1. closed.

The menu is diverse and can satisfy people with varying tastes. There are teriyaki bowls, poke plates, Hawaiian-style tacos, burgers, made-in-house Kalua pork dishes, and more. With the delicious fresh poke, you can choose from 10 varieties like Braddah Timmy’s with chili flakes, avocado, cucumber, sesame oil, Alaea sea salt, sweet onion, green onion, and housemade kimchee.

As the name suggests, Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap has lots of drinks on tap including Maui Brewing draft beer and hard seltzer, Corralitos beer, Tanuki cider, and Kombucha.  

Pono Gift card special through 12/31: a $25 card costs $20 or buy a $100 card & get a $20 bonus card.

Located in Silicon Valley? Owner Timmy Hunt opened Pono Hawaiian Grill San Jose one year ago. It’s a cloud kitchen that does takeout and delivery; there is no on-site dining. Visit ponohawaiian.com or IG @ponosanjose.

Contact Information for main Santa Cruz location:

Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap, 3744 Capitola Rd., 831-476-7458

ponokitchenandtap.com, IG @ponokitchenandtap

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CONTEST:

One lucky reader will win a Pono gift card worth $50, valid at the Capitola location.

To enter, email your name to tfatemi@gmail.com by Wednesday Dec. 15 at 10 p.m. with the word “Pono” in the subject line. The drawing will take place the next morning and the winner will be notified via email.

Side note: Please be aware that although my website is called santacruzfoodie.com, I am not affiliated with the Instagram account called santacruzfoodie – that is someone else’s account. My IG is @tarafatemiwalker. I have been told many people mistakenly believe @santacruzfoodie is mine.

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Get tickets soon for A Taste of Santa Cruz on Oct. 18

Treats from Aldo’s Italian Bakery at the 2017 “A Taste of Santa Cruz” – Photo credit: ATOSC

The 14th annual “A Taste of Santa Cruz,” at the MAH from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, features about 20 participating restaurants and food vendors plus several wineries and one brewery. This year, organizers switched the celebration from November to October and moved the time earlier, to take advantage of warmer weather. The event benefits first-time home buyers. Tickets are $50 in advance or $55 at the door if it’s not sold out.

The cost includes a commemorative glass plus tastings from all vendors. Participants will have the opportunity to sample lots of food and drinks including a new raw oyster bar on the third floor (the refreshments are spread across all three floors, and there’s a wine bar at the museum’s outdoor sculpture garden where attendees can purchase extra glasses of wine). Buy tickets online, and visit atosc.com or call 831-464-2000 for more information.

Food vendors include Splash!, Five Star Catering, Aldo’s, Rosie McCann’s, Gordo Gustavo’s, Casa Nostra, East Side Eatery, The Jerk House, Hula’s Island Grill, Percy’s Pies, burger, Woodstock Pizza, H&H Fresh Fish Co., Shucked Raw Oyster Bar, Vinocruz, The Turkey Boat, Buttercup Cakes, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Marini’s Candies, and Back Nine Bar & Grill.

At the 2017 event, Splash! offered a tasty bite with house-smoked trout and tomato confit; Hula’s served up a delicious Hawaiian Ceviche (fresh whitefish cooked in citrus with coconut milk, chili, cilantro, and garlic), and Buttercup handed out their always-fantastic cupcakes.

Wineries include Alfaro Family Vineyard, Kissed by an Angel, Stockwell Cellars, Bargetto, Roudon Smith, 37th Parallel, DeVincenzi Cellars, McHenry Vineyard, and Loma Prieta. East Cliff Brewing Co. will be providing beer.

This year’s event is at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History for the second consecutive year, and Habit for Humanity Monterey Bay is a presenting partner for the second year in a row. There will be live and silent auctions. Live auction items include an eight-day unique Hawaii vacation that includes three different places to stay, a Jeep rental, restaurants, beach adventures and a massage. Silent auction items include wine tasting, and excellent tickets to the first 2019 pre-season game for the San Francisco 49ers.

All proceeds from the event benefit the grant assistance program of the Santa Cruz Association of Realtors Housing Foundation, which provides closing costs for first time, low-income home-buyers in Santa Cruz County. In 2017, the event sold out—for the first time ever!—and raised nearly $25,000. The Taste of Santa Cruz has raised almost $400,000 since its inception in 2004. 

Location: MAH, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz

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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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Mother’s Day restaurant highlights for Santa Cruz & Monterey: Shadowbrook, Chaminade, Portola & more

Shadowbrook is open during the day on Mother’s Day. Photo courtesy of Shadowbrook.

Dining out on Mother’s Day is extremely popular, so if you haven’t made reservations yet, better hurry: here are a few restaurant highlights for Santa Cruz County and Monterey. I’ll publish more in the next few days.

Santa Cruz, Capitola, Aptos

Shadowbrook

It’s very rare for Shadowbrook to be open during the day, but it’s happening on Mother’s Day. The restaurant is serving a dinner menu all day (11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.) in its main dining room. Mother’s Day specials are slow-roasted leg of spring lamb (porcini mushroom-crusted with organic baby carrots, wild rice ‘pilaf’ and Cabernet jus, $28.95) and sweet-glazed ham (lightly smoked with Gouda potato gratin, grilled asparagus, apple-mustard and ham hock jus, $24.95). Many other dishes will be available like New England clam chowder; signature salad which includes baby spinach, candied pecans, and bacon-wrapped prawns; and house specialty Angus prime rib. See full menu here.

Many of the large party tables (7 people and up) have been booked, but as of press time there were a couple cancellations for the private room, at 11:15 and 5:15—this holds 12-16 people. For smaller parties (tables of four, for example) they are booked from 11 a.m. to 2:30, but there are reservation openings after that scattered throughout the afternoon and evening. Call 831-475-1511 for reservations. In addition, the Rock Room Bar & Lounge is open beginning at 10:30 a.m. for bar service and 11 for food, and might stay open as late as 10 p.m., but there are no reservations accepted for that area. It’s first-come, first-served. The regular dinner menu will be available at the rooftop heated bar/lounge deck. The regular Rock Room menu will be available in the lounge and on the deck. Because of Shadowbrook’s popularity—especially on Mother’s Day—many people choose to buy restaurant gift cards for Mother’s Day and give these as gifts, to be used at a later date.

1750 Wharf Rd., Capitola

 

Chaminade

The Chaminade offers its annual Mother’s Day buffet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 13. Cost is $66.95 for adults, $18.95 for kids 6-12 and free for kids under 6. Selections include Belgian waffles; an omelet bar; mini quiches; gourmet salads; a seafood bar with teriyaki salmon, Dungeness crab legs and more; roast prime rib with au jus; bourbon glazed honey ham; and ravioli with porcini cream, fried leeks and wild mushrooms. Kids’ dishes are chicken strips and fries; mac & cheese; and mini pancakes. See full menu. Call (831) 475-5600 or visit  opentable.com for reservations.

One Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz

Sanderlings

Sanderlings at Seascape Resort has a brunch buffet from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm; the price is $56.95 for adults and $21.95 for kids. This year’s selections include a prime rib carving station; a seafood bar; a salad assortment (includes roasted beet with radicchio, apple, pickled apple; and Cobb; fresh fruit; and freshly baked croissants and muffins. Other highlights include potato cakes; smoked bacon and chicken apple sausage; and a kids’ menu with chicken tenders, hot dogs and more. Call (831) 662-7120 or visit opentable.com for reservations.

One Seascape Resort Drive, Aptos 

Hollins House

Hollins House at Pasatiempo has a brunch buffet from 10 am to 2 pm; the price is $75 for adults (includes a glass of champagne). The menu will include made-to-order omelets featuring choices such as smoked salmon and green garlic chives; Yukon gold potato hash; Applewood smoked bacon and breakfast sausage; a carving station with items such as Pitt ham with honey mustard and Hollandaise; artichoke quiche; and a few salads (including Caesar, and build-your-own-Cobb). Other highlights include a croissant and bagel station, cupcakes and bread pudding with salty whiskey caramel. See full menu here. Call (831) 216-5358 or visit opentable.com for reservations.

20 Clubhouse Road, Santa Cruz

Monterey

Portola Hotel & Spa

Portola Hotel & Spa is hosting Mother’s Day brunch at its De Anza Ballroom. There will be live piano music, and each mother receives a complimentary Mimosa. The buffet is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 831-649-7874 for reservations. Cost is $54.95 for adults, $41.95 for seniors 65 and up, and $24.95 for kids. The menu includes ham-gruyere frittata, sweet & savory crepes, California cheeses & cured meats with crusty bread & crackers, wild King salmon, and prime rib.  The kids’ menu includes macaroni & cheese and grilled chicken fingers with Ranch. See full menu.

Two Portola Plaza, Monterey

 

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Enjoy delicious food & drinks at A Taste of Santa Cruz Thursday

The Point Chophouse serving food at a previous “A Taste of Santa Cruz,” Photo credit: A Taste of Santa Cruz, used with permission

The 13th annual “A Taste of Santa Cruz” (ATOSC) at the MAH on Thursday, Nov. 9, features more than 15 participating restaurants plus 16 wineries and two breweries. The event runs from 5:30-9 p.m. and benefits first-time home buyers. Tickets are $45 in advance or $55 at the door if it’s not sold out. The cost includes a commemorative glass plus tantalizing tastings from 30-plus vendors. Buy tickets online, or visit atosc.com or call 831-464-2000 for more information.

 

This year’s event is at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History for the first time, and attendees can enjoy the museum’s three floors of exhibits before or after their refreshments. There is also a “tasting garden” on the rooftop where attendees can purchase glasses of wine and beer and purchase wine to take home. All proceeds from the event benefit the grant assistance program of the Santa Cruz Association of Realtors Housing Foundation, which provides closing costs for first time, low-income home-buyers in Santa Cruz County. Also, Habit for Humanity Monterey Bay is collaborating with ATOSC this year.

 

Selected Bites at the Nov. 9 event

Splash!
Trout Bruschetta – House smoked trout with a tomato confit

Rosie McCann’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
Two items: Ruben Rolls with corned beef on an egg roll with sauerkraut & dipping sauces, and traditional Irish Bangers

Persephone
Budino (savory Parmesan custard with balsamic glaze and fried sage)

Michael’s On Main
Two items: Smoked Pork Belly Sliders-Chipotle aioli, pickled slaw, crème fraiche on Hawaiian sweet rolls, and Spicy Tuna Spring Rolls with avocado, shitake mushrooms and wasabi mousse

Pour Taproom 

Maine Lobster Rolls (with fresh lobster flown in from Maine)

Hula’s Island Grill – Santa Cruz 
Hawaiian Ceviche with fresh white fish, cooked in citrus with coconut milk, chili, cilantro & garlic

The Turkey Boat

“Thanksgiving Dinner in a Bowl” and dessert

The Jerk House

Jerk House Wings  with sweet Hibiscus Glaze or Jerk Glaze plus Sweet Fried Plantains

Buttercup Cakes & Farmhouse Frosting
Dessert Buffet of holiday treats and cupcakes

Other participating vendors include Akira, The Point Chophouse, Marini’s Candies (assorted chocolates), Aldo’s Santa Cruz, Percy’s Pies, Makse Bars, Oasis Tasting Room (El Salchichero cured meats and accompaniments), Woodstock Pizza and Cowboy Bar and Grill (pulled pork). Wineries include Alfaro Family Vineyards, Bargetto, Burrell School, Clos Tita, Equinox Wines & Bartolo Winery, Kings Mountain Vineyards, Loma Prieta Winery, McHenry Vineyard, Odonata Wines, Roudon-Smith Winery, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Ser Winery, Villa del Monte Winery, Wrights Station Vineyard & Winery and 37th Parallel. Breweries are East Cliff Brewing Co. and Uncommon Brewers.

 

Other highlights at the event: live and silent auctions with items from local businesses and individuals. Prizes include stays at an oceanfront home in Aptos plus homes in Donner Lake, Puerto Vallarta and Maine; a wine lovers package; restaurant gift certificates; family-friendly activity tickets; shopping and wellness packages; and outdoor experiences.

Location: MAH, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz

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Dine at Hula’s on Mondays and support Boys and Girls Club of Santa Cruz County

April Mahalo Mondays benefit Boys and Girls Club

April Mahalo Mondays benefit Boys and Girls Club

If you go out for dinner or drinks at the downtown Santa Cruz restaurant Hula’s on Monday nights in April, part of your meal will benefit the Boys and Girls Club.

 

During the month of April, Hula’s Island Grill & Tiki Room – a wonderful place to eat and drink with selections to accommodate many different tastes – is donating 10% of all Monday night sales to the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Cruz County.

 

This promotion is part of the restaurant’s Mahalo Mondays community giving program; on selected months throughout the year, a different non-profit organization receives 10% of Monday evening sales. Between 2008 and 2016, Hula’s donated more than $143,000 to 56 local nonprofit organizations via Mahalo Mondays proceeds.

 

If you haven’t been to Hula’s lately, there’s a great lanai in front providing outdoor seating; it opened in May 2016. The restaurant’s menu features Hawaiian fusion dishes and other choices. Lunch highlights include delicious burgers with beef and veggie options that come with choice of sweet potato fries (warning: addictive), regular fries, slaw or arugula or Caesar salad; rice bowls with black beans, cabbage mix, and choice of “jungle” tofu, wasabi ahi or spicy Thai chicken; and a variety of tacos. At dinnertime, all of these dishes are still available, and there are many more such as Hawaiian fish soup, slow-roasted pork plate, and fresh fish. For seafood, you can choose between six types of fish and select one of six preparation types to match it with. For example, pick lemongrass-encrusted halibut with lime-ginger-cream sauce or pan-fried ono with shiitakes. Hula’s also offers a tiki bar that features 40 different rums, tropical drink specialties and more.

 

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County promotes youth guidance through educational, vocational, recreational, social and character development of girls and boys ages 6 to 18. The Club is the only youth service organization in the greater Santa Cruz area providing daily afterschool drop-in programs five days a week. There is a downtown Santa Cruz location, and a new Live Oak location that opened one year ago. Boys & Girls Clubs also offer a summer day camp program five days a week from mid-June through mid-August, and Winter and Spring break day camps.

 

Details

Hula’s Island Grill and & Tiki Room, 221 Cathcart Street (between Cedar and Pacific), Santa Cruz (831) 426-4852

Dates: April 10, 17, and 24

Hours: Dinner nightly 4:00 p.m.–close, lunch Tuesday- Sunday 11:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., happy hour with daily specials (Tuesday–Sunday 2-6 p.m., Monday 4:30–6).

 

 

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Four days remain for Crow’s Nest downstairs specials–plus other restaurant news

“Drunken Prawns” with prawns, Andouille sausage, potato Parmesan pancake and crispy onions in bourbon gravy: a recent Thursday prix fixe entrée option at Crow’s Nest Photo credit: Crow’s Nest Facebook page

“Drunken Prawns” with prawns, Andouille sausage, potato Parmesan pancake and crispy onions in bourbon gravy: a recent Thursday prix fixe entrée option at Crow’s Nest
Photo credit: Crow’s Nest Facebook page

Santa Cruz harbor restaurant The Crow’s Nest has some great Monday through Thursday specials, valid at both lunch and dinner, and they’re ending this Thursday, March 9, 2017 — although the “Deal With a View” dinner special, served only in the upstairs bar, is also wonderful and that one’s valid through May 25.

Let’s first discuss the main restaurant weekday specials, served in the regular downstairs restaurant. These are called “Downstairs Classic Specials,” and are valid at both lunch and dinner:

  • Monday is retro menu ($21.95) with your choice of tempura scallops, broiled salmon or enchilada and sirloin. Each entrée comes with soup or house salad plus rice and vegetables.
  • Tuesday is lobster ($21.95) — broiled lobster tail with soup or house salad plus rice and vegetables.
  • Wednesday is steak day ($21.95): choose prime grade large top sirloin with crispy fried onions and Chef’s steak sauce or petit filet mignon with mocha rub and porcini butter or smoked 10 oz. prime rib (while they last). All come with soup or house salad, mashed potatoes and vegetables.
  • Thursday is prix fixe menu ($25), where customers receive a three-course menu designed by the chef. Two recent entrées are pork tenderloin in a syrah demi-glacé, topped with house smoked blue cheese and accompanied by pumpkin gnocchi with candied bacon; and “Drunken Prawns” with prawns, Andouille sausage, potato Parmesan pancake and crispy onions in a bourbon gravy.

 

As I mentioned, there are four days remaining this season to get the above weekday specials; they might be back again after Labor Day.

 

Deal with a View, on the other hand, is still running after this week. It’s only available upstairs, in the Crow’s Nest Breakwater Bar & Grill. It’s served from Monday through Friday evenings from 6 p.m. until the kitchen closes. For $9.95, customers receive entrée choice of Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, Fish Tacos, or Aloha Burger, served with soup, salad or fries (salad bar option costs an extra $2).
Another option: I just bought food from the restaurant’s next-door shop, Beach Market, for the first time. I highly recommend it. They have lots of very reasonably priced wood-fired pizzas plus sandwiches, salads and more. I enjoyed chicken pesto pizza and my young daughter liked the Hawaiian variety. My husband loved his pizza sandwich (mozzarella and red sauce with choice of three toppings on a francese roll).

 

For details on all of these, visit the Crow’s Nest web site.

Crow’s Nest is at 2218 East Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, 831-476-4560

 

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Wednesday wine discounts and more at Shadowbrook

Festive Capitola restaurant Shadowbrook. Photo credit: Shadowbrook web site

Festive Capitola restaurant Shadowbrook
Photo credit: Shadowbrook web site

The restaurant Shadowbrook offers great discounts and a chance to meet local winemakers on Winemaker Wednesdays, which occur most weeks through May 2017.

 

Every Wednesday a different wine is featured, and customers can meet the selected winemaker from 5-8pm. At this time, a flight of three to four wines from that winery is served in the Rock Room (bar area) and people can enjoy complimentary small bites with their flight. Additionally, a 50% discount is offered throughout the restaurant for glasses and bottles of wine from the featured winery. Although the winemaker is only available through 8 p.m. in the bar area, the complimentary appetizers and half-off wine pricing are available the entire evening.

 

The next winery and winemaker making guest appearances are Alfaro Family Vineyards and Richard Alfaro on Nov. 23. As a special bonus, for any Shadowbrook customers who purchase a bottle of Alfaro wine that night (either to enjoy with dinner or to take home), Richard Alfaro is providing a free wine tasting certificate that’s valid for a future visit to his Corralitos tasting room.

 

Other wineries making appearances in the near future include Naumann (Nov. 30), Roudon-Smith (Dec. 7), and Muns Vineyard (Dec. 14). Because of the holiday season, there are no Winemaker Wednesdays on Dec. 21 or Dec. 28.

 

Winemaker Wednesdays began in October, and Shadowbrook has several other promotions going on through the spring. These include two that started earlier this month:

Prime Rib Mondays—Shadowbrook’s house specialty is available for only $18.95 in the Dining Room. Includes creamed spinach, buttermilk mashed potatoes and horseradish cream

Seafood Night Thursdays—Order any seafood item on the menu for $18.95. I’ve truly savored the seafood I’ve had at Shadowbrook in the past, including scallops and salmon, and this is reminding me that I’m due for a seafood visit soon!

 

Both specials will be offered through February, and are not valid on holidays.

Learn more about these and other delicious offers at shadowbrook-capitola.com/promotions/.

 

The Details:

Shadowbrook Restaurant, 1750 Wharf Road, Capitola (831) 475-1511

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