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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

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

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

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
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
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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