A pair of lions adorn brand-new Mane Kitchen & Cocktails’ online emblem, which feels fitting on a couple of fronts.
One, its four-night debut last weekend in the former Betty’s Eat In (1222 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz) generated real roar. That came thanks to smart bistro fare, shiny art deco design and the minor miracle that they nailed their debut target date of Halloween, when downtown is as lively as any night of the year.
Two, a pair of lions, who happen to be astrological Leos, are providing the pedigree and leadership in the kitchen and behind the bar.
Desmond Schneider—after time at Pete’s Capitola, Alderwood, Seabright Social and popular popup Pizza Bones—has assembled a mouthwatering lineup.
Thursday night the limited opening offerings wove through items like fresh oysters from the raw bar up front, a Mane Wagyu blend burger, chicken liver pâté, and Monterey Bay rockfish crudo with grilled avocado and trout roe.
“I’m not doing anything anyone hasn’t heard of—I’m capturing my French and Italian cuisine training, taking those classic dishes and making them my own with little nuances, California style and California-grown ingredients,” he says. “Counting on good farming practices, seafood from the bay, and having fun with the food.”
He pairs with beverage ace Julianna Mireles, whose résumé stacks up experience at Red Room Cocktail Lounge and Hollins House (where she and Schneider met), though the most compelling part of her bio might be the fact she’s a lifelong musician, sailor and Reiki practitioner. Or as Mane promotional material put it: “She infuses her craft with rhythm, flow, and energy.”
Some of her current tastes include “Aloe Darling” with Chareau aloe liquor, violet liqueur, gin and lemon, and a Mane Margarita with mezcal, Amaro Montenegro, passionfruit, pineapple, lime, pomegranate and Tajin.
Hours are 5–10pm Tuesday–Saturday to start (with the bar open later). manekc.com.
BETTER LATE
Another eatery just made its own Pacific Avenue debut on Saturday, Nov. 1, a day after Mane’s Halloween debut. You won’t see many chains appearing in this column, but this one earns an exception because Insomnia Cookies (1010 Pacific Ave., Suites C&D, Santa Cruz) bolsters the late-night options around the area, which are sparse. Insomnia started at University of Pennsylvania by then-student Seth Berkowitz in 2003; now Surf City’s is targeting Banana Slugs. The cookie options are legion—20+ all told—with brownies, ice cream and custom ice cream cookie sandwiches too. Hours run to 1am nightly, and until 3am Thursday–Sunday, with delivery options built in. insomniacookies.com
HAN LOH AND BEHOLD
Hanloh Thai’s delicious three-year run as resident restaurant at Bad Animal (1011 Cedar St., Santa Cruz) concludes Dec. 14. Chef-owner-operator Lalita Kaewsawang took to Instagram to mark nine years in operation—from a scrappy pop-up using coolers and folding tables to a slot on LA Times 101 Best Restaurants List. Kaewsawang invites guests to visit in the remaining six weeks, adding, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to cook my food and share my stories.” She also adds an encouraging note for fans of her gai tod hat yai chicken and splaa nueng manao black cod: “This isn’t goodbye, it is a pause before the next adventure.” hanloh.com.
TURBO TOPPINGS
On Nov. 1 Miss Teen California Jasmine Wu joined Campaign for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture’s Pesticide Reality Tour, part of the “Turn the Red Farms Green” push to transition fields around Watsonville-area schools and homes away from poisons, farmworkerfamily.org/cora…Good Times Best Of Santa Cruz 2026 nominations remain sizzling,goodtimes.sc/best-of-ballot…The Scotts Valley Fall Festival & Bake Off brings tastings, food trucks, games, artisan vendors and more at the SV Community Center noon-3pm Saturday, Nov. 8…Martha Stewart, do the honors: “I believe in eating real food.”
