Alright, real talk: What’s your move here?
The options are s’mores pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes, peach cobbler pancakes, blueberry banana pancakes, tiramisu pancakes and cookie butter pancakes.
Or brioche French toast, raspberry cream cheese French toast, banana apricot French toast, California French toast and blueberry cream French toast.
And that’s just the opening salvo with the menu at The Breakfast Club at Midtown, a San Jose-based chain that’s been a buzz-worthy hit on the South Bay Area/East Bay breakfast circuit since its line-out-the-door debut in San Jose.
If you’re still thinking about the pancake/F-toast play, the good news is The Club offers a “Midtown Trio” choice of three among any.
The cult Club is on a rapid expansion run, with recent openings in Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Castro Valley, Morgan Hill, Livermore and San Mateo.
Next up for Midtown: downtown Santa Cruz.
Construction is underway in the dormant space that formerly hosted Assembly and Alderwood Pacific (1108 Pacific Ave.). Opening date is several months off.
Breakfast Club scales up on personality, social-media-ready plating, generous portions, and a vibe that feels part neighborhood hangout (comfort food forward, at reasonable prices), part party (DJs play weekend brunch at several locations).
I tested it out in Castro Valley, and I get the formula. The music was as boisterous as the Korean chicken fried rice and loaded Baltimore Bloody Mary in front of me, and the service was sincere.
And there’s a lot more for an aggressive appetite beyond flapjacks, from surf-and-turf Benedicts to ribeye sandwiches to jalapeño patty melts, all side-saddled with a wide selection of exotic mimosas and a full bar.
You won’t see me write about franchises much in these spaces, but it feels like a solid addition for DTSC. bcmidtown.com
SHOOT AND SCORE
Venus Spirits’ annual bartender cocktail throwdown last week was a full-on scene, with minimal elbow room and max crowd excitement. Georgette Flores of Front & Cooper and Jack O’Neill Lounge in Santa Cruz took the $200 grand prize in the creative category for a rum drink with miso and other Far East-leaning flavors; venusspirits.com. … The Santa Cruz Warriors celebrate Pajama Night at their home game against the Osceola Magic on Saturday, Dec. 27; meanwhile Sea Dubs president Chris Murphy co-captains the Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County Holiday Food & Fund Drive. thefoodbank.org/holiday-food-fund-drive
FEELING BLUE
Monterey Bay Area’s commercial crab season will start on Jan. 5, 2026, per California Department of Fish & Wildlife; check out the Whale Safe Fisheries tab at wildlife.ca.gov to follow along and sign up for alerts. … Blue Zones and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine recently launched the “Blue Zones Certification Course for Physicians and Health Professionals,” which recognizes clinicians with the knowledge and tools to promote longevity, well-being and health equity, both in the exam room and in their communities. learning.lifestylemedicine.org
CLEAR CHOICE
Goodwill Central Coast is on a mission to roll into 2026 by decluttering for a cause, shopping sustainably, and supporting programs that help local residents build brighter futures: Set yourself up for a nice 2026 reset by clearing out the stuff that doesn’t bring you joy and make a tax-deductible donation to clean up your 2025 tax action too, ccgoodwill.org. … Gretchen Rubin, organize on the way forward: ”One of the things about happiness that continually surprises me is the degree to which, for most people, outer order contributes to inner calm, and inner self-command.”
