Call it a star-studded restaurant opening, and that was just the co-owners: Last week Michelin three-star chef Michael Mina and Golden State Warriors 11-time all-star Stephen Curry toasted the debut of their new Union Square restaurant Bourbon Steak and accompanying bar the Eighth Rule.
One of Steph’s nicknames is “Chef Curry,” after all.
There are other Warriors—and Dubs food news nuggets—on my mind this week, though, as the Santa Cruz Warriors host their season-opening Sea Dub Fan Fest 1–3pm Saturday, Oct. 25.
The free event features appearances by Head Coach Lainn Wilson, Golden State and Santa Cruz rookie two-way forward Alex Toohey and Golden State rookie guard Will Richard, Q&A sessions, meet and greets, autograph signings and photo ops with the 2022 Golden State NBA championship trophy.
The epicurean elements happen all season long with Warriors’ restaurant collaborators around the community (see below), and with the upcoming Taste of the Warriors.
On Wednesday, Nov. 19, season ticket holders mingle with players and coaching staff and tap complimentary sips and bites from a bunch of partners including Surfside, West Peak, Pono Hawaiian Grill, Laughing Monk Brewing, Modelo, Mad Yolks, Togo’s, Woodstock’s Pizza, Lagunitas, Penny’s Ice Creamery, Salty Otter, Essentia Body Therapy and more.
Ticket package and other info is available by calling the SCW office at 831-713-4400 or visiting the team website, santacruzbasketball.com.
HOLIDAYS COME EARLY
Riva and Rosie’s, Margaritaville and Mobo, Pono and Pete’s, The Point, The East End and The Crow’s Nest too. That’s a tasty chunk of the restaurants participating in Santa Cruz Restaurant Week, 25 all told, with many of them representing community favorites and each deploying special prix fixe menus at $45, $55 or $65, Oct. 22–29, at spots from Soquel to Swift Street. At La Posta Italian Cuisine (538 Seabright Ave, Santa Cruz), for example, that could be a choice of antipasti (like lobster arancini), secondi (seared sea scallops and shrimp, please) and dolci (olive oil cake with passionfruit sorbet for me). At both Venus Cocktails & Kitchen outposts (200 High Road, Santa Cruz and 131 Esplanade, Aptos) the $55 triple play might be salmon croquette then braised short rib and goat cheese panna cotta, santacruzrestaurantweek.com.
WE ALL SCREAM
A local small-batch scoop institution in Polar Bear Ice Cream celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend, first at the Capitola Village Polar Bear store on Saturday, Oct. 25, and then at the Ice Cream on Fair store on Sunday, Oct. 26. The PBIC people will reinvigorate some legacy flavors, give out promotional cups, and sell commemorative hoodies. They’re also working on collecting history and stories of ice cream in Santa Cruz for both Marianne’s and Polar Bear, and welcome public input via their social media, @polarbearicecream.
COMMUTE SENTENCES
Here’s a Zen approach to traffic congestion: The Bittersweet Bistro (787 Rio Del Mar Blvd., Aptos) has debuted a “Highway Hour” 3–5:30pm Tuesday–Sunday with the taglines “A new way to happy hour—skip the traffic and unwind early!” and “Make your detour a destination.” The deals prove more than decent: $5 Modelos, $5 simple well drinks, $5 house wines and $5 “mini” martinis and mini margaritas, $15 pizzetas, and daily $15 featured entrees like tacos on Tuesdays, pasta on Wednesdays, sliders on Thursdays and fish fry on Fridays, bittersweetbistroaptos.com…Watsonville Public House (625 Main St., Watsonville) has closed, but the magic word is—fingers crossed—temporarily. As owner-brewer Robby Olson reported in an IG post, construction overruns and investor challenges mean it’s now shuttered for the foreseeable future BUT, he adds, “we don’t lose our friendships” and he and his team are on the lookout for fresh investors…Sea story author William Morley Punshon McFee, float us home: “If fate means you to lose, give him a good fight anyhow.”
