Cheddy Mac. Twist My Parm. Thrilled Cheese.
Smokey Dokey. Here Comes Truffle. Vegan is Believin’.
Ched Over Heels. Shell We Dance. Queso Tell Me More.
If it seems like the folks behind Goodles noodles are having fun naming their high-nutrition noodles, loaded with protein, fiber and a bunch of nutrients in a food science-forward way that doesn’t compromise flavor…wait’ll you see their packaging, Goodles Mover & Shaker vintage dune buggy, and roller skating parties.
And you probably have. The COVID-era startup is headquartered on River Street next to Patagonia and River Cafe—but not selling any “gooder” goodies there—as the dune buggy is a common sight, and the hometown business has earned placement in behemoths like Costco, Target and Walmart.
While their box flavors and instant cups prove worthy, my favorite Goodles category are the “protein” pastas that I doctor with my own EVOO-seasonal produce sauces, and enjoy their own parade of names honoring their shapes.
A few examples of many include Coiled Again, Teeny Lazeeny, Lucky Penne and my favorite, Loopdy-Loos, one of three available gluten-free.
Now the juggernaut has a new group with Twirly Mac—with intro flavors Cheddar Weather, Alfredo Heights and Hotshot Jackpot—which inspired this month’s release party on skates at Santa Cruz Roller Palladium (1606 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz), itself a local gem.
For a long time, Santa Cruz’s most famed, branded and national exports have been surfing, skateboarding and surfing.
If Goodles pasta can even so much as sniff that visibility, well, that would be something to noodle on. goodles.com
BIG HEALING
Big Sur Food & Wine 2026 tickets went on sale less than an hour before the Timber Fire nearly claimed Henry Miller Memorial Library and Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn. While ticket sales are paused to focus on supporting response and resilience, those storied structures’ survival will be another bit of inspiration to celebrate when the nonprofit BSFW Foundation launches its 10th annual festival, which sells out fast—and exists to aid South Coast lifesaving resources like Big Sur Fire and Big Sur Health Center. If you can’t swing the ticket price, or don’t make plans before it sells out fast (again), there’s another avenue to help, and I find it so fun I’ve done it for seven years straight: volunteer! bigsurfoodandwine.org
SNIPS AND SNACKS
Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains’ final 2026 Taste of Terroir dinner, “Terroir in a Glass” at Neely Wine, flows 4pm Sunday, Sept. 13, starring a half dozen standout SCM wineries and Chef Ross Hanson of Oak & Rye in Los Gatos, winesofthesantacruzmountains.com/events/neely…O’Neill Sea Odyssey celebrates 30 years of hands-on marine science education—and 135,000 students served—with drinks, hearty bites and fundraising aboard the Team O’Neill Catamaran 5:30-8:30pm Aug. 21 ($75), oneillseaodyssey.org…Save Our Shores is seeking sponsorships from businesses and government partners to power the largest volunteer cleanup on the planet Saturday, Sept. 19, with the goal of 65 cleanup sites and sponsorships covering the estimated $65K in permits, supplies, training and outreach saveourshores.org/coastal-cleanup…Speaking of forward-thinking, fishery-focused local nonprofits: Anthony Davi, welcome a-board Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust Board of Directors, which also has a shiny new revamped website, montereybayfisheriestrust.org…World Elite Sumo is coming to Kaiser Permanente Arena in on Saturday, Sept. 26, ticketmaster.com…Momofuku Ando, inventor of instant ramen, take us home: “Peace will come to the world when the people have enough noodles to eat.”
