The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 23 unveiled a new website to help law enforcement officials when they encounter people with mental or behavioral conditions that affect the way they communicate and behave.
Under the CARE Alert Program, people can use the website to enter information about their loved one or someone they know, with such data about what triggers them and what calms them down, what name they prefer and if they hate loud noises.
This can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that individuals receive appropriate treatment during interactions with law enforcement, county officials said.
After the information is verified, it is sent to emergency dispatchers, who can relay it to responding law enforcement officials.
The website gives law enforcement officials another tool to help them effectively deal with people with mental challenges. That’s important, since sheriff’s deputies respond to roughly 3,000 of those crisis calls every year, said Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark.
“At the heart of all of this is just providing the best safety we can countywide,” Clark said.
The program has been successfully implemented in several cities on the East Coast, but Santa Cruz County’s is the first in California, said Lt. Ian Patrick, who is coordinating it.
The information on the website provides officers with “one more tool they can use when they have a contact with somebody, and the idea is to have that be safer and more efficient with that knowledge in hand,” Patrick said.
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manu Koenig, who brought the idea for the system to the sheriff’s office, said it came from a woman whose son had a misunderstanding with the police and ended up in jail.
“That was probably a step backwards rather than a step forwards for his condition, and we really want to avoid those kinds of situations from happening again,” he said.
To register for the program, visit carealert.santacruzcountyca.gov.
Liberally splashed with references to AI, gender confusion, the odd capitalist critique and psychotherapy gone wrong, the Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre stage currently offers an eclectic array of 10-minute attractions. New this season was the use of projected backdrops that changed with each play, adding mood and context. The projected photos by various designers expanded the scenic possibilities of the theater’s small stage, transporting us into the specific world each play required. Great idea!
Could we please just clone Ward Willats? Or at least his voice? Perhaps the only drawback of this season’s rambunctious 8Tens@Eight Festival is that the dashing Willats appears in exactly one and only one of the wide-ranging productions. But I’ll settle for it. Besides, there’s ample excitement and surprise in the 16 swift pieces showing in two installments (Part 1 and Part 2) through Feb. 16.
Seasoned players return to the tiny stage this winter—Avondina Wills, David Leach, Helene Simkin Jara among others—as well as notable newcomers inspired by the energy of fresh scripts chosen from hundreds of submissions. Our annual short play festival has gotten so good, so reliably appealing, that most nights play to full houses of highly receptive audiences. Of course it’s all pot luck, but each of the evenings has its hits.
The Nearest Far Away Place, by Aleks Merilo, offered steadily increasing tension powered by newcomer Jennifer Honka and never-better Michael LaMere. A surprise twist at the end worked its magic perfectly, thanks to actors, script and direction by Cathy D. Warner.
Honka later teamed up with scene-stealing Mathew Chipman, Geneffa Jahan and Lucille Nye in Grouchy, a little gem that depended on clever word play, over-the-top performing and Chipman’s ownership of the stage. All were knockouts in this one, newcomer Jahan holding her own easily against the catty duo of Nye and Honka. Here’s hoping all four of these actors show up regularly on future stages.
Which brings me to the versatile Willats, hilarious as the long-suffering partner of Eve Schewe in Giver of Beauty. The two portray a clueless tourist couple attempting to cross the border into Tibet. Gurjeet Bagri was tone perfect as the unflappable border guard while Schewe and Willats worked their way into hilarious meltdown thanks to a brisk sit-com script by Randy Warren. Karin Babbitt’s direction was spot-on in this post-SNL sketch.
Part 2 offerings included spitfire acting from the incredible Manirose Bobisuthi as a foul-mouthed witch in Duels and Detentes. In an almost charming but definitely distinctive two-hander, The Wakers, both David Leach and Tom Boyle created an unusual and compassionate couple engaged in irregular sleeping habits.
The second half of Part 2 provided my two favorites of this season. The Scorpion Dance by Jon Haller proved a charismatic send-up of equity bias assumptions in the hands of director Andrew Davids, himself a notable regional actor. In this one Rebecca Clark (of Santa Cruz Shakespeare fame) delivered the goods as a performance coach for defendants preparing for their day in court. Avondina Wills, as a know-it-all corporate defendant sparred impeccably with Clark in this study of emotional intelligence that had me completely captivated.
The other bit of pungent theater was thanks to playwright Jim Larson and director Sally Bookman’s Exit Strategy. The set-up was timeless and timely, a daughter trying to convince her father to sell his house and move to assisted living, while his housekeeper busily eavesdrops. Susy Parker was all daughter-knows-best persistence, a brilliant Tom Boyle having fun as the defiant dad. Playing housekeeper Denise Keplinger provides the zingers that move toward a crisp, entertaining ending.
Live theater at its most brisk, theatrical diversity at its most playful. Quick, grab some of the remaining tickets.
8Tens@Eight runs through Feb. 16 at Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. santacruzactorstheatre.org
When California splits into thirds, Santa Cruz should declare autonomy from the entire debacle, and immediately make Coffee Zombie Collective president. Six musicians running a futuristic country beholden only to the laws of kindness, compassion and a zeal for fun, scruffy, eclectic music? By Jove, I do believe there is a way forward!
With a brand-new release titled There’s a Ball of Fire in the Sky, debuting at Balefire Brewing Company on Saturday, Feb. 1, CZC has never sounded better. And while musical comparisons are the sour bread and rancid butter of reviews, CZC defies categorization. But if you had to break the band down, imagine if Squirrel Nut Zippers and Devo got swept up in a non-locational force field that had them confined to the borders of Santa Cruz county, while mutating their DNA so they resembled a close-knit tribe of troubadours who met at a full moon alien abduction.
One of the more familiar faces around Santa Cruz, usually framed by a red Viking beard, is Nate Lieby. Father, husband, software engineer, but more notoriously known as the lead singer of Coffee Zombie Collective. “Ever since COVID,” Lieby says, “it’s been hyper local mostly. We have a running joke within the band that we are not allowed to leave the county.”
On the new disc, mixed in amongst covers like “Punk Rock Girl”(The Dead Milkmen), a smoking “Bad Guy” (Billie Eilish) and“Seven Nation Army” (The White Stripes) are some of CZC’s brilliant originals. The eponymous track “There’s a Ball of Fire in the Sky” starts off like somebody created an AI version of Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass. And it’s this left-of-left-field approach, which CZC inhabits, that keeps the audience on their toes.
In the song, like an unexpected, completely amped dinner guest, Lieby begins a rant about meeting a mysterious person who reveals what the cause is of all of humanity’s sorrow. “It’s a story about a guy who runs into some old traveler out in the forest. The guy explains how the sun is trying to kill humanity. All the time.”
But it’s not just a poppy They Might Be Giants song, weaving a funny tale without depth. CZC is more like the San Lorenzo River, with canyons of deep, bottomless, sparkling water. “It’s about how nothing we do has meaning. But what’s the point of complaining about all of our trials and tribulations, when the sun’s gonna go supernova and consume us. So, might as well chill out,” Lieby laughs.
If Banana Slug String Band is Santa Cruz’s daytime music for kids and weirdos, the collective is definitely the nighttime messenger for oddballs and kooks. Its high-energy ebullience emanates from the stage, and its infection rate is zombie level. The other songwriter on this album is Zach Langton, who is a daytime nurse anesthesiologist. His tune, “Why Can’t We Get Along,” busts out like a Violent Femmes B-side, then rises to the top of the album as one of its best compositions. Trying to nail down Langton on a break from his healthcare job, he is concise on the new album. “The song ‘Ball of Fire’ came together so easily in the studio. Nate is inherently funny, and the story he sang became the spark that pulled the whole album together,” Langston says.
Lieby, the aforementioned ginger shaman, is in transit from his daytime gig at Joby. And pardon the hyperbole, but Lieby and CZC represent everything Santa Cruz is about. Hardworking, family and community conscious, environmentally hip, creatively talented. So, it’s not a stretch to consider his band (yes, they are a collective) as one of Santa Cruz’s most crucial voices. CZC works from the core roots of what music is. “Music goes back to cave people sitting around a campfire, clacking rocks together,” Lieby notes.
Coffee Zombie Collective is about accessibility. They want to root for you, as you root for them. Their presence is a walking, dancing affirmation of family. “We just want to lift everybody up together, and make something bigger than just the individual pieces,” Lieby says.
Coffee Zombie Collective’s album release event takes place at 7pm on Feb. 1 at Balefire Brewing Company, 21517 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz. Free.
HOT OFF THE PRESSES CZC’s new album, ‘There’s a Ball of Fire in the Sky,’ debuts Feb. 1. ARTWORK: Jesse Baggs
There are almost as many participating restaurants celebrating Santa Cruz Pizza Week, Jan. 29-Feb. 8, as there are possible toppings to plop on a pie.
Slice Project (300 Main St.. Watsonville) is celebrating with a deal on Saucy Little Chicken pizzas—and word it’s adding an outpost at The Hangar (45 Aviation Way, Suite 6, Watsonville), across town from its downtown spot in the former Fox Theater.
“We are excited to be joining such a great group of businesses and the opportunity to serve the northern part of Watsonville/Freedom with easier access [to] our pizza,” The Project team, led by brothers Brando and Kristian Sencion, posts on Instagram. Optimistic ETA: end of February. santacruzpizzaweek.com
A bumper crop of other spots have leapt to life recently, in addition to the likes of Coffee Conspiracy Co. (1855 41st Ave., F01, Capitola) and Gabrielita Tamaleria (1128 Pacific St., Santa Cruz) listed in this column this month.
Here comes a turbo tasting of the recent debuts, starting not far from where Gabrielita is wrapping yum in banana leaves: In another downtown kiosk, Matt McCabe has opened Crepe Cones (in front of 1520 Pacific St.) with affordable fresh-to-order crepes.
Tortilla Shack (1505 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz)—from the same peeps behind Izakaya West End (334 Ingalls St. D, Santa Cruz), Quinn Cormier and Geoff Hargrave—is now pressing fresh flour tortillas in house, across from Dominican Hospital. The homemade tortillas fly off the comal in classic white, spinach-garlic green and chipotle-smoked cheddar red, ready for guests to customize ingredients for a burrito. Or they can go for a choose-your-own bowl, taco or nacho combo.
Back downtown, Fusion Fare (1003 Cedar St., Santa Cruz) and Chef Hongmin Mo are already sizzling modern international/Sichuan-tinged dishes like slow-roasted lamb, peppercorn wings and braised pork hock in green onion sauce in the former Rustico Italian Street Food.
Green Papaya (8042 Soquel Drive, Aptos), meanwhile, is doing Southeast Asian dishes like spicy larb, cashew tofu and khao man gai chicken in what was Café Sparrow on Soquel Drive.
And J&M Bagels (5980 Highway 9, Felton) now gives the mountains fresh flavor in the form of sourdough bagels and special-recipe schmears.
HAND UP, BELLY FED
Chef Jose Andres does the kind of gourmet grub that sane souls have called “life-changing.” What humanitarian Jose Andres and his team have done with World Central Kitchen is truly life-changing, in a day-to-day way. Their latest mission to deliver relief to disaster areas has shared more than 200,000 hot meals with Los Angeles citizens across 50 meal distribution sites, including 20 dedicated to first responders. Birichino Winery (204 Church St., Santa Cruz) is aiding the push by donating 10% of online sales via its website (birichino.com) to WCK through the end of month. Next month, namely Feb. 15-16, Linda’s Seabreeze Café (542 Seabright Ave, Santa Cruz) hosts L.A. Fire Relief Days to generate funds for WCK, Pasadena Humane and the American Red Cross. wck.org.
BURNT ENDS
Happy National Soup Month! An atypical way to celebrate/self-mutilate: Progresso now does Soup Drops, hard candies with flavors like chicken noodle, and the motto, “Soup you can suck on.”…Venus Spirits (200 High Road, Santa Cruz) and other California craft distillers are pushing lawmakers to retain COVID-inspired legislation that made shipping their liquids to consumers permanent…There are now Post Malone Oreos…This closing quote is officially anonymous, maybe because it applies broadly: “I’m sorry for what I said when I was hungry.”
Rhea Budiao’s personal goal for her entire life starting from childhood in the Philippines was to one day own a small business just like her grandma, by whom she was so inspired. Rhea immigrated here with family at age ten and was raised in San Jose before getting a degree in hospitality management. After she and her husband, Justin, who has a similar industry background, helped open several hotels in the Bay Area, they felt it was time to take the ownership plunge.
They saw a business for sale online, visited and fell in love with the Scotts Valley location right off Highway 17, then seized the opportunity to actualize their ambitions. A good play on words with even better specialty coffee plus grab-and-go food, Brewed Awakening also offers on-site beverage sipping. The open and modern ambiance offers elegant “no clutter” décor. The mocha and white mocha are two of the handcrafted coffee favorites, and the complex and aromatic chai is a stand-out on the tea side.
Rhea defines the food as elevated coffeehouse fare with plans to soon offer an expanded menu including paninis. Current favorites are customizable breakfast sandwiches with myriad protein and cheese combinations on a bagel, croissant or English muffin, as well as salads and fruit/yogurt parfaits.
How do you incorporate your upbringing and heritage?
RHEA BUDIAO: In Filipino culture, we place a big emphasis on hospitality, warmth and kindness, and our goal is to bring those qualities to Brewed Awakening. Being family-oriented is something we take great pride in too; we have a patio area that is perfect for just hanging out and relaxing. I actually had my own birthday party on that patio in October. It’s a great place for families to connect, both with each other and also with other families as well.
What sets your coffee apart?
RH: First of all, our coffee beans are locally sourced from Coffeol, a roasting company based in Watsonville that is known for having the freshest beans. They focus on quality over quantity, and have a very client-focused business model. They cater to different preferences like specific flavor notes and regions of sourcing. Our beans are roasted day of, then ground in-house to order. Our coffee is the freshest you’ll find.
6006 La Madrona Drive, Suite A, Scotts Valley, 831-226-2635.
The guitar is an incredibly versatile instrument, and its uses are as diverse as the musicians that play it. Take Peppino D’Agostino for example. The Italian-born musician captures a vibrant and pure tone as deep as the wood grains on his guitars. Don’t believe it? Then maybe believe famed guitarist Leo Kottke, who called D’Agostino one of his favorite composers, whose tones “get the resin and the wood.” Over his career, D’Agostino has recorded 19 albums and shared the stage with players like Eric Johnson, Tommy Emmanuel and Larry Carlton. MAT WEIR
Comedian TJ’s stand-up delivery is often described as laid-back, and the term is fitting but also deceptive: in his mellow, quiet way, he sharply skewers modern society. His nonchalance while packing in hilarity at a laughs-per-minute rate that breaks the sound barrier is quite impressive. TJ was born in Haiti and draws on his background and relationship with the US and the world to inform his material, using a unique grasp of history to serve up sacred cows while somehow coming across as remarkably friendly and approachable. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $27. 713-5492.
FRIDAY 1/31
FOLK
CHERYL WHEELER
Cheryl Wheeler is a master of duality, crafting live performances that balance heartfelt poetry and laughter. For over four decades, the songwriter has penned some of the most sincere and intelligent folk ballads in the genre, earning the respect of her peers and captivating audiences with music anchored by a poignant lyrical depth and emotional resonance. Her trend-defying comedic side is equally compelling; the irreverent Wheeler skewers societal norms with laugh-out-loud social commentary and sharp-witted storytelling. Every live performance by the delightfully unpredictable New England folk singer is as charming as it is unique. MELISA YURIAR
For over three decades, Karl Denson has been in the public eye playing the saxophone as if he was born with it in hand. He was in the fictitious band Sexual Chocolate in Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America and its sequel, and he’s recorded with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Slightly Stoopid, the Greyboy Allstars and Stanton Moore, to list a few. Oh, and the Rolling Stones tapped him to tour with them, no big deal. Anyone who’s seen Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe can attest to the fact that he and his band bring all their experience and talent to the table, playing original music and covers that blend genres to keep the feet moving. MW
Prodigy is thrown around too casually, but in the case of drummer Blaque Dynamite, its use is more than justified. He started playing at age two, got into jazz at 14, and while still in his teens, worked with major artists, including Thundercat, Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Erykah Badu and Kamasi Washington. Nominally a jazz player (he’s the recipient of 14 DownBeat Music Awards), Dynamite’s work moves seamlessly beyond that genre’s boundaries. To date, he’s released several albums, including WiFi (2015), Killing Bugs (2017), Time Out (2020) and 2023’s Stop Calling Me. BILL KOPP
Filmmaker Roger Beebe creates thought-provoking and visually arresting performances using multiple 16mm projectors. His work often takes on an essayistic quality as it explores themes of late capitalism. The evening will present new and past works, including Lineage and de rerum natura (both 2019), Home Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry (2021) and un arbre (2024). A highlight will be 2008’s Last Light of a Dying Star, which employs no less than seven film projectors. The program will also include some of Beebe’s video work, presented as live-narrated documentaries. BK
INFO: 7pm, Indexical, 1050 River St,. #119, Santa Cruz. $10. 627-9491.
MONDAY 2/3
JAZZ
KAT EDMONSON
Jazz pop singer and songwriter Kat Edmonson’s voice manages to be organic, supernaturally natural, otherworldly and angelic—so angelic she was cast in a movie called Angels Sing. With friends like Lyle Lovett and Asleep at the Wheel inviting her to share their spotlight and star turns on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and Austin City Limits, there’s a good chance many have heard her stunning, gorgeous voice before. If not, a quick search online will turn the incredulous into believers. KLJ
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $42. 427-2227.
TUESDAY 2/4
SCREENING
COUNTED OUT
Math is more than the basic stuff taught in grade school. Many issues Americans in the 21st century face—gerrymandering, personal finances, pandemics, artificial intelligence, personal data, social media algorithms—are mathematics at their core. Counted Out pulls back the curtain on some of the biggest issues, explaining how knowing the mathematics involved in daily life and broader national issues gives the individual social and economic power. Through stories, expert interviews and examples of math empowering change, Counted Out demonstrates the need for increased numeric literacy and a shift in understanding mathematics. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 6:30pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-8209.
WEDNESDAY 2/5
COMPETITION
POETRY OUT LOUD
Poetry Out Loud, a national program established by the National Endowment for the Arts, was designed to inspire high school students to engage with classic and contemporary poetry. By focusing on memorization and performance in front of a welcoming audience, students who participate will gain a deeper appreciation for the transformative art form while honing their public speaking and interpretative skills. The initiative culminates in national finals, where they compete for prestigious awards, scholarships and prizes and celebrate a new mastery of spoken word and literary art. MY
INFO: 6pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
Remember cold pizza with warm beer, at dawn, after a late-night party? Or that first bite of charred pizza bianca in Italy that revised your entire concept of the savory pie? Or the life-saving delivery guy showing up with two enormous pies loaded with pepperoni and oozing mozzarella on Oscar Night?
Under almost any circumstances everybody loves pizza, and the reason is no mystery: flavor and affordability. Everything else is just fine-tuning. You can eat it with your hands. It’s highly interactive since a whole pie is designed to share. You can top it with almost anything with flavor. Pizza lives to fight inflation.
There’s no denying the universal appeal of its crust baked at super high heat. Think of the crust as both a delivery system and a flavor intensifier in its own right. Brick oven or wood-fired, tomato sauce-based or strewn with seasonal veggies and custom-cured meats, thick and chewy or thin and crispy—pizza comes in lots of styles. It can be carefully crafted at a sit-down restaurant, delivered to the doorstep, or pulled out of the freezer and popped into the oven.
Local chefs seem to have perfected the something-for-everyone pizza. And right now, during Santa Cruz Pizza Week—which runs from Jan. 29 to Feb. 8—dozens of local restaurants are offering unique pies, combos and slices at special prices. (Click here to see the list.)
KEEPING IT GREEN Yep, pizza can be so healthy, like this fava-ramp-guanciale pie. Photo: Courtesy of Bookie’s Pizza
THAT’S AMORE
“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore,” crooned Dean Martin to a ’50s generation of foodies newly excited by pizza. The song was alleged to be a good-natured parody of Neapolitan organ-grinder music, spun through the boozy vocals of a genuine Italian-American singer. Certainly, pizza’s origins were as humble as street music, and even today many metropolitan street corners are perfumed by the scent of garlic and oregano wafting from pizza trucks catering to just about anybody anytime.
Pizza entered the American diet in a serious way along with waves of post-World War II soldiers who’d been stationed in Italy and never got over the tomato sauce and cheese classics of Italian cuisine. Especially pizza, hustled by Italian immigrants who settled in Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. Every big city in the northeast seemed to boast a Little Italy, where pizza pie was sold on street corners and cafes.
Just how did pizza go from street food to an upscale necessity? From low-brow to haute cuisine? Consider all the positive attributes of pizza. Ease. Universal comfort appeal. Low cost. Filling. Pizza is a go-to center of the American diet, growing from its working-class Neapolitan origins to over 80,000 pizza restaurants across the country today. At least 15% of Americans eat pizza on any given day of the week. Pizza is, in a word, big.
Signature toppings started with pepperoni, salami, sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and anchovies. All liberally topped with gooey, melted mozzarella cheese. But it didn’t stop there.
Today there’s not a town, crossroads, village, or city without pizza. Lots of it. And it continues to grow, branching out with unusual, even exotic toppings like coconut, banana, kiwi, potato and sour cream, arugula, ranch dressing, even pickles. You won’t find these in my house, but the myriad spinoffs and rococo toppings definitely have their followers.
We can date the entry of pizza into the celebrity world sometime in the late 1980s. Enter Wolfgang Puck, with his trend-setting Spago in Los Angeles, and Alice Waters, whose Chez Panisse in Berkeley refined pizza into a designer luxury with organic toppings. Spago’s movers and shakers (Joan Collins, Johnny Carson) couldn’t get enough of California cuisine maestro Puck’s innovative smoked salmon and caviar pizza, served with sour cream. Duck sausage was also one of Puck’s innovations, through which pizza gained even broader appeal as a culinary choice and not simply a fistful of calories. In the late ’80s Puck’s pizzas became a reliably delicious staple in the realm of frozen pizza. We could dine like a celebrity in our own homes.
FLAME GAME Some of the coolest pizzas are cooked on the hottest flames. PHOTO: Courtesy of Mentone
STYLE INFLUENCERS
There are at least a dozen recognizable pizza styles, but a few occupy the top tier. Neapolitan. Fired ultra hot, these pizzas rock charred doughy crusts, anchovies and olives, and lots of mozzarella.
New York style is often cut into large slices, eaten folded in half. Much thinner than Neapolitan, and lighter on the sauce. Sicilian style is doughy with a squishy crust shaped into a square. Not much cheese and lots of sauce. Chicago deep dish pizza immediately captured a huge patronage. Thick as a deep dish pie, it morphed into another popular shape when the crusty edges were stuffed with yet more cheese and other toppings, also added as fillings to the edges.
The yeast-free crust of St. Louis-style pizza makes it ultra thin—like a big round cracker—often uniquely topped with three cheeses, always including Swiss and cheddar.
California-style pizza is famed for expanding the whole idea of toppings, from wild nettles to smoked shrimp, cream cheese, BBQ pork, chicken, artichoke hearts, you name it.
TEAMWORK The crew at La Posta, where pizzas change in response to the seasons. PHOTO: Courtesy of La Posta
COASTAL PIZZA
Armed with an oak-fired oven, Bantam thrills Santa Cruz’s university community with fresh, irresistible pizzas, showcased from opening day ten years ago. “I’ve always loved the variability of wood fire,” chef/owner Ben Sims says. “There is no other heat source as dynamic and responsive. The nature of the wood-fired oven gives you the ability to watch pizzas cook the whole time, being able to monitor your dough, your fire and the cook from start to finish.” Pizza at his artisanal spot “is more popular than ever.”
Always a favorite, Pizza My Heart has grown far beyond its seaside origin 40 years ago in Capitola, where the big innovation was pizza by the slice. Yes, that was a breakout idea four decades ago. Known for its casual surfer vibe and signature pizza-by-the-slice, the brand quickly gained popularity among locals, visitors and college students in Santa Cruz County.
Meanwhile Chuck Hammers had established Pizza-a-Go-Go in downtown San Jose in the mid-1980s. In 1997, Hammers acquired Pizza My Heart and rebranded his Pizza-a-Go-Go locations with the PMH name. Now with over 25 locations in the greater Bay Area, this reliable pie shop still delivers the spicy goods. Our favorite is the Figgy Piggy, loaded with bacon, feta, black figs and sage for a sweet ’n’ salty flavor and unctuous olive oil mouthfeel.
And even before Pizza My Heart—since 1979, in fact—Upper Crust was serving Sicilian-style pies from its outpost on the edge of town (convenient for generations of UCSC students). That original location on Mission Street is still going strong under second-generation owners, and there’s a second location on Soquel Drive.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED Upper Crust has been serving pies since 1979. PHOTO: Courtesy of Upper Crust
GOING GOURMET
Pizza held such a seductive promise that even a three-star Michelin chef like David Kinch—once he’d closed his very upscale Manresa dining room—had his eyes on a neighborhood spot near his original surf hangout to feature pizza. “For me,” Kinch says, “pizza is really about the dough and the crust. The toppings are a condiment to the main ingredient, the dough. Mentone dough is slowly fermented for up to 48 hours. Long, cool fermentation breaks down glutens that can otherwise affect digestibility to most people. At Mentone, the crust is light, delicious and flavorful. It was several months of practice, trial and error with a takeout public, during the pandemic, that allowed us to find the quality we wanted when we opened our doors. It is a pie that we are proud of.”
Recent pizzas from Mentone’s customized Valoriani pizza oven have included a simple Margherita and a cheese-free Sardinian style with anchovy, tomato and olives. And always surprises, from the rustic squash and hazelnut pie to a lavish pizza topped with cheese and white truffles.
At La Posta in Santa Cruz, strong on traditional toppings with designer tendencies, pizzas change in response to the seasons. Chanterelles and black trumpet mushrooms top the house specials in fall and winter. Kale and calabrian chili share pizza tops. In the spring, green garlic, baby new potatoes and pea sprouts make a guest appearance. “The pizza toppings are mostly from the Santa Cruz Farmers Market,” owner Patrice Boyle explains, “so everything is organic and fresh. Our pizzaiolo, Ruben Serna, is very, very consistent because he’s been making the pizzas since we opened in 2006.” La Posta pizzas are made from a yeast starter brought by the opening chef, and refreshed every day.
At Bookie’s on Water Street, maverick chef Todd Parker specializes in rich, thick slabs of outside-the-lines pizzas, variations on Detroit-style (rectangular pan pizza with thick chewy crusts), often slathered with wild nettles, shaved Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and hot honey, ranch dressing, sardines and pineapple. Parker is famous for seasonal local ingredients, such as spring ramps and pea sprouts. It all works!
EVEN GLUTEN-FREE
Demonstrating the insatiable need for pizza—which must not be denied even to those with alternative dietary needs—grocery stores now fill their freezer sections with dairy-free, nut-free and vegan pizzas, as well as gluten-free possibilities aplenty that utilize the structural possibilities of cauliflower, almond flour, cornmeal and rice flour. While no one would confuse these confident culinary inventions with old-school pizza doughs and their addictive chewy crusts, they go a long way to satisfy the craving for pizza in those who won’t or can’t consume gluten.
For those who can’t consume dairy or nuts there are the Daiya pizzas found in natural food groceries. These harmless pies do their best to re-create the flavor and melting properties of dairy cheese using a blend of tapioca flour, canola oil, coconut oil and pea protein.
Cappello’s makes a surprisingly delicious gluten-free frozen pizza shell out of almond, arrowroot and cassava flour that’s available at New Leaf, Staff of Life and other markets. It’s even chewy. We’ve perfected an impressive G-F pizza at our house, starting with a foundation of frozen Cappello’s cheese-topped pie. We add serrano jamon, dried Italian prunes, mushrooms and green olives. Effortless. And 14 minutes later it’s better than decent home baked pizza. Thin crust that has some tooth, crisp yet pliant, and easy to cut with either serrated blade or kitchen shears.
Think of pizza as a table ready to be spread with intriguing flavors, or just plain comfort toppings. And maybe that’s the real secret to pizza’s enduring popularity. We can top it with the items we most love, pick up a slice and then inhale all of those favorite flavors in a single, hot, gooey bite.
Everyone has their own favorite slice. Pizza Week offers a chance to go for the tried and true—or to try something new. See below for participating pizzaiolos as of press time, and visit SantaCruzPizzaWeek.com to view the full list of restaurants. And download the Pizza Week App to rate pies, post photos and win gift certificates.
As of press time, the following Pizza Week specials are on offer at these participating restaurants. Visit SantaCruzPizzaWeek.com or check the Pizza Week app for more specials, updates and additions.
Bookie’s Pizza
Santa Cruz
Meatball Pizza and Wild Mushroom Pizza.
Buzzo
Soquel
Carbonara Pizza
Cavalletta Restaurant
Aptos
Meatball Pizza: Housemade meatball and herbed ricotta pizza.
Churchill and Beers
Aptos
Aloha Pizza: Chili sauce, carnitas, red onion, pineapple.
Rio Del Margherita Pizza: Canadian bacon, basil, garlic, pepperoni, bacon.
Crow’s Nest Beach Market
Santa Cruz
Cali Sizzle: Spicy Italian sausage, bell peppers, red onion with a zesty arrabbiata red sauce.
Engfer Pizza Works
Santa Cruz
Roasted eggplant with sweet pickled peppers, red onions, orange zest, arugula.
Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar
Santa Cruz, Capitola
Traditional Italian: Pesto and pizza sauce topped with artichoke hearts, spinach, sliced almonds, tomatoes, feta.
K House: Pepperoni, zucchini, jalapenos, toasted almonds, feta.
Kianti’s Pizz’alad: Thin crust pizza baked with pesto, then topped with mixed greens, basil, peperoncinis, almonds, gorgonzola, balsamic vinegar, olive oil.
Laili Restaurant
Santa Cruz
Apricot Chicken Flatbread: Roasted chicken, caramelized onions, apricots, melted cheese, and a touch of fresh herbs.
Pear Gorgonzola Flatbread: Pears, gorgonzola, caramelized onions and a drizzle of honey.
La Marea Cafe & Pizzeria
Capitola
Fredo Pie: Italian sausage, salami Toscano, pickled peppers, shaved spring onion, mozzarella, herby ranch.
Green Dreams Pie: arugula pesto, melted leeks, green garlic cream, burrata, mozzarella, Castelvetrano olives, lemon zest.
La Posta Restaurant
Santa Cruz
Amatriciana: Tomato, guanciale, roasted onion, black pepper, pecorino Romano.
Mentone Restaurant
Aptos
Nonna (classic take on Margherita) and Black Trumpet (trumpet mushrooms, taleggio, thyme).
Namaste Grill & Bar
Santa Cruz
Butter Chicken Pizza: Chicken thigh, tikka masala sauce, bell pepper, onion, cheese.
Savor the Moment: Roasted delicata squash, caramelized onion, Foustman’s Hot Toscano, goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, arugula and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on sourdough crust.
ON THE MOVE Sleight of Hand will serve pies at three different locations; see the Pizza Week app for details: Courtesy of Sleight of Hand Pizza
One day after a group of Santa Cruz County residents collected soil samples from the areas impacted by the Jan. 16 battery storage facility fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant to test for heavy metals, a San Jose State University professor released the results of a study confirming their suspicions.
The study of a two-mile radius around the plant by Professor Ivano Aiello found “unusually high concentrations of heavy-metal nanoparticles in marsh soils at Elkhorn Slough Reserve” after the fire, with increases of a hundredfold to a thousandfold from previous testing.
This included nickel, manganese and cobalt, all of which are known to be toxic to aquatic species and animals, including humans.
“Our intention and our goal is to study how those elements affect the local ecosystems,” Aiello said.
The study is part of a decade-long monitoring program of the Elkhorn Slough estuary.
While the effects of the fire are still being studied, the incident will give scientists a chance to better understand the potential downsides of battery storage plants, which are likely to become more widespread as people increasingly rely on alternative energy sources, Aiello said.
“It is certain that there is going to be more and more battery storage facilities,” he said. “They will be bigger and more concentrated. Unfortunately for us, this is an opportunity to study for the first time to study the effects of such a fire.”
Aiello’s team—and the Elkhorn Slough Reserve—will continue monitoring the soils and waterways on a short- and long-term basis.
Brian Roeder, a spokesman for “Never Again Moss Landing,” said the group was formed in the wake of the fire to gather information that previously was unavailable to the public.
Because the group’s study includes a larger area than the one by SJSU—volunteers took samples from as far south as Gonzales, as far north as Davenport and east to Hollister—it can serve as a supplement to the overall findings, Roeder said.
Texas-based Vistra Corp., which owns the plant, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Glenn Church called the results “concerning and disturbing.”
“The fact is that whatever’s there on the top of the ground is also what was in the smoke layer, and we were all exposed to that,” he said.
It is not clear when Vistra plans to reopen. But county officials have said that the company does not need county approval to do so.
Vistra is considered a utility, and as such is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.
In a meeting last week, the supervisors approved Church’s motion to form a subcommittee to explore the county’s legal options.
“We really don’t know how to regulate (the technology) from a government level, because everything is so new,” he said. “This industry really doesn’t know how to control it either.”
Never Again Moss Landing is footing the $6,300 bill for the local testing.
Roeder, a Prunedale resident, said his wife launched the group after they saw the incident from their property.
“We step out on the balcony, and there’s the place on fire,” he said.
The day the Facebook group was launched, more than 1,200 signed on; the next day, that number had jumped to 2,000, he said.
Soon, a representative from Biomax International had offered the company’s testing services.
“We discussed the fact that, as far as we knew, no samples had been for testing, other than the initial EPA (hydrogen fluoride) testing,” he said. “And that is all they’ve been able to measure, and they basically said, ‘we’re done.’”
It was possible, Roeder knew, that the large battery fire could have sent contaminants into the air.
Volunteers distributed 150 testing kits on Jan. 25 and collected them the next day. The results are expected within 10 working days, Roeder said.
The group’s data could someday be admissible in court. But Roeder was quick to point out such action is not the focus of the group.
“We are not about court,” he said. “We have not spoken to any attorneys about this issue. We’re not trying to solicit for legal action. We are trying to get information to the community.”
The group was formed with the objective of making sure that an event like the fire cannot happen again. And that begins, he said, with an informed public.
“If there is going to be a ‘never again,’ that requires the citizenry that are being affected to be able to have a voice there,” he said.
Monterey County officials are urging caution for anyone who finds residue from the fire and wants to dispose of it.
• Do not allow children to play in or with items covered by fire residual. Wash and clean affected children’s toys before using.
• Use “wet” methods when cleaning, such as a damp cloth or wet mop.
• Only use HEPA-filter vacuum cleaners if vacuuming is necessary.
• Avoid direct skin contact with fire residual by wearing gloves, long-sleeved shirts and pants during cleanup.
• Use a disposable N-95 mask to avoid breathing in small particles that may be disturbed during cleaning.
• Wear safety goggles—not safety glasses—if cleanup may cause ash in the air and if using chemical cleaning solutions to prevent splashing into the eyes.
• Wash any home-grown fruits or vegetables from trees or gardens before eating.
For information, visit bit.ly/4hefNXi and bit.ly/40Q2XZB.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation held a public hearing Jan. 16 at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas to address a new draft regulation for Telone, a pesticide also known by the chemical name 1,3-dichloropropene.
Protesters say the regulations proposed by the DPR allow 14 times more of the pesticide than is recommended by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
The department’s recommended level is the same as the pesticide’s manufacturer, Dow Chemical.
Telone is a cancer-causing fumigant that is banned in 40 countries, but is the third most-used pesticide in California.
Dozens of community members—including scores of area farmworkers—took turns speaking out against the use of 1,3-D, citing a host of health problems stemming from the fumigant’s use.
“There is no question that 1,3-D is a carcinogen,” said Antonio Velasco, a family physician who has studied protocols for treating pesticide-poisoning victims. “My question to you is, ‘Why do you continue to use it?’”
At one point the event was interrupted by more than a dozen protesters surrounding the podium in a mock “die-in,” while others unfurled large bilingual banners saying “DPR is racist!” and the crowd of over 100 chanted “DPR, you can’t hide; we can see your racist side.”
“It’s good that DPR is finally using the OEHHA findings for some. But why not all?” said Mark Weller of Californians for Pesticide Reform. “It is not scientific to say that children—and we’re talking about mostly Latino children here—have a different lifetime cancer risk tolerance than adults.”
The hazard assessment office in 2022 issued a Prop 65 safe harbor level—the maximum exposure amount determined to be safe—for 1,3-D that converts to a daily air concentration of 0.04 parts per billion. The 1,3-D air concentrations at the six active state pesticide air-monitors, including those in Pajaro, Santa Maria and Oxnard, have exceeded the office’s lifetime cancer risk level since testing started in 2011.
“While much of the world is banning 1,3-D, California is going in the wrong direction,” said Safe Ag Safe Schools organizer Yanely Martinez. “Our regulators must follow health protective science, but DPR’s policies ignore the science in favor of protecting Dow Chemical’s profits. They should be protecting our health. This is a racist policy.”
Woody Rehanek of Watsonville, also a member of Safe Ag Safe Schools, said that there are 50 farms, nurseries, and greenhouses within a quarter-mile of many PVUSD schools.
“The strawberry and raspberry growers among them are applying drift-prone 1,3-D, a carcinogen and toxic air contaminant banned in 34 countries. This is a significant public health hazard for local children, school staff, residents, and farmworkers,” he said.
Live theater at its most brisk, theatrical diversity at its most playful. Quick, grab some of the remaining tickets. 8Tens@Eight runs through Feb. 16 at Actors’ Theatre
With a brand-new release titled There’s a Ball of Fire in the Sky, debuting at Balefire Brewing Company on Saturday, Feb. 1, CZC has never sounded better.
Remember cold pizza with warm beer, at dawn, after a late-night party? Or that first bite of charred pizza bianca in Italy that revised your entire concept of the savory pie? Or the life-saving delivery guy showing up with two enormous pies loaded with pepperoni and oozing mozzarella on Oscar Night?
Under almost any circumstances everybody loves pizza, and the...
