The New Mastersounds combines a kinetic, boogaloo funk aesthetic with superb jazz-level musical chops. The group came out of Leeds, England, around the dawn of the 21st century. Since then, they have turned out a dazzling run of albums that showcase their superb taste, sharp compositional skills and versatility. The four-piece (Eddie Roberts, Simon Allen, Pete Shand and Joe Tatton) has worked as a self-contained unit and with vocalists like Corinne Bailey Rae. With more than ten albums to their credit, NMS has been a leading light in the funk and fusion world. This tour is billed as “Ta-Ta for Now,” signaling an end to touring. BILL KOPP
Christmas has long encroached on Halloween, the red and green items appearing on store shelves before the spooky season has even begun. It’s always delightful seeing Halloween fight back. Silent Night, Deadly Night and other yuletide slasher flicks enjoyed cult followings, and then The Nightmare Before Christmas took scary Noel mainstream. Now they’re pulling The Nutcracker into the hostile takeover, which isn’t a stretch with its Rat King and surreal settings. The Santa Cruz City Ballet, at the International Academy of Dance, presents this scary take on the ultimate Christmas classic. READ our story about the “Spooky Nut” HERE Goes through Saturday. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 7pm, The Landing, 251B Kings Village Rd., Scotts Valley. $21. 334-4522.
FRIDAY 10/24
CELEBRATION
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS DRAG SHOW
Dia de los Muertos is a special time to celebrate and honor those who have passed to the afterlife. It is a time where new cultures and practices can be embraced. To specially honor the contributions of Latinx artists, both of the past and present, the MAH is hosting a Dia de los Muertos Drag Show. Through movement, dance, games and, of course, drag performances, those in the afterlife may be welcomed and the living may build community. Attendees who come to celebrate life and death with the MAH are encouraged to dress up, but it is not necessary. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7:30pm, MAH, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. $20-$25. 429-1964.
AVANT-POP
STEREOLAB
British guitarist-keyboardist Tim Gane and French singer and multi-instrumentalist Laetitia Sadier launched Stereolab in 1990. Combining krautrock’s “motorik” beats with creamy electronic keyboard textures, Stereolab crafts a sound that bridges the gap between indie-pop and avant-garde stylings. The duo has expanded the group to include an array of supporting players, but Gane and Sadier remain the core of Stereolab. Though finding only moderate commercial success, the group’s influence is substantial and widespread. Since their 1992 debut album, Peng!, the group has released more than 20 albums; 2025’s Instant Holograms on Metal Film is their latest. BK
INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $40/adv, $45/door. 423-8209.
PERFORMANCE ART
SOMADICCS
As Halloween draws closer, it’s only natural for things to get a little bit weirder and a lot more dreamlike. Which is why this Friday’s Somadiccs performance at Satori Arts is the perfect evening for everyone who wants to dig a little deeper and get a little more artsy. The Somadiccs—Caitlin Johnston, Julie Oak, Kirk Glaser and Miranda Janeschild—are an improv troupe that performs “kinetic poetics.” They combine art, movement and words in a Lynchian way to create dreamlike and psyche-exploring autobiographical and fictional narratives. Expect the unexpected with this inquisitive performance that promises to be one of the more interesting shows of the month. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7pm, Satori Arts, 815 Almar Ave., Unit 9, Santa Cruz. Free. 314-503-8441.
SATURDAY 10/25
ROCK
NIGHT MOVES
When Minneapolis band Night Moves wrote their new album Double Life the name was very specific. On it, every song is about the tragedies the band dealt with in their personal lives since their last record six years ago. There was the death of family members, friends dealing with sobriety and incarceration, and their drummer “whose skin sloughed off during recording due to contact dermatitis.” Not to mention their van, which had its license plate stolen along with its catalytic converter not once, but thrice. What’s a band to do when trying to make front-page drive-in news? They’re joined by Sam Blasucci, one half of the California cosmic folk duo Mapache. MW
One can’t help but marvel at the impressive amount of noise Teen Mortgage manages to kick up despite having half as many members as most of their garage rock peers. This drum-pounding, guitar-attacking, reverb-abusing duo are bringing their blistering, ferocious sonic assault to venues around the country journeying forth from their home in Washington, DC, where so much great hard and hooky music comes from. With social media posts that seem intent on launching another Satanic panic, their show in Santa Cruz this week promises to be wicked good fun. KLJ
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $27. 713-5492.
SUNDAY 10/26
POP
JACOB COLLIER
Recognized as one of the most gifted young composers of our time, Jacob Collier is the “musician’s musician.” His technical skill and passion for music theory have earned him numerous accolades and five Grammy wins. Collaborations with everyone from Coldplay to SZA reveal his seamless movement between worlds, connecting disparate sounds with grace and style. Collier’s performances showcase his talents blending jazz harmonies, electronic textures and impressive polyrhythms into something unique, technically brilliant and pop-oriented. Each show is a celebration of music’s boundless possibilities. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 7pm, Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. $68-$105. 420-5240.
MONDAY 10/27
LITERARY
JULIAN BRAVE NOISECAT
With five years of on-the-ground reporting, Julian Brave NoiseCat’s stunning debut, We Survived the Night, is a hard-hitting portrait of contemporary Indigenous life through the lens of a father-son reckoning. NoiseCat uses beautiful, gritty prose and journalistic instincts to compose a heartfelt love letter to Oakland, and the Secwépemc Nation. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker and champion powwow dancer, traces his journey across the continent, correcting erasures while discovering himself through his father’s haunted past. In conversation with UC Santa Cruz Professor Caitlin Keliiaa, this evening promises soulful storytelling and an exploration of what it means to love through wounds and find home. SN
INFO: 7pm, London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. $38. 420-6177.
This week, Santa Cruzans have a standing invitation to pull up a chair at a dozen local restaurants and enjoy an affordable, delicious and socially invigorating experience. Not fast food wolfed down in the car, or a takeout order reheated in a microwave. We’re talking about a civilized meal. On real plates. With other human beings at the table.
Five years ago, many restaurants went through a big shakeup during the pandemic. They pivoted, making it easy for customers to get food on the fly, so they could hang on during those dark days. But to do more than survive—to actually thrive—local restaurants need more people walking in the door.
Though the pandemic is over, old habits have hung on. Foodies are dashing to their doors to accept deliveries, rather than leaving the house to partake in the full dining experience.
“Once you start putting things in boxes, people lose a little love for what they’re plating,” East End Gastropub owner Geoff Hargrave says. “I don’t want to in any way seem unappreciative of DoorDash—I need it—but it has definitely affected the ecosystem of restaurants, the psychology of the cook, because they were putting food on beautiful plates and doing sauces, and now it goes into a brown box and it’s going to be shaken around before it gets home.”
Hargrave believes that restaurants have an even bigger part to play in nurturing human souls. “We’re social animals,” he says. “I think it’s one of the last bastions of social gatherings.” Without restaurants, he believes, we would be very disconnected.
Also affecting restaurateurs, on top of rising costs of labor and food, are various traffic challenges around town—most notably the closure at the Murray Street Bridge. “We are having our own existential crisis over in Seabright, and that is exactly what it is. It’s like Covid,” says Patrice Boyle, who opened La Posta restaurant in 2006. “But to focus on the positive—that’s always a better place to be—what has been sustaining and great and amazing to me is how responsive and how wonderful our customers have been. They have really, really been supportive.”
Talking with Restaurant Week participants, we learned a lot about what it takes to keep the lights on at locally owned restaurants. Below, both veterans and relative newcomers share their thoughts.
O.G. Eateries
Jill Ealy, Zelda’s on the Beach: “Our longevity comes down to a few things: our unbeatable location right on the beach, our dedicated staff, and our connection to the Capitola community. We’ve always made it a priority to take part in local events, support our neighbors, and stay consistent with great food, friendly service, and amazing cocktails overlooking the ocean. We’re proud to be part of so many locals’ memories and grateful to keep being a place people return to year after year.”
Paul Cocking, Gabriella’s: “I’ve had good cooks, I have a beautiful building, a good location and an owner who is usually in a good mood. I think a lot of restaurant owners tend to be grumpy, mostly because it’s very hard to make a living at a restaurant for owners and cooks. The servers always do well.”
Chelsea Holmes, Riva Fish House: “You go there and you know exactly what you’re going to get every time. It’s consistency and quality. And then you put it on top of one of the best locations in Santa Cruz, and you’re golden. … Now’s the perfect time because you don’t have to be bothered with all the tourists running around and walking in the road, parking in weird spots.”
Celia Vogel, Mobo Sushi: “My husband’s mom has owned Mobo Sushi and operated it since 1996. … Being around as long as we have, we’ve become a big part of people’s families. I think a lot of people come for celebrations, everything. We’ve had engagement parties, wedding parties, birthdays, first dates, and they always want to come back. … Our head chef, Kevin, has been amazing. We have a whole crew of people who have really been a big part of Mobo. … We have only been able to be successful due to our customers and our community supporting us for all these years and loving our food. Without our customers we wouldn’t be able to survive.”
David Jackman, Chocolat: “I would attribute our longevity to my love for both working in the restaurant kitchen and providing hospitality face-to-face with our customers. It’s their growing appreciation that keeps me going. My wife, Lori, still waits tables on Saturday nights. We have both noticed how much kinder and more appreciative our guests have become over the years.”
Jeff Westbrook, Crow’s Nest: “I truly believe what has contributed to The Crow’s Nest success through the many years is our commitment to quality. And, of course, hiring good people who show that they care about our customers.”
Francisco Cervantes, Hula’s Island Grill and Tiki Room: “I believe our longevity and continued success come down to three key things: consistency in our food and drinks, our commitment to warm and genuine customer service, and our strong ties to the community. One example of how we like to give back is through our Mahalo Mondays program—we donate a percentage of our sales each Monday to local nonprofits, something that’s deeply important to our team.”
The Next Generation
Tim Hunt, owner, Pono: “We started in 2010. We have been serving Santa Cruz. We closed in 2020, like many people did, and we came back in late 2022. But we maintained our location in Capitola and we are lucky to have survived. Thankfully we have a community that supports us and loves what we do, and what we do is give back. It’s a tough business. … It’s challenging in the sense that still, post 2020, we don’t fully have the amount of customers that once were. It used to be lines out the door and all the time it was just hustling and bustling. We don’t feel that has to do with us personally, it just has to do with the times. Because it’s happening to all my fellow restaurateurs that were also hustling and bustling. We’re seeing more people go to online services like DoorDash and UberEats than ever before, and it seems to be unfortunately pressing more toward that. The challenge for us is getting humans to come into the doors and sit down and dine with us. That’s the only thing I can say. And that’s in both locations. It’s a steady customer base but we have the challenge of, where are the bodies? They’re definitely ordering the food online but they’re not coming in like they used to.”
Ali Olivares, Laili Restaurant, identifies the three C’s: Craft, from scratch: “We prepare everything in-house: House-made pasta noodles, our sauces and chutneys to desserts like the pistachio baklava are all house and hand made.” Consistent hospitality: “An attentive team and a lush, enclosed patio that feels like a tucked-away courtyard.” Community roots: “Downtown Santa Cruz has been our home for years; we’re grateful for an incredible local following that keeps us striving for excellence.”
Sarah Bargetto, Venus Spirits: “I’m newly sworn in to the Venus empire [which came into being in 2014] … what I’ve seen in my time at Beachside is the dedication that Sean and Grace Venus have, their vision. They’re very involved and they like to make sure there’s a quality of service that we’re focusing on for our customers and also just a broad attention to detail over all of the things they do. … We’re really grateful to the community that we’re in. The building Beachside is in is the old Cafe Rio building that’s been a quintessential restaurant in the Rio Del Mar and Aptos area for so many years. And we have a lot of customers who come and dine in the space as Venus and reminisce about Cafe Rio.”
Tatiana Glass, Avanti: “Ristorante Avanti originally opened in 1987. I purchased it in 2018 and renamed it Avanti Restaurant. The farm-to-table philosophy remains at the heart of what we do—even stronger today than ever before. Staying true to my values and maintaining the farm-to-table focus has been key. But above all, it’s the team—having people who care deeply about what we do and who bring that passion to our guests every day.”
Joanne Guzman, Bruno’s Bar and Grill: “We’re going on our eighth year since we bought Bruno’s. Most of our guests are part of our family. … We have people who come all the way from Aptos to Bruno’s, which is surprising and exciting for us. They’re our regulars; they come all the time to the live music, for the food, for the staff. We’ve built a family that takes pride in what we do. From the kitchen to the bar to the front door, everyone plays a part in creating the experience that we provide. … I want them to have fun while they’re there. I want them to be happy while they’re there. And my husband is the same way. This is the kind of place we would want to work at. We want to share that with everybody.”
Erick Gonzalez, The Point Kitchen & Bar: “We celebrated six years in July. Two brothers run the kitchen who came from Mexico to live the American dream as co-owners with Josh, who was born and raised here. It’s been a lot of success. We’re proud and happy and excited for another year of Restaurant Week … We’ve increased sales year over year for every year, and we thank the community for that more than anything.”
For the next eight days—through Oct. 29—visit participating restaurants to sample special menus. Each one offers a fixed-price, three-course menu (appetizer, entree and dessert) for $45, $55 or $65. For complete menu details, visit santacruzrestaurantweek.com.
Avanti Restaurant
“I love cooking with squash in the fall—it’s such a versatile ingredient. We make fresh butternut squash ravioli and butternut squash soup, and we also find ways to incorporate it into other dishes throughout the menu. I also love the atmosphere this season brings. As the weather cools, the restaurant feels especially warm and inviting. We host more private events this time of year, which I really enjoy—from designing the menus to seeing our guests so happy during their celebrations,” says owner Tatiana Glass.
For Restaurant Week, Glass is bringing back some favorites that regulars will be happy to see again. “The stracciatella with beets and avocado is a huge favorite, and it’s back for Restaurant Week only. It’s such a refreshing dish, with bright, balanced flavors that our guests really love.” And as befits a restaurant named Avanti, there will be pasta on the menu: pappardelle, seafood linguine puttanesca, and butternut squash ravioli.
AVANTI
Bruno’s Bar and Grill
Joanne Guzman, co-owner of Bruno’s, waxes enthusiastic about the arrival of autumn. “It’s our favorite time of the year at Bruno’s. The air is crisp, the comfort food comes out, everything feels a little cozier. It’s the season for gathering with friends. People love coming to watch the football at Bruno’s, especially. In fall everyone comes back together. Not to mention the beautiful trees and all of that.”
For Restaurant Week, she says, “We’re bringing back some old favorites. We do different specials every week, and people ask, ‘When are you going to do this again, or that again?’” Some of those crowd-pleasers: Bruno’s Wings, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Surf & Turf, and Cheese and Pepper Gnocchi. Guzman also promises some sweet endings: upside-down pineapple cake, pumpkin lava cake and a three-berry bread pudding, with raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
BRUNO’S Surf and Turf
Chocolat
David Jackman, longtime owner of Chocolat, says, “October feels like the grand finale of our harvest season at the farmers market. So the fall is special in Santa Cruz because we find most of our favorite summer vegetables still available. Meanwhile the special fall treats, like butternut squash, come available too.”
He used that bounty to craft the Restaurant Week menu. “The Pork Chile Verde Enchiladas are a first time for us,” Jackman says. “We have been getting tomatillos from Pinnacle Farms at our DT Farmers Market more than ever this year. I love this adaptation of my wife’s chile verde recipe. The Mocha Mudpie is also a first. The first time I had Mudpie as a kid, it was called ‘mocha almond fudge.’ I have been wanting to offer that Mudpie for several years, so it’s about time.”
He’s also using produce from Groundswell Farms for the Butternut Squash Rosettes. “Another returning fall special is the Piki Pakio (actual Italian spelling is Picchi Pacchio),” Jackman explains. “The eggplant we roast and chill for that dish is perfect—also from Groundswell Farms. Our GF mini bread loaf is a favorite all year round, and new customers will find it an addictive discovery.”
CHOCOLAT Canoli
Crow’s Nest
“As a chef, fall means to me an opportunity to work with ingredients that I haven’t seen since the previous winter and fall, so it renews my creative juices again,” says Jeff Westbrook of The Crow’s Nest. “The dishes we are offering at The Crow’s Nest are all new items for this year and are highlighting seasonal fall ingredients.”
Seasonal starters include the Autumn Wedge Salad, loaded with walnuts, dried cranberry and bacon in a maple Dijon vinaigrette. Main selections include hearty fare: Braised Beef Short Ribs with a white bean cassoulet, as well as Pork Tenderloin with pistachio romesco, a havarti-potato galette and roasted cauliflower. And each dessert incorporates winter produce: Pistachio and Beetroot Cake, Pumpkin Pot de Crème and Pear Tarte Tatin.
CROW’S NEST
East End Gastropub
Though fall can be tough for a restaurant’s bottom line, East End Gastropub owner and chef Geoff Hargrave says, “Personally I love fall, because the world quiets down a bit. … It’s the earth going into rest mode. You can kind of feel it, and you kinda get into it, too. Comforting foods feel better. I really like the vibe or the pace that fall puts out. That can translate into more of an intimacy when it comes to dinners. You’re eating a little earlier, eating heavier foods. It’s candlelight and fires.”
For Restaurant Week he has “several special things that are off menu.” Clams & Nduja features Manila clams sauteed with rendered andouille sausage, white wine, garlic and shallots, served with a piece of bread. Another starter is Leche de Tigre, a Peruvian-style ceviche with coconut milk and an aji sauce; it would pair well with Corvina Sea Bass, with marble potatoes and aji verde sauce, which Hargrave describes as “a creamier cilantro jalapeño sauce—not spicy, really bright, really aromatic.”
He’s particularly happy that the kitchen is able to pull off Wild Chanterelles. The mushrooms, foraged from Oregon because the season hasn’t started yet locally, are sautéed with guanciale, he says, and then “on top of Roman-style gnocchi with raw egg yolk. It’s very rich. I think the yolk makes it a little daring for Restaurant Week.” And for patrons who want something more familiar, the menu will include various pizza selections—partly to show off to new patrons something that’s always on the menu, and also to encourage groups to share dishes.
EAST END GASTROPUB
Gabriella Cafe
Mulling over what the fall season brings for his restaurant, Gabriella Cafe owner Paul Cocking says, “We’re not particularly a tourist restaurant in the summer, so in the fall we tend to get a little busier. UCSC, our biggest employer, comes back. People seem to come out more, want to be inside eating at a cozy restaurant like mine.”
Cocking also looks forward to the seasonal produce. “All the squash dishes are something to do a lot with, and salads and things. Kale and broccoli, we serve big piles of that, which tend to be abundant locally in the fall. And crispy Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts are popular this time of year. Rodoni Farms pioneered organic Brussels sprouts,” Cocking says. The restaurateur’s menu also features produce from other organic farmers—Pinnacle, Dirty Girl, Blue Heron, TwinGirls, Sea to Sky and Live Earth—in a wide range of choices for Restaurant Week: six starters, eight entrees and three desserts, including his favorite: Apple Cobbler with chantilly cream, drizzled honey and toasted almonds. “Apples are very abundant right now,” he says.
GABRIELLA CAFE
Hook and Line
Longtime local chef Santos Majano is getting ready for Hook and Line’s second Restaurant Week. “Last year was very successful; we got a lot of people coming in to try us out. It’s good exposure for some people who haven’t tried us yet,” he says about the annual fall ritual. “There’s a lot of new things out there, seasonal, pumpkins, braised greens, Brussels sprouts—things are changing at the farmers market. I think it’s a great time to have Restaurant Week around this time.
“People are out there looking for new items of the season,” Majano says. “With the holidays coming ’round, a lot of people are also visiting town and it’s a good time to gather the family and try new restaurants and the restaurants being able to offer them something new that they can’t get year round. I think, for us, we are always trying to do new things.”
Specifically for this Restaurant Week, he says the staff looks forward to the pumpkin with mole sauce. “We have actually never paired that together. Just the sound and the combination and the ingredients gets us excited,“ he says. “We can’t wait to get it going. It’s something we don’t run on our normal menu.” Another standout is Quail and Chanterelles. “Usually that dish is more traditional with chicken and chanterelles,” Majano says. “We’re trying to do something different.”
HOOK AND LINE Pumpkin Mole
Hula’s Island Grill and Tiki Room
“The fall season is one of my favorite times of the year,” says Francisco Cervantes, general manager of Hula’s. “The cooler weather and slower pace give us more opportunities to connect with our guests—to check in, share stories, and make sure everyone leaves feeling like part of the Hula’s ohana.”
Cervantes shares some of the items—a “mix of returning fan favorites and exciting new dishes”—that Hula’s will feature during Restaurant Week. For appetizers, Pork Stuffed Potstickers “are a Hula’s classic that our guests have been asking us to bring back” and Godzilla Tots are “crispy, craveable, and full of flavor—topped with sriracha aioli, caramelized onions, and nori flakes.”
Entrees include one longtime favorite—Barramundi Lemongrass Encrusted—and two newer creations. The Island Moa Fried Chicken Sandwich features “the perfect balance of heat, crunch, and island freshness” and Kalbi Short Ribs are “grilled to perfection for a melt-in-your-mouth experience. Served with rice and macaroni salad, it’s a hearty and comforting complement to the bold flavors of our appetizers.”
For dessert, Macadamia Nut Ice Cream Pie is “a true Hula’s staple and a must-have for birthdays and celebrations,” Cervantes says. Other choices are Key Lime Pie (“the perfect tart-and-creamy balance”) and Lilikoi Pie, a passion fruit dessert that “delivers the signature island tang and sweetness our guests adore.”
Laili Restaurant
“As restaurateurs, fall is our ingredient sweet spot: cooler evenings on our garden patio, the warmth of spices like cardamom and cumin, and produce that plays beautifully with the Silk Road flavors at the heart of Laili,” says Ali Olivares, Laili’s office manager. “The season lets us lean into comforting textures and aromatics while keeping dishes bright and balanced.”
In terms of seasonal highlights on Laili’s Restaurant Week menu, Olivares points to the branzino special. “It has been such a hit—a truly amazing dish. And our Cardamom Crème Brûlée brings a fall-forward, spice-kissed balance to the menu.” Other beloved favorites making a return: “Chicken Kabob, the shareable Mediterranean Plate, and our house-made Pistachio Baklava—all guest favorites our regulars ask for year-round.”
Certain qualities hold true across the range of dishes served at Laili. Olivares says diners can expect “California produce and proteins paired with refined Mediterranean and Afghan flavors—vibrant, aromatic, and satisfying without being heavy.”
LAILI Pistachio Baklava
La Posta
La Posta owner Patrice Boyle says she loves fall anyway, but particularly in Santa Cruz. “All of the sunsets are more beautiful, everything is more beautiful. The light is fantastic. Today is another amazing, amazing day,” she says. “I love seeing the change of seasons at the farmers market and the incoming produce. It’s really, really fun. There’s all sorts of things. The squashes…”
And for Santa Cruz Restaurant Week, Boyle says, “The chef is really pulling out the stops with the menu. Lobster arancini is kind of a new thing for us—it’s really good. Chicories with duck confit is really, really amazing. And the scallops—I love fregolo, it’s a Sardinian pasta.”
And rather than the regular sheet lasagna, La Posta is serving lasagnette—an individual serving that, like all of the restaurant’s pastas, is made in house. “You basically make the pasta and knead it and roll it out and cut it into little squares,” Boyle says. “It gets crispy on the edges; it’s super delish. The goodness oozes out the sides.”
Boyle muses a bit more about that lovely moment when summer gives way to fall. “I also love the late things,” she says. “Our chef saved up figs toward the end of the season—it’s hard to get a lot of figs—and he made a really dense, heavy jam with them, and finally at the end of the season, when there weren’t going to be any more figs, he made three tarts with them.” Though the tarts are gone now, the memory lingers—a reminder of old-fashioned traditions of canning and preserving—what she calls “the whole ‘putting by’ attitude … it’s quite old-fashioned. Those fig tarts were really special.”
Laughing Monk Brewery
As autumn takes hold in Scotts Valley, Laughing Monk Brewery general manager Matt Laughlin says he’s more than ready. “The weather’s just perfect for outdoor seating; you get a little bit of that sun and you have a nice breeze, and as everybody knows, we have a nice big outside patio, which is our main dining area,” Laughlin says. “I love doing a big Halloween party, which we have scheduled on the 25th—with a photo booth and face painting, and we’ve got a band. I love decorating the store for Halloween. And Thanksgiving we love to roll into; it’s a great day for everyone to get together and eat together and celebrate each other. And we have a couple of fall cocktails we’re doing with some cinnamon and nutmeg and hopefully some pumpkin down the line.”
Laughlin explains that Restaurant Week is a preview of dishes that Laughing Monk will roll out in early December. “We’re running part of our new entree section, which lets you pick your protein; you get a little vegetable medley on the side and then you get mashed potatoes or a baked potato choice, and you can also upgrade to a loaded baked potato if you’d like, or do a side salad instead of the veggies or something along those lines,” he says.
According to Laughlin, “If you come out with your family and there’s one meat eater, there’s one vegetarian, there’s a vegan, and there’s someone who doesn’t like anything ever, I’ve tried to design a menu to please everybody and give everyone a little taste of something that they’ll like.”
Makai Island Kitchen and Groggery
Chelsea Holmes, Makai’s executive chef, is getting in the mood for the fall season. “Definitely a lot of the warm flavors, bringing in pumpkin and yams, a little more curries, a little more spices that you can play around with,” Holmes says. “At Makai we currently have a pumpkin curry dish that we are putting some sweet potatoes in, and fried tofu. It’s coming out vegan. We have a coconut base for it, and we use a yellow curry base mixed in with the coconut milk. We’re literally using pumpkin puree in the curry base for the sauce. It’s so smooth, and the pumpkin totally mellows and calms the spice. It’s so good it’s ridiculous.”
Mobo Sushi
Celia Vogel, a Mobo Sushi co-owner with husband Ben Vogel, sees the upside in the shorter days of the fall season. With darkness falling earlier, she says, people gather earlier in the evenings. “It’s nice. I feel like you spend a little more time together. I enjoy how fall brings people together,” Vogel says.
People have been gathering at Mobo Sushi for close to three decades, but Vogel says this is the first time the eatery has participated in Restaurant Week. “Because we are kind of an older restaurant I feel like there’s probably a whole generation that may not know about us,” Vogel says. “I hope we can bring some people in who haven’t been here or who haven’t come in for a while. It’ll be nice.”
“We put a couple new items that we have on our menu, and I’m excited for people to try those. We put them out a little while ago, and people have been enjoying them quite a bit. We have such a big menu; things can get buried in there, especially when they’re new. So it’ll be nice to have some of those being up front so people can see them and give them a try, because I think they’re delicious,” she says. “The Hamachi Nama Crudo is new, the Mobo Salad is new, and the Spicy Sesame Edamame is new, and a couple of desserts are new, so it’s just exciting to have some new things happening.”
MOBO SUSHI
The Point Kitchen & Bar
Erick Gonzalez, general manager at The Point Kitchen & Bar, reveals what the staff likes most about the fall: “We can be creative. We have a bar and we get to make creative cocktails, and even do hot cocktails. Right now we’re doing Halloween cocktails that we rotate regularly. Foodwise, we’re doing pumpkin cheesecake, we’re doing a fall harvest salad. We get to play around with the menu more than other times of the year.”
For Restaurant Week, Gonzalez says, “We decided to go with three appetizers: the Crispy Brussels Sprouts, a BLT-type house salad And we are doing a cup of soup. We’ll have clam chowder and also a veggie option. For the clam chowder, it’s actually an award-winning chowder. We participated in the Chowder Cook-off in February of this year and under the professional category we took second place.”
Of the three main entrees—steak, salmon and chicken—Gonzalez says that red meat is “what we’re known for. We’re always rotating between filets, ribeyes, flatirons—so we decided to go with a New York steak. We’re adding a horseradish sauce on top of it. It’s going to be 10 ounces, so that’s a really big piece. I think other places are doing smaller ones.” And the chicken dish can be modified for vegetarians: It comes with artichoke hearts, capers, garlic, lemon, white wine sauce, Parmesan cheese and locally made gnocchi.
“Restaurant Week is always our best week of the year, and each year we’ve done better and better and we get better feedback. We’re excited and the team is ready,” Gonzalez says.
THE POINT 10oz New York Steak
Pono Hawaiian Grill
Tim Hunt, owner of Pono’s restaurants in Santa Cruz and Capitola, grew up in Hawaii, where there aren’t many seasonal weather changes. But here, he enjoys the season. “Things slow down, we’re able to focus on specials, community events, bringing the community together as a restaurant,” he says. “We kind of differ from other restaurants that just do food. We do entertainment as well so we’re constantly working on different community events that involve the surfing industry and of course the Hawaiian community. In the fall you’ll see more of that stuff happening.”
It’s also a time when the staff has the time to add a few new specials. One is the Flying Pig Sando, made with grilled spam, pineapple and aioli—“we make our own chili crunch oil. That one is a tasty, savory, umami, just a delicious burger, and we top it all off with a King’s Hawaiian sweet bun…it’s famous for a reason.”
Another show-stopper is the furikake fries: “Those are pretty simple, but we also make our own furikake topping, which we sell all over the place—Hawaii, the U.S., Amazon, Walmart, everything. We’re really starting to blossom with our product,” Hunt says.
Katsu Musubi, Kalua Pork Tots, Mama Kathy’s Teriyaki Chicken and other classics round out the menu, including two desserts. One is Haupia, which is coconut pudding. “Very simple but really delicious,” Hunt says. “If you go to any luau in Hawaii, they will have haupia. If they don’t, it’s not a real Hawaiian luau. Get out of there. You’ve gotta have haupia,” Hunt says, laughing.
PONO Flying Pig
Riva Fish House
It’s autumn on the Wharf, and Chelsea Holmes, executive chef at Riva, is celebrating not only Santa Cruz Restaurant Week but also 13 days of Halloween, with a special appetizer: Trick or Treaties. The dish features six fritters, one of which has a little extra kick. “Five pieces are chipotle cheddar. The sixth has chopped jalapeño inside. One lucky person will get the Trick,” Holmes says.
She’s also excited about one of the entrees for Restaurant Week: the Cajun Seafood Boil. “It’s got mussels, shrimp, crab, our housemade Cajun spice rub. We use a little bit of marinara, corn and red potatoes, and it’s all simmered together with garlic, wine and butter. It’s kind of like our cioppino, but 10 levels above it. It’s the corn—I could eat a whole case of corn simmered in this sauce,” Holmes says. And for palates that favor a sweet touch, the soy ginger sauce “is so insanely good,” she says. “We literally take Anaheim peppers and roast them, peel the skins off and purée them with some sautéed ginger and some green onions, some sesame oil and soy sauce and a little bit of brown sugar. The flavor profile you get from it is fantastic.”
Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen
Sarah Bargetto came on board as chef of the Venus Beachside location about half a year ago and this is her first Restaurant Week. She’s been collaborating with Carlos Perez, chef at Venus Westside, on a menu for the occasion. “Five of the dishes are my dishes, and Chef Carlos has two dishes that he’ll be providing for a first and second course. One of our dessert options—chocolate torte—has been on the menu for a while and is one of our best sellers at Venus.”
Fall “is a time for comfort food—I love creating those warm dishes. On the Restaurant Week menu, that pork belly has a lot of warm spices in there,” Bargetto says. “It tastes just like fall to me.”
Bargetto notes that many items on the Restaurant Week menu could become regular dishes. “Probably the beet carpaccio, hopefully the pork belly,” she says. “The short rib will be going on the Westside menu. I think we will be including the lobster risotto on the Beachside menu. The maitake mushroom dish is kind of an homage to our miso salmon dish—a lot of similar flavors there. So I think we’re pushing to be creative but also have some nods to what we already have and what we will be putting on the menu as well.”
Given the importance of spirits at Venus, it’s not surprising that there are cocktails designed to accompany the Restaurant Week menu (for an additional charge, of course). Three are new: Bourbon Smash, Mamma Mia Mule, and Fall Negroni. The latter, made with the newly released 2025 Fall Gin, sage, apples and fall spices, pairs with the Panna Cotta. “A great drink and dessert to end the meal,” Bargetto says.
VENUS BEACHSIDE Lobster Risotto
Zelda’s on the Beach
At this classic Capitola Village eatery, Jill Ealy is ready for autumn. “After the rush of summer and the busy tourist season, fall gives us a chance to slow down a bit and reconnect with our local community,” says the Zelda’s owner. “It’s when we see more of our regulars, play with seasonal ingredients, and bring a little warmth and comfort back to the restaurant. There’s something special about that cozy, coastal feeling in Capitola when the weather cools and the sunsets come earlier. It’s really one of the best times of year to dine by the beach without the crowds.”
For Restaurant Week, Ealy is featuring some popular dishes. “Our Cioppino and Flat Iron Steak are longtime favorites, as well as adding in our Halibut Risotto, which started as a special last year and quickly became one of the most-ordered items on the menu,” Ealy says. “For starters, our Crispy Calamari is always a must, and we’re finishing things off with our Coconut Cheesecake and Bread Pudding, both made from scratch in house.”
I’ll go for pure comfort and say bread pudding. I had it at a wine pairing event where I chose a dessert wine and made a bread pudding to pair with it.
Dana Wherity, 55, Tumbleweed Found, a unique consignment shop
SERAFINA
I made pumpkin spice French toast yesterday with sourdough bread and pumpkin. But what I really like is pumpkin chocolate chip bread. If I make it, I’ll just eat it with a fork straight out of the pan for breakfast. I’ll leave the fork in there, in the fridge, and I’ll keep going back for one more bite. And pumpkin doughnuts are delicious!
Serafina Nicole Lúz, 45, Rising Wolf Collective
DYLAN
I always enjoy a classic pumpkin pie, but I also enjoy pumpkin spiced drinks, you see them all over. I appreciate pumpkin spiced apple cider too, I think that’s one of my favorites.
Dylan Edward Woodman Hobbs, 18, Soul Searching
ADELLE
I really like a pumpkin spice latte.
Adelle Peterson, 19, Art Major
KAI
I really like baking and I was thinking recently about pumpkin spice cheesecake bars. I really want to get down with that, because it would be the perfect balance of the cheesecake notes blending with the pumpkin spice, and then of course the spices in the graham cracker crust—clove, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Kai Peterson, 16, Culinary/Anthropology Major
JACOB
Pumpkin spiced muffins are amazing and I’ve had pumpkin spiced brownies, they’re really good. I think pumpkin spice is the best in pastry form.
Jacob Corcoran, 19, Toque Blanche kitchenware store
Lately, the media airspace is full of burrowing ear worms featuring the quotes of edgy controversial comedians—the Rogans, the Marons and the Vons. If you’re looking for a more upbeat, less controversial and funnier listening experience, meet comedian Kellen Erskine.
Erskine has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Conan, America’s Got Talent and numerous other national broadcasts, and will be honing his new hour at the intimate Actors’ Theatre on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
And get this, the show is all ages (16+). According to Erskine, who has multiple “clean comedy” specials on DryBar, “My short description of a clean comedy show is this. First of all, I hate the stigma that accompanies the phrase ‘clean comedy,’” Erskine says from the road.
“Clean comedy” is often, quite rightly, dismissed (mostly by other comics) as hack and lame. So, Erskine rarely uses it to describe his comedy. “I don’t do children’s birthday parties. For me personally, it just means not heading into the bedroom with my material, nor dropping any F-bombs—I generally avoid language that’d make my grandma blush (the one on my dad’s side),” Erskine laughs.
Face it. What you think is funny is another person’s cringe. And that is OK. Luckily, the world of comedy is still diverse enough that there are yuks available for everyone.
Clean comedy even has an electronic home at DryBar Comedy. Erskine’s two comedy specials, Negative Comments and Composed, have hundreds of millions of views.
Take the time to listen/watch DryBar’s “Bad Grocery Advice,” by Erskine. It’s three minutes and 54 seconds, packed with precise, well-crafted jokes about things like shopping carts and bike locks. There are setups, punchlines, callbacks—a regular cornucopia of a traditional strain of comedy that sometimes gets obscured by the louder, more boisterous comics.
To say clean comedy is of another era is to discount the major impact of Nate Bargatze. “The Tennessee Kid” had the highest-grossing comedy tour in 2024. He earned $82.2 million from 148 shows, and is self-admittedly a “non-offensive comedian.”
So basically, “clean.” Erskine wears that badge as well.
Onstage, Erskine cuts quite a figure. He’s a throwback to a more casual, and less nervous, Bob Newhart. You can almost see Erskine popping down to the Village Vanguard, in Greenwich Village, in the 1950s, and doing comedy that gets greeted with a ruckus of finger-snapping.
Like all true artists, those who dedicate their lives to their particular craft, Erskine has grown over the years. With the deadline of a new one-hour coming up, Erskine is pushing his personal boundaries onstage. “It’s not so much that I’m going off on weird topics,” Erskine begins, “I’m just being more honest with myself.”
Erskine admits he used to mock comedians that only talked about themselves. He felt it was a lack of creativity and that real comics create something from nothing. “I thought that was what real art was. But it’s silly because I look back at what I was writing at the time, and it’s not like I was on a higher pedestal. And so I feel like I’ve sort of taken the hero’s journey. I’ve returned more competent in both worlds,” Erskine says.
This new adventure of revealing more of himself onstage doesn’t come easy. “I’m trying it out onstage and my batting average is less. There is a Venn diagram of what I think is funny and what the audience thinks is funny,” Erskine says.
It’s like a musician who puts out an album in a different genre. But when you trust the artist, new things are always welcome. You should want your artists to grow. “My daughter asked me a couple of years ago. She’s like, ‘Do you wanna be famous?’ And I was like, ‘No.’ I want to be .5% famous. I just need a few hundred people, in every major city, to know who I am. That’s not asking a lot. You know, eight million people live in Manhattan,” Erskine concludes.
Come support Erskine’s dream of being .5% famous, and in exchange, you get an evening of laughter.
Kellen Erskine performs at 7pm on Oct. 22 at the Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. Tickets are $25 on Eventbrite.
Life is tempting you to tiptoe to the brink of the threshold of the rawest truth, the wildest beauty and the most precious love. Your ancestors are conspiring with your guardian angels to lure you into the secret heart of the inner sanctum of spiritual truth. I am totally sincere and serious. You now have a momentous opportunity—a thrilling opening to commune with subtle powers that could provide you with profound guidance.
TAURUS April 20-May 20
In the forests of America’s Pacific Northwest, “nurse logs” lie fallen but fertile. These dead trees host seedlings, mosses and new saplings that rise from their decaying trunks. I regard this as a powerful metaphor for you, Taurus. Something old in you is crumbling, like outdated beliefs, outmoded duties or obsolete loyalties. Part of you may want to either grieve or ignore the shift. And yet I assure you that fresh green vitality is sprouting from that seemingly defunct thing. What new possibility is emerging from what was supposed to end? Resurrection is at hand.
GEMINI May 21-June 20
A deeper, wilder, smarter version of love is beckoning you from the horizon. Are you ready to head in its direction? I’m not sure you are. You may semi-consciously believe you already know what love is all about, and are therefore closed to learning more. It’s also possible that your past romantic wounds have made you timid about exploring unfamiliar terrain. Here’s my assessment: If you hope to get exposed to the sweeter, less predictable kinds of intimacy, you will have to drop some (not all) of your excessive protections and defenses. PS: At least one of your fears may be rooted in faulty logic.
CANCER June 21-July 22
Princess Diana transformed the British monarchy because she insisted that royal duty should include genuine emotional connection. Her generosity wasn’t merely ceremonial but was expressed through hands-on charity work. She had close contact with youth who had nowhere to live. She walked through minefields as part of her efforts to rid the planet of that scourge. She hugged people with AIDS at a time when many others feared such contact. “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward,” she said. Her ability to maintain grace while remaining emotionally authentic reflected a genius for blending strength with sensitivity. Can you guess her astrological sign? Cancerian, of course. Now is a perfect time for you to draw inspiration from her example. Express your wisely nurturing energy to the max!
LEO July 23-Aug. 22
Certain African lions in Kenya have no manes. Scientists theorize it’s an adaptation to heat or a reflection of extra aggressive hunting strategies. But symbolically, it challenges expectations: Is royalty still royalty without the crown? I bring this to your attention, Leo, because I suspect you will soon be asked to explore your power without its usual accouterments. Can you properly wield your influence if you don’t unleash your signature roar and dazzle? Will quiet confidence or understated presence be sufficiently magnetic? Might you radiate even more potency by refining your fire? I think so. You can summon strength in subtlety and majesty in minimalism.
VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22
During the next nine months, you will face a poignant and potentially inspiring choice: whether to wrangle with an endless tangle of mundane struggles, or else to expand your vision to the bigger picture and devote your energy intensely to serving your interesting, long-term dreams. I hope you choose the latter option! For best results, get clear about your personal definition of success, in contrast to the superficial definitions that have been foisted on you by your culture. Can you visualize yourself years from now, looking back on your life’s greatest victories? You’re primed to enter a new phase of that glorious work, rededicating yourself with precise intentions and vigorous vows.
LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22
I’m pleased to inform you that the coming weeks will be an excellent time to make a big wish upon a bright star. But I must also tell you how important it is to be clear and exact. Even a slight error in formulating your wish could result in only a partial fulfillment. And aiming your plea at the wrong star could cause a long delay. Sorry I have to be so complicated, dear Libra. The fact is, though, it’s not always easy to know precisely what you yearn for and to ask the correct source to help you get it. But here’s the good news: You are currently in a phase when you’re far more likely than usual to make all the right moves.
SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21
During World War II, Scorpio actor and inventor Hedy Lamarr developed frequency-hopping technology to prevent enemies from jamming torpedo guidance systems. Her solution rapidly switched radio frequencies in hard-to-intercept patterns. The technology was so advanced that no one could figure out how to fully adopt it until years later. Engineers eventually realized that Lamarr’s invention was essential for WiFi, GPS and cell phone networks. In the coming weeks, Scorpio, you, too, have the potential to generate ideas that might not be ready for prime time but could ultimately prove valuable. Trust your instincts about future needs. Your visionary solutions are laying the groundwork for contributions that won’t fully ripen for a while.
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21
I guarantee you won’t experience a meltdown, crack-up or nervous collapse in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. What unfolds may bring a similar intensity, but in the opposite direction: a personal breakthrough, a cavalcade of illumination or a surge of awakening. I urge you to be alert and receptive for relaxing flurries of sweet clarity; or streams of insights that rouse a liberating integration; or a confluence of welcome transformations that lead you to unexpected healing. Can you handle so many blessings? I think you can. But you may have to expand your expectations to welcome them all.
CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19
In 1959, a Swedish engineer named Nils Bohlin designed the three-point seatbelt, revolutionizing car safety. Working for Volvo, he insisted the design must be made freely available to all car manufacturers. Bohlin understood that saving lives was more important than hoarding credit or profit. Capricorn, your assignment now is to give generously without fussing about who gets the applause. A solution, insight or creation of yours could benefit many if you share it without reservation. Your best reward will be observing the beneficial ripple effects, not holding the patent.
AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18
Your exploratory adventures out on the frontiers have been interesting and mostly successful, Aquarius. Congrats! I love how you have avoided tormenting yourself with self-doubt and roused more boldness than you’ve summoned in a long time. You have managed to ignore useless and superstitious fears even as you have wisely heeded the clues offered by one particular fear that was worth considering. Please continue this good work! You can keep riding this productive groove for a while longer.
PISCES Feb. 19-March 20
In Korean tradition, mudangs are shamans who endure a personal crisis or illness and emerge with supernatural powers. They perform rituals to seek the favor of spirits. They heal the ancestral causes of misfortune and ensure good fortune, prosperity and well-being for the people they serve. I don’t mean to imply you’re following a similar path, Pisces. But I do think your recent discomforts have been like an apprenticeship that has given you enhanced capacity to help others. How will you wield your power to bless and heal?
Homework: My home country, America, is in a dire crisis that impacts the whole world. Read my comments here: Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.
As a food lover and author, I’m endlessly fascinated by what goes into crafting a cookbook that is as inspirational on the page as it is on the plate. James Beard Award–winning author Joshua McFadden’s new book, Six Seasons of Pasta: A New Way with Everyone’s Favorite Food, currently ranked No. 1 in Pasta and Noodle cooking, is exactly that: a celebration of seasonal ingredients, simple techniques and the joy of cooking. McFadden will share his culinary wisdom at UCSC’s Cowell Ranch Hay Barn on Oct. 21.
“I grew up around farming, animals and big gardens,” McFadden says. “That probably led me to culinary school after dropping out of film school. I worked on a farm first, then jumped headfirst into the culinary world.”
Curious about the detour, I asked, “Was it the farming, a love of food, or the allure of a creative career?”
“Film school professors kept asking what I wanted to do. I said, ‘Make movies,’ and they said I had to focus on one thing. I realized I didn’t want to focus on just one thing. I started going out to restaurants more, fell in love with their design and food. My family background is in interior design and industrial arts, so I’ve always been drawn to spaces. And I’ve always loved food. Telling a story and throwing a party—that’s what I love.”
Alice Waters claims McFadden has the soul of a farmer, as stated in her book review. “I guess I share the same love affair farmers have with their produce. I do it by putting it on a plate and keeping it simple—never messing it up,” he explains.
Seasonal food is central to his approach. “We live in a world with better food than ever—and worse food than ever. Seasonal food is often tastier, more nutritious, and supports local communities. You can’t fake good food with bad ingredients. People are confused because grocery stores carry everything year-round. Seasonality is a compass for quality.”
His recipes balance tradition and innovation. “It’s all grounded in Italian techniques I learned while living in Rome for six months. I extend those methods to seasonal vegetables and local ingredients, but keep it simple. Nothing in my book is something I wouldn’t serve in Italy.”
On the difference between Italian and American pasta, he laughs: “Italy is small; a lot of their wheat comes from Oregon and Washington. There’s incredible American pasta available now—Flour & Water and Sfoglini, for example. (Both brands are available locally at Staff of Life and elsewhere.] Good pasta is out there everywhere if you look for it.”
Pasta, of course, is the ultimate comfort food. “I make vegetable-forward dishes, but pasta is the number-one food in the world. A bowl of pomodoro is a universal favorite. It’s more popular than pizza. Italy is known for their pasta, but noodles are a comfort food in so many cuisines,” McFadden says.
For home cooks surrounded by Santa Cruz’s markets and farms, McFadden’s advice is practical: stock your larder. “Have salts, vinegars, oils, spices, grains, pastas, beans. Then when you go to the market, you’re ready to buy what inspires you and turn it into a meal. Cooking is both nourishment and creativity.”
He also emphasizes learning by doing. “I aim to teach, not tell people how to cook. When you work with something like tomatoes, you create a moment of success—or failure—and learn from it. That lesson carries forward. Mistakes aren’t mistakes—they’re understanding why good pasta is good pasta.”
McFadden is inspired by regenerative agriculture, heritage grains and local eating. “There’s so much misinformation, and people live fast lives, but slowing down to connect with food is always positive. Cooking and eating deliberately, even a little, matters.”
At his upcoming event, expect more than recipes. “We’ll talk about the new book, past books, future projects—lots of fun things. But mostly, I hope people walk away excited to cook with good ingredients, seasonally and simply.”
Joshua McFadden speaks at 7pm on Oct. 21 at Cowell Ranch Hay Barn on the UCSC campus.Visit bookshopsantacruz.com/joshua-mcfadden for tickets to this event.
Learn more about author and plant-based nutrition expert Elizabeth Borelli at ElizabethBorelli.com.
I would say the Happy Death Day movies. I think the concept is kinda unique—the fact that it’s the same day again and you have to figure out how to kill the killer. It’s fun to watch.
Stone Summers, 20, Works at Monster Energy Drink
SOPHIA
The Conjuring is my favorite one. I like the history of the Warrens. I like the movies because they’re not the same plot every single time. It’s the same idea, but they have to solve each one differently. It keeps it interesting. The Scream movies got repetitive, but The Conjuring introduces new characters all the time.
Sophia Santana, 18, Psychology Major at UCSC
MARISSA
I like the Scream movies because they’re filmed in Santa Rosa, my hometown. But also I like it because it’s nostalgic, it’s aesthetically pleasing and it’s a classic. Even if it’s not that exciting, it’s just good.
Marissa Caesare, 18, Cognitive Science Major at UCSC
PRESTON
There’s so many, but probably Halloween, I like those a lot. It’s classic slasher horror—a little cheesy, but it’s fun, the old one. The Rob Zombie ones put a different spin on it, but the classic ones I like a little better.
Preston Johnson, 22, Music Instructor, Guitar and Bass
GABI
Child’s Play, the Chucky movies. The first one is probably my favorite, but I really like Bride of Chucky also. It was made in the year I was born.
Gabi Ceja, 27, Pro Movie Buff
KENEDI
I like Human Centipede. I just think it’s a weird concept. I like movies that are kinda campy— like they’re bad, but they’re kinda good because they’re bad. Part of it is when people ask me my favorite horror movie and I say that, they say, “Oh, that’s kinda weird.” But I think that’s kinda funny. Terrifier is a good one too.
In the current calendar year, Glenn Tilbrook has been quite the road dog. Since the beginning of 2025, Tilbrook and his Squeeze bandmates spent some time opening on a leg of the Heart tour. From there, he decamped to Houston, where the Squeeze founding member joined Daryl Hall and his band to open an early 2025 tour, while also stealing time away to do solo dates.
Between Hall and Heart, Tilbrook, with and without Squeeze, has recently opened/co-headlined with a number of disparate acts including Boy George, The Psychedelic Furs and an arena tour in the UK alongside ska/pop legends Madness last December.
Tilbrook says he’s happy to play this self-described “tumble dryer of different shows” either as part of Squeeze or as a solo act.
Tilbrook’s currently back on the road, playing solo dates as well as opening for Hall, who the power pop veteran first met when Squeeze opened for the latter and his former creative partner John Oates when they were on what became their final tour a few years back. Tilbrook’s admiration for Hall, though, goes back much further, to when “She’s Gone” landed on the UK charts in 1976.
“When ‘She’s Gone’ suddenly got radio play, I was absolutely nuts about that song,” Tilbrook recalled in a recent interview. “What I’ve found in being with Daryl and opening up for him is that while we’re very different, there are still quite a lot of similarities musically in terms of what we’ve listened to and what’s inspired us. I can hear that in his music and my music.”
The Hall tour has an unusual wrinkle for Tilbrook as he’s borrowing the headliner’s band to back him when he opens the shows.
“I’ve put all my time into Squeeze over the past 10 years—it’s been pretty unfailing,” Tilbrook said. “With Daryl’s band, I’m playing quite a bit of my solo stuff and it’s great to hear that fleshed out by their musicality. Their band is very different from Squeeze and I’m loving the difference. If you go into any situation, you wonder what the best is that can come out of it given the tools you have. That band is an immaculate bunch of musicians and it’s a pleasure and privilege to play with them.”
Since Squeeze came over to the United States for the first time in 1978, Tilbrook has been humbled and grateful for the reception he’s received every time. Being part of a heritage act, he’s noticed how the band’s audience has evolved. While he admits advances like streaming have “become another criminal enterprise where artists miraculously don’t get paid,” he admits that it’s a gateway for people who might not otherwise be familiar with his band.
“Streaming has opened up our audience in a way that would never have happened were we signed to a label,” Tilbrook said. “The label decides who they’re going to push and when they’re going to push us. Or conversely, you’re not worth pushing or your time is done, like it occurred to us. We’ve seen our audience grow and I attribute that directly, not only to us being good, but for the availability of our catalog to younger people, who don’t have any sort of barriers about when music was made. They’re just interested in the music and whether they like it or not. I don’t think any other service would done that for us. I don’t think radio could have done that for us. TV could not do that for us, but streaming did.”
As for Squeeze’s activities, Tilbrook and his songwriting partner, guitarist Chris Difford, have been busy working on a new album and a special archival project, Trixie’s, which will compile previously unreleased songs the duo originally wrote roughly 50 years ago—around the same time as the songs that made up the basis for the band’s self-titled 1978 debut album. The band has not set a date yet for its arrival.
“We’ve got all our songbooks going back to when we first met,” Tilbrook explained. “We always thought Trixie’s was a good set of songs that we wrote in the first year that Chris and I were together, in 1974. The thing about that time is that we had very little else to do except write songs and go out to work. We spent a lot of time writing a lot of songs and then they get pushed aside by the newer songs. Trixie’s was the first proper flowering of our songwriting. We really set each other off in a way that I can feel proud of now because although it was 50 years ago and those people are very distant to me, what they did was incredible I’d say.”
Glenn Tilbrook plays at 8pm on Oct. 20 at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $32. feltonmusichall.com
Along the way to becoming a pastry chef, Jennifer Ashby says she fell in love with making chocolate and candy making and has made that her life’s work ever since. After graduating from culinary school, she worked around town locally as a chocolatier, gaining further experience and education before going to confectionary school in Florida.
She then founded Ashby Confections in 2004, making chocolates for herself at home before leasing a space at a local bakery while she developed wholesale clientele. From there she got her own space in Scotts Valley in 2012 and will soon be moving to an upscale storefront in downtown Santa Cruz that she says will be bright, welcoming, modern and elegant.
Ashby defines her namesake confections as artisanal, small-batch and hand-crafted, made with high-end organic ingredients and available on her website, at farmer’s markets, wholesale and walk-in retail. Flagship chocolate stand-outs include truffles like fresh banana, mocha, roasted hazelnut and the award-winning raspberry. Other favorites are cherry chocolate crackle with puffed quinoa and dried cherries, caramel/chocolate/roasted pecan tortoises and nut brittles inspired by her mom’s recipe—like IPA peanut and porter almond pecan. Non-chocolate crowd-pleasers are the soft, tender and chewy fruit candies, somewhat akin to elevated Sour Patch Kids. Almost all offerings are gluten-free and many are vegan.
What about chocolate so inspires you?
JENNIFER ASHBY: It’s a product that brings people joy and happiness, whether it’s for themselves or as a gift for someone else. Putting something delicious like a chocolate in your mouth is very grounding and brings you right into the present here and now. As the world changes and life speeds up, all we have is this moment and these sweet delicacies that we make can really enhance that.
What differentiates your wares?
It’s not only the quality, but also the care that goes into our products. Most businesses are and should be concerned about the bottom line, but I don’t put a primary focus on that. Instead, I make items that are incredibly time-consuming, but it’s a passion project and I don’t compromise quality even at the expense of profit. We don’t cut corners, we actually add them, and these details really make a difference. We are about making great products the right way, old-fashioned and with no stabilizers or preservatives.
Glenn Tilbrook has recently opened/co-headlined with disparate acts including Boy George, The Psychedelic Furs and ska/pop legends Madness. At at Felton Music Hall, October 20.
