Page 738 – Good Times

Music Picks Feb. 21-27

Cat Johnson

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February 21, 2018

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Live music highlights for the week of February 21, 2018.

WEDNESDAY 2/21

ROCK

SHAKEY ZIMMERMAN

Led by Pat Nevins, Shakey Zimmerman will perform a one-night-only acoustic tribute to iconic rockers Bob Dylan and Neil Young. The band will give listeners a chance to relive the emotional music of these legendary artists as they deliver covers that range from true-to-the-original to new twists on fan favorites. MAT WEIR

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michael’s On Main, 2591 S. Main St., Soquel. $10. 479-9777.

FRIDAY 2/23

ROCK

LANGHORNE SLIM

Despite a name that sounds straight out of the classic Delta blues era, Langhorne Slim isn’t easy to pin down. At first listen, the Nashville-based singer-songwriter appears to fit nicely into the folk and roots category, but he doesn’t stop there. When Slim gets going, his folky delivery can turn into an impassioned rock-out session or a pop hook so sweet and catchy that it stays with you for weeks. Throw in some swirling strings and a willingness to be lyrically vulnerable and you have one of the most interesting artists around. CJ

INFO: 8 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15/adv, $18/door. 335-2800.

FRIDAY 2/23

ALT-FOLK

SEAN ROWE

When Sean Rowe was 18, he started writing songs in earnest. But at that point, he had a greater passion: the wilderness. Hailing from New York City, Troy got so fascinated by the great outdoors that he blogged about the woods, and studied at a wilderness survival school. Music would take a greater degree of seriousness in his life years later, and he channeled the simplicity of nature into his dark, gothic folk songs, as well as his deep, woodsy, bassy singing voice. He’s carved out a cult fan base over the past decade, but gained a few more fans last year with his new song “To Leave Something Behind,” which landed on the soundtrack of the film The Accountant. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $15. 429-6994.

SATURDAY 2/24

REGGAE/FUSION

B-SIDE PLAYERS

B-Side Players could be called a contemporary reggae outfit—and it is that. But the award-winning San Diego-based band has musical roots that extend in many directions. The band members blend styles and instruments from Mexico, Brazil, Latin America, Cuba and more into what’s been described as “global funk.” Covering themes of rising up, social justice, freedom and the spiritual journey, the B-Side Players reflect a worldview of people, countries and communities working, celebrating and creating together. This Saturday, the Players celebrate Mexico’s flag day, Dia de la Bandera. CJ

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20. 479-1854.

MONDAY 2/26

GYPSY PUNK

GOGOL BORDELLO

Ever wanted to see a show that brings high-energy, vibrant, theatrical stage shows and a wild twist of eclectic music that’s like crack for the feet? Then gypsy punk act Gogol Bordello has you covered. Originally formed in 1999 in New York, this eight-piece band combines Eastern European gypsy music with punk rock attitude for a show unlike any other. MW

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $35/adv, $38/door. 429-4135.

MONDAY 2/26

JAZZ/SOUL

LISA FISCHER & GRAND BATON

When Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer started performing with Grand Baton after being featured in the 2013 Academy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, the media storyline focused on the longtime backup singer finally stepping back into the spotlight. These days, she covers songs of her former employers, including the Rolling Stones and Luther Vandross, but the powerhouse singer isn’t standing in anyone’s shadow. She’s an overwhelming force whose bracing combination of rock ’n’ roll, soul, jazz, and various international musical currents turns every performance into a hair-raising journey. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $35/gen, $50/gold. 427-2227.

MONDAY 2/26 & TUESDAY 2/27

GARAGE-PUNK

BURGER A GO-GO

Burger Records puts out music that’s, well, fun! We’re talking punk rock, garage-rock, psych-pop, goth-rock, really anything with guitars, drums, and a ton of scrappy energy—technical proficiency is not a requirement for Burger bands, in fact it’s generally discouraged. Santa Cruz lucked out in that we are one of the stops for the label’s two-day Burger a Go-Go concert tour. The lineup is insane: Coathangers, Dengue Fever, Death Valley Girls, Summer Twins, the Flytrap Feels, and Patsy’s Rats. You save big time if you buy a two-day pass. AC

INFO: 8 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door, $30/two-night ticket, 429-4135.

TUESDAY 2/27

COUNTRY

WHITNEY ROSE

I heard the most fantastic definition of “countrypolitan” music the other day: “’60s girl group meets honkytonk feminism.” How could I not give that a spin? I imagine Dolly Parton, with her badassery, style and business savvy, being the patron saint of such a movement. Whitney Rose is an emerging star of the American country, roots and countrypolitan scene. Possessing what Rolling Stone called a “devilish twang,” Rose has a lyrical fearlessness around tackling tough topics, as heard on her new release, Rule 62. Later this year she’ll be on tour opening for Jason Isbell and John Moreland but on Tuesday, you can catch the rising phenomenon at Moe’s Alley. CJ

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $8/adv, $12/door. 479-1854.

TUESDAY 2/27

AMERICANA

DAVID RAWLINGS

David Rawlings has collaborated with a ton of amazing people—Gillian Welch, Ryan Adams, Robyn Hitchcock, Bright Eyes, Old Crow Medicine Show, Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, and Willie Watson. As a solo artist—and leader of the Dave Rawlings Machine—he’s a strong singer-songwriter all on his own accord, grooving old-timey folk music with country and rock flair. Some of it’s the kind of storytelling folk you’d expect from a person like him that draws so much from the rich American roots music tradition. Some of it is quite haunting. He also has a bit of a Bob Dylan-y voice, but we won’t hold that against him. AC

INFO: 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $39.50. 423-8209.

IN THE QUEUE

SHOOTER JENNINGS

Next-generation outlaw country. Thursday at Catalyst

TOM RUSSELL

Americana favorite. Thursday at Don Quixote’s

SLAID CLEAVES

Contemporary singer-songwriter. Saturday at Kuumbwa

VÄSEN

Renowned Swedish folk group. Sunday at Kuumbwa

TY DOLLA $IGN

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter-rapper. Sunday at Catalyst

Giveaway: Molotov

A&E
Music

Cat Johnson

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February 21, 2018

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In the mid-’90s, Mexican rock band Molotov formed and started playing gigs at underground clubs in Mexico City. With messages of political resistance, sexuality and protest, the band’s debut album, ¿Dónde Jugarán las Niñas?, was banned from local stores and sold in the streets directly to fans. Since then, Molotov has won numerous Latin Grammys, shared stages with some of Mexico’s biggest stars, and performed at the Zócalo, the main square in central Mexico City. The band continues to shine a light on injustice and corruption while bringing heavy guitarwork and ribcage-rattling basslines to fans around the world.

INFO: 9 p.m. Sunday, March 4. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $40-$48. 423-1338. WANT TO GO? Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 26 to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to the show.

Love Your Local Band: Soulwise

A&E
Music

Aaron Carnes

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February 21, 2018

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A few years ago, keyboardist/vocalist Kevin Eichhorn was just finishing his seventh year playing minor league baseball. He began filling his offseason by playing in a band he started with his cousin Sean Eichhorn (guitars/vocals) called Soulwise.

“I’d leave at the end of February, ’til October. Then October to February, we’d play some music,” Kevin says.

In those early days, Kevin says, the group’s sound was all over the place.

“It started a little more funky, almost funk-rock-reggae,” he says. “We grew up on rock and the Expendables.”

These days, the sound is decidedly more reggae-oriented. The vibe is very laid-back, almost hypnotic. The rock influences are still strong, but it’s mostly in the guitar-work, which veer freely into shredding solos.

Kevin and Sean enlisted another minor league player to join the band, bass player Adrian DeMar. Neither plays baseball professionally anymore, so Soulwise has become a year-round band as of 2015. Around this time, they went from a four-piece to a six-piece band, playing with horns at some shows. This past December, they released their first full-length, Good Day, which has done well. They even hit No. 3 on the iTunes reggae charts for a day.

This year, the group plans to get out and tour, and show the rest of the world their Santa Cruz rock-reggae sound.

“We want to give it a shot,” Kevin says. “It’s been fun, and we appreciate the support. That’s the big one. We have a good group of guys, just having some fun playing some tunes.”

INFO: 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23. Moe’s, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $7/adv, $10/door. 479-1854.

California’s Sobering Air Quality Reports Hit Close to Home

Andrew Steingrube

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February 21, 2018

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California’s Sobering Air Quality Reports Hit Close to Home

The American Lung Association (ALA) recently released its 2017 “State of the Air” report—and it contains findings surprising enough to, well, take the air out of the room. Nationwide, it found that four in 10 people were living in counties that had unhealthy air. Most shocking was that California, despite its environmentally conscious reputation, actually had the most polluted air of any state in the entire country.

Santa Cruz County received an “F” grade for air quality. But Richard Stedman, an Air Pollution Control Officer with the Monterey Bay Air Resources District, says this is misleading, and that our county’s air quality is actually “exceptionally good.”

Stedman says that the ALA’s failing grade for the county is painting with too broad a brush, and that the “F” grade is primarily due to San Lorenzo Valley’s air quality, which can be suspect, especially in the winter. Stedman says that this is due to a number of factors, the first of which is SLV’s bowl-like topography. “NOx [nitrogen oxides] and PM2.5 [very small particles that can get deep into the lungs] are the two main pollutants we worry about,” he says. Wood-burning stoves, among other things, produce both of these harmful compounds. Additionally, when it’s cold at night, this also creates an inversion layer which essentially puts a lid on the bowl of the valley, trapping in all of the unhealthy air.

But what about at the state level? Does California really have the worst air quality in the nation? “Possibly,” says Stedman, “It’s probably between California and Texas, but our monitoring is better, so we pay the price.”

He says that many factors contribute to California’s poor air quality, but the main one is simply the vast number of cars. “Motor vehicles account for about 80 percent of statewide air pollution,” he says, with the other 20 percent being what he calls “stationary sources” like factories and gas stations.

But beyond cars and industry, climate change can also have some particularly deleterious and depressing effects on the air. Stedman says that one factor involved here is simply that more heat and sunlight are catalysts to producing not only more NOx, but also more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and more ozone (O3 gas), all of which lead to poorer air quality. Further, an increase in climate change-driven droughts leads to less rain, which along with wind can help to disperse air pollution. And droughts also lead to more wildfires, which can be a major cause of air pollution as well. Stedman even says that far-away wildfires like the recent Thomas Fire in Southern California can and do affect local air quality.

Breathing in low-quality air can have serious and harmful consequences on health. “Air pollution attacks the respiratory and cardiovascular systems,” says Stedman. “Less oxygen stresses the heart and creates inflammation in the lungs and cardiovascular system.” In particular, Stedman says that air pollution can lead to cancer and asthma as well as worsen other pre-existing conditions. He says that minor symptoms of breathing in polluted air include inflammation of mucous membranes, burning and dry sensations in the throat and eyes, and difficulty breathing. He says that anyone who experiences these symptoms should consult their healthcare professional.

The ALA’s “State of the Air 2017” report did find “continued improvement in air quality in 2013-2015 in ozone and year-round particle pollution” and that “one-quarter fewer people now live where the air quality hit unhealthy levels in 2013-2015,” compared to last year’s report.

“The trends have been toward improvement,” says Stedman. “Over the last 20 years there has been a significant reduction in toxic air contaminants that can cause cancer and have other health impacts.”

He says one reason for this is that California has the strictest air pollution standards in the nation for both motor vehicles and stationary sources, and that many other states have adopted our standards as well. He also mentions that the purchase of electric vehicles is being incentivized through lower costs of new vehicles and tax breaks, and that his organization is unveiling a new program next year to incentivize the sale of used electric vehicles targeted to low-income populations.

The Enthusiasm and Complexities Behind Rent Control

Local News

Jacob Pierce

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February 21, 2018

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The Enthusiasm and Complexities Behind Rent Control

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]lex Bogert, a computer coder who works in downtown Santa Cruz, remembers when the campaign for rent control kicked off on Sunday, Feb. 11, at the Resource Center for Nonviolence.

He was wandering down Seabright Avenue that day in search of signatures for a potential ballot measure when he stuck his head inside the Santa Cruz Roller Palladium and happened upon a kids’ birthday party. The parents told him that the event was private, but instead of turning around and moving on, he yelled out “Rent control!” Adults came rushing over to sign their names.

“Every single person had a story to tell,” says Bogert, the campaign’s researcher. “Most of the people there had been living in Santa Cruz for a long time, and they were so happy we were doing this thing. It was a nice boost.”

Activists from the Movement for Housing Justice began meeting this past summer, and they’re shooting to get their measure on the November ballot. The measure would ban evictions without “just cause,” and link rent increases to the Consumer Price Index. In order to approve any potential rent increases on top of that, the ballot measure would create an elected rent board, funded by new fees from landlords. In the meantime, the Santa Cruz City Council passed an emergency rent freeze last week, along with temporary evictions rules set to expire in the fall.

A statewide law called the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act prevents cities from limiting the rents of single-family homes, condominiums or anything built after 1995. According to a Santa Cruz city staff report, rent control would regulate between 22-24 percent of rentals.

Ken Carlsen, a landlord who’s been renting properties since the ’70s, fears that rent control unintentionally puts the squeeze on the wrong property owners.

“Landlords who have left their rents low—who are the good guys—are the ones who are going to take the brunt of this,” says Carlsen, who has been renting out a two-bedroom downtown apartment with a backyard, hardwood floors and two off-street parking spots for $1,550, which is more than $1,000 below the market average.

Carlsen says he rents out his properties for cheap prices because he enjoys having long-term tenants. Rent control would have Carlsen locked in, with rent increases usually less than 2 percent per year. Under Costa-Hawkins, Carlsen can raise the rent once he has a vacancy, but sometimes a tenant won’t move out for many years, he says. He wouldn’t be allowed to evict someone in order to raise the rent unless he paid his six months’ worth of market-rate rent to the tenant. Meanwhile, a less scrupulous landlord with a much higher vacancy rate and steeper prices would hardly even notice the new ceiling on their price-gouging rates, Carlsen says—especially because once their tenant moves out in a couple of months, in search of a better deal, such a landlord can hike the rents yet again, anyway.

Researchers have explored the topic of rent control over the years and the results are mixed.

This past November, economists at Stanford released an analysis studying rent control in San Francisco and found that policies there were linked with what’s amounted to a 5 percent increase in rents citywide. The rent control policies, according to the study, impacted San Francisco’s rental supply, even though they had no effect on construction of new units. Many landlords took apartments off the market, often redeveloping or converting them to condominiums—which, because they’re exempt from rent control, are more profitable. That cuts into demand and into the pocketbooks of anyone without a rent-controlled place to live.

On average, rent control helped older residents more than younger ones, according to the study. Its ill effects caused less pain for current residents, who overall saw a net benefit, while the costs fell more often to newcomers who had just moved to the city.

That may not sound at first like such a negative impact, but Robert Singleton, the executive director of the Santa Cruz County Business Council, is skeptical of rent control and says that locals should be wary of policies that end up discriminating against new residents. Most residents moved here from somewhere else, he says, and he bristles at suggestions that non-locals are any less deserving of housing, homeless services or anything else. “Someone’s not being local doesn’t change the fact that they’re homeless. Your not being local does not change the fact that you have a job in this community and need housing,” says Singleton, who’s read the Stanford study.

Singleton says the business council hasn’t taken up the rent control issue. He’s generally more open to the “just cause” portion of the measure, he says, and feels that the initiative, if passed, could end up being a net benefit overall. Still, the idea of a select lucky few benefiting from low rents as rates rise for everyone else concerns him. And Singleton worries that if the measure passes and Costa-Hawkins gets repealed, as some legislators hope to do, that would halt future housing construction, as developers would be scared of having to answer to a new government body any time they needed to raise their rents, which could cut the profits out of a new project, he says.

Rent control has been found to benefit both low-income and medium-income renters, although it benefited middle-income residents more than three times as much as it did low-income ones, according to a study funded by the California Apartments Association.

However, a report from Urban Habitat, an Oakland-based group that advocates for rent control, argues that it’s important to remember that renters on average make much less money than homeowners do, so the money saved is, by and large, staying with the those who need it most.

That report also brushes off longstanding concerns that it’s a downside when rent control keeps tenants in one unit for a long period of time. The report notes that stability for homeowners is lauded as a great benefit. Tenant stability, it argues, is better for neighborhoods and local governments and better for children, too, as it leads to less-frequent school changes—a trait that’s been linked with decreased absenteeism and higher test scores.

Bogert, of the rent control campaign, says that some of the complications surrounding rent control stem from the patchwork created by Costa-Hawkins, and he feels that if California repeals that, it could pave the way for more comprehensive regulations.

“I’ve been living in this town for a decade,” he says. “Any friend I’ve made that’s younger than me doesn’t live here anymore because they can’t make enough money for rent.”

6 Things to Do in Santa Cruz Feb. 21-27

Things To Do This Week

GT Staff

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February 21, 2018

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Event highlights for the week of February 21, 2018.

Green Fix

Straw Bale Gardening Workshop

Straw bale gardening is the answer to any organic gardener’s prayers. It’s sustainable, easy and pretty. Straw bale gardening is a form of container gardening that uses bales of straw as the containers instead of planters or pots. Straw bales are especially useful in locations with poor soil quality because straw composts over time and contributes to soil quality. Join straw bale wizard Nadine Frush in this free workshop to get your bale gardens ready for spring.

INFO: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. General Feed & Seed Co. 1900B Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. 476-5344. Free.

Art Seen

Eclectic Sound Sessions: Kirtan and Song Circle

Kirtan is singing and meditation combined into one form of self expression—think yoga for the vocal cords. Join Haji Basim and Arindam Krishna Das in a Kirtan and song cicle, where they will lead you on a heartfelt spiritual journey into the mind and soul. You don’t need to be particularly spiritual or religious to participate. No need to know the songs, either, though you will likely have learned them by the end.

INFO: 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. DiviniTree Yoga and Art Studio. 1043B Water St., Santa Cruz. 421-0518. sc.divinitree.com. $15 at the door.

Saturday 2/24

Third Annual Winter Dance Fest

Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center’s Winter Dance Fest is a celebration of cutting-edge local choreographers. Gregory Dawson’s contemporary dance company, dawsondancesf, is back for another year. This time he will showcase snippets of his jazz-meets-ballet collaboration with Bay Area jazz master Richard Howell. Santa Cruz local choreographer Cid Pearlman will also present “Strange Toys” (2004) featuring music by Joan Jeanrenaud.

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center. 1010 River St., Santa Cruz. tanneryworlddance.com. $17-$25.

Saturday 2/24-Sunday 2/25

37th Clam Chowder Cook-Off and Festival

Who knew that the country’s biggest and longest-running clam chowder fest was right here in Santa Cruz? The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Clam Chowder Cook-Off and Festival is back for its 37th time around. There are both amateur and professional categories, and prizes for the best chowder. Be a part of Santa Cruz’s storied clam chowder history, and find out where you fit into the bigger clam chowder picture. (OK, just kidding on that last part. There is no bigger clam chowder picture, but wouldn’t that be kind of cool?)

INFO: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. 420-5273. beachboardwalk.com. Free admission, tasting kits $10.

Sunday 2/25

Santa Cruz Symphony Family Concert

Symphonies boast anywhere from 65 to 90 musicians, each specializing in strings, woodwinds, brass, or percussion. The whole thing can be a bit intimidating for some, so the Santa Cruz Symphony family concert is the perfect place to introduce your entire family to classical symphony and a multitude of instruments—there is even an instrument “petting zoo.” The Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony, the Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band, the Cabrillo Youth Chorus, the Santa Cruz High School Drumline, and the Santa Cruz Ballet will also join in the fun.

INFO: 2-4:30 p.m. Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. santacruzsymphony.org. $10.50 child, $18.50 adult.

Art and Mini Golf Downtown

Friday 2/23-Sunday 2/25

Puttering around downtown takes on a whole new meaning with the new downtown mini golf and art extravaganza. Individual teams of local artists and engineers designed nine unique golf holes that are spread across shops and secret spots downtown. Play a round while you are playing around downtown, and grab a scorecard from a downtown information kiosk. The weekend opens with an artist reception Friday night, and ends with an awards presentation on Sunday.

INFO: Friday, 3-8 p.m. Saturday, Noon-8 p.m. Sunday, Noon-6 p.m. Downtown Santa Cruz. 1130 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 332-7422. downtownsantacruz.com/golf. $10 children/$20 adults.

Complete Guide to Santa Cruz Burger Week 2.0

Cover Stories

Hugh McCormick

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February 21, 2018

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Complete Guide to Santa Cruz Burger Week 2.0

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f there’s one thing I’ve learned from tracking down and talking to the chefs, owners, general managers, bartenders, and servers of the 23 restaurants involved in Santa Cruz Burger Week, it’s that Santa Cruz County is crazy about burgers. Like, nuts. Santa Cruz has truly become a burger town, and my “five minute” interviews quickly became half-hour dissertations on burger philosophy—not to mention Santa Cruz food culture, the restaurant industry, and even Bitcoin. I’ve focused on the burger parts in the write-ups below, in an attempt to get readers fully prepped.

What you’ll discover is that Santa Cruz County restaurants will be pulling out all the stops for this Burger Week, which runs Feb. 21-27, offering affordable $7-$10 bits of meaty (and non-meaty) goodness you won’t find anywhere else. Our first Burger Week, held last July, was a smashing success, attracting so many burger fanatics that some restaurants had to turn people away. This time around, with the event moved by popular request to the off-season, the restaurant staff I talked to say that they’re ready for the burger blitz. Read on, and you’ll see that the passion, energy and wizardry that the participating restaurants put into this Burger Week is absolutely astounding.

Go to SantaCruzBurgerWeek.com to view all the special menus.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

110 Walnut St., Santa Cruz, 459-9999, 99bottles.com

“We’re going to serve a delicious burger all week long to Santa Cruz County, and we’re super excited about it. Our burgers are straight-up fantastic and we have a selection of over 250 beers to go along with them. Our veggie burger is awesome, and is helping to save the planet, too.”

— Avatar White, Bartender

Assembly

1108 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 824-6100, assembly.restaurant

“We’re happy to put our burger in the mix with all the outstanding burgers around town. Our menu is rustic Californian cuisine and a burger definitely fits that category. We pile stuff on, and local sourcing is key for us. The bun that we use is a brioche bun made by one of our employees, Jasmine. That’s a fantastic thing that sets us apart. A bun can be forgettable but we make it memorable.”

— Zach Davis, Co-owner

Betty Burgers and Betty’s Eat Inn

1000 41st Ave., Capitola, 475-5901; 505 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz, 423-8190; 1222 Pacific Ave., Downtown Santa Cruz, 600-7056; bettyburgers.com

“For Burger Week this year, we’re offering three different options: the $7 “Lil’ Shroomie” and the $10 “Loaded” and “Cha Cha Cha” burgers. The specials we’ve chosen are inventive, but not too crazy. Between the three of them there is something for everyone. We are the best burger in Santa Cruz, and we provide a dining experience beyond most counter-service restaurants. We do everything in-house—we season our meat and make our own patties. We use the freshest ingredients and don’t use any premade patties.”

— Lauri Negro, Owner

Bruno’s Bar and Grill

230 Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley, 438-2227, brunosbarandgrill.com

“Under new ownership and boasting a [slightly] new name, Bruno’s Bar and Grill has created the ‘Bad Boy Burger’ for you! The Bad Boy is a juicy prime burger topped with smoked gouda, bourbon bacon jam, grilled onions, Applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and our Bruno’s naughty sauce. The homemade bourbon bacon jam/glaze is a thick, flavorful sauce. My husband kept on trying different things until he got it perfect. Our house ‘naughty sauce’ has a kick to it, too. All of the flavors of the burger work and play off of each other, and the fries we serve are a perfect accompaniment.”

— Joanne Guzman, Owner

The Buttery

702 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 458-3020, butterybakery.com

Santa Cruz Burger Week 2018 Betty Burger — Betty Burger

“The Buttery is serving French fries for the first time in its history! We’re definitely excited about it. We’re offering two burgers: a $7 “normal” Signature Burger and a $10 “meatier, more interesting” Bacon Gorgonzola Burger. Both will be served on our housemade sesame brioche buns, and come with homemade fries and hot pepper jack cheese dipping sauce. We’re trying to meet everyone’s needs, and we certainly didn’t forgot about our area’s vegetarians—we’ll happily be serving an equally delicious veggie burger as well.”

— Tommy Park, General Manager

The Cremer House

6256 Hwy. 9, Felton, 335-3976, cremerhouse.com

“The main thing I want to emphasize is the quality of our Cremer Burger—it’s simple and fresh, with one half-pound of grass-fed ground beef and a Sunflower Bakery bun. We want to showcase what we’re doing up in Felton at The Cremer House; while folks enjoy a great burger, they can see what else our restaurant has to offer.”

— Mike Goss, Restaurant Manager

East End Gastropub

1501 41st Ave., Capitola, 475.8010, eastendpub.com

“We really take our burger seriously here. We put a lot of attention into it. And this is our time to get creative with it. We thought it would be a cool spin to put a pastrami sandwich on a burger. We’re using grass-fed beef; our house stout in nitro, to make a delicious beer mustard; beef belly pastrami; really fresh, crisp sauerkraut; and traditional Swiss cheese on a brioche bun. Burger Week is a chance for us to show off a top-quality burger with our own creative spin.”

— Amy Elliot, General Manager

Gabriella Café

910 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, 457-1677

Santa Cruz Burger Week 2018 The Cremer House — The Cremer House

“Our featured burger is special—boasting the highest quality ingredients. The 6-ounce grass-fed beef patty is of the highest quality, and it sits on a homemade bun. Homemade Dijon sauce, caramelized onions, lettuce, and kraut round out the burger. We have sauerkraut on the burger instead of a pickle. I had the idea of using coleslaw with beets, carrot and currants as a side. We also have homemade fresh-cut French fries that are very special. We’re proud of our fresh-cut onion rings that are breaded in panko and fried. The quality of the meat and the homemade bun is really what makes our burger great. We’re happy to be a part of Burger Week. It’s a fun week and is extremely popular.”

— Paul Cocking, Owner

Hula’s Island Grill and Tiki Room

221 Cathcart St., Santa Cruz, 426-4852, hulastiki.com

“Our burgers have hand-made patties from grass-fed beef and are grilled over an open flame. You can’t beat them. I think the most unique burger that we are offering for Burger Week is our ‘Impossible Burger.’ It tastes just like beef, but it’s made with all plant proteins. It’s a great option for the environmentally, animal conscious burger eater, or for anyone who is looking for a great substitute for beef.”

— Hollis Oatey, General Manager

Michael’s On Main

2591 S. Main St., Soquel, 479-9777, michaelsonmain.com

“Last year, we were a bit underprepared for how popular Burger Week would be, but this year we’re totally ready. Our ‘Americana Burger’ has a large 7-ounce patty with top-quality Angus beef from Harris Ranch in California. We offer a vegan burger and a vegetarian garden option, too.”

— Michael Harrison, Owner

Mozaic

110 Church St., Santa Cruz, 454-8663, mozaicsantacuz.com

“I love the idea of Burger Week. It’s totally accessible and allows people to try new things and dine on affordable, quality cuisine. We’re proud of our Mozaic Burger. At half a pound, it’s large, juicy, charbroiled, and topped with caramelized onions. It comes with fries or our Greek salad. Guests will love our juicy Wild Salmon Burger served with caramelized onions and our homemade honey Dijon sauce. Santa Cruz’s vegetarians will appreciate the ‘Opa Burger’ and many other things on our extensive menu.”

— Jay Dib, Owner

Parish Publick House

841-A Almar Ave., Santa Cruz, 421-0507, theparishpublickhouse.com

“We have the best burgers in town. We don’t skimp on quality or size. We’re doing three burgers for Burger Week. The Fried Green Tomato Burger is what I’m most excited about. Fried green tomatoes, a fried egg, bacon, ghost pepper jack cheese, and Thousand Island dressing are sandwiched between a pretzel bun. Each of our burgers are $10, and will be served with homemade barbecue chips. We buy high-end beef, and our French fries are cut in house.”

— Dave, Kitchen Manager

Red Restaurant and Bar

200 Locust St., Santa Cruz, 429-1913, redrestaurantandbar.com

Santa Cruz Burger Week 2018 Water Street Grille — Water Street Grille

“This is an opportunity for the Red to show off and get creative. And with the ‘Burger on the Cusp,’ we did. Our chef likes what he does and wants to showcase his talents and abilities. His creation, Burger on the Cusp, is a pistachio-encrusted crab patty with arugula, heirloom tomato, and a chipotle-lemon aioli on a brioche bun. Served with truffle rosemary fries. We hope that all of our loyal customers (and their friends) enjoy it.”

— Jessica, Bartender

Saturn Café

145 Laurel St., Santa Cruz, 429-8505, santacruz.saturncafe.com

“This is a huge opportunity for Saturn Café. During Burger Week, we want to let everyone know that as a 100-percent vegetarian restaurant, we serve amazing, delicious burgers. People can come test drive the ‘Space Cowboy’ burger—a vegetarian ‘Saturn Patty’ with ‘bacon,’ onion strings, and jack cheese topped with lettuce, tomato, and homemade vegan mayo and barbecue sauce. We buy our fresh gluten-free burger buns from a local company. Space Cowboy is an awesome burger and it comes with a choice of sides.”

— Humberto Olivera, General Manager

Severino’s

7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos, 688-8987, seacliffinn.com

We’re about offering an affordable burger, and wanted to make sure it was high-quality with fresh ingredients. The Sev’s Burger is encased in a delicious potato bun, which completes this rendition, while caramelized onions and blue cheese crumbles lend sweetness and saltiness. But it’s our beloved seasoned grass-fed, pasture-raised beef and lamb patty, which we grind and shape daily, that lingers longest on the palate and memory bank.”

— Chef Antonio, Severino’s Bar and Grill

Sid’s Smokehouse

10110 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 662-2227, sidssmokehouse.com

“Burger Week allows us to showcase the different types of meats we have. With our 50-50 Bulldog Burger, we get to combine smoked meats with Angus—it’s a half Angus beef and half bacon patty. We also offer things like brisket on top of a hamburger, and pulled pork on top of a burger, too. These are things that you really can’t find anywhere else. You’ve really got to try our Western BBQ Burger–it’s piled high like a volcano. We know how to do meats—and burgers.”

— John Siddall, Owner

Splash

49 Municipal Wharf A, Santa Cruz 466-9766, splashonthewharf.com

“I’m most excited about the Bacon Mac ’n’ Cheese Burger. It’s sautéed onions on top of bacon on top of mac ’n’ cheese, on top of a half-pound burger. Seafood lovers will enjoy our Crab Cake Burger and vegetarians can order our Portobello Mushroom Burger—complete with gruyere cheese and black truffle aioli on a sesame bun. We are absolutely excited about Burger Week and having locals come to sample our menu.”

— Ivan Chable, Manager

Surf City Sandwich

4101 Soquel Drive, Soquel, 346-6952, surfcitysandwich.com

“Last year during Burger Week we thought out of the box, and this year we’re offering the best $7 burger money can buy. The Surf City Burger boasts an Angus beef patty, kosher pickles, caramelized onions, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a brioche sesame bun. We use Angus beef and cook it in its own fat any way you like. Best cooked medium, the burger comes with our perfectly salty housemade chips. It’s a good-sized burger—perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

— Paul Figliomeni, Owner

U.S. Meal

21505 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz 475-1982, facebook.com/US-Meal

Santa Cruz Burger Week 2018 Your Place — Your Place

“We’re really upping it for Burger Week with our Western Burger. It usually doesn’t have bacon or avocado on it, or come with French fries, but we’re pulling out all the stops. Our burgers are unique. We make the Angus beef patties ourselves each day, and all of our garnishes—like onions and tomatoes—are cut fresh each morning. Everything is fresh here. The best thing I can tell anyone about Burger Week: try the burgers and give local businesses the support they need. Try to go to them all.”

— Desiree Voorhees-Frahn, Owner

Water Street Grill

503 Water St., Santa Cruz, 332-6122, thewaterstreetgrill.com

“Everything at the Water Street Grill is made from scratch. We have a lot of burgers that are not offered anywhere else, and we’re proud to introduce them to Santa Cruz County. Our cheeseburger temple is stacked high with organic greens, tomato, red onions, melted cheddar and jack cheese, and two 5-ounce grass-fed Angus beef patties. We use locally baked bread and everything on our burgers is homemade. We make our own Thousand Island sauce and use local-sourced produce in everything we do. We’re big proponents of the farm-to-table movement, and even our French fries are made from scratch in our kitchen daily.”

— John Degeneres, Owner and Manager

West End Tap and Kitchen

334-D Ingalls St., Santa Cruz, 471-8115 westendtap.com

“Our burger is one of the best in town. We call it the Cherry Bomb Burger. It’s a grass-fed and pasture-raised patty with Fresno peppers, smoked mozzarella, and roasted cherry tomatoes on a challah bun. I’m excited to see people’s responses to all the burgers in town. It’s a very local, community vibe over here. We want to continue being experimental and trying new things.”

— Jeremy McCarthy, General Manager

Your Place Farm to Table

1719 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 426-3564, yourplacesc.com

“For Burger Week, we’re doing something that nobody’s seen before. The Monte Cristo Burger is French toast with a burger and cheese inside. You can have it with syrup or eat it how it is. It’s absolutely amazing—completely different, weird and awesome. Our other burgers are awesome, too. ‘Get in My Mouth’ is insane, fun and delicious. For our ‘Monster’ burger we use eggs fresh from our yard. The eggs are from our chickens—we run around our whole yard trying to find the stars of the burger. We are as homegrown as it gets.”

— Staff

Zachary’s

819 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 427-0646, zacharyssantacruz.com

“We’re mostly known for our breakfast, so it’s great to showcase our burger. Our burger is 100-percent homemade, and we use the same sourdough as our toast, shaped into a burger bun. We’ll use our homemade barbecue sauce on the burger itself, and herb garlic butter on the bun that gives it a unique flavor. We’ll use roasted Anaheim chilies on our Green Chili and Pepper Jack Burger—as well as grilled yellow onions, spicy pepper jack cheese, and a delicious homemade chipotle mayonnaise.”

— Cathy Kriege, Owner

Santa Cruz’s Connection to ‘The Post’

Local News

Georgia Johnson

-

February 21, 2018

1

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]any Americans would be surprised, ecstatic even, to see a project they worked on portrayed in a blockbuster film, but Santa Cruz attorney Daniel Sheehan is used to it. After working on both the Watergate and Pentagon Papers trials, among other endeavors, Sheehan is used to being in the front row of both history and Hollywood.

“There was also Tom Cruise’s American Made, about Iran-Contra, and Silkwood, another movie with Meryl Streep that Mike Nichols directed. We did that too,” recalls Sheehan, who is currently preparing for an August trial representing Dakota Access Pipeline water protectors in Standing Rock, and is also the founder and president of the Romero Institute, a Santa Cruz-based legal and public policy center descended from the Washington D.C. Christic Institute. “So watching those movies was a little surreal, too, but I’ve had this experience before.”

Sheehan’s latest courtside seat is for The Post, Steven Spielberg’s film spotlighting The Washington Post’s rise to journalistic glory in the Pentagon Papers case, which has earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture and for Meryl Streep’s performance as the Post’s publisher at the time, Katharine Graham.

At the time of the Pentagon Papers trial, Sheehan had recently graduated from Harvard Law School and worked for the Cahill-Gordon Law Firm, which represented the New York Times in the 1971 landmark First Amendment case showcased in The Post. He went on to work at famed Boston-based criminal defense attorney F. Lee Bailey’s firm, where he served as Special Counsel in the Watergate Burglary case two years later.

Though he watched the Pentagon Papers case unfold from the New York Times’ side, Sheehan says that there were some moments that he recalls quite differently than they were portrayed in the film.

“Remember in the movie where Katie Graham was allegedly sitting at the restaurant table with the New York Times editor when the legal counsel brought in the telegram demanding the New York Times stop publishing the documents?” Sheehan asks. “That actually came to my office from Whitney North Seymour, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. So, there was that.”

The film’s critical acclaim suggests that the past and future fourth pillar of democracy is something worth not just upholding, but celebrating. Sheehan recalls the Richard Nixon presidency as “the halcyon days of investigative journalism,” and he got to tag along by representing the investigative journalists in court.

During his term, Nixon dubbed the media “the enemy.” He kept a White House enemies list with more than 50 journalists on it, and actively worked to avoid unplanned encounters with White House reporters. Nixon made great use of the television, which reached Americans more directly and cut out third-party reporters. The White House communications office and director position were also created under the Nixon administration.

“When people come to the office of the presidency and acquire executive power, they automatically and instinctively view the media as an adversary,” Sheehan says. “They soon realize that the news media tends to be out to criticize them and view themselves as having a role to criticize them.”

President Parallels

One subtext of The Post that has not gone unnoticed is the parallels it suggests between Nixon and Donald Trump, although Sheehan argues that Nixon was much less social and more self-conscious than Trump. According to CNN, Trump told former FBI Director James Comey to throw all journalists who publish government leaks in jail. He regularly tweets about fake news and makes comments about dishonest media and the “failing New York Times,” and has said that the press is the “enemy of the American people.” Trump also opted to host his fake news awards earlier this year, in which the Times took first place, with ABC and CNN taking silver and bronze.

“There is a tendency to compare Nixon and Trump, and Trump will play right into it,” Sheehan says. “He will become more and more reclusive and cut himself off from places that will ask him questions. This tendency to compare Trump and Nixon will increase and increase, and it’s an effort on the part of the media to lobby on behalf of him getting impeached.”

Sheehan explains that while Nixon besieged the press, he was also conspiring with the enemy overseas. When Nixon was running for reelection in 1968 against Hubert Humphrey, he communicated with the North Vietnamese and conspired to enter into a war settlement with Johnson so that once he was elected, he would be credited with ending the war. As recently evidenced by a cache of notes left by H. R. Haldeman, Nixon’s White House Chief of Staff, Nixon sabotaged Johnson’s peace efforts so that once elected, he could take credit for it. Sheehan says that this practice of enemy communication and negotiation continued beyond Nixon, into the Reagan and Bush administrations, and the current allegations of Trump-Russia collusion.

“The Post is reflective of this spirit of investigative journalism, but it also demonstrates the conflict of interest that exists on the highest levels of the major news media with the national security state infrastructure,” Sheehan says. “They are all part of the same social clubs, they all went to the same private schools and colleges together. That’s the major challenge always present for anybody that wants to be an investigative journalist. They are going to run right into their board of editors who will tell them to stop investigating.”

The Post explores this theme via the realizations that Graham and Post editor Ben Bradlee (played by Tom Hanks) must face about how their friendships and social entanglements with Washington’s elite compromise their ability to report on those same politicos. While the film suggests a new consciousness on the part of the press at that time, the truth is that conflicts of interest within the media aren’t uncommon in national politics even today; for example, ABC News President Ben Sherwood is the brother of Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, who was a top national security adviser to Barack Obama, and CNN’s Washington Deputy Bureau Chief Virginia Moseley is married to Tom Nides, the former deputy Secretary of State under Hillary Clinton.

Ultimately, reporting on the Watergate scandal by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein eventually led to Nixon’s resignation—considered one of the largest investigative journalist victories ever. It’s possible that the current president’s war on the press could end in a similar fashion, Sheehan says.

“The entire establishment has locked arms and decide that they are going to plow this guy under,” he says. “This is an extraordinarily important and positive time for investigative journalism. I am just pleased as punch to watch it all happening.”

Banff Mountain Film Festival Comes to Rio Theatre

A&E
Film

DNA

-

February 21, 2018

0

Banff Mountain Film Festival Comes to Rio Theatre

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he 2018 Winter Olympics showcases the top athletes in the world. But what of the rugged individualist unable to be trained by committee, seeking the extremes of body and mind, teetering on the edge of death, straining just to catch a glimpse of freedom? Well, luckily there’s an international film festival that highlights these daring dream chasers.

Held every year in Banff, Alberta, the movies in the festival document high-octane sports that defy reason. A traveling collection of the best films tours the world and we’re fortunate to have the Banff Mountain Film Festival coming to Santa Cruz. It’s easy to guess what fuels an Olympiad training to be the best in the world: national pride, competing against the greatest and winning a medal. But what compels humans to risk life and limb in the middle of nowhere, as they do in so many Banff films?

Take the film Twin Galaxies: A Greenland Epic. Three millennials, whom National Geographic deemed “adventurers of the year,” take on an absolutely insane quest. Sarah McNair-Landry is considered a world-class polar guide, and professional kayakers Ben Stookesberry and Erik Boomer found a never-before-paddled river while searching through Google Maps. They set off on foot, dragging kayaks and a heavy load often blown forward by kites. Ultimately they trudge 1,000 kilometers through the frozen tundra of Greenland, below freezing temperatures, slushy rain made of ice and the specter of death hiding in the white out conditions. Not a picnic!

McNair-Landry suffered a compression fracture on her vertebrae and several broken ribs due to a miscalculation that took her ice kite high in the air and slammed her down mercilessly on the hard ground. She didn’t find out the extent of the damage until she got home, because there was no question or possibility of turning back.

One thing that becomes clear during the four-day festival is that the gene for extreme sports is a worldwide phenomenon, with films coming from countries around the world. What draws them together is a boundless enthusiasm for (hopefully) doing what’s never been done, no matter what the cost.

Searching for a Christmas Tree is another Banff triumph, not only for the unimaginable physicality of the film, but also because of the creative thinking and resolve that it showcases. Filmmaker Zhang Yunping, a.k.a Crack; university teacher He Chuan; and Liu Yang, who is one of China’s top rock climbers, set out to find an elusive marvel in China. The Christmas tree in question is a towering frozen waterfall, whose slick surface and uneven terrain make for a death-defying ascent. But this isn’t just a movie about ice climbing; it’s also about how an ordinary person can achieve even the wildest dream. Chuan was a university teacher who had a vision of climbing a frozen mountain he christened a Christmas Tree. It took months of searching for the icefall and assembling a team. It was a literal leap of faith and the fact that it was captured on film makes it all the more compelling. These aren’t just “extreme sports movies.” Banff’s collection is an affirmation in these dark times that people are constantly striving toward dreaming up new challenges that redefine what is possible.

During the four-day festival at the Rio Theatre, one can see dozens of films, many of them less than seven minutes long. The current tour explores their trademark world of mountain climbers, but also highlights new environments, ancient cultures and even tapers off the edge-of-your-seat momentum to slide in a charming gem of an entirely different sort as well. Hailing from Canada and clocking in at five minutes, it’s called Imagination: Tom Wallisch. ESPN’s extreme sports commentator Tom Wallisch is usually busy interviewing X Game winners, but in this fun, feel-good ski film, his ability to fly through the air is enchanting. Imagination is mind-blowing and clever, with Wallisch skiing over everything and everyone in a small town in Nelson, British Columbia, as seen through the eyes of a child. It doesn’t have any of the pulse-elevating drama of so many of the films in this year’s collection, but like them, it finds its own way to inspire.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival runs from Thursday, Feb. 22 through Sunday, Feb. 25 at the Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel, Santa Cruz. Show time is 7 p.m. Tickets are $22 and at brownpapertickets.com. More information at recreation.ucsc.edu. Some shows are sold out.

Preview: Johanna Warren to Play Mermaid House

A&E
Music

Mike Huguenor

-

February 20, 2018

0

Preview: Johanna Warren to Play Mermaid House

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s no overstatement to say that Johanna Warren’s 2016 album Gemini I is one of the most inspired and moving folk records of this decade. Its nine songs are lush and hypnotic, even when they’re nothing more than guitar and vocals. And while there are moments that recall classics like Nick Drake, Fleetwood Mac, and Linda Perhacs, Warren never sounds like she is rehashing the past. Despite its timelessness, her music is very much current, often shocking in its direct and honest exploration of human relationships.

This week, Warren comes to Santa Cruz in support of her follow-up, Gemini II, a record which is intimately tied to the last. Also made up of nine songs, Gemini II was recorded during the same session as the first, the split nature of the two records only emerging throughout the process.

“I just went into the studio with like 20 songs, and I had no idea what I was doing with them,” Warren says over the phone, from her home in Portland, Oregon. “But it just kind of emerged bit by bit as I was recording. This whole concept just came into focus, where it was, like, ‘twins.’”

Warren describes both albums as inspired by her simultaneous relationships with two Geminis—one her romantic partner, the other her Tarot reader.

“It’s all about this triangular dance of relationship between points one and two of the triangle, and this third presence that emerges from that union.”

The tarot theme is enacted through the albums’ covers, which are stagings of the Lovers card (Gemini II) and the Devil card (Gemini I) from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck.

“The juxtaposition of these two cards really inspired me, because it’s the same two people but the scenery around them changes, and the energetic cosmic presence that is either emerging from their union or presiding over their union changes. And that’s something that I experienced in this very tumultuous relationship that I was in,” Warren says. “It brought me into contact with my own power as a creative agent of choice, and just the power of all of us as humans to manifest heaven or hell with our thoughts, words and actions. We can make things really awesome or really fucked up, depending on what we choose to do with our powers.”

No less beautiful than its twin, Gemini II includes some of Warren’s best material so far, including the haunting “inreverse,” a song whose lyric “some stories make more sense written in reverse” recasts both albums through an entirely different narrative—one which ends where it begins. Together, both albums form an enchanting, powerful whole, each made stronger by its mirrored image in the other.

A major theme of this tour is healing, and, in particular, the usage of plant medicine in healing. In every city she plays, Warren has invited local herbalists and healers to take part. In Santa Cruz, this will include a full-on group experience between the performers, the audience and the local herbalists.

“My tourmate and I will be leading a sort of guided plant/spirit infused healing meditation at some point during our performances,” Warren says. “We’ll be playing our traditional songwriter stuff as well, but then just kind of curating a sort of experience for people to reflect on our connections to nature.”

This seems especially refreshing at a time when the U.S. Secretary of State is a former executive of ExxonMobile, the Environmental Protection Agency is headed by a climate change denier, and an oil tanker carrying 136,000 tons of oil recently sank to the bottom of the East China Sea—the worst disaster of its kind since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in 2010.

Warren remains both purposeful and hopeful about the healing power of music.

“Nature made us, and we have made civilization,” she says. “We are creating it constantly as we go. We can change it all. All of this happens so relatively quickly. We can steer it in another direction.”

JOHANNA WARREN plays at Mermaid House, 416 Mott Ave., Santa Cruz, on Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m. $15. For tickets, go to johannawarren.com.

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99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

110 Walnut St., Santa Cruz, 459-9999, 99bottles.com

Assembly

1108 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 824-6100, assembly.restaurant

Betty Burgers and Betty’s Eat Inn

1000 41st Ave., Capitola, 475-5901; 505 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz, 423-8190; 1222 Pacific Ave., Downtown Santa Cruz, 600-7056; bettyburgers.com

Bruno’s Bar and Grill

230 Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley, 438-2227, brunosbarandgrill.com

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702 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 458-3020, butterybakery.com

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East End Gastropub

1501 41st Ave., Capitola, 475.8010, eastendpub.com

Gabriella Café

910 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, 457-1677

Hula’s Island Grill and Tiki Room

221 Cathcart St., Santa Cruz, 426-4852, hulastiki.com

Michael’s On Main

2591 S. Main St., Soquel, 479-9777, michaelsonmain.com

Mozaic

110 Church St., Santa Cruz, 454-8663, mozaicsantacuz.com

Parish Publick House

841-A Almar Ave., Santa Cruz, 421-0507, theparishpublickhouse.com

Red Restaurant and Bar

200 Locust St., Santa Cruz, 429-1913, redrestaurantandbar.com

Saturn Café

145 Laurel St., Santa Cruz, 429-8505, santacruz.saturncafe.com

Severino’s

7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos, 688-8987, seacliffinn.com

Sid’s Smokehouse

10110 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 662-2227, sidssmokehouse.com

Splash

49 Municipal Wharf A, Santa Cruz 466-9766, splashonthewharf.com

Surf City Sandwich

4101 Soquel Drive, Soquel, 346-6952, surfcitysandwich.com

U.S. Meal

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Your Place Farm to Table

Zachary’s

819 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 427-0646, zacharyssantacruz.com

President Parallels