I was with a group of 12 for the Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen’s Wild-Caught Salmon Feed recently, held at the Peace United Church hall in Santa Cruz. The Fly Fishermen provided sodas and water, but we had to bring along our own alcohol—an opportunity to share Bargetto Winery’s 2014 Regan Vineyards Chardonnay ($24) with friends.
A lovely wine with a light straw-yellow hue, this Chard has a good balance of minerals and fully developed fruit flavors. But with fruit coming from Regan Vineyards, Bargetto Winery’s carefully tilled land in Corralitos, where bright sunny days ripen grapes to perfection, a worthy Chardonnay is to be expected. Then there’s talented winemaker Olivia Teutschel to factor into the mix. Working at Bargetto since 2012, and as head winemaker since 2014, Teutschel is turning out some impressive juice—the Regan Vineyards Chardonnay being no exception.
As we all taste the different wines we have brought, our friends love the flexible Bargetto Chardonnay, which pairs so well with the succulent wild-caught salmon. Food is prepared by Jozseph Schultz, of India Joze fame—one of Santa Cruz’s best-known chefs—whose innovative cuisine is guaranteed to be tasty.
Bargetto puts on a multitude of events throughout the year, and right now its Music in the Cellars events take place on Thursdays, through the end of March. There is no cover charge and Bargetto wine is available for purchase by the glass. Food is also available for purchase.
Bargetto Winery, 3535 N. Main St., Soquel, 475-2258. bargetto.com.
Roudon-Smith Winery
Roudon-Smith had a good run in this year’s San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition—winning two golds and a couple of bronzes. Right now, winery owner Al Drewke has things on hold as he “works on options to open a satellite tasting room.” Visit roudonsmith.com for more info.
I’ve worked on a lot of Best of Santa Cruz County issues, and while they can be grueling to produce, there’s an undeniable pride that I always feel when they hit the stands, because they’re always the biggest and—if I may be so bold—most spectacular issue of the year.
With that in mind, let me say this: there’s never been a Best of Santa Cruz County issue like this one, and there probably won’t be again. It’s not just about the sheer number of local businesses and individuals who’ve been recognized in these pages (although there are almost a thousand), or the design and photographs (although they’re fantastic). There’s just a different feeling this year, of something bigger that connects this issue to the community in a deeper way.
Early on, we decided to honor Santa Cruz artist Doug Ross, who passed away in December, in this issue. It wasn’t rocket science, considering how beloved he was here, but a few elements did have to come together. First, Maria Grusauskas had been wanting to do a story that would both honor Ross’ legacy as an artist and celebrate the part of him that fewer people know about—his passionate, innovative work as a marine activist. Second, I’ve been struck many times this year by how hard his loss hit this town—reminding us, I think, that sometimes one person can play a far bigger role in the identity of our community than we realize. Doug Ross was that person.
Third, and most importantly, you voted him Best Artist this year, a moving tribute in itself. I hope you’ll read Maria’s story and discover why Ross was not just the best artist, but also one of the best all-around people in Santa Cruz County. Our heartfelt thanks to Ginger Mosney, his wife, both for her insights in the story and for working with us at a devastating time to provide the artworks by Ross that made this tribute complete.
The Best of Santa Cruz County issue has been a lot of things over the years, but reading the story about Ross and looking at his art on the cover and throughout these pages, it’s the first time that I’d describe it as emotional. We hope you enjoy it.
Over the years, sightings of the tall, broad-shouldered artist Doug Ross—complete with his signature Converse high-tops, of which he owned a rainbow’s array—became a common fixture in downtown Santa Cruz.
“He was like this big, gentle giant kind of guy, and I always think of him walking around downtown,” says Matthew Swinnerton of Event Santa Cruz. “No matter what, he would always stop. I think it took a while for him to get from where he was going, from Pacific Avenue back to Cruzioworks [where he was one of the first coworkers to set up residency], because he’d just walk and talk with you.” But Ross could also be spotted on a remote beach, wearing rubber boots and wielding a giant net to rescue a sick or entangled sea lion, as a trained volunteer for the Marine Mammal Center (MMC). Or at the helm of the Whale Entanglement Team’s (WET) 40-foot Albin, in pursuit of a humpback mired by a crab pot line. Or down at the harbor, checking on a sea-water-dissolving device he engineered for whale rescue efforts in Hawaii. Or pouring some of his homemade grappa for friends at a First Friday art show. Or, most recently, clearing his throat to practice his next presentation speech with his Toastmasters group.
The reality is that Ross wore many hats, or shoes, if you will, and the heartbreak brought by his unexpected passing in December, at the age of 55, is of a magnitude that shakes not just the local art world, but the entire community.
Ross, who was voted Best Artist by GT readers in this year’s Best Of contest will also be honored in the NEXTies awards on March 24, with the Artist of the Year award memorialized in his name. “Because we thought his legacy is so strong in our community,” says Swinnerton, who is also organizer of the NEXTies. Ross donated countless hours volunteering, collaborating with many local businesses and makers and designing art to benefit several nonprofits—from the MMC and WET to the Santa Cruz Bat Conservancy, the Santa Cruz Arts Council, and others. But, in many cases, he was just getting started.
‘MAKE STUFF, RESCUE ANIMALS’
“In another life, he would have been a scientist,” says Ginger Mosney, Ross’ wife and partner for just shy of 30 years. “He loved working with biologists. It was an outlet for that side of him and he saw it was needed.”
She’s standing in her sunny kitchen in midtown, an early craftsman-style house with arched entryways reminiscent of the lines in Ross’s artwork. Open doors let the breeze through. Though she and Ross left their native Toronto, where they met working in her uncle’s framing shop, more than 25 years ago, her Canadian accent comes through whenever she says “about.” A horseback rider and animal lover herself, Mosney also helped Ross with his business. “Doug and I had a really similar aesthetic. We like all the same things, and we hate all the same things,” she says. About 9 years into dating, the two married in Vegas on Halloween—she dressed as a banana, he a gorilla.
Behind the house and out past the weeping bottle brush tree that surely inspired Ross’s Hummingbird print is the print studio where Ross made his art, and a smaller, comparably immaculate studio he built to frame in. Drawers upon drawers store Ross’s extensive body of fine art—which consists of more than 120 originals, and a few more that have yet to be printed. In the printing studio, Mosney flicks on the vacuum table that Ross built himself, and an ancient vacuum cleaner roars to life beneath it, sucking the paper tight to the hole-flecked workspace above. An old tin can mounted to the workbench serves as a holster for the hair dryer he used to dry his prints.
This same studio, where Ross began the fine art portion of his career in 2006, is where he also built a still, and for years made wine and grappa—dubbed “the only delicious grappa I’ve ever tasted,” by his longtime Cruzio friend Eric Johnson, co-founder of Hilltromper.
“If I had a mission statement for Doug, it would be something like ‘Make stuff, rescue animals,” says Mosney. “And if you can’t make stuff, support people that do make stuff, and if you can’t rescue animals, support people who do rescue animals.”
Gentle Giant
It seems like these aspects of character guided Ross throughout life: “As a boy and young man Doug always followed his own path regardless of what others were doing or thought … If it rained you knew Doug would be late coming home from school as he was picking up the worms from the road and placing them gently back on lawns. When the rest of his brothers were figuring out ways to harvest squirrels, Doug was inventing a tracking device inside a walnut shell to find out where they buried them—this was at about 10 years of age,” writes his older brother David Ross on his Facebook page,
INTENSIVE CARE Doug Ross holding a harbor seal pup during a midnight feeding at MMC’s triage center in Moss Landing.
Mosney’s blue eyes spark as she talks about the countless animals she saw her husband save over the years, from the small bunny they encountered late one night, hit by a car, to “I can’t tell you how many birds,” to the more heroic efforts involving pulley systems he rigged to retrieve marine mammals up jagged cliffs. “Doug was a little bit younger and very fit, so he could kind of do a lot of the more difficult rescues,” says Mosney. “So a lot of times [the Marine Mammal Center] would call him to do just these crazy rescues, an animal that no one thought could be caught, and he’d be like ‘No, I can totally get that, no problem.’”
“What happened was in 2001 we actually lost, tragically, a friend of ours,” says Mosney. “And it kind of makes you think, how can we make a difference, what can we do? So in 2002 we both started volunteering at the Marine Mammal Center. And that ended up being a huge part of his life.”
If there was an entanglement, says Mosney, Ross would drop everything to go help, heading down to Moss Landing to jump on the WET boat, or heading out in his Dodge Ram pick-up with its ‘SEAL TRK’ license plate to assess and rescue an animal reported to MMC.
“He was so, like, passionately moral,” says Johnson. “But he did it with such a sense of humor, and such a light touch that you wouldn’t even know it about him. But it was also just this sense of justice. The animals that he rescued, almost all of them were in trouble because of human activity. He just felt like it was his personal duty, as a representative of mankind, to go out and do this work.”
Indeed, the calls delegated to MMC’s Special Rescue Operations (SRO), of which Ross was a trained volunteer, included the more difficult water rescues and often involved entanglements by human-sourced debris.
“Sometimes it is fishery lines,” says David Zahniser, manager of the MMC’s SRO, and based at the main hospital in the Marin Headlands. But he’s seen everything from frisbees to binoculars to a snorkel mask wrapped around animals. “So, it’s quite variable. One of the leading entanglements right now are those white packing strips.”
Where the plastic packing strips are coming from is currently unknown. “I think that’s part of the larger issue—is where do we focus our efforts for prevention? If I never had to do one of those rescues that would be true success,” says Zahniser. But the reports keep coming—and on the morning I call Zahniser, he’s dealing with two simultaneous rescues.
Seeing so much plastic in the ocean was another reason, says Mosney, that Ross was challenging himself to live a plastic-free life, including in his business.
SEAL TRK
Run entirely by volunteers except for one paid employee, the MMC oversees 600 miles of coastline between Mendocino and San Luis Obispo counties, rescuing and rehabilitating 600-800 marine mammals a year. Many of these animals have been prematurely separated from their mothers, are malnourished, or are suffering from illnesses, such as domoic acid poisoning. The SRO team is trained to use sedative darts that also serve as a transmitter, so that an animal can be tracked. The animals are then taken in for a full medical evaluation, treated, and released back into the wild.
“[Ross] was an integral part in both running the operation, but also developing the program itself,” says Zahniser. “He was truly a modern day Renaissance man. Engineer, artist, athlete. From boat driver to capturing the animal to designing the equipment. He was often the person in charge on the ground. I valued his input and expertise.”
The MMC is also involved in helping to fundraise and raise awareness about the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal, helping to open a hospital for them on the Big Island. For the past 5 years, Ross designed T-shirts to sell at the MMC’s booth at the Aloha Outrigger competition, with 100-percent of sales going to the hospital, where the crews wear them. “His work drew people in, it gave us an opportunity to talk to people about the monk seals and their plight,” says Westside resident Zee Zaballos, who joined MMC nine years ago and says Ross was a great mentor to her. At barely 5′1″, Zaballos says Ross noticed her struggling with the heavy MMC nets, so he custom-built one for her a few years back. “He considered my height, he considered animals that I would be going after and what their weight would be, and how much the net would actually take,” says Zaballos. “I go everywhere with it.”
Just a couple weekends ago, Zaballos says she used the net to capture, without fear, a 200-pound sub-adult sea lion at Capitola Beach that was showing the mental confusion associated with domoic acid poisoning.
A Better Buoy
Ross was also an integral part of the Whale Entanglement Team. Before Peggy Stap, executive director and founder of Marine Life Studies, co-founded WET with Mary Whitney of the Fluke Foundation, no formalized network or hotline existed on the West Coast for entangled whales. Stap began what she calls an “uphill battle” to get WET up and running in 2006, and it became fully operational in 2013. Ross joined as a volunteer soon after. Now, NOAA funds the toll-free hotline, 1-877-SOS-WHALE or marine channel 16 USCG.
“I just figured we’d get it started, and someone like NOAA would take it over, but that’s not the case,” Stap says, though she says they do work closely with NOAA.
“For the whole West Coast, there were 18 reports [of entangled whales] between 2000 and 2013,” says Stap. Ten of those were off California, and six were off of Northern California, she says. Last year, she confirms 23 reports of entangled whales in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) alone, though she is still waiting for finalized numbers. Crab fishing lines are the most common entanglement, though over the past few years she says the industry has been working closely with NOAA and WET to mitigate such entanglements.
When boaters call in a whale, it’s important they stay near it until WET arrives to attach a telemetry buoy to the line—otherwise it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, Stap says. The buoy tracks the whale as it dives and sometimes migrates hundreds of miles, while WET continues to work with it for multiple days. “You just don’t start slashing away, you’ve got to plan ahead, plan your cuts,” explained Ross in his March 2016 Pechakucha presentation, since the lines are often embedded in the whales’ flesh.
Ross helped respond to six disentanglement calls in the Monterey Bay last year, but he was also an active participant in training sessions, and volunteered his time to work on equipment—most notably designing a new telemetry buoy for WET. “[Our current one] weighs probably around 48 pounds, so Doug was developing one that was more hydrodynamic so it would cause less drag,” says Stap. Ross drew up plans for a better buoy, and got local surfboard shaper J Atencio to build its core. Local model builder David Rees spent three days melting lead in Ross’s backyard to give it ballast. Stap and Ross measured the drag on the new buoy, and found it to be one-third of the previous buoy. But Ross planned to keep improving it, and just a week before he passed away, he had sent his plans for a second buoy to Brian Peterson of Eastside Industries, after chatting with him about it at a Pop-Up on Pleasure Point where they had had neighboring booths.
“Just this week [Stap and I] exchanged a couple emails, trying to get that going again,” says Peterson. “I’d love to be able to help.”
Ross was also instrumental in designing a release device for Ed Lyman, Large Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator for NOAA in Hawaii, so that whales swimming from Hawaii to Alaska wouldn’t have to drag a buoy all that distance. Ross took Lyman’s existing device, made from seawater-dissolving zinc, and improved it. “I took some down to the harbor, and sure enough, it dissolves in seawater in about two weeks,” said Ross in his presentation. “However, it’s fairly small and won’t really hold onto a whale that well, so we decided to build a mechanical clasp around it to increase the strength … So I designed this mechanical clasp, which through leverage increases the strength of the clasp three times, and it dissolves in seawater in 14 days, and then the whale swims away and we get our tracking device back.” Ross found local Roy Holmberg, a metal sculptor on the Westside, to make 20 clasps for free, and they were sent to Hawaii to be put to use.
What You Might See in a Dream
Ross’s artistic style is best described in his artist statement at Artisans Gallery: “Whether it’s art or illustration, I try to create images that convey an idea without unnecessary details. I minimize everything as much as possible, to get at the essence of the thing. What makes a person look like a person, a car like a car—not any particular make and model of a car, just a car, the idea of a car, what you might see in a dream, when you are not using your eyes.”
His graphic design background is evident in his refined forms and pleasing color palettes—but the fine art part of his career came only over the last 12 years. He learned how to silk screen from a neighbor, Andree LeBourveau, of the Tannery’s Printmaking Collective, and began designing and building his own equipment. Following his success at art shows and Open Studios, he slowly began doing less illustration work and more fine art, which has attracted a large following locally, especially among Santa Cruz’s vast network of marine biologists, says Mosney.
“I think he landed on silk screen because it’s a very technical art form and that appealed to him. It also lends itself to his style which is very graphic and modern, and precise,” she says. “The other thing that I think he liked about it is that it’s accessible, it’s just a very affordable medium for people, and I think that’s probably part of why he got so popular.”
Before that, and beginning in 1991, Ross produced thousands of works as a freelance illustrator. With an agent in New York and clients that spanned National Geographic to the New York Times and dozens of other prominent magazines, newspapers and corporations—though not oil companies, he’s pointed out (he was trained in oil spill cleanup response)—Ross did so well, says Ginger, that they were able to buy their house in Santa Cruz.
“Some of our last conversations were about the fact that he realized that he really liked interacting with people, and that his work prior, where he was mainly an illustrator, felt a lot more solitary,” says Linnaea Holgers James, owner of Artisans. Ross was the first artist she brought into Artisans on her own, after he walked in one day with some prints under his arm. “So when he was able to do work about sea creatures, which was one of his passions, and then be able to talk to people about sea creatures, it was like shooooom,” she says,gesturing above her head a total-mind expansion. “And he was really planning on pursuing that avenue and just kind of going more and more that way.”
In a 2015 Event Santa Cruz speech entitled “Un-Starving Artists”—which Swinnerton says Ross practiced for a month beforehand with his Toastmasters group—Ross said: “I wanted to be an artist, because that’s what I think I really am. So, I just decided to be an artist one day.” To do that, he took his working method for illustration and applied it to art: “I have an assignment, I have a deadline, and I have a story.” Aside from a collection of bicycle-related works, Ross credited that ever-crucial story part to his interactions with sea life through MMC and WET.
His last piece-in-progress is of the bike path at Wilder Ranch, which exists in its artist proof stage at Artisans.
“Particularly with the Santa Cruz images, as soon as he did one—and it was the UCSC Bike Path, and it was really well received— I said ‘you’ve gotta do another.’ And so he did West Cliff, and then it was the Humpbacks after that, and then he did Natural Bridges,” says Holgers James. “My last conversation with him was when he and I were looking at [Wilder Ranch] and we were talking about the grasses and the bikes … Sometimes I’d say ‘oh you should do this, and he would say ‘Well, let me go ask Ginger.’ He really, I think, valued those two opinions. And he was really open to suggestions and hearing and getting input.”
Holgers James and Mosney plan to continue the Doug Ross product line by continuing the textiles that he had begun doing—the first few marine-life-printed table runners and pillows of which are currently at Artisans and Agency.
“Animals are amazing. Animals are the original super heroes,” said Ross, in his 2015 Event Santa Cruz speech. “Animals can actually fly, and they can see in the dark with sonar, like bats and stuff, so why not do animals? Animals rock.”
Continuing Ross’ Marine Work
Since the MMC is not out actively looking for animals, the public’s participation is crucial, and the group encourages people to call the MMC hotline—open 24 hours a day—if they see a struggling animal, at 831-633-6298. Dialing 911 will also route callers to MMC.
Ventana Surfboards is currently selling humpback and shearwater T-shirts designed by Ross on its website, with 100-percent of proceeds going to WET, which had to take out a $54,200 loan two years ago to purchase its current Whale Rescue Research Vessel. The organization runs entirely on donations. To see more art by Doug Ross, visit dougrossfineart.com.
For a long time, it was simple: The Eastside started in Live Oak at 7th Avenue, where the city of Santa Cruz’s boundary stopped. (“Eastside” certainly has a better ring to it than “the unincorporated area.”) And of course, the area west of that was known as Seabright—until about five years ago, when people started calling that region around Soquel Avenue “Midtown.” And honestly, hey, that was cool, we could let it slide. But now as city leaders work through their Wayfinding analysis to improve signage, all of a sudden some “locals”are claiming that anything and everything east of the river is the Eastside. To which we say, “Oh, HELL, no.” But in the interest of resolving all of this, let’s get a task force on it. JACOB PIERCE
Best New Open Mic
Thursday at Santa Cruz Food Lounge
The Santa Cruz Food Lounge’s new Thursday night Open Mic is a dream come true for local musicians: each act gets a generous 15 minutes to play. With sign-ups and a featured performer beginning at 6 p.m., and the open mic starting at 6:30 p.m., the front room of the Food Lounge becomes a stage, filling to the max with musicians and their supporters. A full bar and delicious burgers served up by Tanglewood chef Rachel Hughes round out the experience, which stretches until at least 9 p.m. It’s a chance to plug in and showcase your latest songs in a casual, supportive atmosphere, or just check out the local talent while making some new friends at the bar. MARIA GRUSAUSKAS
Best Relaxed Coffee Hang with Riverside Seating
Coffeeville Specialty Coffee Roasters
Tucked away on the busy ocean-bound route funneling tourists off of the 17 and onto the Boardwalk, there lies a subtle coffee oasis serving affordable “elite coffee” that’s not just for the elite. Opening its doors in 2015, Coffeeville offers that real laidback, beach-town cafe feel, with a cozy studying nook and outdoor riverside seating. Yes, the “river” is actually Branciforte Creek, which is mostly surrounded by concrete, but on a bright breezy day Coffeeville’s open patio totally transforms the scenery. Its brews are smooth, its pastries a perfect pairing, and a host of delicious substitutions for the dairy averse are available, along with housemade organic syrups (how about some honey and hazelnut, black walnut, or creme de menthe?). AMH
BEST PLACE TO HAVE A PRIVATE MEETING IN PUBLIC
MOZAIC
There are a number of reasons one might want to meet in public to have a confidential conversation: no private office, prying co-workers, the option to order beverages and snacks. Mozaic has a few discrete spaces for discreet convos. The best table is to the left of the entrance, which is technically in the bar, so they don’t mind a light order (fresh mint leaf tea, Turkish coffee, etc.), and if that table is missing they’ll gladly slide one over. The row of bar tables is fairly private, too. Afternoons between meals are prime meeting time. Open daily. JEANNE HOWARD
BEST APPETIZER FOR IMPRESSING YOUR DATE
BUTTERNUT SQUASH KADOO BORANEE
In some parts of Afghanistan, there is still no refrigeration—hence the need for out-of-the-box culinary thinking, honed over generations. Qurut yogurt has been dried and rehydrated with water, and the resulting mint- and garlic-infused paste tastes similar to tzatziki sauce, with a twist. The yogurt lines the plate of the butternut squash kadoo boranee at Laili, downtown’s beloved home of inspiring Afghan-Californian fusion food. The boranee itself is mashed and sweetened butternut squash, its presentation simple yet elegant. The flavors are sure to wow. JP
Best Shortsighted Reason to Pave Paradise
To Put Up a Parking Lot
Or five-story parking structure, rather. The site of the potential plan—which intends to solve the parking conundrum downtown—is the Cedar Street parking lot that is home to not only the downtown Farmers Market but also several large, old, beautiful Magnolia trees. The importance of the urban canopy goes far beyond aesthetics, its link to elevated moods, or even its scientifically proven reduction in crime and increase in commerce: trees near buildings reduce the need for air conditioning and heating, and one mature heritage tree sequesters 1-2 tons of carbon each year. When planning the future of Santa Cruz, it’s time to start embracing trees for what they are: valuable natural assets to the community, present and future. MG
Best Local Business Leading the Resistance with a Smile
Bookshop Santa Cruz
In the never-ending post-election malaise, one local business has established itself as a fortress for free thought and community support. It started on Inauguration Aay, when Bookshop Santa Cruz pledged to donate a portion of in-store sales to the ACLU and launched “Word to Act On,” a program with Ecology Action, Planned Parenthood, and the Community Action Board Immigration Project. Every three months, Bookshop will highlight an organization with actions related to their issues through local activities, reading lists, fundraisers, and public reads. The marathon Orwell reading was a blast, too. Thank you, Bookshop, for providing a safe space to read, listen, share ideas, and cry. AMH
BEST TORTA (HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION)
TORTA CUBANA FROM TAQUERIA APATZINGAN
When I first heard Tom Russell’scult classic song “Cuban Sandwich” on KPIG, I remember asking myself, “What pork-laden sandwich could possibly be worth all that trouble?” After much research, I decided thatthe torta Cubana from Apatzingan on Ocean Street is just the kind of sandwich Russell was dreaming of. Ham, chorizo, carne asada, sausage, cheese, tomato, pickled peppers and a little lettuce go a long way—this is the kind of sandwich you only need to eat once every couple of years. And you may not even need many meals in between. JP
Best New Affordable Organic Eatery
EarthBelly
Writers, journalists, creatives: we’re typically known for a soupçon of snobbery tragically juxtaposed with whatever the opposite of deep pockets are. It’s no wonder, then, that an affordable eatery with organic, GMO-free, locally sourced grub (with gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options) is cause for celebration—and with the opening of EarthBelly, celebrate we did. For lunch, its healthy Earth Burger ($8.50), delectable fish sandwich ($10.50) or comforting chili and cornbread ($9.95) hit the spot. And with their own bakery, EarthBelly serves a diverse selection for the sweet-toothed. AMH
Best Direction for a Day Trip
South!
Watsonville is the land of plenty when it comes to affordable destinations and scenic country roads. Stock up on inexpensive fruit and vegetables at its many colorful produce stands, as well as authentic Mexican cuisine at Mi Pueblo or Santa Fe markets, or tacos made with homemade tortillas at Taqueria Tecoman on East Lake Avenue. Meat eaters can also delight in some of the best carnitas outside of Michoacan in Watsonville (try Carnitas Trejo.) Then, head out to the Sierra Azul Nursery—known to many as the best plant nursery in Northern California. Located on the beautiful Casserly Road, Sierra Azul is not far from Pinto Lake, the north shore of which is home to the beloved effigy tree. Finish your excursion with a legendary chavela at Taqueria Mi Tierra II, on Freedom Boulevard. MG
Best Way to Shake It Off
Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center World Dance Classes
The Tannery has always been a unique place for artists to grow and thrive, and many have produced beautiful and searing political critique, but it’s their World Dance & Cultural Center that truly sets itself apart. In addition to their classical and contemporary classes, the TWDCC offers West African dance, classical Indian dance, salsa rueda, hula, Haitian folkloric, Argentine, Cuban tango, and in October, hosts an entire month dedicated to world arts. AMH
Best Way to Keep Yourself Up At Night
Discovering How Haunted Santa Cruz Is
Santa Cruz was recently ranked the third happiest place to live in the U.S., so maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that many residents choose to stick around—even after they’ve passed on. Santa Cruz County is home to dozens of supposedly haunted sites like the Brookdale Lodge in Boulder Creek, Rispin Mansion in Capitola and the Tuttle Mansion in Watsonville, as outlined by local authors Maryanne Porter in Haunted Santa Cruz, California and Aubrey Graves in Supernatural Santa Cruz. We knew the housing crisis was bad, but now we have to worry about ghost roommates? LILY STOICHEFF
Best New Way to Cross the San Lorenzo River on Your Winter Commute
Kayak/Ark
Look, we’ve had a lot of rain this winter. Even the recent sun has us cowering with raincoats at the ready, the fear of death-defying morning commutes all too fresh on our minds. But hey, Santa Cruzans are a tough bunch—we braved Loma Prieta, tsunamis, and wildfires last summer. Keep your kayak handy to tackle the floods and avoid the busy streets altogether. When it gets worse, we can always build an ark. AMH
BEST NIGHT TO EMBRACE LOCAL OVERCROWDING
HALLOWEEN IN SANTA CRUZ
Halloween is Santa Cruz’s Mardi Gras—a visual banquet of colorful, crafty, witty, scary and sexy costumes, and a mash-up-pop-up street party of music, dancing, exhibitionism and voyeurism. Few small cities are as creative as Santa Cruz, and Halloween is hella proof. Pacific Avenue is closed to traffic, well-lit, and the doors of downtown eateries and bars are open for your pleasure. It may be hard to tell the real police from the fake ones, but both are doing an excellent job of making the greatest entertainment value of the year (free!) safe and fun. JH
Best Way that Dance Can Be Healing
Dance for Parkinson’s
Whether it’s in the privacy of your own home, jumping up and down in your underwear to Taylor Swift, or at the barre with the focus of a Zen master, dance can be life-changing. For people with Parkinson’s, it can even be healing. Studies have shown that dance can reduce the negative psychological and neurological symptoms of Parkinson’s because of the ways it employs focus, rhythm, balance, and the like. That’s why Motion Pacific dance studio started up their Dance for Parkinson’s program last year, offering free movement classes to those with the disease, as well as their caretakers and family members. AMH
Best Calamari Appetizers That Aren’t Deep-Fried
CROW’S NEST AND HULA’S
Deep-fried Monterey Bay calamari is a local classic, but there are two kitchens that provide next-level calamari appetizer joy. The Crow’s Nest lightly coats pieces of calamari steak with bread crumbs, seasons them with onion, garlic, basil and Parmesan, sautés them to a tender deliciousness, and serves them with tartar and cocktail sauces. Hula’s prepares their steak “abalone-style”—sliced into strips, with ginger-lime cream sauce and a sweet soy glaze. You will find yourself describing these two dishes lovingly to friends, acquaintances, and anyone else who displays the slightest interest in seafood. JH
BEST NEW BAND
MAJK
Santa Cruz’s Americana supergroup, which formed about a year ago, hasn’t played a lot of shows, and they’re taking their time recording their first album. If the band stays together, it could be the best thing in Santa Cruz and beyond for a long time.MAJK has reunited singer Kelly Koval and cellist Alexis Hawkes, who played together in Audiafauna, and joined with former Matador guitar player Matthew Harmon and Santa Cruz’s best upright bass player Jeff Kissell, formerly of Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra. Theresulting sounds move the listener and feed the spirit. JP
Best DIY Entrepreneur With a Social Bent
Emilio Armenta of Fotobike
I first encountered Emilio Armenta and his mobile photo booth outside the Red Room one evening, and the resulting photo strip of some friends and I in ridiculous garb is a cherished memory. The 34-year-old Armenta is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, who says that after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, he wanted nothing more than to make people smile. “It really helped with the stress of the war,” he says. The professional photo booth, mounted on the back of a tricycle along with a basket of props, dispenses high-quality photo strips, with an email option as well. Teaming up with Paul Damon of Holistic Veterans, Armenta hopes to begin retreats to some land he’s bought in Belize, to help teach veterans about sustainable farming. He’s also looking for veterans to help man his fleet of mobile booths, which travel around the Bay Area and Santa Cruz (follow @TheFotoBike on Twitter for their latest location). They’re also available for private events via thefotobike.com. MG
Players from the Warriors come in to Samba Rock almost every day to get their all-organic superfood acai bowls made with nutritious Brazilian ingredients.
Ron Wilkerson, who owns Samba Rock with his wife, was a Hall of Fame professional BMX freestyle rider. Bike riders at Samba Rock are treated to indoor bike parking.
This year is the restaurant’s 8th anniversary.
They started a peanut butter acai bowl (called “Ayrton Senna” on the menu), which can be made with an extra scoop of peanut butter on top.
All their bowls are named after famous Brazilians in history. ANDREA PATTON
In 1985, UCSC grads Tom Watson and Cathy Kriege opened Zachary’s on a historic Pacific Avenue site as a way to stay in Santa Cruz.
The building survived the 1989 earthquake after being yellow-tagged for a nail-biting six weeks.
All of their bakery items are made in-house, including three kinds of bread, coffee cake, scones, muffins, hamburger buns and their famous jalapeno corn bread.
Their eggs from Glaum Ranch are certified by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), and all of their menu items are prepared trans-fat free.
Their one-of-a-kind sourdough pancakes and Belgian waffles are made with sour-starter dating back to the Alaskan Gold Rush. Ask the staff for the story—it’s worth it. JUNE SMITH
Best Brunch
Harbor Café
A Santa Cruz favorite for 50 years, Harbor Café was established as a local hangout for sailors and fishermen, evolving over the years into its current family-friendly reputation.
Dogs are welcome on the patio, where they get their own brunch menu, including dog brunch favorites Lucky’s peanut butter cookies and pig ears.
The heavily garnished spicy bloody mary is a local favorite, but they also offer a variety of mimosa flavors such as cranberry, pineapple, lemonade, and classic orange.
Every day of the week there is a daily special, and their menu features local ingredients and products whenever possible.
For $5 on Wednesdays, you can get a basic breakfast (bacon is $2 extra), and happy hour lasts all day. AP
Founded in 1980 by Larry and Shelly Pearson, with the goal of making the best, most affordable cookie in town.
Fresh dough baked continuously throughout the day ensures a cookie straight from the oven.
Cookies can be paired in-store with locally roasted coffee or Marianne’s ice cream, which is offered in 17 seasonal flavors.
They also carry Mariposa Bakery’s artisan-crafted gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free cookies.
“Secret words” and giveaways can be found on Pacific Cookie Company’s Facebook page. JS
Best Cupcakes
Buttercup Cakes
Jan Wilson’s family business encompasses three generations, including her daughter Carren and granddaughter Hannah.
Buttercup’s cupcakes are made from local organic ingredients prepared with no artificial coloring or flavoring.
Savory lunch or brunch items are ready at 8 a.m. with cupcakes available by 10 a.m.
Besides their $4 cupcakes and $2 mini-cupcakes, their packaged frosting is sold by pre-order.
Cake-decorating classes are held throughout the year. JS
Best Sushi
Mobo Sushi
Mobo’s slogan is “Mind Altering Sushi,” which, because food and the act of eating are psychoactive, is literally true. It might have something to do with the sake bombs, too.
Their most popular sushi roll is the Crunch Dragon, and their most exotic is arguably the Fancy Rainbow Roll.
“Mobo” is what Japanese boys in the 1920s who adopted Western clothes and ideals called themselves.
Mobo is famous for its sake bomb dominos on Friday and Saturday nights, in which a row of sake glasses knock each other into mugs of beer, which guests with proper ID then get to drink for free. The current record is 151, and, really, it’s a game that everyone wins.
There is a “roll your own” sushi option on the menu so guests can express their creativity and show exactly how they roll. ANDREW STEINGRUBE
Best Hawaiian Cuisine
Pono
Pono is a Hawaiian word and guiding principle that means to live with good morality and overall goodness, not only in personal and community relationships, but also in being good stewards of the Aina (land), Kai (ocean) and Honua (earth.)
Their food truck, Holopono, serves many special menu items that are not served in the restaurant. The truck can be found on Instagram and Twitter at Holoponosc.
Pono has live music every night. Friday nights are Island Vibe Fridays, featuring classic Hawaiian sounds and sometimes hula dancing.
Yes, they have delicious poke, but they also serve an authentic Hawaiian plate lunch menu, which includes family-recipe teriyaki sauce, their own slow-roasted pork, and lau lau (taro or banana leaf stuffed with kahlua pork and fish).
Your friends will never know that you staycationed when you post pictures from their propped photo booth. AP
The sope shells at Cilantros puff into a delicious pastry, unlike the more common flat cakes available elsewhere.
They serve both family recipes—such as their famed aged skirt steak and homemade corn tortillas—and twists on contemporary favorites including ahi salad and a variety of fresh seafood.
Bartenders whip up house specialties like el heffe, palomas and chavela, and Cilantros is known for its big tequila selection.
Tuesday happy hours feature a live broadcast by KPIG with raffle prizes.
There is mariachi music on Friday nights, and champagne brunch until 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. AP
Best New Restaurant
Home
Co-owner Brad Briske was opening chef for Main Street Garden, which was once located in this spot—giving special meaning to the new restaurant’s name.
The dynamic menu changes daily, seasonally and according to what the local farmers markets are offering, but one thing is consistent: handmade pastas are made fresh every day.
They are opening an outdoor patio in May near the garden, with the option of picnic-style seating on the grass. Also outside is a wood-fired pizza oven and, soon, a wood-fired grill.
The menu always includes several small plate options for sharing so that guests can experience the bold flavor combinations for which Home is known.
For $70 (and with a 24-hour reservation), diners can enjoy a nightly tasting menu served to small groups at a communal table in a side room of the restaurant. AP
First Friday started in 2003 with just 6 venues, and under two dozen people attending.
Santa Cruz County Bank was one of the first venues, and has participated in nearly every First Friday since.
There are often new venues, making First Friday a unique experience each time.
The core mission is developing culture in the county by promoting local artists. Through the years, over 1,000 artists have been featured.
The number of participating venues on any given Friday varies, but has been known to exceed 40. AARON CARNES
Best Art Gallery (Retail)
Artisans Gallery
Artisans has been through many phases since its opening in 1976, when it started as a co-op. Today it’s owned by Linnaea Holgers James, who’s worked at the gallery since she was 16. She purchased it in 2009 at the age of 32.
Linnaea and husband Peter opened Agency, dedicated to to modern home goods, down the street in 2015, allowing more space for art, jewelry and other items..
Artisans was the first place to feature the work of Doug Ross, who passed away last December and is featured in this issue.
One section of Artisans is devoted exclusively to kids, where parents can find unique toys, games and clothing—for instance, puppets made from recycled sweaters. There’s also a playhouse where kids can play while their parents shop.
It’s not uncommon for customers to see the local artists featured by Artisans in the store, as they frequently drop in to discuss ideas with Linnaea. AC
Begun in 1993 by Phil Lewis and Bill Welch as the Santa Cruz Blues Festival, the Santa Cruz American Music Festival is one of the longest-running music festivals in the area.
The festival changed its name to the Santa Cruz American Music Festival in 2015, also broadening its scope to include Americana acts.
The festival has introduced locals to many up-and-coming acts who later found success; for instance, the first time Trombone Shorty played it in 2008, he was unknown on the West Coast. He’s since played the festival several times.
Things can get … spontaneous, like in 2012, when blues guitarist Chris Cain attended the festival as an audience member, with no intention of performing. He later found himself on stage—drunk, dressed in coveralls, and playing Debbie Davies’ pink guitar while lying on his back.
The lineup for this year’s festival (May 27 and 28) includes Melissa Etheridge, the Devil Makes Three and The Rides (pictured), featuring Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry Goldberg. AC
Best Movie Theater
The Del Mar
Originally opened in 1936, and then closed in 1999 after struggling financially for years, it was extensively restored and reopened in 2002. Today the theater hosts a combination of indie and mainstream films.
The theater has had many configurations, starting as a single screen theater with a balcony and temporarily serving as a fourplex. Today it has three screens. It’s also hosted live shows—the Grateful Dead even played there.
Comedian Andy Samberg worked at the theater as a ticket taker from 1996 to 1998, while attending UCSC.
Del Mar hosts the Secret Film Festival, which is in its 12th year. The movies airing in the festival remain a secret until show time, which last from midnight till noon the next day. It’s a mix of genre and indie films, primarily ones that have never been shown in Santa Cruz.
The theater’s newest owner Landmark is currently in the process of restoring the neon on the marquee. It should be completed later this year. AC
Pour Taproom features over 70 types of beer, wine and cider, including a section devoted to gluten-free beverages.
It’s the first taproom of its kind in Santa Cruz, allowing customers to serve themselves.
Each beer has a touchscreen that provides more information about it, helpful when you want to try a Helles by Light My Fire, but aren’t ready for a smoked-ham flavor profile.
No, they don’t have bartenders, but they do have beer tenders, a well-trained staff who love to answer questions and chat with customers.
Pour Taproom also has a full menu of food offerings to pair with their beers: charcuterie/ cheese boards, large bavarian pretzels for sharing, duck tacos and more. ANDREA PATTON
Pure Pleasure is run by knowledgeable mother-daughter team Janice and Amy Baldwin.
Their new location on Cooper Street is across the street from the MAH.
Pure Pleasure hosts monthly sex and relationship workshops, along with seasonal special events like comedy, performance art and First Friday blow-outs.
The vibe is friendly and classy, with a hint of mischief.
Vegan products are available for the socially conscious. DNA
Best Solar Company
Alterra Solar
Founded by brothers James and Nathaniel Allen, Alterra Solar is family-owned and operated.
Alterra strives to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy on the central coast.
It is the perennial favorite solar company of Good Times readers, having won the category for the last several years.
Other awards they’ve received include Best Place to Work in Monterey Bay (bfrom the Monterey County Business Council) and 2015 Cool Climate Leader (from the California Air Resources Board).
Alterra has fantastic drone videos of many of the projects they’ve worked on around the Monterey Bay. CJ
Seabright Beach is technically part of Twin Lakes State Beach.
The beach has a small rock arch that the San Lorenzo River runs through.
Seabright Beach is one of the county’s best spots for a bonfire.
The beach is positioned between the Beach Boardwalk and the Santa Cruz Harbor.
Lifeguards are present during the summer, and dogs (on a leash) are welcome year round. CAT JOHNSON
Best Nonprofit Group
Homeless Garden Project
The Homeless Garden Project provides job training, transitional employment and support services to people who are homeless.
The garden has a strong emphasis on creating community between staff, trainees, volunteers and the larger Santa Cruz community.
HGP programs include Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), Womens’ Organic Flower Enterprise, community-building initiatives, and a store on Pacific Avenue.
The Homeless Garden Project was created in May of 1990.
In 1998, the City of Santa Cruz adopted a Master Plan for an open space greenbelt which includes a nine-acre permanent site for the Homeless Garden Project. CJ
Best Boardwalk Ride
Fireball
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk added the Fireball ride in 2003.
It’s a swinging, spinning claw designed to create disorientation and g-force.
At the same time, the Fireball is considered one of the smoothest rides at the Boardwalk.
It’s been described as a ride for “thrill seekers and punishment freaks.”
The faint of heart in your group might want to sit this one out. CJ
Studio 831 is all about functional fitness. They focus on exercises that improve on and make more enjoyable the things in life you already do.
Their CrossFit program can be tailored to everyone from beginners to longtime devotees.
In addition to physical exercise, Studio 831 encourages and utilizes a network of strong social support to achieve fitness.
They offer nutrition and weight-management counseling in order to take a holistic approach to optimal fitness.
Studio 831’s staff pride themselves on having no pre-conceived notions about fitness, allowing clients to guide and acheive what they want from their individual processes. ANDREW STEINGRUBE
Best Pilates
Agile Monkey
Best Pilates: Agile Monkey
Agile Monkey offers everything pilates, from individual to group classes, as well as instructor training and continuing education programs.
It is family-owned-and-operated, and its 17 instructors often collaborate with other local medical and wellness practitioners.
They seek to help clients find their “inner monkey,” which means using pilates to create a sense of freedom and power in the body.
Pilates is all about balance: literally during its practice, and figuratively between strength and flexibility, body and mind.
Before pilates was known as “pilates,” its inventor Joseph Pilates called it “contrology.” AS
Best Sailing Charter
Chardonnay Sailing Charters
Best Sailing Charter: Chardonnay Sailing Charters
Started in 1984, they have been providing a sailing experience to the public in Santa Cruz for more than three decades.
Both their first vessel (Chardonnay I) and their current vessel (Chardonnay II) were designed by celebrated yacht designer Bill Lee, whose nickname is “The Wizard.”
Offer charters that (literally) cater to various types of food and drink enthusiasts, with everything from pizza and beer charters to ones that offer champagne and sushi.
During April and May, Chardonnay offers whale-watching charters, with a naturalist on board.
Private charters are available for occasions as varied as weddings, team-building exercises and straight-up recreation. AS
Tucked away on the busy ocean-bound route funneling tourists off of the 17 and onto the Boardwalk, there lies a subtle coffee oasis serving affordable “elite coffee” that’s not just for the elite. Opening its doors in 2015, Coffeeville offers that real laidback, beach-town cafe feel, with a cozy studying nook and outdoor riverside seating. Yes, the “river” is actually Branciforte Creek, which is mostly surrounded by concrete, but on a bright breezy day Coffeeville’s open patio totally transforms the scenery. Its brews are smooth, its pastries a perfect pairing, and a host of delicious substitutions for the dairy averse are available, along with housemade organic syrups (how about some honey and hazelnut, black walnut, or creme de menthe?). 
In some parts of Afghanistan, there is still no refrigeration—hence the need for out-of-the-box culinary thinking, honed over generations. Qurut yogurt has been dried and rehydrated with water, and the resulting mint- and garlic-infused paste tastes similar to tzatziki sauce, with a twist. The yogurt lines the plate of the butternut squash kadoo boranee at Laili, downtown’s beloved home of inspiring Afghan-Californian fusion food. The boranee itself is mashed and sweetened butternut squash, its presentation simple yet elegant. The flavors are sure to wow. 
Players from the Warriors come in to Samba Rock almost every day to get their all-organic superfood acai bowls made with nutritious Brazilian ingredients.
In 1985, UCSC grads Tom Watson and Cathy Kriege opened Zachary’s on a historic Pacific Avenue site as a way to stay in Santa Cruz.
A Santa Cruz favorite for 50 years, Harbor Café was established as a local hangout for sailors and fishermen, evolving over the years into its current family-friendly reputation.
Founded in 1980 by Larry and Shelly Pearson, with the goal of making the best, most affordable cookie in town.
Jan Wilson’s family business encompasses three generations, including her daughter Carren and granddaughter Hannah.
Mobo’s slogan is “Mind Altering Sushi,” which, because food and the act of eating are psychoactive, is literally true. It might have something to do with the sake bombs, too.
Pono is a Hawaiian word and guiding principle that means to live with good morality and overall goodness, not only in personal and community relationships, but also in being good stewards of the Aina (land), Kai (ocean) and Honua (earth.)
The sope shells at Cilantros puff into a delicious pastry, unlike the more common flat cakes available elsewhere.
Co-owner Brad Briske was opening chef for Main Street Garden, which was once located in this spot—giving special meaning to the new restaurant’s name.
Ella King opened her fine-dining restaurant in the terminal in 2015, after running Café Ella for seven years.
First Friday started in 2003 with just 6 venues, and under two dozen people attending.
Artisans has been through many phases since its opening in 1976, when it started as a co-op. Today it’s owned by Linnaea Holgers James, who’s worked at the gallery since she was 16. She purchased it in 2009 at the age of 32.
Begun in 1993 by Phil Lewis and Bill Welch as the Santa Cruz Blues Festival, the Santa Cruz American Music Festival is one of the longest-running music festivals in the area.
Originally opened in 1936, and then closed in 1999 after struggling financially for years, it was extensively restored and reopened in 2002. Today the theater hosts a combination of indie and mainstream films.
Nestled in the harbor, Crow’s Nest is famous for its ocean views and prime boat-watching.
A contestant on the 10th season of 
An Irish bar with a New Jersey attitude that welcomes everyone. 
Pour Taproom features over 70 types of beer, wine and cider, including a section devoted to gluten-free beverages.
Bed and Biscuits has a certified pet aesthetician named Crystal Jaquith on staff who specializes in the skin and coats of dogs and cats.
NextSpace was one of the first coworking spaces in the country.
The original location downtown opened in 1994. Its previous tenant was called Staircase Massage Parlor. 
Pure Pleasure is run by knowledgeable mother-daughter team Janice and Amy Baldwin.
Founded by brothers James and Nathaniel Allen, Alterra Solar is family-owned and operated.
Seabright Beach is technically part of Twin Lakes State Beach.
The Homeless Garden Project provides job training, transitional employment and support services to people who are homeless.
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk added the Fireball ride in 2003.
