Soif, the deluxe wine bar and restaurant on Walnut Avenue downtown, will soon be offering cocktails. I got the call from Soif’s wine director John Locke last week providing insight.
“The addition of spirits and cocktails has been contemplated as a distant possibility for some time,” he says. Given the amount of extra revenue such an addition would bring, it had to have been an appealing possibility. “We felt that if the change subverted our ability to continue a substantive, interesting and distinctive wine program, it was not worth it. Obviously we feel it can be a positive addition if executed with sufficient élan and creativity,” says Locke. From her St. Paddy’s Day perch in Ireland, Soif owner Patrice Boyle was happy to comment about the upcoming liquor license: “We are aiming for a place where the drinks will be delicious and very interesting, providing new spiritual experiences all around.” Boyle—whose personal favorite tipples include, “great gin and good tonic,” as well as “single malt cask strength Scotch settled down with some lovely spring water”—also reminded me that her still waters run deep. “I had started at Bonny Doon Vineyard just when Randall Grahm purchased the still. We distilled everything, from the wisteria growing on the porch to trying to make gin—and every manner of fruit,” Boyle says. She was a founder of the Artisan Distillers group (Germain-Robin brandy, St. George Spirits and others), and later was vice president of the American Brandy Association. Who knew? Locke shed more light on the upcoming cocktail reality. “Probably no well drinks,” he says. “Probably no happy hour. Probably a few well-thought-out custom cocktails congruent with the gastronomic culture of the restaurant. Probably a superior and judicious selection of classic aged spirits, eau de vie, digestifs.” The savvy Soif team notes that change happens. “Some new folks will come in who have not before. A bar seat might be harder to get … We must make the best of it,” says Locke. “And we think the best Martini in town will go a long way toward that goal.” Sign me up! This is not yet a done deal—weeks, maybe a month or so away. But Locke is confident that Soif “will slide nicely into the Santa Cruz cocktailing scene in its own unique way.” Do stay tuned. And while you’re thinking Soif, consider these two distinctive events: On Sunday April 3, from 3-5 p.m., you’ll have a chance to sample some iconic wines fromLebanon with Marc Hochar of Chateau Musar. Seriously intriguing wines. And on Sunday April 11, join Stephen Beaumier and Katy Oursler of Mutarifor an outrageously different dinner starring chocolate and cocoa-derived ingredients in many still-to-be-invented forms. Check soifwine.com for details.
Taste of the Week
The soups at the Buttery Bakery just get better and better. Last week’s winner was a bold and delicious white bean and kale soup, enough for two plus a soft potato roll for $6. We added one of the Buttery’s fab kale salads with the freshly-made soup. You can, too. OK, we also added a Pecan Sandie cookie (with a plush chocolate rosette on top) and the signature Zucchini Muffin, so good you cannot believe it. Dare to Pair spreads its tents for the seventh year, at the wine tasting rooms off Swift and Ingalls streets on Sunday, April 10, from noon until 3 p.m. Cabrillo College Culinary students will vie for honors by matching menus with wines from Surf City Vintners. $65 tickets provide tastings, plus an After Party at Equinox Champagne Cellars starting at 2:30 p.m. Details available at daretopair.org.
Waiting anxiously for the respective music scenes to thaw as this year’s pseudo-winter comes to a close, traveling sound-lovers can finally rejoice at the countdown to festival season. But most would never dare to hope for a festival dedicated entirely to hip-hop music, especially not locally, with the “h-word” usually getting chased out of bars and venues left and right. Until now: April 2-3 brings the first-ever Santa Cruz Hip-Hop Festival. “Musically, my main love is hip-hop—it does have a presence at some festivals, but it’s usually an afterthought, or all the artists are on during the day, before the big names,” says Santa Cruz Hip-Hop Festival organizer Mike Molda. “I wanted to create a festival where the spotlight would be totally on hip-hop, focusing on educating people about the art form and supporting local talent.” The event will also include live painting and tagging from Meeting of the Styles, a San Francisco-based group that works with graffiti artists all over the world; performances by local dancers Beat Boxers; turntable “scratch” performers; and spoken word artists. “We really want to demonstrate a more conscious perspective of the hip-hop scene,” says Molda. “We want to show the older generation—where it especially gets a stigma—that it’s not all bad, it’s a lot of culture and love. We really want them to see the positivity.” Even Bay Area underground hero Equipto, who will perform at the festival, recognizes the energy of a lineup like this coming together for the first time. He’s excited, he says, to perform alongside Otayo Dubb, A-1, the People’s Tree, and the many others in what he says is “one of my favorite places in Cali, no lie!” Molda has curated an impressive lineup with a mix of established Bay Area lyricists and hungry young artists looking to make a name for themselves; here are a few ofGT’s top picks.
The Cypher
While it’s not an artist or a performer, the Cypher will be a huge part of this event, onstage and off. In accordance with an ethos of respect and love, a cypher is a rap battle without the battle. Emcees gather together spitting “sixteens”(16 lines of text or “bars” make one verse), trading ideas instead of insults, and pushing each other to new lyrical heights for the enjoyment of onlookers.
Jeff Turner
One of the most prominent members of Team BackPack (a Bay Area-based cypher crew turned YouTube darlings) this emcee was instrumental in building its brand from the ground up. Known for his impeccable delivery, freestyle skills and deep lyrical content, Turner sounds like Ghostface Killah had a heart-to-heart with Q-Tip, but puts his own modern twist on the sound. He’s what any hip-hop purist would want from this lineup, and then some.
Eliquate
One of Santa Cruz’s best-known lyricists and performers, Elliot Wright is currently recovering from a recent spinal fusion surgery and has still found the time (and strength) to hit back with an all-new live ensemble. Sonically described as Atmosphere meets Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wright is known for his insane live presence and bulging neck vein—this guy leaves it all on the stage. “It’s not every day a group of true hip-hop enthusiasts come together and pull off something of this magnitude,” says Wright.
Alien Family
Combining freestyle skill, humor, and a dash of that grimy deep bass and bounce, emcees Catalyst and Obvi bring unfiltered, skillful lyricism and some good old-fashioned hip-hop head-bopping to this lineup. Where these guys go, the party follows.
Rappin 4 Tay
No festival, especially one focused on hip-hop, is complete without a real old-school heavy hitter, and emcee Anthony Forté, aka Rappin 4 Tay, is that in spades. After bursting onto the scene out of the Fillmore in 1991 with “Rappin 4 Tay is Back,” Forté made quite the name for himself with 11 albums over the next 13 years and his Bay Area-loving “Players Club.” Forté has worked with Tupac, Mac Dre, and Too Short; this is a chance to see a hip-hop legend at work.
Info: April 2-3, Camp Krem, Boulder Creek. Parking at 14700 W Park Ave., Boulder Creek Free Parking for 3 people or more in car. Eventbrite.com. $30-$35.
Marco Benevento is an incredible pianist and an excellent songwriter, and he’s found a unique niche as a musician within the experimental rock, jazz and jam band worlds. But on Benevento’s new record, The Story Of Fred Short, he’s exploring something new: singing. Technically, he started singing on his previous solo record, 2014’s Swift, but on The Story of Fred Short we get to hear Benevento grow more confident with this new instrument, and find nuanced ways to use it. The new album sounds more like pop music than anything he’s released. Even on Swift, the music was still kind of synthy and jazzy, and his vocals were often buried. But the new record is incredibly infectious, with indie-rock influences and Benevento taking on actual hooks as a singer. It’s the kind of territory a new band would start out with, as opposed to, say, where a long-standing experimental artist would land on for his sixth solo record. Album opener “In The Afternoon Tomorrow” is a catchy, feel-good tune that will inspire some sunny afternoon drives on the coast with the windows rolled down. Single “Dropkick,” while not quite as good, is another sing-along retro dance-rock tune that will be sure to get at least a handful of repeat listens. Still, those familiar with Benevento’s career might be struggling with this new direction. His pre-solo work was pretty out there, in groups like Benevento/Russo, Garage A Trois, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, and Bustle in Your Hedgerow. Even his early solo work, which is primarily instrumental (with occasional guest vocals) straddles a line between bands like indie-jazzers Tortoise and funky art-rockers Talking Heads. His live shows in the past have relied heavily on extended improvised jams. Between Swift and The Story Of Fred Short, he’s now touring with a much more diverse live set, mixing up improvised indie-jams with short pop tunes. The new record doesn’t convey the full scope of the pianist’s true range. The album title is a reference to his recording studio, Fred Short. Benevento records in his own studio, and releases music on his own label the Royal Potato Family. So perhaps he’s proving his willingness to go his own direction. Who would have expected a purely pop record from him even three or four years ago? The first half of the new record is loaded with his poppier tunes, and the second half is a concept piece about a fictitious character named Fred Short. Those songs are sonically linked, and have a darker, and, dare I say, more experimental quality to them than the front half. Oddly enough, they don’t work as well as the pop tunes at the front of the record. In an interview Benevento did with Jambase, he described the concept of Fred Short, which is just a made-up story about a guy. It seems to lack depth or even much thought—writing a half-concept album, even linking those songs, appears to be just another experiment. Like all of the various styles he’s played with in the past, like taking up singing, like dabbling more explicitly in pop music—it’s all an experiment. Even when it’s not as out there as he can get—and even when it doesn’t completely work—it’s all coming from that same adventurous spirit. INFO: 8 p.m. on Friday, April 1, at Moe’s Alley. 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $14 advance, $18 door. 479-1854.
Jesse Nickell, who wants to improve Pacific Avenue’s traffic flow, knew from the start that changes would never go through without a fight. “People are always fearful of change, and that’s normal,” says Nickell, a senior vice president at Barry Swenson Builder. “Now we have a change in front of people, and it seems scary.” That’s why Nickell, also a downtown commissioner, jumped at the opportunity to serve on an ad-hoc committee about the street along with a few other commissioners, a councilmember and two community members. The latest plan is to make Pacific Avenue one-way going southbound, based on recommendations from the commission and the Downtown Association. It could make downtown’s main street less confusing to drive on, although some business owners are still less than thrilled about the idea. “Of course I don’t like it, because I’m going to lose business. I’m going to lose parking spots,” says Michael Mounir, owner of the Falafel House on Walnut Avenue. Mounir has been in business on Walnut Avenue since 1997. Like a handful of Walnut Avenue business owners, he worries about the four parking spaces that could be lost on his downtown side street to allow for the update. The plan would also switch the traffic patterns on Lincoln Street and Walnut Avenue. Drivers would start driving east instead of west on Walnut. That means drivers would no longer be able to get from Pacific Avenue onto his street. They would have to do it from Cedar Street instead. Mounir hopes the Santa Cruz City Council declines to spend the $65,000-plus on the pilot program. “I don’t understand why they have to spend money and do all this,” he says. Pacific Avenue is currently one-way southbound for about one block, starting at Mission Street. Then the pattern switches to two-way traffic at Locust Street for a block, followed by one-way northbound for a few blocks, and two-way the rest of the way. The latest plan will turn the one-way northbound section into southbound traffic, and people would be able to drive the entire length of Pacific Avenue without being re-directed for the first time in decades. The city’s Transportation and Public Works Commission also suggests adding a contra-flow bike lane, allowing bikes to freely travel in each direction. The idea of changing Pacific Avenue traffic to one-way or two-way has been kicked around from one city body to another. In 2011, the city hired retail expert Robert Gibbs to deliver a report on economic development, and he found that retailers were losing over $300 million in sales annually to other communities. As part of his recommendations, he initially suggested making traffic go two ways all the way down Pacific Avenue, which would have ultimately proved problematic for the city’s parking supply, eliminating over 40 spaces on Pacific Avenue. When the City Council asked Gibbs about going one-way, he said anything would be “an improvement.” Nickell and other supporters say a one-way Pacific Avenue offers the best of both worlds. Downtown Santa Cruz would become less confusing for tourists to drive through, and people will be able to cruise down the street on their way to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. At the same time, it allows the city to keep more parking spots on Pacific and leaves more room for the city’s fire engines. Still, the plan has been criticized by those who don’t want to lose any parking spots at all, don’t want Pacific to be more car-friendly or would prefer two-way traffic. Standing outside his tie-dye shop A Brighter World, Jeremy Carlson says that both ardent supporters and opponents of the proposed change are overly confident in their position. Carlson, whose business is also on Walnut Avenue, insists that no one really knows whether the changes would improve or worsen business, and that they probably wouldn’t make a big difference either way. “It’s not that I’m upset. I find it immature that some people say this will be good, or this won’t be good,” Carlson says, his reading glasses clipped to tie-dye polo shirt. “I won’t say childish,” he adds, “because I don’t want to insult children.”
Looking over the hundreds of winners in this year’s Best of Santa Cruz County awards, I’d like to personally thank all of you, our readers, for taking the time to vote for your favorite local restaurants and shops, for the Best Local Band and Best Gym, the Best Reason to Be Late and Best Way to Trick Your Kids. What, you didn’t vote for those last two categories? Oh, right, that’s because after we here at GT faithfully report all of the winners in our Readers’ Poll, we like to give out our own awards to celebrate some of the quirkier, less-appreciated or downright strange corners of the Santa Cruz experience. We call them “Editors’ Picks” and stash them away at the end of the section, because—let’s be honest—we know they’re not as good as your picks. Still, they can be entertaining in their own right, so we hope after you check up on this year’s awardees and read five facts about some of the ballot winners we’ve profiled, you’ll flip to the back to discover the Best Reason Not to Visit the Forest and Best Little-Known Local History—and read about Mott Jordan, the Santa Cruz illustrator behind this year’s cover artwork. STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WINNER PROFILES BY: AMANDA EDWARDS, ANNE-MARIE HARRISON, CAT JOHNSON, STEVE PALOPOLI, JACOB PIERCE, JUNE SMITH, LILY STOICHEFF
There is a place carved out on Twitter where lovers of Santa Cruz can bask in the picturesque glory of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, although that isn’t even the best kind of #onlyinsantacruz tweet. We love this hashtag—which also offers rich browsing on Instagram—more for its dispatches on watching a 12-piece ukulele band or devouring edibles while getting a haircut. Then there’s the local dude with his lightsaber, guys dressed up like bags of weed, and a woman in a dentist office crying over a fish that had died the previous month. JACOB PIERCE
Best Movement Exploration Space
Max10
caption Whether a painter, musician, dancer, or comedian, it’s not making the art that is the hardest part, it’s convincing people that the art is worth showing. That’s why Max10 is invaluable for young artists to bring their ideas to a local audience and receive immediate, face-to-face feedback. Choreographer Cid Pearlman brought the model of 10 shows at a maximum of 10 minutes each to Santa Cruz a few years ago, and with quarterly showcases, anyone has the opportunity to push themselves as an artist and bring the community together to support fresh talent. Full details at motionpacific.com/max10. ANNE-MARIE HARRISON
Best Community Cheerleader
Matthew Swinnerton
If anyone loves Santa Cruz more than Matthew Swinnerton, they’re definitely not as vocal about it. Since founding Event Santa Cruz in 2013, the gathering, held in a different Santa Cruz business each month, has showcased more than 100 local entrepreneurs as speakers. Swinnerton was made ringleader of the NEXTie awards (coming up on April 8) two years ago, and has recently started a video series where he interviews Santa Cruz County’s movers and shakers. His gregarious and affable personality is infectious, and it’s hard to walk away from an encounter with the man without feeling a bit more enthusiastic, optimistic and pepped up. Go, home team, go! LILY STOICHEFF
Best Excuse for Being Late
Traffic
“Hey, sorry! I wanted to get here an hour ago, and I figured it would surely be smooth sailing when I left my house at 11 a.m., but Highway 1 was down to one lane because a Prius had been rear-ended by 1974 Volkswagen van, sending hand drums and hula hoops flying into the air. So I tried taking Soquel Avenue, but it was blocked by people protesting the unethical imprisonment of pet fish in office aquariums.” JP
Best Bargain Wine Rack
Shopper’s Corner
Where else on the planet can you stand on gleaming 75-year-old hardwood floors, surrounded by your foodie friends and neighbors, and ponder serious wine bargains crying out for attention on the infamous bargain rack? Malbecs at rock bottom—they’ve got ’em. Old-vine Sauvignon Blancs for under a buck? Totally. Curious varietals from the southern hemisphere are priced to tempt you. And so you take home a few unknown labels and test drive them over dinner. Among the always drinkable discounts, I invariably discover some absolute gem. When I do, I jump in the car and drive back to Shopper’s to scoop up as many as I can afford. The wine buyer is one sharp-eyed dude, and you can have lots of legal fun just working your way through the intriguing inventory of this not-so-secret corner of Shopper’s Corner. CHRISTINA WATERS
Best Ongoing Interview Attempt
Rodarte
caption Ever since the New York Times magazine published the October 2013 article “For Rodarte, A Santa Cruz State of Mind,” about Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the sisters who overcame the “suburban ennui and ‘really weird vibes’ of their childhood in Santa Cruz” to make it big in the world of fashion, we’ve been relentlessly trying to catch up with the sisters. If designing for the movie Black Swan was the breakout for their high-end label Rodarte, these locally raised sisters have only continued their trajectory toward untouchable genius in the fashion world, and GT promises not to remove them from our speed dial until we have them on the line. MARIA GRUSAUSKAS
Best Reason to Put on Cowboy Boots
Western Wednesday at the Crepe Place
Sometimes you just want to relive the good ol’ Wild, Wild West—without all the guns, harsh living conditions and disease, of course. There are few better ways to get your bottled-up yeehaws out than Western Wednesday at the Crepe Place on the third Wednesday of each month. Presented by Tomboy, the shindig includes one touring band, one local band, and a vintage photo booth to get your old-time portrait taken. Grab a dancing partner, or several, for a toe-tappin,’ boot stompin,’ honky tonkin’ good time. Wear cowboy boots to get $1 off the cover. AMH
Best Activity to Add to Your Morning Routine
Podcasts
Something changed in the weeks following my discovery of the vast and varied underworld of podcasts. At the risk of sounding like a depressive, they help me get out of bed. Setting my iPhone in a glass bowl to amplify the podcast over the shower, they have kept me engrossed through the outfit-choosing process all the way to the office. From friend-recommended episodes of This American Life and Serial (consumed in a single weekend), to, most recently, the past 40 interview episodes of WTF, broadcast from the garage of comedian Marc Maron, podcasts are one of those constructive, productive activities that, if you choose the right ones, can pull laughs out of you in traffic and bring the voice of, say, Richard Thompson or David Spade (one of the funniest ever) into your kitchen as you wait for your toast. They will keep you company, distract you from heartbreak, expand your vocabulary, and fill your head with thoughts, ideas and stories of humanity. I was surprised to find that Santa Cruz is a hotbed for podcast production, too, from the medical prowess of Dr. Dawn Motyka’s Ask Dr. Dawn to stories from the LGBTQ community, Out in Santa Cruz, toMotorcycles & Misfits: Re-Cycle Garage in Santa Cruz, with its rotating cast of characters on a mission to get old motorcycles back on the road and to teach people how to wrench on them. MG
Best Biscotti
Companion Bakeshop
Surely a no-brainer, the pastry counter at Companion Bakeshop must send out subliminal alerts that are exactly tuned to my neural nets. The minute one of the gluten-free almond apricot biscotti emerge from the oven, a timer goes off in my left brain, and I zoom over. Once tasted, there’s just no going back from these super-sized biscotti that are at once fragrant, chewy, crunchy, and packed with flavor. They are the stuff of dreams. I buy them three at a time—you never know when a biscotto craving may arise—and devour one each night, accompanied by nettle tea and a shot of Fernet Branca. Life is good. CW
Best Local Fungus
Candy Cap Mushroom
caption
Even folks who are typically cautious of wild mushrooms can’t resist Lactarius rubidus, known colloquially as the candy cap. This innocuous-looking, small, reddish-brown mushroom is a favorite of local foragers due to its sweet, earthy flavor that is strongly reminiscent of maple syrup. Yes, really. Try it locally in LionFish SupperClub’s Candy Cap bread pudding, as a seasonal ice cream flavor at Penny Ice Creamery, and in Uncommon Brewers’ Rubidus Red Ale. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, go hang out with the cool kids at the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz, and discover many other mushroom secrets waiting in our forests and mountains. LS
Best Little-Known Local History
54th Coast Artillery Regiment
On Easter Sunday in 1942, 200 African-American men set up camp at Lighthouse Point—at a time when there were 18 African Americans total living in Santa Cruz. They were the 54th Coast Artillery Regiment, an all-black unit responsible for defending the Monterey Bay in the event of a Japanese attack.The regiment’s arrival wasn’t treated well by all locals, and city officials attempted to make some parts of town inaccessible to the soldiers. In response, the local military chaplain threatened to boycott the “whole damn town” and local businesses. AMH
Best Old-Timey Ice Cream
Marianne’s
Sometimes the dessert we crave isn’t artisanal ice cream with inventively concocted flavors like oatmeal stout. Sometimes we want something that’s still fresh and delicious, but with a few dozen more flavors to choose from. We’re talking about a place where they don’t accept credit cards and where the wallpaper of dancing cows is clearly circa 1963. When it comes to ice cream parlor time travel, Marianne’s takes the cake every time. JP
Best Shoe Repair Shop
A & B Shoe Repair
A & B Shoe Repair is a family-owned mom-and-pop shop that has been in business for 32 years. Located conveniently near the State Park Drive exit in Aptos, the tiny operation is run by Jimmy Park, who is as welcoming and friendly as he is a master of his trade. Having studied at an orthopedic college, Park is skilled in working with all kinds of leather. Aside from repairing broken heels, resoling shoes, and keeping our favorite kicks polished to a sheen without breaking the bank, the shop also works on leather bags. Open Tuesday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 7745 Soquel Drive, Aptos. 688-6214. MG
Best Downtown Farmers Market Bargain
Roti
The downtown farmers market offers a bevy of delicious lunch options: a chicken naan wrap from India Gourmet, the perfect pork pie from Back Porch, or a healthy vegetarian crepe from Delicious Crepes. But pinpointing the best bang for your buck—that’s a tough one. Fear not, the dedicated GT staff has done the legwork for you. Here’s our thrifty favorite: The quarter rotisserie chicken and side of perfectly seasoned potatoes from Roti ($7.50). It’s enough food for next-day lunch leftovers, the chicken is consistently tasty and the potatoes are superbly salted. AMH
Best Way to Trick Your Kids
The Green Waffle
caption Not only do The Green Waffle founders Martin and Blanca Madriz have a fascinating and inspiring life story, they are also onto something fantastic: making the all-American favorite breakfast (yes, we know, they’re a Belgian export) into something nutritious and healthy. Martin and Blanca use only oats, egg whites and spinach to make their deceptively delicious waffles with a color that rivals green eggs and ham. AMH
Best View You Have To Earn
Eagle In Tree Vista in the Byrne-Milliron Forest
The Byrne-Milliron Forest outside of Corralitos is not for wimpy hikers, but the prize is well worth the effort. After climbing a few miles of nearly horizontal logging trails lined with majestic redwoods, adventurers who reach the Eagle In Tree Vista, red-faced and wheezing, are rewarded with an unobstructed 180-degree view of the Pajaro Valley. From this 1,600-foot vantage point, take in a panoramic view of the Strawberry Capital; patchwork farmland; Pinto, Kelly and Tynan lakes; rugged and graceful Mt. Madonna; and the Pajaro River as it snakes its way toward the coast. If the hike doesn’t take your breath away, the view certainly will. LS
Best Reason Not to Visit the Forest
To Play Your Radio
In an ideal world, those people who add “portable radio” to their nature-trip packing list would be herded to the nearest amusement park instead. Or better yet, placed under house arrest. The beach is one thing—and I do have fantasies of throwing the next beach-towed radio into the surf—but bringing a radio into the forest is an infraction of the highest level. Annoying beachgoers with their country music pale (only a little) in comparison with disrupting the peace and serenity of the redwoods. Isn’t there, like, a Great America they can go be loud at? MG
Best Local Grenache
Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard
I’ll admit that I backed into the singular charms of Grenache the old-fashioned way. I trained my palate on the inimitable Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre troika that powers the great reds of the Rhône. I’ve even gone so far as to put away a few choice bottles of Chateauneuf du Pape Vieux Telegram (cost me an arm and a leg!), as well as a few of its new world cousins made by Rhône Ranger Randall Grahm (only cost me an ankle). My go-to Grenache is the sturdy, confident goes-with-everything version made by Jeff Emery. His Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard 2014 Grenache is made with cool-clime Monterey highlands grapes loaded with spice, white pepper and berries. At under $20, it drinks like a Tesla, and underscores all that is great about the grape. CW
Best Drinking Game
Local Trivia
Throwing coins in red cups of tepid fizzy lager is so “kids table.” Grownups know that the best way to get your buzz on is attending a trivia match at a local bar. Between 99 Bottles, Woodstock’s Pizza, Rosie McCann’s, New Bohemia Brewing Co., and Lúpulo Craft Beer House, battles of wits are available almost every day of the week. Despite the rumor that alcohol kills brain cells, studies have shown that you are definitely better at trivia after a couple of pints. This is also one of the few public circumstances where the nerdier you are, the sexier you become. So keep your phone in your pocket and assemble your dream team (don’t forget a punny team name) and hit up the local watering holes, each with their own flavor of questionnaire. Oh, and watch out for those UCSC linguistics grad students. Trust me on that one. LS
Best Traffic Problem to Get Mad About That’s Not Cars
Horrible Cyclists
Who in Santa Cruz hasn’t had to roll down his or her car window to yell at a particularly clueless cyclist? We see them every day—riding against traffic at night, without a helmet or light, earphones in, guzzling a Big Gulp filled with Olde English. They obviously have no regard for the rules of the road, nor even for the ability of a 5,000-pound Escalade to level them like a tractor over a cornfield. More importantly, their dumb choices give other cyclists all over the county—the majority of whom follow the rules—a bad rap. JP
Best New Local Task Force
Leaf Blower Pollution Task Force
Managed by Ken Forster of Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping and Lena Roxanne Evans, the Leaf Blower Pollution Task Force of Santa Cruz is a public group on Facebook devoted to bringing awareness to the downsides of leaf blowers. In a polite and diplomatic way, the group looks beyond the obvious noise-pollution annoyance of the leaf blowers’ incessant 180-decibel whine to the larger issues: gas leaf blowers whip up not just leaves, but a tornado of fine particulates into the air, including molds, fungus, exhaust fumes, carcinogens, and pesticides—all of which lodge themselves into human lungs. The high-velocity blowing also destroys habitats and ecosystems of birds, small mammals and pollinators. If leaf blowers annoy you too, join up on the Task Force’s Facebook page and help support the movement to find smarter landscaping solutions. MG
Best Locally Made Vegan Dip
La Onda
It’s difficult to describe the taste of La Onda. It doesn’t taste like the combination of its ingredients, but is somehow far more than the sum of its parts: sustainable almonds, grape seed oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, aminos, and a variety of spices depending on what flavor you choose (habanero is a favorite). It’s incredible on sandwiches, with chips, or with a chicken or pasta dish. The number of vegan options that taste like shoe leather still outnumber the ones that don’t, so cheers to La Onda for creating something gluten-free, vegan, sustainable, and delicious. AMH
Best Way to Find Dark Sky Sites
Santa Cruz Astronomy Club
On a night when the moon is small or there is no moon at all, billions of stars, and oftentimes, a few of the five visible planets, can be seen in the sky. The trick, of course, is to get to a dark-sky location for maximum enjoyment, with a pair of binoculars or a telescope for views of deep-sky objects like globular clusters and neighboring galaxies. The Santa Cruz Astronomy Club hosts several star parties at various dark-sky sites, some of them, like the Bonny Doon Airport, open only by reservation through the club. Quail Hollow Ranch County Park and Little Basin Campground are ideal for getting up out of the city lights and into the dark of the Santa Cruz Mountains, while driving north or south out of town along the coast also promises some stellar night sky views. MG
Most Affordable Custom Bikes
Dave’s Custom Bikes
Anthony Brown, owner of Dave’s Custom Bikes, rolls his eyes when I ask about high-end bike components he deems unnecessary. He snorts at wheel advice friends have given me and dismisses most of the trends and hype that aren’t based in true technology improvements as “myth.” The secret to getting a bike at Dave’s is having Brown build a custom one for you, from either a used or new frame with new components, though he carries new bikes, too, if you want to roll out the door on the same day. Brown bought the bike shop from his longtime partner Dave in 2014. Brown is practical. He won’t overcharge you or oversell you. “I’m cheap,” he says, diverting my attention away from an expensive component. “It depends on what you mean by best,” he says, when I say I want the best gears. “It’s all about the frame,” he says, whenever my focus strays elsewhere. When the shop is quiet, and both Brown and his co-worker Matthew Staker are available, it’s an education to hear them debate the best bike for you. Clearly, there is no one way to build a better bike. They ask questions about your bike-riding usage, then, sounding like the Siskel and Ebert of bikes, they discuss, disagree, and finally arrive along with you at a recommendation. Dave’s Custom Bikes is at 910 Soquel Ave., Ste A, Santa Cruz. 423-8923, davescustombikes.com. JEANNE HOWARD
About the Illustrator
Mott Jordan
caption Cover artist Mott Jordan has been a fixture on the Santa Cruz visual arts scene since the 1980s. A studio art major at UCSC, he soon found a niche creating illustrations and front-cover designs for weekly newspapers Santa Cruz Express, The Sun, Santa Cruz Magazine, The Student Guide, and the occasional feature illustration for Metro Santa Cruz and Good Times. His “golden surfer” design, based on the West Cliff surfer statue, was adapted to be part of the SantaCruz.com web logo. His studio is in the 17th Avenue Studios art complex in Live Oak, and from there he creates graphic work and large quirky pop-surrealist oil paintings on shaped panels. Jordan opens his studio most years in October as a participant in Santa Cruz County Open Studios, and his work will be featured in May at Agency, 1519 Pacific Ave. in downtown Santa Cruz.
caption 1 The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music got its start in a small bohemian coffee shop in 1963. 2 This year, Marin Alsop steps down after 25 years as the festival’s conductor. Alsop studied under Leonard Bernstein, attended Yale and Juilliard, and since her beginnings with the festival has become world-famous as conductor for a number of prestigious orchestras: Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris and others. 3 This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Church Street Fair, which is produced by the festival and the Civic Auditorium, in celebration of local art, music, food, and wine. 4 Each season, the cello section stages an elaborate prank. In the past, they’ve dressed up in biohazard gear, bejeweled bolero jackets (“à la Liberace,” as the festival’s executive director, Ellen Primack, puts it), tie-dye, clown costumes, and more. 5 This year’s festival runs from Aug. 5-13 and includes 11 composers-in-residence, Lola Montez Does The Spider Dance by John Adams, a symphonic ballet, and the West Coast premiere of Kevin Puts’ The City. AMH
Best Movie Theater
The Nickelodeon
caption 1 Bill and JoAnne Walker Raney opened the Nick as a single-screen art-house movie theater in 1969. 2 Regularly playing non-mainstream American independents and subtitled (never dubbed) foreign-language films, the Nick served as a bastion of film education for many local film reviewers and professors. 3 Bill’s second wife, Nancy Raney, made a name for herself as the consummate hostess. For instance, in 1987, with help from the Casablanca Restaurant, she recreated the entire feast from the Danish film Babette’s Feast to promote its release. 4 In December of 2015, ownership of the Nick (along with Del Mar and the recently closed Aptos Cinemas) changed hands from the theater’s second pair of owners, Jim Schwenterley and Paul Gottlober, to Landmark Theatres, a theater chain out of Los Angeles specializing in art-house and independent films. 5 The Nick and Del Mar serve concessions from the Penny Ice Creamery, the Buttery, Black China Bakery, Nut Kreations, Sweet Earth Burritos, SunRidge Farms, and Alta Coffee. AMH
Best Poet
Kevin Devaney
caption 1 Kevin Devaney is that friendly fellow with the typewriter on Pacific Avenue. 2 For a donation, he will write you a poem on the spot. 3 Devaney founded Santa Cruz’s only Weekly Poetry Open Mic 4 He’s a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College. 5 Devaney sells handmade street poetry books on Etsy. CJ
Best Theater Company
Jewel Theatre Company
caption 1 Founded by artistic director Julie James in 2005, Jewel is the only year-round professional theater company in Santa Cruz. 2 Last November, Jewel became the arts company in residence at the new $5.8 million Colligan Theater at the Tannery Arts Center. 3 With the move from the Center Street Theater to the Colligan Theater, Jewel doubled the seating capacity at its shows from 89 to 182. 4 James says Jewel’s subscriber base has been growing by about 35 percent every year. 5 Their current production is Master Class (above), which runs through April 3. SP
Art Event
First Friday
firstfridaysantacruz.com
RUNNERS-UP Capitola Art & Wine Festival, Open Studios Art Tour
Art Gallery
Museum of Art & History
705 Front St., Santa Cruz, 429-1964, santacruzmah.org
caption 1 This vibrant, two-mile long, mixed-use bicycle path stretches from the Municipal Wharf to Natural Bridges State Park. 2 On any given day, you can see surfers, otters, sea lions, pelicans, dogs, skimboarders, bodysurfers, kayakers, dolphins, whales and more. 3 West Cliff Drive is home to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, which was established in 1986 and has collections dating back to the earliest days of mainland surfing.
4 West Cliff Drive is dog-friendly and family-friendly. 5 It boasts two prime spots for watching the migrating Monarch butterflies: Lighthouse Field and Natural Bridges State Park. CJ
Best Farmers Market
Aptos Farmers Market
caption 1 The Aptos Farmers Market was voted America’s Favorite Farmers Market in California by America’s Farmland Trust. 2 The market features 90 vendors, most of whom are certified organic or use sustainable farming methods. 3 In addition to offering fruits and vegetables, the market offers grass-fed meats and poultry, sustainable fish, oysters, handcrafted cheeses, locally produced olive oil, pasta and gourmet sauces, juices, sauerkraut, Corralitos smoked sausages and bacon, artisan breads and baked goods, and more. 4 The market is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 8 a.m. until noon. 5 The market regularly features live music and special events. CJ
Best Wedding Venue
Seascape Beach Resort
caption 1 The ocean-view wedding site at this elegant resort overlooks the Monterey Bay. 2 An expert staff seeks to help create a dream wedding ceremony. 3 Wedding planners specialize in creating stylish receptions for up to 280 guests. 4 The resort’s executive chefs specialize in elegant California coastal cuisine. 5 Banquet rooms from 700 – 4,000 square feet also offer catering venues for the bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, brunch, reception and a honeymoon package.JS
Beach
Seabright Beach
East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz
RUNNERS-UP Capitola Beach, Twin Lakes Beach
Bike Ride
West Cliff Drive
RUNNERS-UP Nisene Marks, Wilder Ranch
Boardwalk Ride
Giant Dipper
400 Beach St., Santa Cruz, 423-5590, beachboardwalk.com
RUNNERS-UP Fireball, Log Ride
Derby Girl
Kosher Assault
RUNNERS-UP Def Jen Wreckers, Hell Louise
Dog Park
Aptos Polo Grounds
2255 Huntington Drive, Aptos,
RUNNERS-UP Frederick Street, Scotts Valley Dog Park
caption 1 In an açaí bowl, you’ll find granola, bananas and strawberries over a housemade açaí fruit smoothie. 2 The açaí bowl is one of the most popular items on Café Brasil’s menu, especially for take-out. 3 In the restaurant, there’s an open “açaí bar,” which is the first thing you see as you walk in. You can watch them make your bowl right in front of you. 4 Café Brasil also has a juice bar with an açaí smoothie similar to the bowl. 5 Even before the acai craze, Café Brasil was a local breakfast institution, and crowds can be seen outside waiting for a table every weekend. AE
Best Burger, Santa Cruz and Capitola
Betty Burgers
1 The meat at Betty Burgers is organic and grass-fed, with no hormones and no antibiotics—and never frozen. 2 All burgers are made with local produce, and all burger sauces are made in-house. 3 Two of their most popular burgers are the Texas Two Step and Point Grinder. 4 There is a full bar in their downtown Santa Cruz location. 5 Not even the staff can totally explain the slightly salacious touches to the menu like “Betty On Top,” “Rough and Ready,” “Betty Likes It Tender” and “Nachos O’Lay.” The secrets behind this mystery are much-debated in the GT office. AE
Best Cheese Selection
Shopper’s Corner
1 Manager/partner Andre Beauregard and deli manager Allisyn Bordwine spend quality time at the Fancy Food show in San Francisco, comparing endless varieties and cultures of cheese. 2 The store carries 19 categories of cheese, some aged up to six years, and dozens in specific classes, such as smoked or cave-aged. 3 Shopper’s cheeses come from many countries, including Italy, France, Holland, England, Ireland, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway and Spain, in addition to domestic varieties. 4 The latest trend is grass-fed and free-range (as in the cows), as well as raw non-pasteurized cheeses. 5 Enzymes found in non-pasteurized cheese help with digestion, but are stripped away when pasteurized. JS
Best Date Night Restaurant, San Lorenzo
Cremer House
caption 1 Staff say the housemade pretzels are the most popular menu item for couples on a date. 2 Attention to aesthetics is important to the managers at Cremer House, and the vibe is warm and comfortable. 3 The housemade butterscotch cookie with Mission Hill Creamery caramel ice cream is the most popular dessert—and perfect for sharing. 4 The folks at Cremer House believe in keeping their cuisine as organic and locally sourced as possible. 5 They’re also known for handcrafted beers to share, and sparkling wines. AE
Best Hot Dog
Gary’s Snappy Dogs
1 On weekdays, Gary sets up shop outside U-Save Liquor, and on weekends in the Swift Sweet Courtyard, where he suggests having a glass of wine with his hot dogs. He retired from the wine business and decided to put the hot dog carts he had “sitting around” his house to good use. 2 Gary calls his hot dogs “snappy dogs” because they make a delicious snapping in your mouth after a bite. He also jokes that in Pretty Woman they use the term “snap dog,” but he thought of it first. 3 There’s a homemade chili sauce option, but the most popular item is the classic hot dog with condiments. The classic hot dog is a beef dog with a sheep casing. 4 His dog, also named Snappy, can often be found hanging out under the stand, and occasionally comes out to say hello. 5 Other options on the menu are Louisiana Hot Link, Polish Sausage, Chicken Italian Sausage, Cheezy Bavarian, and Smoked Lamb Sausage. AE
Best Italian Restaurant
Lillian’s Italian Kitchen
caption 1 Owner Joe Moreno and family are proud of Lillian’s numerous wins in GT’s Best of Santa Cruz County awards, the first of which was for Best New Restaurant in 2008. 2 The newly constructed, much larger space just down the street at the corner of Seabright and Soquel is set to open by May 1, with staff training beginning in April. 3 Seating capacity will be 74 in the dining room and 10 at the bar—which will also offer the regular menu—at the new location. 4 It took Moreno six years to buy a larger space in the same neighborhood. 5 Popular items on the menu will remain, with fresh seafood available daily. “Frozen” is not in the chef’s vocabulary. The kitchen will have an isolated area to prepare gluten-free pasta and other items. JS
Best New Restaurant
Mozaic
caption 1 Launched in 2015, Mozaic is a restaurant and bar with a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean theme, open every day from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. 2 Owners Jay Dib, Jerry Rohana, Faisal Nemri and Ben Khader, who opened just in time for Santa Cruz Restaurant Week last year, say they were “happily overwhelmed” by customer response. 3 Recipes from Lebanon, Greece, Jordan, Turkey, Italy and Spain bring a fusion of blended culinary cultures through flavors, textures and colors. 4 On Friday nights, Arabian belly dancing is held at 6:30 and 8 p.m. Private parties may also request the local dancing troupe. 5 Show-stopping “Sakanaki” is a flamed tableside cheese dish featuring pan-seared feta cheese with olive oil, brandy and lemon juice. JS
Best Restaurant — Soquel
Cafe Cruz
caption 1 Their most popular new item is applewood smoked buffalo wings with gorgonzola-port dipping sauce. 2 Artichoke aficionados alert: Heirloom applewood-smoked grilled artichokes are now back on the menu. 3 New handmade tables of sustainable alder wood in the lush Garden Room can now seat parties of up to 40. 4 Chefs enjoy chatting with customers from the open copper-backed kitchen, and customers love the cooking tips. 5 Café Cruz has a great local wine selection, featuring vintages from Alfaro, Beauregard, Cinnabar, Corralitos Ridge, Soquel Vineyard, Storrs, La Honda, Martin Ranch, Hunter Hill, Kathryn Kennedy, Heart O’ the Mountain, Mount Eden, Rexford, Ridge, Sones and Windy Oaks.JS
Best Seafood & Best Sushi, San Lorenzo/Scotts Valley
Otoro
1 Otoro’s menu is best known for its live seafood. 2 Regulars love it when Otoro occasionally gets in live sea urchin. 3 They get their seafood from a company in San Francisco. 4 If you’re new to the idea of eating live seafood, you can check out Otoro’s Facebook page, which has videos of chefs preparing meals. 5 A popular dessert is the ice cream crepes—vanilla, green tea or chocolate. AE
Best Winery
Alfaro Family Vineyards and Winery
caption 1 Alfaro produces 10 different Pinot Noirs and five Chardonnays, in addition to Albariño, Gruner Veltliner, Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot and a soon-to-be-released sparkling wine. 2 Of the 56 acres of grapes planted, eight are CCOF-certified organic. 3 A love of travel has taken Richard and Mary Kay Alfaro to Cambodia, Vietnam, Spain, Cuba, Guatemala, Peru, Turkey, Croatia, and Portugal. 4 Their son Ryan will work his first harvest in the family vineyards this fall, after graduating fromUCLA. He’ll pursue a degree in wine science through the University of Auckland in New Zealand. 5 Families with children and pets on leashes are welcome to the tasting room, open on Saturday. Complimentary juice, coloring books and dog biscuits are provided. Don’t mix up who gets what. JS
Acai Bowl
Café Brasil
1410 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 429-1855, cafebrasil.us
RUNNERS-UP Amazon Juice, Samba Rock Acai Cafe
Appetizers
Crow’s Nest
2218 E. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 476-4560, crowsnest-santacruz.com
RUNNERS-UP Hula’s Island Grill, Shadowbrook Restaurant
Bagel
Bagelry
320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, 429-8049; 1636 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz, 425-8550; 4763 Soquel Drive, Soquel, 462-9888
RUNNERS-UP Firefly, Main Street Bagels
Bakery
The Buttery
702 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 458-3020, butterybakery.com
RUNNERS-UP Gayle’s Bakery, Kelly’s French Bakery
Barbecue
Aptos St. BBQ
8059 Aptos St., Aptos, 662-1721, aptosstbbq.com
RUNNERS-UP Cole’s BBQ & Catering, Mission St. BBQ
Bar Food
Crow’s Nest
2218 E. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 476-4560, crowsnest-santacruz.com
caption 1 Epicenter lets customers test-ride bikes as they look for the right fit. 2 The shop also offers professional fitting and unlimited lifetime tune-ups. “We’re the only shop in the immediate area that does that, and the reason we do is that we don’t want the bike to sit in that garage and be sad,” says Candice Covello, marketing director for Epicenter. 3 Shawn Wilson, the owner, grew up riding in Nisene Marks doing dirt jumps with Cam McCaul and others who have gone on to be famous. 4 Epicenter helped build the since-demolished pump track in Aptos, where Aptos Village will soon be. Wilson hopes to rebuild it soon in a new location. 5 If you google “cutest bike shop Santa Cruz,” Epicenter is the top result. Covello suggests it’s because there are house dogs and one house cat who sometimes hang out around the shop. JP
Best Gym
Toadal Fitness
caption
1 Owners Christophe and Cecile Bellito proudly offer five facilities for the enrichment of life through better fitness. 2 Founded in downtown Santa Cruz in 1996, the first club was named Frog Fitness after a French tradition, and later changed to Toadal Fitness. 3 All five clubs—in downtown Santa Cruz, Westside, Scotts Valley, Live Oak, and Aptos (where it is called Cabrillo Fitness)—offer the Silver Sneakers program for seniors, as well as Zumba classes. 4 Cabrillo Fitness was opened in 1978 by a group of racquetball enthusiasts. To offer a more complete exercise program, the owner joined forces with Toadal Fitness. 5 New to Toadal Fitness members is a free screening offer from Precision Physical Therapy, which seeks to improve performance with movement-based evaluations and treatment techniques.JS
Best Martial Arts
Sanford’s Martial Arts
1 Opened in 1980, Sanford’s Martial Arts teaches traditional Japanese martial arts to students from age 4 and beyond. 2 Sean Sanford, now head instructor, joined his dad Ron at the studio at age 4. 3 With kids, emphasis is placed on character development, respect, self-discipline, and confidence. 4 Adults gain knowledge of balance and coordination, awareness skills and ways to relieve stress. 5 Three one-week summer camps in June, July and August are themed “Ninja,” “Samurai” and “Train like a Black Belt.” JS
Best Skate Shop
Bill’s Wheels
caption 1 The first Bill’s Wheels location was on East Lake Avenue in Watsonville in 1977. The rent was $125 a month. 2 When Bill’s Wheels was in Watsonville, owner Bill Ackerman got so much business from Salinas that he decided to open up a second location there in the 1980s. He moved twice before closing his Salinas shop in 2013, after 26 years. 3 Bill’s Wheels used to have events in its Watsonville parking lot called Skate Jams, which sometimes drew up to 400 kids. They would set up ramps and have bands perform on the back of a flatbed truck. The store has events these days at its Soquel Avenue shop, on a smaller scale. 4 Ackerman, now 58, was an established local skater in the ’70s, and he got into skating drained swimming pools “when that became a thing,” he says. Ackerman’s skills shone on the high jump, where a skater rides up to a high jump bar, leaps off their board and lands back on it on the other side. 5 Ackerman has the walls outside his business dedicated to a rotating list of graffiti artists. “That’s another thing we’ve stood behind for years, is getting behind the artistic side of graffiti,” Ackerman says. JP
113 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz, 423-3764 1200 17th Ave., #108, Santa Cruz, 464-3764 6200 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 475-5979 2929 Mission St. Extension, Santa Cruz, 466-3764 269 Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley, 430-9200
Editor's Picks
Best Local Hashtag
#onlyinsantacruz
There is a place carved out on Twitter where lovers of Santa Cruz can bask in the picturesque glory of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, although that isn’t even the best kind of #onlyinsantacruz tweet. We love this hashtag—which also offers rich browsing on Instagram—more for its dispatches on watching a 12-piece ukulele band or...
Arts & Culture
Best Festival (Music)
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
1 The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music got its start in a small bohemian coffee shop in 1963.
2 This year, Marin Alsop steps down after 25 years as the festival’s conductor. Alsop studied under Leonard Bernstein, attended Yale and Juilliard, and since her beginnings with the festival has become world-famous as...
Community Life
Best Bike Ride
West Cliff Drive
1 This vibrant, two-mile long, mixed-use bicycle path stretches from the Municipal Wharf to Natural Bridges State Park.
2 On any given day, you can see surfers, otters, sea lions, pelicans, dogs, skimboarders, bodysurfers, kayakers, dolphins, whales and more.
3 West Cliff Drive is home to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, which was established in 1986...
FOOD & DRINK
Best Açaí Bowl
Café Brasil
1 In an açaí bowl, you’ll find granola, bananas and strawberries over a housemade açaí fruit smoothie.
2 The açaí bowl is one of the most popular items on Café Brasil’s
menu, especially for take-out.
3 In the restaurant, there’s an open “açaí bar,” which is the first thing you see as you walk...
Health & Recreation
Best Bike Shop
Epicenter Cycling
1 Epicenter lets customers test-ride bikes as they look for the right fit.
2 The shop also offers professional fitting and unlimited lifetime tune-ups. “We’re the only shop in the immediate area that does that, and the reason we do is that we don’t want the bike to sit in that garage and be...
