These epicurean emotions I’m feeling aren’t logical, or refined, because Mama Celeste frozen pizzas—given their imitation mozzarella and rubbery sausage balls—don’t seem worth these misty eyes.
Still, I’m experiencing them because 1) the 60-year-old company is discontinuing production, with shelf supplies expected to last through spring (race you to the freezer aisle); and 2) I’ll never escape the nostalgia from loving them as a kid on babysitter nights, or late night as an adult pulling them from the emergency section of the freezer.
David Jacoby, co-host of a national podcast called “Food News” (10/10 recommend) put a bit of red pepper flakes on the update.
“That flavor and those memories and just biting into a Mama Celeste deluxe pizza and having the sauce burn the roof of your mouth every single time…” he says. “I can’t believe this isn’t a successful brand, and…is going out of my life.”
Related opinion: One of the greatest art forms known to home-cook mankind is tricking out a frozen pizza pie. My go-to triple treatment (after adding whatever fresh tomato or pickled jalapeños or olives foraged from the fridge): Kewpie mayo drizzles, Yellow Bird sriracha stripes and Pezzini Farms Artichoke Seasoning. Chef’s kiss bliss.
Pièce de Résistance
The Sidepiece sushi pop-up at Madson Wines (328 Ingalls St., Ste G, Santa Cruz) represents one of 2026’s more drool-inducing developments. Every Thursday and Friday, chef pals Adam David and Jeffrey Wall conjure a menu that changes weekly depending on fresh catch, and typically involves a range of bara chirashi bowls, specialty rolls and hand rolls. Hours are technically 5-8pm, but eager eaters would do well to get there on the early side because the offerings sell out; and pair the hyper-fresh fare with a clean Madson Pinot or Chenin Blanc, madsonwines.com/events-2.
NO LOAFING
A couple of doors down from Madson, Manresa Bread’s much-anticipated Westside location and adjoining French bistro Bar Select (334 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz) are aiming to open—buns crossed—by the beginning of December. Master baker Avery Ruzicka leads the project alongside partners David Kinch and Andrew Burnham, with a complete remodel creating two side-by-side businesses in the former West End Tap/Izakaya space. Bar Select will vibe around the region’s best produce expressed in classic French dishes, with a full bar, dinner six nights a week, plus weekend brunch and lunch. The bakery will bake everything on site, offering its bucket-list breads, croissants and cakes alongside Verve coffee, warm breakfasts, sandwiches and salads, manresabread.com.
NIBBLE ME THIS
Eat for the Earth, Little Hill Sanctuary, Hole Foods Vegan Donuts, Sweet Bean Bakery, Santa Cruz Vegans, Cali Caffeine, Natures Nibbles and Vtartts all compete in the inaugural Santa Cruz Vegan Mac Down noon-2pm Saturday, Oct. 24, at Portuguese Hall (216 Evergreen St., Santa Cruz, veganchefchallenge.org/santacruzmac/…A slam dunk of a deal: The Alley-Oop (320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz) now rolls out a glass of Piper Heidsieck bubbles, a burger, fries and a caviar bump every night 5-6pm for $25, jazzalleylounge.com…California Seaweed Festival fills Custom House Plaza in Monterey with talks, tastings, demonstrations, hands-on activities, ocean-inspired art, jewelry and specialty products—with free admission—9am-5pm Saturday, Oct. 24, californiaseaweedfestival.org…The 2026 Central Coast Regional Climate Resilience Symposium gathers Dec. 9 in Santa Cruz, centralcoastclimate.org…A luxury hotel’s sewage leak has put Tomales Bay’s oyster harvest on ice: Hog Island voluntarily pulled roughly 200,000 oysters after wastewater from Olema House’s Due West Tavern reached a creek feeding the bay….One reason you should trust your gut: The enteric nervous system that lines your gastrointestinal tract harnesses more than 100 million nerve cells, earning it the nickname “second brain”…Amit Kalantri: “Intuition is the nose of the heart.”
