Call it a birthday bonanza. Touchstone milestones. A bumper crop of tasty anniversaries (and more).
This month Hula’s Island Grill (221 Cathcart St., Santa Cruz) celebrates 20 years in Surf City, a ride that includes a surge of best-in-class qualities.
I’m talking A+ “abalone-style” calamari, big-time “Broke Da Mouth” burgers, great vegetarian/vegan options, some of the better tiki drinks in California, and more than $160,000 donated to local nonprofits through Mahalo Mondays.
Festivities include a hula and Tahitian dance performance 7pm Friday, Nov. 20; an all-day happy hour Saturday, Nov. 21; $3 fries Sunday, Nov. 22 (the sweet potato fries can take on all comers); and a vintage tiki mug display and raffles all three days, hulastiki.com.
Canton Restaurant (900 41st Ave., Santa Cruz) is honoring 40 years of super string beans, walnut shrimp and Szechuan-style stir fry.
The multigenerational family joint has cooked up a great way to do so: a new surge of house-made dumplings, salads, grilled items and favorites like its famous kung pao chicken, cantonsantacruz.com.
At the same time, community gem The Bagelry is toasting 50 years with its own rededication to fundamental favorites.
The formula that helps nourish locals at three locations, including Midtown, Soquel and the downtown OG (320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz) shall abide, with more vigorous parties later in the year.
That foundation involves character-rich (and good-energy) staffers, dependable (and affordable) coffee, and fresh daily and hearth-baked beauties (at rock-bottom prices), with all sorts of scrambagel, dairy-free and combo possibilities.
A must-do there: the Pink Flamingo spread (with blended lox, cream cheese and dill) on tomato herb bagels for just $5.30, which deserves a Congressional medal—and represents the new owners’ favorite order, with bonus pickled onions on top.
Bagelry’s identity won’t change as co-founder John Hamstra embraces R&Retirement, as that only came after slow-onboarding new owners Sid Grant and Tal Kamran.
Not that Grant and his wife Kamran needed much orientation.
Grant in particular—as a lifelong customer and long-term employee—knows the institution intimately and would like nothing more than to lean into its strengths.
GOODBYE MY LOOOOVES
Keeping with the theme of big birthdays, new ownership, and great recipes already in place…
Edible Monterey Bay just turned 15, and last week I acquired the media company where I’ve been a contributor since 2018.
So this is my last Good Times love note to all of the relentless, resourceful, inventive, inspiring, real and raw creators of the Santa Cruz County epicurean community.
This column has been a privilege, pilgrimage and calling to compose for something like 177 straight Wednesdays.
That means longtime publisher and Santa Cruz community leader Deborah Luhrman can enjoy tending to her garden, new granddaughter Mika, lovely doggie Luna and travel adventures with hubby Gary too.
For me it’s an energizing opportunity, but more importantly, a service I take far more seriously than I take myself.
I feel grateful for, and protective of, the Monterey Bay food web. It’s the foundation of a healthy, resilient and outright enjoyable community.
It’s also a team sport, driven by taste buddies like you who savor the flavor that helps make this place magic. ■
