Maybe it makes me a basic B, but I’m a sucker for real-deal mom-and-pop shops.
Bonus points if it’s unique to an area, and for genuine enthusiasm and authenticity.
Arslan’s Turkish Street Food (113 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz) checks all those boxes, with Yunus Arslan (of epicurean capital Gaziantep, Turkey) in the kitchen and his wife, Marissa (a fourth-generation Santa Cruzian) at the counter.
Better yet, on top of memorable items like Istanbul salads, red lentil köfke and top-shelf chocolate-pistachio baklava, they do a semi-steal of a deal with the plenty-big “half” specialty döner wrap—cozied up in a lavash blanket with lettuce, tomato, red cabbage, fries, carrots, red onions and divine house red and white sauce—for a tidy $11 (or you can go $17 for the big boy).
Tucked in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz, it’s a spot to make sure you have mapped on your flav-dar. arslansturkishstreetfood.com
LOVE MUFFINS
Talk about a delicious idea. Inspired by the San Francisco Cake Picnic, Santa Cruz Bake & Gather is a free, welcoming community potluck where at least one person from each group brings a homemade cake, pie or other baked goods to showcase and share. Launched in October 2025—and celebrating a year with Oct. 10’s installment—the event welcomes bakers of all experience levels to exchange recipes, enjoy desserts and meet their neighbors, with no competition or pressure, with the aim of building community “one slice at a time.” All attendees must register for free tickets so organizers can track attendance at the limited-capacity venue, while optional donations help cover event and venue costs, now get to baking, santacruzbakegather.com.
READY TO RUMBLE
The Santa Cruz Warriors announced they’ll open their home schedule with a back-to-back set against the San Diego Clippers Nov. 13-14 (santacruz.gleague.nba.com). But first comes the Sea Dubs Fan Fest 1-3pm Saturday, Oct. 17, also at Kaiser Permanente Arena, free with registration via co-host Ticketmaster, with “chalk talk” sessions with both Santa Cruz and select Golden State Warriors players and coaches, family-friendly activities in the Fun Zone, autographs, brand-new merch, and prize raffles with proceeds benefiting the local nonprofit Save Our Shores (saveourshores.org). Additional flex: As Ryan Masters heavy-lifted last week, the World Elite Sumo league brings a 12-man tournament—and a modernized, shorts-wearing take on the 2,000-year-old sport—on Sept. 26, and Oct. 9 the arena hosts Legacy Fighting Alliance mixed martial arts, lfa.com.
FRESH PRESS
Nationwide beer ratings app Untappd released its list of Top-Rated Producers of 2026 and Private Press Brewing (334 C Ingalls St., Santa Cruz) earned #8 in the entire country, an accomplishment on its own—with more juice for the fact the barrel-aged brewery focuses exclusively on composing imperial stouts and barleywines; PPB’s open to the public noon-6pm every Saturday and Sunday, privatepressbrewing.com…The area’s amazing craft beers will be part of a wide-ranging episode of KSQD’s “Edible on the Air” with me and several special guests 5pm this Friday, Sept. 25, also available as a podcast after we record, ksqd.org…A Taste of Soquel returns for its 17th year noon-4pm Saturday, Sept. 26, tasteofsoquel.org…Hoes Down Harvest Festival hits Oct. 3, eco-farm.org/hoes-down…Most Americans get far less fiber than the recommended 22 to 34 grams per day, despite its benefits (digestion! lower cholesterol! blood sugar and gut health!) so, as The N.Y. Times reports, bring on the lentils, beans, split peas, chia seeds, raspberries, pears, apples, avocados, broccoli, oats, barley, quinoa and whole-wheat pasta…Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”
