Brace thyself: I have another nominee for “Strongest 30-Step Stretch of Santa Cruz Flavor.”
Readers may recall me flagging Capitola’s shot at the title earlier this month. With the opening of Mad Yolks #2 on 41st Avenue, it struck me that the gourmet egg sandwich spot slots nicely into a robust lineup of neighbors, all with max Surf City identity, namely Penny Ice Creamery, the original Verve Coffee and East Side Eatery.
I humbly submit another candidate for Strongest Stretch, now that The Buzz Sushi (1005 Cedar St., Santa Cruz) has settled into its new permanent home.
On one side of The Buzz awaits arguably California’s coolest wine bar in Bad Animal (1011 Cedar St.), thanks to the curated bookstore inventory and sublime Thai restaurant-in-residence Hanloh Thai, fresh off a star turn on KQED’s popular dining show Check, Please!
On the other side appears the Redroom Cocktail Lounge (1003 Cedar St.), which remains a great hang—and also shares a doorway with Sichuan-inspired Fusion Fare, which celebrated its grand opening in January. The menu there swoops from crispy pepper chicken to sweet-and-sour spare rib to coconut lava balls.
So there’s a lot to like, especially now that The Buzz has a long lease on the former Honey B Market space.
Owner-operator Octavio “Tavo” Guerrero makes it his mission to serve Santa Cruz’s vegan community top-shelf plant-based sushi (though he does a bunch of seafood rolls too so his vegan fans can bring omnivorous friends and family).
I emerged genuinely stunned at the texture and tenderness of his soy-based “salmon” in the Escape from Alcatraz roll, which also deploys “shrimp” tempura, spicy tofu, vegan cream cheese, avocado, jalapeños, spicy mayo and eel-free unagi sauce.
Guerrero can pull off full-bodied flavor without fish through a combination of relentless product research and his own techniques, which he started evolving at signature Santa Cruz sushi spot Akira.
On top of dozens of rolls, The Buzz also features a small but strong NA wine and beer lineup and a market-style section with grab-and-go items like vegan sauces, kimchi, vegan ice cream and more.
More at thebuzzsushi.com—and hit me up with your Strongest Santa Cruz Stretch nominees via @MontereyMCA on Instagram.
UNO FOR DOS
This month marks one year of stylish seafood and cocktails for Dos Pescados (21 Seascape Village, Aptos). Chef/co-owner Trent Lidgey recently took to social media to announce a wave of promotions that demonstrate he’s listening to locals and wants to stoke them with some deals, writing, “in a world of rising prices and diminishing value, we dare to be different.” Well, amen. A revamped happy hour happens 3-5pm with $5 Modelos and Pacificos and $10 house margaritas; live music thumps on Thursday (with an extended-till-6pm HH); a new frozen beverage program now flows in response guest requests; specials like soft-shell crab tacos, chile rubbed branzino with stone fruit, and local halibut tostadas rotate through; and fresh new margaritas appear on the menu (like a prickly pear-chamoy). “I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for the support and feedback, be it positive or constructive,” Lidgey adds. “It’s never easy opening a restaurant…We are constantly looking to improve and cater to the needs of the people of Santa Cruz County.” dospescados.com.
