SANTA CRUZ

Cruz Kitchen & Taps is closing

Cruz Kitchen and Faucets (145 Laurel St., 831-713-5173, cruzkitchenandtaps.com) closed suddenly last week. Co-owners Dameon DeWorken and Mia Thorn opened Cruz Kitchen & Taps in January 2022. The restaurant has closed its doors permanently.

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA

Cultiva Art Kitchen opened

Vegan restaurant Cultiva Artistic Cuisine opened at 215 Third St. last weekend. Chef/farmer Maria Gonzalez and rancher Rudy Jimenez, their business partners as well as partners in life, operate and own Cultiva. Gonzalez previously ran vegan food business Cali Dawg. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch made with ingredients grown on the farm, just a five-minute drive from Cultiva. The opening menu includes avocado toast with radishes and cherry tomatoes on a bagel, homemade vegan sausage breakfast sandwiches, salads, and pumpkin curry soup with pumpkin seed cream and chili oil (seasonal soups will be available on a rotating basis). Beverages include fresh juice. Current hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For information, call 831-593-1016 or follow Instagram @cultiva831.

SOQUEL

41st Ocean Breakfast & Grill now Señor Chilaquiles

Señor Chilaquiles is the new restaurant at 2623 41st Ave. (behind Café Cruz). Earlier this month, it replaced 41st Ocean Breakfast & Grill, which opened in October 2023. The same owner runs Señor Chilaquiles; There is a new coach named Gustavo Alba and he has made a few changes. “This is home cooking, like my grandmother used to make using recipes passed down from generation to generation,” says Alba. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast options include signature chilaquiles, French toast, eggs Benedict and breakfast burritos. Lunch and dinner options include burgers, sandwiches, pasta, seafood and more. Available hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Visit senorchilaquiles.com.

SCOTTISH VALLEY

Golden Roots Kitchen is offering Thanksgiving pre-orders

Organic food delivery service Golden Roots Kitchen (5340 Scotts Valley Drive) has released its Thanksgiving menu. Orders are accepted until noon on November 21. Meals will be ready for delivery on November 26th. There are a la carte options or “prepared plates with all the fixings”. The menu includes Thanksgiving for One (with pasture-raised turkey breast entrée or Far West Mushroom lion’s mane steak) plus options like Brussels sprout breakfast with sage turkey sausage and hollandaise, Rodoni Farms pumpkin loaf with dark chocolate chips, and Pinnacle Farm potatoes with coconut cream tahini and with fried shallots. Visit goldenroots.bottle.com/b/5672814 For full menu and ordering information.

SANTA CRUZ

Takeaway Thanksgiving dinner available in Ibiza

Ibiza (1541 Pacific Ave. Ste B., 831-900-5222, ibizasantacruz.square.site) is offering an “anyway for Thanksgiving” takeout service that can be picked up the day before the holiday, Nov. 27, from 3 to 5 p.m. The $195 “feast for four” includes a plate of jamón Serrano, manchego cheese and Membrillo; roasted Brussels sprouts with pickled currants and fried capers; mashed potatoes with olive oil; and stuffing with Spanish chorizo. There is also a special Hippie Salad consisting of kale, spicy sweet potato, tabbouleh, pickled shallots, sunflower seeds, crispy chickpeas and carrot ginger dressing. Visit the website for the full menu and to order.

CAPITOLA

Drinking and sightseeing tickets are on sale

Capitola Village Sip & Stroll will take participants on a tour of Capitola Village on November 9 from noon to 5 p.m. Tasting stations featuring wines from area wineries and a brewery will be located at approximately 20 businesses. Admission is $45 plus fees and includes a souvenir glass and 12 two-ounce pour tickets. Learn more and buy tickets at: eventbrite.com/e/capitola-village-sip-and-stroll-tickets-1004655580887.

SANTA CRUZ

Seasonal cake from Anouchka Bakery

Anouchka Bakery (anouchkabakery.com) offers pumpkin pies every Friday in November until Thanksgiving week, when the pies are available on Wednesday (the day before the holiday). Place orders online, by email ([email protected]) or by phone (831-234-9949). You can buy half or whole pies, and they’re made with locally grown pumpkin. The bakery also offers other items in November, including cardamom cookies and cinnamon rolls. Customers can choose between local delivery or pickup at Botanic & Luxe (110 Cooper St).

WATSONVILLE

Wine tasting benefits health programs

The annual Wine and Roses event will be held Nov. 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Crosetti Hall (2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville). Attendees can enjoy tastings from local wineries, breweries and restaurants and bid on silent auction items. Proceeds benefit Pajaro Valley Community Health Foundation’s programs that support health and wellness. Tickets are $100 for one person and $160 for two people. Learn more or buy tickets at: pvhealthtrust.org/wine-roses.

SANTA CRUZ

Weekday discounts return at The Crow’s Nest

The Crow’s Nest (2218 E. Cliff Drive, 831-476-4560,) has winter promotions crowsnest-santacruz.com). Available for lunch and dinner, these options include steak ($29.95) on Monday or lobster ($29.95) on Tuesday; each available in three preparation options in the main restaurant downstairs. Patrons dining at the upstairs Breakwater Bar & Grill can get this deal to order with a view Monday through Friday starting at 6 p.m. The $14.95 dinner includes a choice of four entrees served with homemade potato chips. This seasonal promotion usually ends just before Memorial Day.

SANTA CRUZ

Autumn wine walk on deck

The fall wine walk in downtown Santa Cruz is November 10 from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $40 plus fees in advance or $45 plus day-of-event fees. There are 12 wineries and participants walk to different stores to taste the wine. To see the full winery list and purchase tickets, visit: eventbrite.com/e/downtown-santa-cruz-fall-wine-walk-november-10-2024-tickets-917579584237.

SOQUEL

News from Tortilla Flats

Restaurant Tortilla Flats (4616 Soquel Drive, 831-476-1754, tortillaflatsdining.biz) A Frida Kahlo lookalike competition is held on Saturday between 17.00-19.00 and a dinner for two people will be awarded. There will also be a Hot Tamales festival from November 26 to December. 1. Signature dishes include Oaxacan tamales with mole sauce and mushroom tamales with white truffle oil. Opening hours are Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday 11:30 – 21:00 and Friday-Saturday 11:30 – 21:30 (closed on Monday).

SCOTTISH VALLEY

Pop-ups at Steel Bonnet Brewing Co.

A few food trucks appear at Steel Bonnet Brewing Co. (20 Victor Square, 831-454-8429, Steelbon.net) in the near future. La Fenice Pizza appears on Friday from 16:00 to 20:00. Shockwave comes out on Sunday from 15:00 to 19:00 and on November 13 from 17:00 to 20:00. Kikuchi Yakitori is out on November 7 from 17:00 to 20:00, and Scrumptious Fish & Chips is on November 8 and November 1 from 16:00 to 20:00. 15. Other vendors include Cali Caracas.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Dungeness crab season postponed

The start of the commercial Dungeness crab season has been postponed. For the seventh consecutive year, officials are postponing the Monterey Bay region’s season, which was scheduled to begin Nov. 15. The goal is to reduce the chance that migrating whales (currently off the coast) will become entangled in crabbing lines and become trapped. The earliest start date will be December 1; The next assessment by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be completed in mid-November.

Curated by Tara Fatemi Walker, Quick Bites is your weekly help with Santa Cruz County restaurant, food and beverage news. Send items to [email protected] (deadline for that week’s post is Sunday 7pm). Want local food and drink news as it happens? Follow Sentinel’s food team on Twitter @santacruzfood.