Wine Hopping Weekend
This Saturday, July 18, from 11-5pm, take advantage of the Summer Passport winetasting trek through the vineyards and cellars and tasting rooms of 50 Santa Cruz Mountain wineries. Alfaro's Family Vineyard, in pastoral Corralitos, is only one of the stops you can visit...
NuLu @ Capitola Book Cafe
Restless Lulu Carpenters entrepreneur Manthri Srinath emailed to tell me that his empire now stretches from Scotts Valley, through downtown Santa Cruz and over to....Capitola! Caffeine enabler Srinath has installed all the sensitive and jolting coffee drinks and...
The Age of Aquarius
Katya and I decided to take a preliminary probe of the newly-opened Aquarius, overlooking the main Santa Cruz Beach & Boardwalk in the newly buffed Dream Inn. Felt good. Surfboards lining the ceiling of the lounge — witty (or silly, depending upon your POV). The...
Getting Fresh
The Farm Cart is back at the foot of the UCSC campus, every Tuesday and Friday, and it's loaded with crisp greens, long-stemmed cippolini onions, herbs, flowers and berries. Ah, the blueberries and strawberries have been especially wonderful this year. Maybe it's the...
Plein Air Affair
Once again the Museum of Art & History in downtown Santa Cruz hosts an alfresco event devoted entirely to al fresco artwork. The juried selection of 25 of the area's top plein air painters — including several from beyond the Monterey Bay region— will be on hand...
A Bite of Bastille
Muriel and Michel of Au Midi invite all of their friends and patrons to come to the great French summer fest known as Bastille Day — Tuesday, July 14th, naturellement! The intimate Aptos bistro will be open that evening by reservation only, for a limited seating of...
Sun Spot
Summer solstice. Chilled sauvignon blanc, cucumbers in hummus, flame grapes, crackers and a selection of robust and intriguing cheeses. How lucky of me to have a friend whose greenhouse balcony provided all of the above — a friend whose hedonistic instincts are...
Hosts with the Most
Having as much fun as their neighbors, Kelly and Mark Sanchez managed to pull off one of the biggest block parties in Westside history.
Block Party Bonanza
Obviously it was an idea whose time had arrived. The idea of an outdoor community dinner seemed simple enough. But who knew that it would be so wildly popular that even before the 6pm start time the long table between Kelly's and its companion wineries was packed....
Crisp, Dry & Cheap
Thanks to a vigilant field informant, I discovered this delightfully drinkable and seriously affordable Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. The 2008 Vin-Koru is 12.8% alcohol and loaded with lemongrass and pepper. The central core of minerals and salt leads to a very...
Grazing Market @ Kelly’s
This Saturday - 6-9pm - June 27 - bring your own plates, utensils & glassware and take a seat at the long, long communal table for a summer al fresco feast. Dining on farm-fresh dishes in the middle of Kelly's Swift & Ingalls parking lot. The idea is effortless. Mark...
Women in Wine – Sunday, June 29 @ Vino Locale
Come on over to the warm side of the Santa Cruz Mountains this Sunday, June 28, where from 2-5pm Vino Locale will host a vivacious wine tasting, auction and sales wrapped around some of the top women in local winemaking. The event - a fundraiser for the Women's Center...
Newark Shuffle
Here’s my story, even if it isn’t what you expected. I never made it to Israel. I got as far as Newark, when root canal complications got the best of me. Swelling, pain, fever – the full Cleveland. And flying to the East Coast the day after major root canal work...
Cumbre = la Cumbre
If you like to try wines by the number, you might want to look for vintage 2006 wines under the Vine Hill wine group's Cumbre label. These Cumbre wines blew away the reviewers at Wine Enthusiast magazine — you'll find their point spread in the July 2009 issue. 2006...
California Landscape @ the Art League
Give your eyes a plein air odyssey, at the 79th Annual Statewide Exhibit, filling the Santa Cruz Art League from May 30-June 28. Irreplaceable Places: Contemporary Landscape Painters of California — showcases fine work from some of California's leading landscape...
Hottest Ticket in Town
That would be Bonny Doon Vineyard's Cellar Door — where Friday night hosted out-of-towners and locals, artists — including "Cigare" sculptor Michael Leeds, who sat directly under his distinctive metal creation (see post below) — and robust ultra-fresh dishes...
Yet More Art!
Also opening this week is a substantial group show exploring the human figure. Nine area professionals, including abstract expressionist Claire Thorson (a true clairvoyant), show their work at five Santa Cruz County Bank locations, through September 4. Curated by Joan...
Color Saturation
The all-Fiestaware platters, bowls and plates at Cellar Door Cafe somehow enhance the colorful, regional ambience of this new Westside magnet. A velvety puree of broccoli, with a float of crème fraiche — nice partner for Ca'del Solo's Le Cigare Blanc.
Gabriella, Again
Most dishes rarely taste as good as they look. Except the ones at Gabriella, dreamed up with fresh attitude by chef Brad Briske. Consider this supple halibut creation. Adolescent beet sprouts, micro-zest of lemon, drizzles of scented oils - unbelievable. This dish —...
Demons & Morons: Mayberry Vaticano
What blockbuster author Dan Brown needs more than anything right now is a witness protection program. If English teachers, theological archaeologists and script doctors across the land ever found out where he lives, his life wouldn’t be worth the pixels Ron...
Curatorial Cunning
Just to prove to you that UCSC arts scholars are messing with traditional art categories - check out this installation of day-glo orange cones. That's Sesnon Gallery Director Shelby Graham doing the finishing touches. At the Irwin Scholars 2009 show — reception May...
Beyond Cheap: Wine for our times
Up front let me say that while this week's cheap wine discovery — a serviceable Nero d'Avola from Ruggero di Tasso — is not nearly as chewy and robust as the phenomenal Phenom (see post below), it is waaaaay better than almost any $3.99 wine on the planet. For...
Big Basin Tasting Room in Palo Alto
If you're in Palo Alto this Saturday, May 23rd, you won't want to miss the debut of Bradley Brown's new tasting room surrogate, tucked inside Vino Locale Wine Bar of Palo Alto. From 2pm to 6pm, sample a slew of Big Basin Vineyards wines at Vino Locale. As you probably...
MoBo
When that mad scramble for the new and the trendy gets tiring, it's time to get back to basics. Mobo Sushi is not only as good as it ever was, it's now even bigger. Gone are those beloved (or maddening, depending upon your POV) tiered seats. Now Mobo has expanded all...