Valentine’s Day Gifts for Loved Ones BY GIA DIGIOVANNI At Growing Up, we take a broad view of Valentine’s Day and hope your gift list includes all those you love: children, friends, romantic partners, and yourself. Our community is known for its creative culture and we also LOVE that our local, independent businesses are a big part of that. Let’s love them with support.
size should not be undervalued. Even a small slice is more than you think, and more satisfying than you might imagine, so be careful with the knife. Online ordering. The Buttery 702 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 458.3020 ButteryBakery.com
SWEET SOMETHINGS
Lucky Star Gift Box - one dozen cookies - $19.95
One-pound Heart Gift Box, assorted milk and dark chocolates, packed to order $90
Our favorite local cookie company (because their cookies are so gratifyingly chewy) said they named this gift box “for your best friend, because you are lucky to have them.“ Let them know on Valentine’s Day why you chose this gift. Pacific Cookie Company 1203 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 429.9709 pacificcookie.com/products/lucky-star
If saying “I love you” is hard for you, these small-batch, super-fresh chocolates with recipes perfected over many years will easily compensate. Chocolatier Richard Donnelly attended culinary school in Paris and brought back a passion for ultra-fine chocolate that attracts customers near and far. Open on V-Day. Shipping available. Donnelly Chocolates 1509 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 458.4214 DonnellyChocolates.com
Truffle Heart Box $18.95 For the Valentine who loves to taste new tastes, it turns out you CAN get away with gilding the lily on occasion. Truffles are chocolate on top of chocolate and are exponentially improved by the layer of chocolate coating over sumptuous chocolate ganache. This box of seven truffles goes another step with seven different flavors. Mackenzies Chocolates 1492 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, 425.1492, MackenziesChocolates.com
Fruit Paté Squares, 6-pieces assorted $16 The ripe, locally-grown, organic fruit of these sweet-tart, five-ingredient confections (we know we’re way over the adjective limit!) makes them a local delicacy. Ashby also makes excellent chocolate confections using Santa Cruz’s own White Label Chocolate, and adds whimsical visual flourishes. 5-piece heart-shaped chocolates $18. Order online or at the store. Ashby Confections 16C Victor Square, Scotts Valley, 454.8299 AshbyConfections.com
Heart-Shaped 2-Layer Cake serves 6-8 $27 Red velvet, carrot, or chocolate with raspberry filling Heart-Shaped Passionfruit Guava Cheesecake serves 6-8 $29 All locals should be initiated to The Buttery, but if you haven’t been, be aware the cakes are so dense and lusciously rich that their
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DINNER If one cuisine is associated with love, romance, and comfort, it’s cucina Italiano. Even the Tramp, a street dog, was savvy enough to woo a refined Lady over a plate of spaghetti.
Family Dinner Special $40 Spicy Breadsticks, Salad (choice of eight), Pasta or 14” Pizza (choice of 20+ items) Mangia bene even while we wait for the delight of the pizza dough spinning performances to return. Bring home Valentine’s dinner for the whole family or order a Kids Pizza Kit and let the kids learn the joy of cooking. $8 per kit (serves one kid). You can also order their handcrafted, flavored vodka for mixology you should try at home. Kianti’s 1100 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 469.4400 Kiantis.com
Family Dinner for 4 $78 Our Suggested Take-Out Menu: Sunday Gravy for 2 with choice of pasta $18 each; Two Kids: Marinara, Pesto OR Alfredo Penne $8.95 each Two Cannoli to share $7 each One of the most reliably delectable kitchens in town, you can throw a dart at Lillian’s menu and love your meal. Get a load of the Sunday Gravy ingredients: Italian sausage, spare ribs, beef and pork simmered slow in a savory tomato sauce served with penne, spaghetti or fresh fettuccine. Add meatballs $5 or sausage $4. Sound like love? Lillian’s Italian Kitchen 1148 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 425.2288 LilliansItalianKitchen.com
FEBRUARY 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz
THINGS TO DO Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday this year, which will make it possible for more families to celebrate together with an outdoor or online activity. Consider a trip on the waterfront or joining one or more of the nonprofits that provide so much education and fun for our children.
90-Minute Cruise on Elkhorn Slough Children under 12 — $32; Over 12 + Adults — $43 There is simply no comparison between seeing wildlife in the distance and seeing it up close. Let a naturalist guide you and your Valentines through the local waters, bring you to your wild marine neighbors, and teach you about their fascinating lives. You’ll be safe and comfortable in a 32-passenger quiet, clean-energy, electric catamaran. Monterey Bay Eco Tours 10932 Clam Way, Moss Landing, 200.3454 MontereyBayEcoTours.com
Weekend Sunset Public Charter Feb. 14 — 3:30pm5:30pm $68 Age 15+ $35.50 Age 14 & under Infants Age 1-3 no charge if space available (child rate if there is a waiting list) This classic Santa Cruz experience from the Yacht Harbor out onto the Monterey Bay is a must. The crew, the music playlist, the wine — oh, and the boat, the wind, the water and the sky at sunset — all are exhilarating. Just do it. Chardonnay Sailing Charters 790 Mariner Pkwy., Santa Cruz, 423.1213, Chardonnay.com
Family Membership $50 Free admission for two adults (children under 18 are free), two single-use guest passes, and discounts on camps. Our local museum is wonder-full in recent years after some past years of neglect of the old exhibits. The quality of SCMNH’s online videos and virtual experiences is as good as much of the work being produced by national-level science educators, too. Check it out and support this vibrant institution that opens its doors free to kids and produces free content (and is temporarily closed). Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, 420.6115 SantaCruzMuseum.org
Family Membership $70 ($60 Seniors, UCSC alumi and employees) Free admission for two adults, your children and grandchildren (under 18), two one-day guest passes. We all look out at that vast blue bay in awe and appreciation, but below the surface it’s a mystery to most of us. Fortunately, decades of scientists have demystified many underwater secrets and have made them entertaining to understand. Virtual exhibits, Virtual Science Sundays, and weekly Labside Chats are all worth enjoying and supporting while the Sanctuary is temporarily closed. Seymour Center National Marine Sanctuary 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, 459.3800 SeymourCenter.UCSC.edu
Family Membership $60 Admission for two adults + four kids (under 17) Members can bring lunch to enjoy anytime on the outdoor rooftop deck when the museum reopens, and the Secret Garden currently features outdoor exhibits (adjacent to Abbott Square). Check out online content and upcoming exhibitions planned. Members also receive discounts at some participating Abbott Square food vendors and free or discounted admission to MAH events. Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History 705 Front St., Santa Cruz, 429.1964, SantaCruzMAH.org
RETAIL LOVE Bullies, Victims & Bystanders Game $36.95 How easy is it to engage your children in lengthy conversations about manners, morals, empathy, and emotions? Right?! Sneak in those lessons in a spoonful of sugar with this game the whole family will enjoy as challenging social situations are decided by the group. Wonderland Toys 19AB Rancho Del Mar, Aptos, 316.7261, WonderlandSantaCruz.com
Disc Golf Driver, Mid-Range, & Putter $52 Get everybody out of the house with something all ages can enjoy. Start off with three basic discs made by Innova. This approximate price point will buy you three higher quality discs, and there are a variety to choose from. Outdoor World 1855 41st Ave, Capitola, 476-0233; 136 River Street, Santa Cruz, 423-9555 TheOutdoorWorld.com
