How ‘dinner and a show’ saved Michael’s on Main

LOVE KRAFT COUNTRY Bonny June and Bonfire perform for Ken Kraft’s 71st birthday as part of the ‘dinner and a show’ series in July at Michael’s on Main. PHOTO: MICHAEL HARRISON

When Dinner Met Show

How rediscovering a classic tradition saved Michael’s on Main

BY ADAM JOSEPH

N“ othin’ left to do but smile, smile, smile” reverberates from Michael’s on Main on a Friday night in Soquel. The line from the Grateful print of Stanley Mouse’s legendary illustration, featuring a contemplative skeleton jester looking out to the sun setting over the San Francisco Bay,

Dead’s “He’s Gone” is a fitting, tie-dyed faces the audience. sentiment. Dancers twirl on the front When the music stops, overheated patio, back deck, and in front of the stage, dancers find open tables to settle as the familiar blend of patchouli and down and fuel up on appetizers (the chronic wafts throughout the space. Bay chicken wings and pulled pork sliders,

Area jam band Aardvark close the first layered with Cuban-style barbecue set of the happy hour show with a spirited roast pork, cabbage and mojo aioli are rendition of “Uncle John’s Band.” a couple of popular choices), dinner Grateful Dead memorabilia—framed and/or drinks. In addition to a bevy limited edition album covers, Bob of signature cocktails, highlighted by

Minkin photos and 1960s Avalon the refreshing, low-cal “Mom’s Pick

Ballroom concert posters—adorn the Your Botanical” (Ketel One vodka with room. Above a massive tie-dye tapestry hanging behind the stage, a large » a choice of peach and orange blossom, cucumber and mint or grapefruit

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»and rose), the adjoining Michael’s on Main Tap Room serves local-only beer. A chalkboard menu of an alternating menu of brews includes Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing (People’s Porter), Greater Purpose Brewing (Sunday Morning) and Discretion Brewing (Shimmer Pilsner). Cider (Everett Farms Soquel Cider) and non-local kombucha (GT’s Trilogy) are also served.

Owner/namesake Michael Harrison—a Buddha-like figure with longish grey hair and a salt-and-pepper beard— wears the biggest smile in the joint. He ping-pongs from table to table, chatting with longtime customers and welcoming newbies. Harrison works the room differently than most restaurant proprietors; his connection with patrons is sincere. He wears the evidence of his earnest nature: a lavender Grateful Dead “Steal Your Face” Wolf T-shirt made by a customer, a local artist who passed away not too long ago.

The Music Never Stopped

Meanwhile, on Saturday night, Bonny June & Bonfire—an Americana-meetsvaudeville trio featuring the White Album Ensemble’s Ken Kraft—perform “dinner and a show” to a seated audience. The weekly program was born in mid-June 2020; thousands of businesses had already shuttered countrywide due to the pandemic. During shelter-in-place, Harrison had been giving the restaurant’s perishables to community members. He knew he needed a Hail Mary.

“[‘Dinner and a show’] saved us,” Harrison says a year after it launched. Along with Felton Music Hall, Michael’s found a way to keep live music in Santa Cruz County alive by combining performances with culinary offerings, a rare exemption from the pandemic regulations that shut down concerts.

For $50, ticketed customers have a choice of appetizer, soup or salad, plus a choice of a variety of rotating entree options—for example, half a baked chicken, pork shoulder, fresh salmon or a vegan selection—followed by dessert. On top of a delicious three-course dinner, there’s standout entertainment.

“We initially took a bit of hit on the food costs,” Harrison says of “dinner and a show.” “Typically, it’s $28 just for the entrees, but it was important to come up with a price point that showed value to our demographic. Also, it brought in cash at a time when we desperately needed it.”

In its infancy, “dinner and a show” simply enabled Harrison to keep his staff paid. Until recently, he had to dip into his personal savings to cover overhead costs. But the series has consistently sold out a room that seats about 200 comfortably. “Dinner and a show’s” ongoing success recently led to the first month in a long time that bass. Moens’ union of scallions, miso, ginger, soy, and a couple of hush-hush ingredients infuse tender char-grilled prawns with an Asian flair.

Harrison already has a lot of music booked for future iterations of “dinner and a show”: Country singer-songwriter Mira Goto, voted Good Times “Best Local Musician” in 2020, unleashes beautiful prose through memorable melodies; Backyard Birds merge three-part harmonies with a symphony of strings, unearthing mostly-overlooked gems from groups like First Aid Kit; and Matt Hartle, a beloved Santa Cruz rocker and founder of four popular area bands, is captain of the Jerry Garcia Birthday Celebration ship.

Throughout the years, Michael’s on Main has scored some more prominent names, bringing everyone from Los Lobos to Melissa Etheridge. Harrison says he’s in negotiations with more internationally known acts for future “dinner and shows”—he can’t divulge any details just yet.

“Dinner and a show” doesn’t represent the only time Harrison has demonstrated his ingenuity and passion to power through difficult times: Five years ago, shortly after purchasing the restaurant, Sundays brought barely any business. Harrison had even considered closing Sundays. Instead, he implemented the Sunday Grateful Dead Concert Series.

“We have such a large community of committed fans of the Grateful Dead here in Santa Cruz,” Harrison says. “When we started [the Grateful Dead Concert Series], it really exploded.”

The popular Sunday shows bring Dead-centric groups that often include members of the Dead’s extended family like drummer Jay Lane, who regularly performs with Dead bassist Phil Lesh’s Phil and Friends.

Additionally, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are happy hour shows (starting at 5pm) dedicated to showcasing local talent. The concerts are free in place of drink and food specials.

“Live music has definitely kept us alive, even with the [no-charge shows],” Harrison says. “People come in for the music and then order drinks and a bite since it’s during the dinner hour.”

“Nothin’ left to do but smile, smile, smile,” indeed.

In its infancy, ‘dinner and a show’ simply enabled Harrison to keep his staff paid. Until recently, he had to dip into his personal savings to cover overhead costs. But the series has consistently sold out a room that seats about 200 comfortably.

Harrison brought in enough revenue to cover costs.

A head chef like Joseph Moens at the helm heightens the experience. The former sous chef moved into his current role about two years ago and took the menu to the next level.

“He’s young, progressive and has real passion,” Harrison says. “He brings new California cuisine, which fits with our Americana food concept.”

The menu boasts everything from brick oven pizza to Pacific Rim crab cakes to the daily fresh catch that showcases Moen’s playfulness and creativity. His housemade mango salsa adds Latin-inspired pop to white fish offerings like halibut and sea