Food & Drink Santa Cruz 2023

Food & Drink

THE MOST EXPENSIVE STEAK IN TOWN

We spend big so you can decide

FEELING TIPSY?

How Covid has changed tipping

There’s nothing that says we have recovered from a deadly and depressing pandemic than the seats filled with smiling, hungry faces at local restaurants. Sure, we did take-out when we had to, but going to a restaurant is an experience that brings three-dimensional joy. It’s as different as going to a movie theater instead of watching on a 12-inch TV screen.

If you live in a community you love, as we do, you will often (or too often?) run into your friends, neighbors, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, while hitting the highlights of our various fooderies. And now you can raise and glass, clink and say salud in person, not on the bloody Zoomer-net.

But how much should you tip? And why, suddenly, is every place throwing a screen in front of you that gives you suggested amounts? Do I really have to tip at a fast-food joint or a place where I’m taking my meal to go? During the thick of the pandemic I gladly tipped them all, even when they didn’t expect it, because I knew they were risking their lives to provide an invaluable service.

But now? Not only do I feel safer out there, but all the prices have been raised so high, sometimes I can’t afford to go out. Writer Daniella Blomquist posed the tipping question to a bunch of local restaurateurs to see how they’ve changed since the pandemic. And yes, the tipping world is different now.

How much do you think the most expensive steak in Santa Cruz goes for and is it worth the proverbial arm and leg? You will have to read Christina Waters’ foray into the high end and see the receipt she thinks we are going to cover. Ow! But it’s worth it to give you the front line on dining.

Two pieces by Mark Anderson you must read: why does Santa Cruz wine get an undeserved bad rap? And how has Charlie Hong Kong’s, which has always served healthy food at a reasonable price, survived 25 years?

Cheers, salud, yamas, proust, provecho and enjoy your meals.

BRAD KAVA | EDITOR

PUBLISHER

Dan Pulcrano

EDITORS

Brad Kava

Jeanette Bent

CONTRIBUTORS

Mark Anderson

Daniella Blomquist

Christina Waters

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Debra Whizin

ADVERTISING REPS

Duffy Barrett

Lisa Buckley

Kate Kauffman

Sue Lamothe

Is the Most Expensive Dinner in Santa Cruz Worth It?

A dinner at Alderwood delivers the goods

BY CHRISTINA WATERS

One look at the menu told me this was going to be the most expensive dinner in town. And my job was to find out whether the experience was going to be worth it. UCSC's Chancellor Cynthia K. Larive was just leaving as we slid into a spacious booth at Alderwood, my photographer friend Keith and I looking forward to catching up over some of Chef Jeff Wall's celebrated cuisine.

A pre-meal text had reminded me that our reservation was not for dinner at the more plebeian Alderwood Pacific, but at what the text described as "an elevated fine dining experience." Since I'd looked at the menu, I was prepared for the "elevated," i.e. costly, part. But in the end, what my discerning companion and I enjoyed was indeed a fine dining experience that lived up to its hype. 8 »

NOT DESSERT The cake is scalloped potatoes, creamy and infused with garlic

Christina Waters

My compliments to the chef, who knows how to choose herbs, oysters, and the finest steaks I've ever tasted.

We began with a glass of opulent "Télégramme" Domaine du Vieux Télégraph ($34, no vintage indicated) served in an absurdly tall-stemmed, oversized balloon, and a serving of Westy McWest Coast IPA ($12 from San Jose's Narrative Fermentations), poured tableside, from a can. No beers from our many excellent microbreweries could be found on the Alderwood menu. And only a single local wine by the glass from an estate on Ben Lomond Mountain. In a menu this rich, there's no excuse for sloppiness, such as the wine list's Rissling, Burgundy, and Trapist beer.

Full of spice, a hint of salt and dark plums, the wine was busy earning its price tag as Keith and I caught up on our trip to Egypt many years ago, and Keith's installations at the early days of Burning Man. Then arrived a split order of the Spring Pea Salad ($24), a gorgeous little whorl of greens, topped by colorful flower petals and sauced with a fresh and sprightly vinaigrette (Calamansi citrus vinegar and squash seed oil) that elevated each and every bite.

No English peas, precious few snap peas but plenty of sugar peas (we were promised three different peas!) along with toothsome tetragonia and succulent purslane comprised the salad which

Fanny Bay, British Columbia). Wedges of lemon and vials of bespoke mignonette sat at the ready. Keith swooned over the first oyster, drizzled with a grapepeppercorn mignonette.

"These oysters are divine!" pronounced Keith, the oyster aficionado, approving the intense minerality of the supple mollusk. "Best I've had in at least a decade." And so was the other one ($5 ea).

Our accompanying side order of Pommes Roti ($25) arrived after the perfect steaks, alas. However the creation delivered baroque visuals: a round "cake" of scalloped potatoes, astride a pool of creamy brillat-savarin and infused with roasted garlic, topped with tarragon, thyme, striped yellow pansy petals and—best of all—fragrant, fresh pink peppercorns.

Every bite was poetry, especially interspersed with slices of my celestial filet mignon ($110, you read that right).

Here was definitive filet mignon, beef at its best—Westholme Wagyu from Australia—with the texture of thick tender silk, cooked precisely as requested, just a shade past rare. If my 8oz wood-fired steak was silken, Keith's 8oz Westholme Wagyu bavette was like butter, dripping juices from its abundant marbling ($85). Accompanying both my filet and my companion's bavette were small bowls of the excellent house Bordelaise. Light enough to enhance,

cassis by its last opulent mouthful. Worth the splurge, and then some.

Our fanciful dessert of Berry Paris-Brest (a wreath of rather tense puff pastry, filled with lemon cream, ripe berries, centered by a malt ice cream and topped with little rosettes of yuzu curd) was almost hallucinogenic in flavor ($21).

An array of astutely selected red and yellow raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries dotted the sides, and triangles of crisp Italian meringue brittle punctuated the curd. The curd was, in a word, unbelievable! It didn't need the little bits of sugary brittle, but the intriguing choice of malt ice cream was nothing short of brilliant. Our forks continued right up to the very last berry.

Though we'd made an effort to be economical, splitting one salad and one dessert, ordering one spartan beer and a single glass of wine, our bill (with 20% tip) came to...$400. Service was attentive and thorough, if a bit overlyenthusiastic. Our server was happy to answer questions and find out details as requested. The atmosphere, except for insistent pop music, was attractive, and the booths comfortable. Yes there is one seafood entree, and a pasta dish. But beef is king here and that's a fact. If it's a definitive steak you crave, Alderwood is the place. Ditto the oysters. And the sides. You get my drift. Bring a platinum credit rating and prosperity consciousness.

Alderwood, 155 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz. Wed-Sun 5pm-9pm. alderwoodsantacruz. com 831-588-3238

Kong Show Continues

BY MARK C. ANDERSON

The story of Charlie Hong Kong’s can be told by way of bold and fresh flavors. Note the pop of the fromscratch coconut peanut sauce on the best-selling Spicy Dan with organic peanuts, cilantro, green onions, pickled carrots and daikon.

Or the aromatic broth on the Vietnamese pho ga (chicken noodle soup), flavored with whole ginger

HEALTHY & CHEAP Students, surfers, artists, and journalists flock to CHK for affordable organic food.

After 25 years, the ways Charlie Hong Kong's epic tale should be told

Mark C. Anderson

Santa

Northwest. Carolyn was a teacher whose curriculum and enrichment classes always—spoiler alert—found their center around nutrition, cooking and gardening.

That combination proves complementary: One spouse on spreadsheets and systems; the other on messaging, whether micro marketing or bigger meaning.

“I like executing—operating a restaurant consistently over time, developing people in their jobs, helping how we communicate as a group,” Rudy says. “That’s my contribution.”

“I know it’s a job, but we are offering nourishment,” Carolyn says. “This is our noble work. Every action matters. Now is the time. We are the ones. I feel this deeply.”

Back when they began the menu stopped after a few still-popular signature bowls Now seven bowls range from Chiang Mai noodles to Charlie’s chow mein to Gado Gado veggies and mushrooms in a black bean sauce.

The oil choices and sugar levels are much healthier, and the choices widen from there.

Appearing beneath come rice bowls like the Szechuan mushroom medley, hoisin pork and sweet garlic tofu; sandwiches like curry chicken teriyaki salmon and spicy tofu; salads like the Goddess of Springtime and sesame noodle; the two soups, Thai coconut and the pho ga; and sweets like the in-house vegan chocolate pudding and glutenfree Kerri’s Creations cookies.

The options read like a playbook for the food-as-medicine movement. When I wonder out loud if she’s satisfied to see the restaurant world catch up on the fast casual-vegetarian-organic front, Carolyn assures me there’s plenty of work left to be done.

“Honestly I wish your statement was more accurate,” says Carolyn, who maintains a box of nutritional supplements, vitamins and aroma treatments for her team. “Think about it. When’s the last time your doctor

said, ‘What’s your diet?’ ‘How’s your rest?’ ‘How’s your anxiety?’”

One of CHK’s lead chefs—and dedicated master of the habit-forming fresh sauces—is Andres Urbina. When asked what makes him happiest about his job, he provides an answer that might give Rudolph some optimism.

At this point, he’s coming up on 20 years in the kitchen, and it’s something more than his go-to dishes, the green curry bowls and Pad Thai, that have him stoked to do what he does.

“The best part is you know people are eating good food and organic vegetables,” he says. “They know what they are eating, and they know it’s good food.”

It’s also another great way for the CHK story to be told.

Charlie Hong Kong’s is open 11am-10pm every day at 1141 Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz. A 25th anniversary celebration is in the works but unscheduled. More at charliehongkong.com.

COOKIN' QUICK CHK's food is fast, but it's not fast food.

Mark C. Anderson

Barreling Down

Santa Cruz Mountain wines punk a poser eight ways

BY MARK C. ANDERSON

This is going to sound hard to swallow in a wine piece, but hang in there for the finish. The tasting note most appropriate here is not full-bodied, jammy, mineral-rich or anything close.

The appropriate descriptors are B.S. Manure. Processed bovine grass.

Let me explain. The folks at Texasbased LawnStarter spammed out an email on National Wine Day this spring ranking “2023’s Best California Wine Counties,” all 58.

Now, having a mowing service play wine wise elder is a little like asking your dog walker to perform vet surgery. But hey, let’s give them a chance.

Cue the B.S.: Santa Cruz ranked 29th. That’s well behind the likes of Calaveras County (18th overall), Lake County (12th) and Riverside County (7th).

Well, LawnStarter, maybe it has been a while since you visited. Maybe you missed the memo that a Santa Cruz Mountains wine (1971 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello) beat out the best wines from Napa and Bourdeaux in a 2006 reenactment of the world-famous Judgment of Paris in 1976 (when Monte Bello placed fifth).

Or that Santa Cruz wines often find themselves on Wine Spectator Wines of the Year, a worldwide ranking. Legendary local wine house Mount Eden Vineyard’s Chardonnay once ranked #5.

To help catch you up, LawnStarter, check out “California Wine’s Best Kept Secret” by Ray Isle, executive wine editor at Food & Wine, and the wine and spirits editor for Travel + Leisure.

“One of the abiding mysteries of California wine is why more people don’t know about—and therefore love—the Santa Cruz Mountains wine region,” he writes.

Good Times’ email to the piece’s author, Richie Bernardo, wasn’t returned by press time. A call into the LawnStarter’s listed number, however, did reveal they go well beyond mowing—they also do edging, weed-wacking, leaf blowing and mulching.

Whatever the case, LawnStarter deserves some credit. It has succeeded on at least two fronts, even if it failed on wine Iiteracy.

Its main goal is to get some oxygen to its business. Call that a win. And it also inspired Good Times to consult three local experts to correct the record and compile eight reasons to love Santa Cruz County wines—and, more specifically, the Santa Cruz Mountains wine region.

Those experts include longtime wine judge and journalist Laura Ness of those very mountains, reporter, editor and former tasting room pro Jessica Lyons of Santa Cruz, and Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association Executive Director Keikilani McKay, who also co-owns Cantine Wine Pub in Aptos.

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1. OG credibility

Ridge Vineyards—made mega-famous by The Judgment of Paris that put California wines on the map—originally planted roots at the top of Monte Bello Ridge in Cupertino way back in 1886. Later they added a Sonoma winery that distracts some from its local roots. The aforementioned Mount Eden, a fellow ratings darling, meanwhile, also started here and owns the title of the state’s longest history of estate-bottled boutique Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. And as Ness notes, Hallcrest Vineyards of Felton was the first to really market now-everywhere natural wines. “The forward thinking is really quite remarkable,” she says. “There’s lots of history in these mountains!”

2. Killer Bs

As far as an operation emblematic of what Santa Cruz does right in the world of wine, you could do worse than Bargetto Winery in Soquel, the first winery to re-emerge post-Prohibition (in 1933). It focuses on estate grapes from vineyards with limited outputs to max terroir intensity. Lyons swears by Bargetto, but is clear on her best-of-class in the area. “Beauregard is number one, hands down,” Lyons says. “History and wine.”

3. Generational greatness

Another’ favorite with Good Times’ impromptu panel is Alfaro Family Vineyard, which has been a personalityplus pillar of the American Viticulture Area (AVA) since the 90s. Now son Ryan is taking over all the winemaking so Richard can focus on farming and viticulture. “It’s really cool to see Ryan bringing second generation new knowledge to an established brand,” McKay says.

4. Wise winemaking

Newer standout Lester Estate Wines stuck to growing sought-after grapes for boutique winemakers until recently starting their own brand. They flip traditional tendencies by employing multiple winemakers to do their own expressions of their fruit, without chemical tinkering and with varied time in barrels. “The terroir screams Lester in each of them,” McKay says. “But the different interpretations reveal unique styles you can taste in all of them.” A oenophile fever dream.

5. Serious range

The diversity of regions within SCVM’s single AVA is rich, but makes sense given its 850 square miles stretching from the San Francisco Peninsula to Watsonville, hosting upwards of 70 wineries, 100 winemakers and 1,500 acres of grapes. Experts recommend centering itineraries around a sub-region or urban wineries and tasting rooms to make visits realistic.

6. Flagship flex

Oh yes, SCM can do Pinot and Chardonnay with the world’s best. McKay points to Sante Arcangeli Family Wines for Pinot and “masterly crafted, stunning wines, all with a little spicier profile and a lot of delicacy.” Windy Oaks came up on all three scorecards for its Pinots. And Winemaker Robert Bergstrom of Sandar & Hem has succeeded in making a statement with Chardonnay, with seven different palate pleasers from seven different vineyards. “He felt there were so many beautiful expressions and wanted to explore that,” McKay says.

7. Small wonders

Santa Cruz Mountains are seeing more upstart producers who don’t have estates but are becoming really gifted at working with local juice. Former Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyards apprentice Cole Thomas of Madson Wines ranks among them, sourcing as organically and working as naturally as possible. “Some just fun, beautiful wines,” McKay says.

8. Mighty mountains

The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was the first in the U.S. to use the European model of climatological and geophysical aspects instead of political boundaries. As the first AVA to be defined by a mountainous region—with ridgetops cresting 2,600 feet—it is also known as “America’s Premier Mountain Appellation.” Those steeps force winemakers to pay more attention, as David Gates, VP of vineyard operations for Ridge Vineyards, points out. “It’s so hilly that our mechanization is limited. Everything is harvested by hand,” he says. “We don’t manage the vineyards on our computers…we put hands and eyes on vines.”

More at winesofthesantacruzmountains.com.

Another Covid symptom: Tipping has Changed

Should you tip at a fast food restaurant?

BY DANIELLA BLOMQUIST

To tip, or to not tip? With the increase of tipping screens at check out, more and more consumers are feeling obligated to give more than they intended. As rent skyrockets, small business owners depend upon inflated menu prices which in turn raises the price for percentage based tips.

According to a June study by Capterra, a software and business survey company, 50% of customers felt manipulated or tricked into leaving a tip at checkout. Among the insights:

Tipflation has changed tipping behavior at restaurants: 77% tip more due to rising costs for workers while 37% tip less because of rising costs for consumers.

Restaurants have increased tip expectations: 58% of consumers believe that restaurants have increased their minimum suggested tip.

Consumers don’t expect to tip at fast food restaurants but are inundated with requests: 82% have seen tip screens at quick service restaurants, but only 11% say tips here should be mandatory.

The traditional belief that tipping should be limited to table service restaurants, delivery services, salons, and other similar establishments, is being challenged by the rise of tip screens at checkout.

How do Santa Cruz restaurants handle tips these days?

Will Stout of Kianti’s Pizza Bar on Pacific Avenue, says it’s important to

pay bussers and hostesses extra on the busy downtown strip: especially amid Covid-19. “During Covid, we had to do more procedures revolving around sanitization. The bussers had a lot more weight on their shoulders so we tipped more towards them… we have now scaled it down a little bit but it did give us a good realization of how much cleaning is needed per table.”

Pre-Covid, Kianti’s practiced the industry standard of tipping, but now focuses on what staff helps customers the most. The bill includes a suggested gratuity, but only includes tips for large parties of six or more. While cash tips are more favorable for servers and bartenders, most patrons tip using a credit or debit card.

The owner of Pleasure Pizza, Scott Vitali, says its tip system has not changed since Covid. Because of the laid back environment of the Pacific Avenue location, gratuity is not included in the bill for parties of any size. Tips are similarly generally credit. “At the end of the night, tips go to the server’s name and they split it with the kitchen staff.” Staff split tips evenly, with employees getting up to a few hundred dollars total on busy weekends.

Bad Animal Book Store and Wine Bar on Cedar Street has a tip system with an emphasis on rewarding hard-working employees. Manager Hayden Myrick says employees pool tips, working off a point system that rewards workers based on the amount of hours and effort that one

has worked. Similar to Kianti’s Pizza Bar, Bad Animal adds a gratuity for parties of six or more. Customers generally tip an average of 18% during the weekdays and twenty two percent on weekends.

General Manager Brittany Beshore of Pono Hawaiian Kitchen on Union Street says that since Covid-19, the restaurant has moved from tipping exclusively waiters to pooling tips to better compensate kitchen staff. Pono offers a special environment from live music to outdoor seating with the premise of spreading Aloha. Customers feel the love, tipping predominantly credit and giving more on weekends and nights that provide live performances. Gratuity is not included for parties of any size.

According to Capterra’s June 2023 survey, tipping fatigue primarily affects high income consumers. Those making six or more figures are much more likely to tip 20% or above. With the pressure of a tipping screen, offered at the majority of restaurant and cafe businesses, customers feel the pressure to tip for take out and poor service.

Despite the negative, 65% of patrons appreciate tip screens due to their easy to navigate nature and convenience according to a Capterra survey of 2019. Downtown Santa Cruz workers operate in high stress environments, and while the consumers may feel the pressure to provide a growing gratuity, their tips help support often overworked and underpaid servers. ✺

Daniella Blomquist

Events

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FAIR 2021

RECURRING

Midtown Fridays Santa Cruz

Come celebrate all the vibrancy of Midtown Santa Cruz at the Summer Block Party, happening every Friday through September. Free event with food, artists, live music and vendors. The Off the Lip Radio Show will be hosting a new band every week.

INFO: 1111 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz.

FREE ADMISSION. https://bit.ly/3ygh6y1.

Sunday Funday

Visit the Chaminade Resort and Spa to enjoy some mimosas and a delicious brunch. Stay until sunset for wine and live music overlooking Santa Cruz. Regularly occurring every Sunday through early September. Brunch is available 7am-1:30pm. Live Music 5-8pm.

INFO: 1 Chaminade Ln., Santa Cruz.

FREE ADMISSION. chaminade.com.

Sip, Savor and Sway

Come by Stockwell Cellars for a glass or bottle of wine on the patio while enjoying live music. In addition, food trucks will be on hand serving up everything from Scrumptious Fish and Chips to smoked meat sandwiches and salads. Live music from various local musicians, rotating every week.

INFO: 5:30-8:30 pm. 1100 Fair Ave., Santa Cruz.

FREE ADMISSION. Reservations required; contact info@stockwellcellers.com. stockwellcellers.com/events.

SAT-SUN

8 / 19-8 / 20

Scotts Valley Art, Wine and Beer Festival

Scotts Valley Art, Wine and Beer Festival is back in a new venue for 2021 in Siltanen Community Park in Scotts Valley. The premier summer festival in the Santa Cruz Mountains, there is something fun for everyone—with food, over 100 local artists and award-winning wineries. The Cops ‘N Rodders Car Show will be on Saturday, and the popular Bring your Dog Day is Sunday with pet tricks, costume and lookalike contests.

INFO: Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm. Siltanen Community Park, Scotts Valley.

FREE ADMISSION. svartfestival.com.

Events

SATURDAY 8 / 12

Maine Lobster DriveThru Fundraiser

The Watsonville Rotary Foundation is supporting disadvantaged Pajaro Valley youth with the return of its Claws for a Cause Maine Lobster Feast. Reserved and pre-paid fully cooked dinners are prepared by the New England Lobster Company. Dinner includes a 1 ¼ lb. lobster, shrimp, corn on the cob, sausage, artichoke, potatoes, garlic, sourdough baguette, and, of course, your lobster bib, lobster cracker and placemat. Watsonville Rotary uses 100% of proceeds to support local nonprofits.

INFO: 1-5pm.

121 Martinelli St., Watsonville.

$85. https://bit.ly/3jExKDp.

SATURDAY 8 / 28

13th Annual Testicle Festival

Organized by the Agri-Culture organization, and in support of the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers, the annual event returns for the 13th year. Serving up USDA-inspected bull testicles (aka Rocky Mountain Oysters, Cowboy Caviar, Prairie Oysters, and so on), these are truly a delicacy of the American West. Dinner also includes chicken, salads, bread and dessert. Beer and wine. Silent auction, horseshoe contest and kids games.

INFO: 3-7pm. Estrada Deer Camp, 196 Hazel Dell Rd., Watsonville.

$50 Adults, $20 Children ages 5-12, under 5 Free. agri-culture.us.

38th Annual Capitola Art and

Festival

The Capitola Art and Wine Festival combines all of the best things—art, wine, music, and food—in Capitola Village overlooking the stunning Monterey Bay. This year’s festival includes more than 150 fine artists and 22 Santa Cruz wineries.

INFO: Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-6pm. Capitola Village.

Events

WED-SUN 9/13-9/17

Santa Cruz County Fair

The Santa Cruz County Fair will return this year for five days of family-friendly fun. From funnel cakes and roller coasters to all-Alaskan pig races and turkey stampedes, everyone loves a good county fair. This year’s talent also features humans like Michael Mezmer, one of the world’s top performing stage hypnotists, to hypnotize you into thinking that eating 100 hot dogs is a good idea.

INFO: Wednesday-Friday, noon-11pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-10pm. Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville. santacruzcountyfair.com.

SATURDAY 9/18

Santa Cruz Mountains Sol Festival

Three-day music festival in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains at Roaring Camp Meadows. A weekend of great music, community, craft beer and wine, camping and art. Beach Train Shuttle will be available. Artists include Jewel, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Keith Greeninger with the Coffis Brothers, Ben Harper & Innocent Criminals, Jackie Green & Tim Bluhm, Samantha Fish, KBong & Johnny Cosmic, Jive Machine, China Cats, Burning Spear, Nth Power, Railroad Earth, Orgone, Vince Herman Band, Wreckless Strangers

One day tickets are $75-$95; three day tickets are $235, and weekend tickets are $180. Youth discounts at $40 and $50.

INFO: 11am-7pm.

5401 Graham Hill Rd., Felton. santacruzmountainsol.com.

Capitola Beach Festival

Capitola’s Annual Beach Festival will have something for everyone to enjoy. The community event will include a 3-Miler Fun Run hosted by the Wharf to Wharf, a Horseshoe Tournament, the Lighted Nautical Parade, Food & Drink, a Fishing Derby, a Sand Sculpture Contest, the Chalk Art Event,