COMMUNITY NEWS
Capitola Beach Festival Moves to 2021 T he Capitola Beach Festival committee decided, like so many other large community gatherings, to move the 2020 Festival plans to 2021. “I am disappointed. We all wanted this festival to boost our spirits,” said Acting President Mary Beth Cahalen . “We searched for ways to present even a portion of the Festival this September. In the end, the team expressed concerns about safely conducting our events in such uncertain times and preferred to return the full Festival in 2021.” Many committee members voiced their desires to help the Capitola Village businesses in this difficult year, and support our community with our family-oriented events. In the final analysis, it came down to preserving the health and safety of our children and the community at large.
The Capitola Beach Festival Committee is much the same team that led the Capitola Begonia Festival until 2017
when the Brown Ranch family retired from growing begonias. These volunteers regrouped in 2018
as the Capitola Beach Festival with many of the Begonia Festival favorites: sand sculptures, rowboat races, fishing derby, horseshoes, concerts, and chalk art. The Lighted Boat parade at night on Soquel Creek replaced the Begonia Nautical Parade, and a family-friendly “Lil’ Wharf” foot race rounded out the new festival. Laurie Hill, committee member, said, “Last year’s Lighted Boat Parade was stunning and we anticipated the momentum of our third year. We will return with greater confidence and renewed enthusiasm for a safe festival for all.“ Join in the Capitola Beach Festival as a volunteer, a sponsor, and by participating in the events on the last weekend of September 2021. n
time they wash their hands. The 2-second scan gives instant results and if contamiAlmost all of the waiters and busboys nation is detected, team members must have returned to work after receiving rewash and rescan. Dining menus are disCOVID-19 testing and online training to posable, but a ultraviolet sterilizer wand assist with service skills. They regularly sanitizes the plastic bar menu each time it receive a state-regulated certification on is used. If a customer pays with cash, the servers will wash and sanitize their hands food handling. More changes: Up-to-date detection after handling. Burke praises “bright and enertechnology. A hand hygiene scanner for employees gives real-time feedback every getic” chef Michael Cameron, who used his downtime to test every recipe on the menu, tweaking, and upgrading when necessary. Sous chef Oscar de la Rosa is a skilled and creative chef who has been a valuable asset to the team by training the cooks in the culinary arts. The menu has been shortened by less than 20 percent and efforts were made to keep guest favorites. Bilingual menus have been printed and as always, care is taken to offer alternates for customers who request vegan or gluten-free options. This carries over to the dessert menu, fashioned by pastry chef Linda Estrada, whose scrumptious glutenfree Chocolate Molten Cake remains a popular favorite. She has served the restaurant for seven years. Another inspired Photo courtesy of Shadowbrook The famous cable car ride at Shadowbrook Restaurant provides views plan took place during the closure. Employees who of the beautifully landscaped gardens.
couldn’t qualify for unemployment were hired to improve the property by repainting, polishing and repaving the parking lot. “The place is sparkling!” Burke said. Burke, Skinner and Fyock shared they are looking forward to more days of customers sharing food, stories, and gathering to celebrate life. Waiters won’t be able to greet customers with their usual smiles because they will be wearing masks but they plan to do the next best thing: Their masks will have the word “Shadowbrook” shaped in a smile! Burke admits it will be impossible to
make up for the lost time and his hope is simply to break even. Reservations are accepted 30 days in advance and there were already many on the books when we spoke. Hours have been adjusted. The Bar and the Rock Room open at noon every day and the bar menu is available until 10 p.m. Dining Room hours are Monday through Friday, 4-8:45 p.m., Saturday 2-9:15 p.m., and Sunday 2-8:45 p.m. New specials are listed daily. n ••• Shadowbrook Restaurant is at 1750 Wharf Road, Capitola. Call 831-475-1511 or visit www.shadowbrook-capitola.com/
“Shadowbrook” from page 6
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / July 2020 / 9
