Greg “Hendu” Henderson of Santa Cruz’s Hip Shake brings his blues band to Chaminade for Oktoberfest.
“Beer, Brats and Blues.” Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? Even before you hear the details. Well, here they are. Come on up to beautiful Chaminade Resort & Spa on Sunday, Oct. 20, to celebrate Oktoberfest—the only German holiday regularly celebrated the world over. Chaminade’s spin on the robust harvest time festival is to provide plenty of luscious blues thanks to Gregory Henderson and the Greyhound Blues Band. Plan to come up to the hilltop resort’s Courtyard Terrace on Sunday, 3-6pm, where your $30 (all-inclusive) entry gets you access to some outstanding seasonal brews and local craft beers, including brews from Seabright Brewery, Santa Cruz Aleworks, Discretion Brewing, West End Tap & Kitchen and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, to name just a few. Accompanying the festive brews will be assorted sausages, including, of course, bratwurst, plus traditional (if you're Bavarian) trimmings such as sauerkraut, mustards, pan-fried potatoes, hot soft pretzels, German potato salad, homemade coleslaw, cucumber dill salad and Black Forest tarts. Jawohl! That does sound seriously festive. Make that reservation now by calling Chaminade at 831.475.5600. Guten appetit!
Doon and Dooner: While Randall Grahm’s new Bonny Doon Vineyard tasting room is busy pouring new releases at its recently unveiled Davenport tasting room (open Thurs-Mon 11am-5pm), just up the hill in the former Bonny Doon Vineyard tasting room (think of it as a scene from Memento), Ryan Beauregard and company rolled out some sexy new wines under the Beauregard Vineyards label last weekend. Specifically, the winemakers showed off the new 2012 Coast Grade Pinot Noir, one of the many reasons why Wine & Spirits Magazine named Beauregard Vineyards one of the “best new American wineries in the past 10 years.” The new Coast Grade Vineyard Pinot, grown on the newest estate vines in Bonny Doon, is a light alcohol balance of cherries, spices and blackberry, all showing noticeable and highly drinkable minerality. You can check it out for yourself—the tasting room is located at 10 Pine Flat Road, Bonny Doon, and is open for tastings daily 11am -5pm. 831.425.7777.
Reading Manresa: David Kinch—chef, surfer, perfectionist—is about to unveil his first ever cookbook, Manresa: An Edible Reflection, which details the super chef’s trajectory through apprenticeships all over the world, to his alliance with Love Apple Farms and creation of cuisine that is almost biochemically aligned with the local terroir and revolving seasons. The beautiful tome illustrates his farm-to-table philosophy and looks to be one of the first, obvious gift items for the cooking aficionados on your holiday list. Kinch will be at Bookshop Santa Cruz later this month to sign books and to discuss his love affair with the Santa Cruz Mountains bounty, his two-star Michelin restaurant and his many sources of flavor inspiration. Bookshop Santa Cruz Tuesday, Oct. 29, 7pm.
Random Notes: Make sure you are aware that Pizzeria Avanti now serves lunch daily from 11-2pm. Those who remember how convenient this location is for lunch meetings, are very happy about this expanded availability. Pizzeria Avanti is located a few doors from the dynamic Totoro Sushi, at 1711 Mission St. . . . Fall is time to enjoy the very last of the late tomatoes, squashes, brussel sprouts, peppers and, of course, pumpkins. And whenever you can spot a Mutsu apple at your favorite farmers market, don’t hesitate to try one. Ultra crisp, sweet and yet tart, bursting with juiciness, the Mutsu is a cross between a Crispin and a Golden Delicious and is blatantly awesome (with apologies to all of the other varieties grown by apple maestro Orin Martin).
