Linda Bennett bought the Fog Bank in Capitola 20 years ago because she was tired of working in finance, and she wanted to be closer to the sea. “It just seemed like the right thing to do,” says Bennett, now a grandmother—“have a business and live by the ocean.” The Fog Bank is an intimate concert venue at night, as well as breakfast and lunch restaurant that stops serving food at 4pm.
SANTA CRUZ WEEKLY: Do you prefer omelets or scrambles?
LINDA BENNETT: Scrambles. Our Joe’s Scramble is wonderful, but our omelets are equally delicious, and we have benedicts. We have crab cake benedicts that are really, really good. We have vegetarian benedicts.
How do you balance being a music venue with being a restaurant?
We’re a very small venue. We can’t serve dinner and still have the time to set everything up for the band and the music. We move things around and create a different atmosphere, and it becomes a nightclub a couple times a week. Then we also have karaoke and different things.
What are Potluck Thursdays like?
Oh, one of my regulars always brings something in or cooks it here. It’s just for people who want to have a quiet evening without music.
That’s adorable.
We’re casual anyway. People either really like it, or they want to go someplace more fancy. And I understand that—more fine dining, stuff like that. But we cater to the ones who want something low-key.
Do you really play beer pong on Monday nights?
Not me. I don’t drink anymore. So I try to stay out of here in the evenings, but yes, we do beer pong. We changed the rules a little because we need to be very careful about over-serving people and guzzling. It just brings in more people, especially in the wintertime. It’s catering to our locals and keeping them happy. We also have a bunch of board games.
What’s your favorite sandwich?
Our turkey avocado jack sandwich, and our calamari steak sandwich on a French roll.
What do you cook at home?
I make lasagna. I make spaghetti. I make hamburgers. My grandchildren that I have with me now are boys—eight and 19, so I’m always cooking something.
