Soif is closed until Jan. 11 for its annual refreshing, but the restaurant at Casablanca Inn & Bistro is closed for renovations prompted by what a spokesperson called “damage from a recent storm.” There’s no word on when the beachfront landmark will reopen. So meanwhile, there’s Michael’s on Main, continually reinventing itself, most recently by opening its kitchen up on Tuesdays to ambitious guest chefs.
Articles by Christina Waters
The Best Santa Cruz Dining of 2012
There was much to remember in the way of delicious restaurant experiences in 2012.
New Year’s Eve Dining News
‘A restaurant requires 200 percent of an owner’s time,’ admitted winemaker Randall Grahm, whose large-scale restaurant will close as of December 31. ‘Til then, fans of chef Ryan Shelton’s cooking—and his wife Oomi’s cosmic pastries—still have a few more days to stop by.
Q&A: Barry Jackson
Barry Jackson is the winemaker for Equinox Champagne and Bartolo Wine, which he co-owns with his wife, Jennifer.
Gabriella Cafe Celebrates 20 Years
Founded only yesterday—December 1992—Gabriella has been doing its seasonal, local, artistic thing for 20 years. Unbelievable. If you haven’t stopped by lately, you can find out why Paul Cocking’s landmark cottage is still the most romantic dining room in town. Gabriella Café—910 Cedar Street in downtown Santa Cruz. 831.457.1677.Here’s a Delicious Holiday Gift: A 2013 Outstanding in the Field al fresco dining gift certificate.
Local Wines Score High on ‘Chronicle’ List
Congratulations to winemaker Richard Alfaro, whose 2010 Alfaro Family Lester Family Vineyard Pinot Noir is among a choice few local wines included in the SF Chronicle’s pick of Top 100 Wines of 2012. The wine, from their Deer Park vines, is a moderately affordable $38 and a spot-on 13.7% alcohol, loaded with terroir, black currants and forest tones.
Q&A: Tom McNary & Tran Doan
The brains behind Aptos’ Carried Away—owner/chef Tom McNary and general manager/catering coordinator Tran Doan—took a minute to talk about how they balance a café and catering service.
Q&A: Pasta Mike
Mike Ruymen, the Santa Cruz fixture behind the Pasta Mike brand, took a minute to talk about his noodling.
Tom Breszny Does Pac Rim Food Tour
In the domain of the totally unexpected, a recent email from entrepreneurial legend Tom Breszny arrived with a mouth-watering invitation. Brezsny, you might recall, was one of the original partners in the former India Joze empire when it filled the Art Center dining rooms in downtown Santa Cruz. Brezsny usually ran the front of the house, but did his stints in the kitchen as well, soaking up spicy expertise from maestro Joseph Schultz himself.
Q&A: Tabitha Stroup
Former India Joze pastry chef and California Culinary Academy graduate Tabitha Stroup of Friend in Cheeses Jam Co. took a minute to talk about how a childhood favorite became cool again.
