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Hand to Mouth
After tireless research, painstaking scientific inquiry and utter disregard for convention, we at Metro Santa Cruz have devised our own guidelines for culinary and nutritional success. After all, if the Modern Library can issue a list of the 100 most important novels of the 20th century, surely we are entitled to decree which foodstuffs are crucial to the health, not just of the body, but of the soul. It takes a village to topple a pyramid--but it takes only a gentle Food Handshake to crush a Food Pyramid. We have dispensed with the Pyramid's hierarchical culinary tyranny and rigid triangular shape and substituted an outstretched Hand as the hospitable new symbol of civilized dining.
The Handshake offers, on five friendly digits, the five food groups we consider essential: Pizza, Asian, Mexican, Breakfast and Dessert. The Handshake, as its name suggests, is about eating friendly. It's not out to offend anyone; no one finger is more important than any other, and we're certainly not going to get into that discussion of left versus right.
The most important meal of the day, breakfast, is designated as the thumb on our Food Handshake. Without opposable thumbs, humanity couldn't have pulled itself out of the primordial ooze, and ditto without breakfast. You can't shake hands without a thumb, can you? Santa Cruz is nothing if not a breakfast town, as you'll see from the rich variety of hash joints listed below.
Breakfast should get you through the day until, dizzy and weak from hunger that night, you consult your Food Handshake chart for advice on what to have for dinner.
The Food Handshake-method of eating is designed for convenience and mobility. The central fingers of the Handshake--the index, middle and ring finger--stand for Pizza, Asian and Mexican. All three cuisines were selected for their ease of ordering in, getting as take-out or eating on the go. They make excellent leftovers and lend themselves to microwaving or straight-from-the-fridge, late-night noshing. And, the Handshake is multicultural, each finger touching a different corner of the globe.
Although we've saved dessert, the pinkie finger of our Handshake, for last, this all-important food group can actually be consumed throughout the day and, in a pinch, can be substituted for any of the other fingers on the Hand.
If you've been trying to pacify the Pyramid's rigorous demands, try the Food Handshake method instead. It's egalitarian, wholesome, beneficial to body and mind, and above all, it's easy. Five food groups. Five fingers. One friendly hand.
Pizza
Aptos Pizza--Delivers.
Big J's--Delivers.
Michael's Pizza--Delivers until 9pm, weekends only at Aptos location.
Pacific Avenue Pizza & Grill
Pizza Amore
Pizza Mania
Pizza My Heart--Delivers until 10pm weekdays, 12:30am weekends.
Pleasure Pizza
Storti's Pizzeria
Tony & Alba's--Delivers until 9pm.
Upper Crust Pizza--Delivers until 1pm weekdays, 11pm weekends.
Breakfast
Aldo's Harbor Restaurant
Bea's Koffee Kup Restaurant
Beach Street Cafe
Cafe Brasil
Cliff Cafe
Harbor Cafe
Linda's Seabreeze Cafe
New Davenport Cash Store
Old Sash Mill Cafe
Paula's Brooklyn Coffee House
Red Apple Cafe
Saturn Cafe
The Walnut Avenue Cafe
Whale City Bakery Bar & Grill
Wharf House
Zachary's
Asian
Bangkok West
Benten
China Station
China Szechwan
Golden Buddha
King Chwan
Little Shanghai
Masayuki
Mei Garden
Miyako Sushi Bar
Mobo Sushi
O'Mei
Pacific Rim Buffet
Panda Inn
Paradise Sushi
Pink Godzilla
Real Thai Kitchen
Saigon Palace
Star of Siam
Sukeroku
Sushi Capitola
Szechuan Garden
Takara Japanese Restaurant
Thai Basil
Thai House
Westside Thai
Mexican
Cafe Carlos
Cilantro's
Costa Brava
Don Quixote
El Palomar
La Mission
Little Tampico
Mexico City
Planet Fresh
Rancho Grande
Rosa's Roticeria
Tacos Morenos
Tampico
Taqueria Santa Cruz
Taqueria Vallerta
Jalapeno's
Sofia's Taqueria
Tortilla Flats
Tucson Taqueria
Dessert
Baskin-Robbins
Double Rainbow
Fosters Old Fashion Freeze
Gelato Bar at Riva Fish House
Marianne's Ice Cream
Polar Bear Ice Cream
Saturn Cafe
Yogurt Delite
Copyright © Metro Publishing Inc. Maintained by Boulevards New Media.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Down the Mall: Santa Cruz sidewalkers take a break in front of one of the Jules Vernesque kiosks.
--Tai Moses
7945 Soquel Dr., Aptos (831/688-4030)
845 Almar Ave., Santa Cruz (831/458-1000)
99 Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, Aptos (831/662-3362) and 1700 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz (831/477-0456)
1415 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-7492)
103 Cliff St., Santa Cruz (831/423-2336); 783 Rio Del Mar, Aptos (831/688-1477)
809 Bay Ave., Capitola (831/464-3755)
1116 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/426-2511); The Esplanade, Capitola (831/475-5714)
4000 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz (831/475-4999)
920 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-8888)
817 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-8669); 1501 41st Ave., Capitola (831/475-4450)
2415 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/423-9010); 2501 Soquel Dr., Santa Cruz (831/476-2333)
616 Atlantic Ave., Santa Cruz (831/426-3736)
1209 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/423-9224)
399 Beach St., Santa Cruz (831/426-7621)
1410 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/429-1855)
815 41st Ave., Santa Cruz (831/476-1214)
535 7th Ave., Santa Cruz (831/475-4948)
542 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz (831/427-9713)
Highway 1, Davenport (831/426-4122)
303 Potrero, Santa Cruz (831/426-7392)
3500 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz (831/464-0741)
783 Rio Del Mar Blvd., Aptos (831/685-1224)
1230 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/429-8505)
106 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz (831/457-2307)
Highway 1, Davenport (831/423-9803)
Capitola Wharf, Capitola (831/476-3534)
819 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/427-0646)
2505 Cabrillo College Dr., Aptos (831/479-8297)
1541 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-7079)
2301 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/458-9097)
221 Cathcart St., Santa Cruz (831/423-1178)
4610 Soquel Dr., Soquel (831/479-0788)
415 Ocean St., Santa Cruz (831/429-5898)
1010 Cedar St., Santa Cruz (831/458-2460)
427 Capitola Ave., Capitola (831/476-7284)
533 Ocean St., Santa Cruz (831/458-1687)
1820 G 41st Ave., Capitola (831/462-5288)
105 S. River St., Santa Cruz (831/425-1700)
2316 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/425-8458)
8035 Soquel Dr., Aptos (831/688-5208)
Deer Park Center, Aptos (831/688-8620)
200 Monterey Ave., Capitola (831/464-3328)
830 41st Ave., Santa Cruz (831/464-2586)
1632 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz (831/427-2559)
5600 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley (831/438-6888)
3005 Porter St., Soquel (831/479-0366)
1701 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/426-6660)
820 Bay Ave., Capitola (831/462-3387)
617 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/423-2574)
1800 Soquel Ave., (831/457-8466)
210 Monterey Ave., #3, Capitola (831/479-8985)
353 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/458-3546)
2238 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/469-3209)
6016 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley (831/439-8448)
1934 Main St., Watsonville (831/761-2161)
505 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz (831/423-7871)
6275 Hwy 9, Felton (831/335-2800)
1336 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-7575)
1719 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/426-3564)
2605 Main St., Soquel (831/475-4700)
5050 Soquel Dr., Soquel (831/464-0739)
1003 Cedar St., Santa Cruz (831/423-9799)
1205 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville (831/722-1606)
493 B Lake Ave., Santa Cruz (831/479-3536) and 1726 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville (831/728-4249)
1053 Water St., Santa Cruz (831/429-6095); 303 Beach St., Santa Cruz (831/427-2200)
822 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/458-2821)
2215 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/423-0606)
608 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/457-8226); 893 41st Ave., Santa Cruz (831/464-7022)
206 Laurel St., Santa Cruz (831/457-0159); 1201 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/466-9739)
140 Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, Aptos (831/688-1417) and 860-41st. Ave., Santa Cruz (831/475-8316)
4616 Soquel Dr., Soquel (831/476-1754)
218 Mt. Hermon Rd., Scotts Valley (831/439-8470)
Locations in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Capitola, Aptos and Freedom
1123 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/423-3231)
229 Laurel St., Santa Cruz (831/426-2311)
500 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz (831/429-1223)
1020 Ocean St., Santa Cruz (831/458-1447)
1224 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-5188)
1230 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/429-8505)
1306 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/429-6400)
From the September 24-30, 1998 issue of Metro Santa Cruz.