Quick bites | Capitola Mall Farmer’s Market Expands

CAPITOL

Capitola Mall Farmer’s Market Expands

The Capitola Mall Farmer’s Market, which launched last summer, continues to add more vendors, like one that sells stationery, including cards well suited for the holidays. The market takes place in the front parking lot facing 41st Avenue. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday. Products include fresh produce, ready-to-eat foods (Mexican and Italian selections, fried shrimp, etc.) and beverages such as fresh juices. A new food vendor selling elote and potatoes will join the market in the near future. Artisan vendors sell items such as jewelry, handmade baby clothes, candles, crystals, resin pieces, and woolen artwork. The market hopes to add live music in the coming months. See wcfma.org/capitola or visit IG @capitolafarmersmarket for more information.

HOLY CROSS

New hours at the Pono Hawaiian Grill

Pono Hawaiian Grill (120 Union St., 831-621-7448, ponohawaiian.com/dtsc), which reopened last month, has expanded its hours. They are open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday and from 11:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. from Friday to Saturday (closed on Monday). Happy hour, which takes place daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and all day Sunday, offers drinks and food specialties. Pono is available to book for the major holiday season “especially on weekdays, including Mondays when we are closed,” says owner Timmy Hunt. There is live Hawaiian music on Aloha Fridays as well as music on select Saturdays and Sundays.

Plus, you can now buy furikake to take home. Pono Hawaiian Foods brand Nori Komi Furikake, made in Thailand by a family business, is gluten-free with non-GMO ingredients and no preservatives. You don’t know furikake? It is a dried seasoning made from sesame seeds, nori seaweed, etc. You can use it on rice, noodles, avocado toast and other dishes.

HOLY CROSS

Small Business Saturday offers a Golden Envelope contest

This Saturday, there will be 300 golden envelopes hidden in shopping bags in stores in downtown Santa Cruz. After customers finish paying for their purchases, they can check their bag to see if they received an envelope. Some will have a $10 gift card from a downtown retailer, others will contain a voucher for free hot chocolate at a local cafe, and many will have downtown dollars. Grand prizes include tickets to the Santa Cruz Warriors. Participating businesses include The Penny Ice Creamery, Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar, Pono Hawaiian Grill, Lupulo Craft Beer House, and Bookshop Santa Cruz. Visit downtown santacruz.com/do/the-golden-envelope for details.

HOLY CROSS

Pleasure Pizza and East Side Eatery support youth arts

Pleasure Pizza (4000 Portola Dr., 831-475-4002, pleasurepizzasc.com/pleasurepizza/) and East Side Eatery (800 41st Ave., 831-431-6058, pleasurepizzasc.com/home/) are hosting a Giving fundraiser Tuesday for the Live Oak Education Foundation (liveoakedfoundation.org) from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on November 29. Restaurants will donate 30% of sales to the foundation; customers must say they support the Live Oak fundraiser when ordering. Restaurant and takeout orders count; delivery notes are not eligible. Proceeds will benefit the foundation’s support of visual and performing arts programming in schools in the Live Oak School District.

HOLY CROSS

West Cliff event with food trucks, shopping

There will be a two-day outdoor holiday market at West Cliff, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, at the lighthouse and surfer parking lots in West Cliff. This market will feature products from local artisans and businesses, as well as food trucks. See brotherspromotions.com/event/west-cliff-holiday-outdoor-market-november-25-26-2022/ for details.

QUALIFIED

Perséphone winemaker dinner and new hours

Persephone (7945 Soquel Dr., Aptos, 831-612-6511, persephonerestaurant.com) is hosting a winemaker’s dinner with Salinas-based micro winery Samuel Louis Smith at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Five courses with wine pairings include saffron mussel soup with 20 Chardonnay, Spear Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills and braised leg of lamb with mint gremolata accompanied by 21 Gamay Noir, Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands. Tickets are $134 through the website.

In addition, the restaurant is open for dinner on Wednesdays from November 30. It will serve a “fixed price pasta” menu that includes vegetarian and vegan options.

HOLY CROSS

“Holigay” market with LGBTQ+ vendors at your disposal

The Neighbor’s second annual Holigay Market, featuring more than 20 LGBTQ+ artists and vendors, takes place Saturday from 2-6 p.m. at Greater Purpose Brewing Co. (21517 East Cliff Drive). For more information, visit eventbrite.com/e/the-neighbors-2nd-annual-holigay-market-tickets-466512791317. A donation to The Neighbor’s start-up fund is suggested, but not required, to participate. The Neighbor is envisioned as a queer cafe and pub, giving back to local and global communities. Learn more at theneighborspub.org.

CAPITOL

Holiday orders open at Gayle

Gayle’s Bakery (504 Bay Ave., 831-462-1200, gaylesbakery.com) has started accepting Christmas pre-orders and strongly recommends ordering early as quantities are limited. Selections include traditional turkey dinners, lasagna or three-point dinners and take-out holiday appetizer platters on December 23 and 24. Special desserts include mini or full-sized Buche de Noel (Christmas log), “Winter Princess” cake, and cookies such as red and green checkerboards and festive trees. Many sweets and pastries are available from December 1st.

WATSONVILLE

Staff of Life continues wine tasting

The staff of Life Natural Foods (906 E Lake Ave.) is continuing Wine Down Wednesday through the end of 2022. There is a free wine tasting from 5-7 p.m. every Wednesday. Upcoming events are Quintessential Wines on November 23, Monterey Bay Wines on November 30, Amy Atwood Selections on December 7, “champagne, reds & sparklers” on December 14, Quintessential on December 21 and “sparklers and champagne” on December 28.

Plus, the staff hosts holiday tastings at its two locations with wine, cheese, charcuterie, and pastries; tickets are $25 in advance and benefit the local community. Watsonville’s event is December 2 (eventbrite.com/e/holiday-and-entertaining-inspiration-and-tasting-watsonville-tickets-464765685677) and Santa Cruz’s is December 3 (eventbrite.com/e/ holiday- and-entertaining-inspiration-and-tasting-santa-cruz-tickets-465325600397.

QUALIFIED

Mobile bar affiliated with Mentone soon available

“Drinks by Mentone: A Mobile Bar Truck,” operated by the folks behind Restaurant Mentone in Aptos, was first offered at the recent Big Sur Food and Wine Festival. They will begin mobile bar service in the spring of 2023 and selections will include beer, cocktails and wine. For more information on renting this for a private event, visit mentonerestaurant.com/drinksbymentone or stay in the loop on Instagram @drinksbymentone.

HOLY CROSS

Far West Fungi supports the Homeless Garden project

In honor of Giving Tuesday, a day to support the poor and hungry in your community, mushroom purveyor Far West Fungi is donating 5% of all Black Friday sales (starting November 25) to the Homeless Garden Project association. This includes sales at the Santa Cruz store as well as the San Francisco store and online at farwestfungi.com.

Quick Bites, compiled by Tara Fatemi Walker, is your weekly serving of Santa Cruz County restaurant, food and drink news. Send articles to sentinelfood@gmail.com (Sunday 7:00 p.m. deadline for this week’s column). Want local food and drink news as it happens? Follow the Sentinel catering team on Twitter @santacruzfood.