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Hours at the downtown Santa Cruz farmers market, held every Wednesday, have shortened for the winter season. They are now open from 1-5 p.m. and will extend closing time to 6 p.m. in May 2023. Visit https://santacruzfarmersmarket.org/ for details. Also, longtime market vendor Katy Thompson (of Copper Moon Apothecary) has cancer and market organizers have shared her GoFundMe page (gofundme.com/f/wb87d-katys-fight) if anyone would like to offer support.
Chill Out Café (860 41st Ave.) has permanently closed. The last day for the popular breakfast burrito spot, which had served customers for more than 15 years, was Dec. 4.
Mutari Chocolate, which closed its brick-and-mortar shop in February and has been taking a break from offering its creations, is back for a limited time with holiday goodies. They are selling products such as craft hot chocolate, truffle boxes, award-winning Douglas Fir caramels, and single-origin dark chocolate bars (see website for full list). They will ship orders across the country (Dec. 18 deadline) or you can get local delivery within a 10-mile radius from downtown Santa Cruz. Order at mutarichocolate.com.
11th Hour Coffee (1001 Center St.) is hosting a holiday food and gift market featuring small-batch artisan foods and local gifts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Approximately 20 vendors include My Mom’s Mole, Friend In Cheeses Jam Co., T’s Clouds Dried Fruit, Ashby’s Confections, and chef/baker/writer Stephany Buswell (she will have cookies and be selling her new book “Tasting Life Twice”). Other items for purchase will include art, home goods and skincare. The “After Hours Bar” will be open with holiday cocktails, local brews, wine, cider and more. There is free admission.
Collective Santa Cruz is hosting a holiday party and market starting at 5 p.m. Friday at Pono Hawaiian Grill (120 Union St., ponohawaiian.com/dtsc). There will be food and drinks (Pono, Gilman Brewing, SC Bread Boy, Fonda Felix, Cracked Cookies and 3-Headed Mule) and music including a Salinas-based trio playing Hawaiian music from 6-9. Plus, vendors including Mountainside Made and Circular Living will have products for sale. Admission is free until 9 p.m. Learn more at collectivesantacruz.com or on IG @collectivesantacruz.
Chef Jessica Yarr’s Chicken Foot, which had been popping up at various locations for the past few months, is now serving dinner at Ulterior (110 Pearl Alley) 5-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday every week. The menu is “influenced by Eastern Europe and plant forward.” Recent menu selections include fried knishes, pelmeni with Vadouvan curry butter and chanterelles, and Khachapuri (Georgian-style cheese bread). Learn more at chickenfootsc.com and email contact@chefjessicayarr.com for reservations, which are recommended but not required.
Chef Yarr’s other business, Brunch Shift, serves brunch at Ulterior from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Sunday. Make reservations via direct message on Instagram (@thebrunchshift) to enjoy a meal onsite; there are sometimes walk-in spots. Or order takeout at thebrunchshift.com. So far, the menu has featured items like crispy chicken confit-fried egg sandwich, tofu scramble and biscuits with Pajaro Pastures pork gravy. Drinks include coffee, tea, Irish coffee and mimosas—with an expanded drink menu coming in the future.
Ulterior has a 21-and-over age requirement. Brunch Shift and Chicken Foot will also continue to do occasional popups.
Dream Inn Santa Cruz (175 West Cliff Dr., dreaminnsantacruz.com) is accepting reservations for Christmas dinner and New Year’s Eve. For Christmas, Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge is serving a seasonal four-course prix fixe menu with course options such as Roasted Chestnut Bisque, Pillows & Lobster, Rib “Eye” of Beef, Bouche de Noel, and more. On New Year’s Eve, Dream Inn is doing a four-course menu plus live music. Selections include Celeriac Bisque, Seared Lamb and Abalone. For either holiday, book online through OpenTable or call (831) 460-5012.
Kianti’s Pizza and Pasta Bar (1100 Pacific Ave., 831-469-4400, kiantis.com) is offering a promotion through Dec. 24. If you buy $40 worth of Kianti’s gift cards, you receive $50 in gift cards. You must make your purchase in person at the restaurant, and you can’t use the cards on the same day you buy them.
The Big Basin Vineyards Tasting Room & Wine Bar (525 Pacific Ave., 831-515-7278, bigbasinvineyards.com/visit/santa-cruz-tasting-room/) is hosting a special release three-course wine dinner from 7-9 p.m. Saturday. There will be a vertical tasting of Altitude 2292 (2015-2019), plus the first vintage of 2019 Coastview Vineyard Merlot. Cost is $100 per person; there are discounts for wine club members. Visit bigbasinvineyards.com/reservation/type/altitude-vertical/ for tickets.
Colectivo Felix is doing its last 2022 event on Saturday — a “South American food and wine tour without traveling,” at the Equinox Sparkling Wine tasting room (334 Ingalls St.). At the six-course dinner, courses include roasted delicata squash with herbed goat cheese, Meyer lemon and aji amarillo salsa, fish roe, and persimmon; and beef cheeks with red wine. Food will be paired with Argentine, Chilean and Uruguay wines. Buy tickets at
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/31WNSEMDRHBNK/checkout/APMUVCFSRUL2LVDVX3HHCZFE.
Quick Bites, compiled by Tara Fatemi Walker, is your weekly helping of Santa Cruz County restaurant, food, and drink news. Send items to sentinelfood@gmail.com (Sunday 7 p.m. deadline for that week’s column). Want local food & drink news as it happens? Follow the Sentinel’s food crew on Twitter @santacruzfood.
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