Places to Eat

Farmers’ Markets

If you like fresh vegetables and fruits (and local cheese and bread and pastries and eggs and meat and more!), check out one of our many rain or shine farmers’ markets (all year-round unless marked seasonal). We have

 

Sundays at Seascape Village Courtyard near Seascape Foods (seasonal), 11-2pm.

Sundays in Live Oak at 15th Ave and Eastcliff Dr, 9am-1pm

Tuesdays in Felton on Russell Ave. (seasonal, not year-round), 230-630pm

Wednesdays in downtown Santa Cruz at Cedar St and Lincoln St, 130-630pm

Saturdays in Aptos at Cabrillo College on Soquel Dr, 8am-12pm

Saturdays in Westside Santa Cruz at Western Dr and Mission St, 9am-1pm

Eggs

If you plan on eating eggs while you’re here, we highly recommend going to Glaum Egg Ranch. It is less than a ten minute drive, and you can get your eggs directly from the farm. Even if they are closed, between the hours of 6am-8pm Monday through Saturday, you can get eggs from their egg vendor machine, along with seeing a rad chicken dance and music. Great for kids and grownups too. The eggs are cage free and fresh. Bring four crisp one dollar bills to see the magic.

 

U-pick berries

During the right season (spring through summer) you have a few u-pick strawberry options. There is Swanton Berry Farm, organic, (8am-8pm every day), with u-pick available, as well as a farm stand where they sell jams, cobblers, good coffee, and pies year round. It’s a comfy place to hang out too, with couches, long tables, books, and games. You can easily spend a couple of hours there, even if you’re not out in the fields picking strawberries. (Note that it is often very windy there, so bring layers!)

 

Crystal Bay Farms, also has organic berries (strawberries, olallieberries, and blackberries), is closer, and they have a u-pick option.

 

Restaurants

Sushi Garden is our favorite sushi place. Located off the Bay/Porter exit, just a minute off the freeway.

 

Dharma’s restaurant is another local treasure. The art is atrocious, and the service leaves something to be desired, but the food is delicious. Healthy choices with lots of homemade options. Vegans and gluten free-ers do well here too, as everything is labeled.

 

Malabar is a Sri Lankan restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz. The food is amazing, the flavors are like none I’ve eaten elsewhere. The service is guaranteed not the best you’ll ever experience, but worth it. Open for lunch and dinner (closed Mondays).

 

Chocolate

For those chocolate lovers out there, you should check out Mutari Chocolate. They opened very recently and are proving themselves a wonderful addition to Santa Cruz. Their hot chocolate (all different kinds, include the super ultra thick sipping chocolate) is so yummy. You can enjoy there, in a great atmosphere, either inside, or outside, with heat lamps if you desire. You can also buy some to bring home, a great gift for your friends who didn’t get to travel with you. http://mutarichocolate.com/
For fresh boxed chocolates, try Mackenzie’s Chocolate on Soquel Ave at Frederick St, or Donnelly’s Chocolate on Mission St. (on the way back from spending a day on the west side visiting beaches, butterflies,  The Seymour Center, or Wilder Ranch).