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"failed fortune cookie writer"
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Review votes:
648 Useful, 621 Funny, and 524 Cool
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Santa Cruz, CA
Yelping SinceJune 2007
Find Me Inmy chicken hat.
My HometownEvanston, IL
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping......I'm thinking about Yelping?
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI have a Master's Degree.
My Second Favorite Websitewww.somafm.com My new music resource for all kinds of streaming goodness
The Last Great Book I ReadThe Alchemist
My First ConcertGrateful Dead
My Favorite MovieSuper Troopers
My Last Meal On EarthSomething prepared by Jackie, or...Sushi
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I'm getting married.
Most Recent DiscoveryI love cheese. (I seem to rediscover this almost daily)
Current CrushMy non-yelping fiance (NYF - formerly NYG).
DateBoulder Creek, CA 95006
(831) 338-7882
Boulder Creek Brewery & Cafe
Categories: Pubs, Breweries, Restaurants
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First of all the park is aptly named. Ocean View is right. If you stroll along the main path, you'll find yourself gazing out across the lower mid-town section of Santa Cruz, complete with stunning views of the ocean and beach boardwalk.
There's a fantastic children's playground, which is not only well maintained but fun as hell, too. The 40ft slides are like something straight out of Raging Waters, without the water of course. Although, man that could be fun. Bring a hose...and wheee!
Seriously though.
This is not a sportsman's/woman's/person's park (ugh, I hate that Santa Cruz has made me more PC). There's only a small half-court basketball area. The park also has a decent sized field, which is great for frisbee, but too small for most other sports like baseball, soccer, and javelin throwing.
Truth is, the field area is mostly a favorite for dog owners, like me. Around 4pm every weekday there's a gathering of neighborhood dogs and their owners, and well behaved pups get let off leash to socialize. 99% of owners pick up after their dogs, but be forewarned, you might be unlucky someday and step in some chocolate surprise. There's rarely trouble, and local cops don't usually ticket people for the off-leashedness. I've heard tales of State Rangers coming through though and ticketing for like $180 bucks. Ouch.
There's no off-street parking here; this is truly a neighborhood residents only kind of park. I think it's a double edged sword. Great for keeping out the riff-raff, but not so great if you're having a get-together at the park--If you plan to have a BBQ you can expect Ocean View Street to fill up, and quickly.
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NOTE: They also now carry Mexican Coca Cola. 5 stars ahoy!
Included on this list was one dish that particularly caught our eye, although I now fail to recall the name. $14 bucks. Definitely share if you come here; you get a lot of food. Here's the gist:
2 Chili Rellenos stuffed with ground turkey, almonds and spices, topped with a walnut sauce
A sweet cheesy crepe topped with rose petal sauce and dried cranberries
Saffron Rice
Beans
Salad
Mexican Coke
All delicious. I love it every time I come here. I stand by my belief that this is the best Mexican restaurant for authentic and innovative cuisine in all of Watsonville.
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1 Previous Review: Hide »
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08/16/2007
One of the better Taquerias in Watsonville.
-1 Star for no Mexican Coca Cola.
Unfortunately, most of the time the wait is quite lengthy. This is why I never come here for lunch; I wind up there for longer than an hour. The inside decor looks like a Mexican Garage Sale imploded and sprayed paraphernalia all over the walls. The tables are thick and hand carved, and the utensils and plates are often mismatched. "Rat Trap" indeed. Also, watch out for the Jukebox. It'll surprise you with some tasty Mexican Ballads. For some strange reason, though, I love all of the experience.
And really, beyond atmosphere, the Food is fantastic. I've never left disappointed. Actually wait. Understatement. I've always left delighted. Maybe a little late to work, but delighted, regardless.Was this review …?
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Japanese "tapas" and Sake Bar is a fabulous concept, but the execution fell short this time through.
The NYF found Sasaya while looking for late night eats in LA, since my flight was arriving pretty late on a Friday night. Sasaya fit the bill, and it really seemed like a good idea to get hot food rather than just typical cold sushi. Don't get me wrong, I love sushi, but there's so much more to Japanese food, and it's something we don't get to enjoy much living up in Santa Cruz.
We arrived around 9:15 PM and the place was pretty busy. This is usually a good sign. We immediately took note of the cool ambiance and eclectic crowd gathered within. The interior was done up nicely; exposed brick walls, tasteful art-moderne mobiles dangled from the ceiling, slightly dimmed lights, and the place just felt...trendy but comfortable at the same time. It definitely felt inviting, even if a bit "too cool" for us.
We were seated promptly and then the trouble began. How about waiting 15+ minutes for someone to bring us water or even contemplate taking our order. By this time, many customers had finished their meals and departed, so I know that "busy" wasn't a valid excuse. We couldn't even flag anyone down. We were literally seconds away from getting up and walking to another restaurant. At the last second, our waiter came by.
We decided to split a bunch of small dishes since I wasn't terribly hungry and the NYF was. Here's how it went down:
Edamame - $3.60
Maguro Nuta (tuna sashimi cubes in green onion ginger miso glaze) - $5.80
Sunomono (cucumber/seaweed salad) - $4.90
Karubi Yaki (korean grilled short ribs) - $8.80
Tsukune (grilled Chicken Meatballs) - $5.20
The food itself was pretty meh. Maguro nuta was a great idea but they drowned it in that honey miso glaze and that was all we could taste. The NYF couldn't stomach more than a bite, so I picked through it and basically ate all of the maguro cubes, which were fresh and delicious by the way. The sunomono was carried off just fine, but then it's hard to mess up seaweed/cucumber salad. Edamame arrived cold, but was seasoned properly. Maybe it's a personal thing, but for almost 4 bucks, I like hot edamame and more than ten pods. Chicken meatballs were bland, although the beef short ribs were decent.
Honestly, nothing really screamed at me OMG, this is the best food...EVAR. It was all pretty...meh. Our tab came out relatively cheap, probably because we only split teeny dishes, and didn't booze it up, but still, $30 later, we both felt pretty disappointed. I don't think we'd come back, but hey, if you're buying the next round of sake, we could probably arrange to drop in.
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Ambiance was pleasant. The high ceilings did make the place feel more large than it was, which may have worked against it on a slow night. On a crowded night, though, it would be a godsend. Our server was pleasant, and somewhat helpful with entree suggestions, although we wound up completely disregarding them when it came time to hunker down and order.
Our food itself was decent. We split an appetizer, two entrees, and some bread. We made sure to try dishes we'd never had before, in the hopes of expanding our tastebud horizons. There was just the right amount of head on the food, and me, being mr. wimpy, was sweating nicely by meal's end. The beef dish we ordered was good but a little on the dry side, and the chicken came out a bit bland, but tender and savory. Nothing was really remarkable, but the meal was good, and we left paying about $30 for the two of us, (we only drank water).
We'd probably come back, but I don't think it's at the top of our list.
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1 Previous Review: Hide »
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05/27/2008
ROTD 06/23/2008
Kitsho's Omakase = OMG-se
Kitsho is quite likely the best sushi I've ever had. Certainly the best Sushi in the south bay, if not the entire bay area. Better still, the chefs will ensure that you leave with a full belly and a (mostly) full wallet, to boot. This is rare indeed given the quality of the sushi offered. You should also note: the interior ambiance is nothing special, but the sushi is so divine, you'll hardly notice.
The first thing I noticed when dining here with the NYF is that we were the only white folks inside. Everyone was either Japanse, or at the very least of an Asian denomination...inclu ding the sushi chefs. AKA, you don't mess with Sensei Sushi Masters. Think of it like going to a taqueria frequented by all latinos, you know you're more likely to have a more "authentic" experience. That said, if you're a fan of American-ized pizza-style super jumbo sushi rolls packed with 209768 ingredients, this is not the place for you. I'd call this a sushi purist's paradise. Come for the fish, the whole fish, and nothing but the fish. The rest is just details. Ooh, how many other pop culture cliches can I toss out here? Just do it!
I've eaten here three times, and each meal was incrementally better than the last. Last night, however, put me over the sushi edge, if that's possible.
INSIDER TIP(s) - Sit at the Sushi Bar. Absolutely do it. Get over your fear that's been plaguing you all this time and just amble up there. Get the Sushi Omakase; if you don't be advised that there's a 3 sushi order per person minimum. But seriously. Omakase. DOOOooo it. This is your conscience speaking....ohhh-maa hhh-kaaah-sayy. If you're new to all these things, the chef even has a SUSHI ENCYCLOPEDIA to reference. We used it heavily. Very impressive. Furthermore, our chef asked what kind of fish we preferred so he could pick the freshest fish for our tastes. Here's a short list of some of the fish we got to try:
Albacore
Baby Hamachi
Baby Enop Squid (seasonal--evidently they only swim up to catching depths at certain times of year)
Barracuda - WOW --YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS ONE--
Butterfish (one fermented in vinegar, one cured in seaweed brine)
CornetFish
File Fish
Hamachi Belly (marbled deliciousness)
Kampachi
Mantis Shrimp
Shima Aji
Toro
It's a damn good thing I live all the way in Santa Cruz, or I'd blow my entire paycheck eating here on a daily basis. I suppose the fact that I have to make a trip over the hill makes it the experience all the more special. What a gem!Was this review …?
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Run Away from this Sushi
Sushi Gives you the Runs
Upon a return visit with the NYF we were served some of the most unfortunately disgusting sushi I've ever had in SC county. Giant 2-3 bite rolls, with hunks of poorly cut -warm- fish. Poor quality ingredients, and their edamame was pre-packaged, cold, overcooked, and kind of a grey-green color. I couldn't very well hand it back and change my mind once I'd received it so I just held my tongue. Needless to say, we took about 2 bites of our food and just kind of looked at each other, dumbfounded. Was this the same restaurant?
Too bad for them there's an outlet for my tongue after the fact. (thanks, yelp!) The only redeeming aspect of our return trip beyond fast/friendly service was the miso, which was pretty damn tasty.
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08/15/2007
First to Review
What a great concept. Fast Food sushi.
The fish is always fresh here, and the sushi I've enjoyed has been delicious and reasonably priced. Part of going out for sushi to me is the actual dining experience, so I rarely get take out sushi. But once in a while, if you've just got a taste but don't feel like waiting or having to leave tip (you cheapskate), Sushi on the Run might be the place for you.
-1 Star: Regrettably, Sushi on the Run has kind of crappy hours and it's hit or miss whether or not you'll actually get food. I tried numerous times before I successfully got sushi'd here.Was this review …?
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Cliff Cafe has the potential to be among the best breakfast joints in Santa Cruz. Certainly in Capitola. One of the best things going for it is the small, cozy atmosphere. Within this little restaurant are about 6 or 7 tables, one server, and a whole lot of deliciousness. Of course, with a sit-down breakfast restaurant this tiny, and food this good, you can expect to be waiting a while on a weekend morning for a seat. That said, my recommendation is to drop your name and then take a stroll down E. Cliff/Pleasure Point and take in the serenity of the SC bluffs.
Once calmness is achieved you can return, ready for breakfast! I highly recommend the pancakes, which are homemade batter, and have a slightly sweet/nutty flavor to them. Extra fluffy! I've subtracted a star because they're pretty pricey and the menu is a bit limited. If they just trimmed the prices a bit and shored up their menu, this would be a real smashing success!
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I'm totally with Amalia K. For some reason I mistakenly thought this was the same as the "Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery". Let me assure you, these two are NOT the same place.
The beer was pretty good, but everything else about the brewery just plain sucked.
This place reminded me of one of those seedy restaurant/bars in a town of 200 off a dirt track road in the middle of South Dakota. Stepping inside, it was like walking into a time warp. The staff all looked like they had some kind of substance abuse problem. Convenient, no? First of all, there were a whopping 4 patrons inside. It felt like we were in some kind of dingy cave, with tons of empty space, ancient video arcade games that probably didn't work, and a general feeling of blight.
The place was vast, with high ceilings stained by roof leaks, and complete with creaking floorboards, ripped up vinyl booths, and a menu that was more depressing than anything else. I ordered a cheap hamburger lunch special and it tasted like a piece of meat-flavored newspaper.
NYF ordered a bbq pulled pork sandwich which was equally disappointing, considering that it wasn't really BBQ -or- pulled pork. She didn't order beer either, so I guess she really got the short end of the deal.
Needless to say, we won't be coming back.