July 11, 2025—High expectations aren’t always helpful. They can breed disappointment, even delusion. But when high expectations get met—and might just be blown away—the results can approach revelation. That’s the TLDR version of a recent trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium for an impromptu media
July 11, 2025 – It had been a spell since I’d visited Mentone, so when my new friends Jim and Alison said they hadn’t been, I thought, let’s fix that! We can hit “Little Beach” at Mentone (Sat and Sun only from 12pm until
July 8, 2025—This certain sort of madness, it turns out, proves contagious. And with good reasons. The contagion that is Mad Yolks, which debuted in downtown Santa Cruz in 2023, has expanded to a new neighborhood, with a comfortable space at 830 41st Ave.
July 8, 2025 – Capitola Village will soon be home to a second location of Rexford Wines. The space, located at 309 Capitola Ave, is next to La Marea Pizza & Bakery, which used to be Reef Dog Deli. In one of its many
July 4, 2025—There’s some debate over who popularized the mantra, “Pick one thing and do it well.” There’s little debate whoever says it would love them some Carlitos. Here, on the industrial west side of Market Street in Salinas, the one thing is spicy
July 4, 2025 – You’ve probably seen a barrel or two if you’ve poked your head into a cellar. Some tasting rooms use them as tabletops, and you might even have a lazy Susan made of one. Barrels are phenomenally important vessels in wine
June 27, 2025—The details that flow from a batch of Chai Five Organics prove homespun and worldly, heavenly and devilish, personal and profound, subtle and intense. Also delicious, no honey needed. Here appear five crucial details among them. Detail #1: Naniba and Dada. Santa
June 27, 2025 – A rare day in June blessed attendees of this classy fundraiser held on the South Bluff overlooking the Monterey Bay at Seascape Resort last Sunday. Not a shred of fog, no wind, perfect temperatures, good food, plenty of water stations,
June 27, 2025 – Diversity cannot be eviscerated. Evolution has made that clear. The recently completed 2025 Sunset Wine Competition celebrated diversity of varietals and origins with the top winners, beginning with the Best White, a 2024 Albarino from Brockmeyer Family Wines in Walla Walla, WA. It
June 24, 2025—A hidden gem has been thoroughly polished up, which means it will be that much shinier, and that much harder to hide. Tucked in an easy-to-miss corner of the Custom House Plaza complex, Peter B’s reopens Thursday, June 26, after a $2
