Santa Cruz off-campus dining options for students?

[Gary Soup]

My Stepdaughter is off to UC Santa Cruz today. She is from China and professes to love American food, though she doesn't have highly developed standards since we eat Chinese almost exclusively at home and Asian generally when we go out. She's also adventurous about trying other cuisines.

I'd love to forward her some suggestions on student off-campus favorites. Decent to excellent eats in all cuisines, not excluding Chinese (her standards would be higher for that), but with an emphasis on student budget prices. A collegiate ambience would also be a plus.

Also, is there anything particularly good to look for in the on-campus dining options?

My apologies (and give me a heads up) if there are previous threads on this topic. I couldn't face looking through 33 pages of topics this early in the day!

[Gifted Gourmet]

Gary, I can feel your pain .. searching for Santa Cruz will bring up several pages dedicated to dining in Santa Cruz .. and you will find a number of fine dining options from both Tana Butler, who lives nearby, and from me, whose daughter lives in Santa Cruz ...

But you need something more general and not so very posh, I presume from your post so ...check out these two major links to dining in SC:

Good Times list of Santa Cruz food options

Metroactive Dining Guide for Santa Cruz

perfect for UCSC students: Gelatomania!

These have a lot of options which students will enjoy ... main search on eG for SC dining ..

threads from eG on Santa Cruz food

[bekkiz]

I'm a former banana slug myself, so I have a couple of ideas

1) A really, really great chinese place called O'Mei . It's on mission, near the safeway (across the street and down a bit). It's a little pricy, and not really what you'd find in a "normal" chnese place, but absolutly fantastic. One of my favorites in SC

2. Saturn Cafe is a staple, it's downtown, at the beach end near Kinko's. Pretty typical "santa cruz hippie fare," but with a killer tuna melt and fantastic ice cream creations

3. Great sandwiches at Zoccoli's deli in downtown

4. Pizza my heart, cheap, good and close to the downtown bus station

5. If you're ever down there and want a nice meaty, american dinner, I like Hindquarter's (HQ for short) on Soquel between ocean and downtown

6. Maryanne's on ocean, awesome ice cream, plus you can pick it up at most of the local markets and farell's donuts (near the safeway, which is where the "shopper's shuttle on campus will drop the students off)

[Gifted Gourmet]

O'Mei is actually quite pricey for a student, whereas perhaps a better place might be the new and stunning, but reasonable, Red Lantern Asian Cuisine, 1001 Center Street (831-429-5082). Just returned from SC and had great meals at this place on every visit!

Other places which I found good but reasonable were Restorante Italiano on Soquel Avenue near Ocean Street and The Crepe Place, also on Soquel Avenue.

[Gary Soup]

I'm a former banana slug myself, so I have a couple of ideas

1) A really, really great chinese place called O'Mei . It's on mission, near the safeway (across the street and down a bit). It's a little pricy, and not really what you'd find in a "normal" chnese place, but absolutly fantastic. One of my favorites in SC

I've actually got O Mei in my sights for a future visit when I can partake, too. I've heard good things about it, but have never been able to determine if it is the same O Mei that was in Berkeley (Albany?) on Solano Avenue ca. 1969. It was the first good Sichuanese and maybe the first quality non-Cantonese Chinese restaurant in the Bay Area, as far as I know. (I still can't forget my first experiencing "Strange Taste Chicken!")

Edited September 19, 2004 by Gary Soup (log)

[tanabutler]

Sometimes the wait staff at Saturn is overly pierced, with visible armpit hair (on either gender), and tattooed within an inch of their lives. If you don't mind a waitress with a barbell in her nose, then you are less squeamish than I am. It is the quintessential hippie student hang-out, though, and they serve late. One often smells the vestiges of clove cigarette smoke in the air, and the patchouli factor is undeniable. (Ah, youth.)

O'mei and Hindquarter are not in a student's budget, for the most part. Even Gelatomania is expensive (the gelato, that is--they don't have prices on their menu items).

DOWNTOWN

I have liked the food at Asian Rose for years, and it's cheap--good bang for the buck. (It's downtown next to Oswald, which is one of the best restaurants in town.) I haven't eaten there, but Planet Fresh is always packed. Zoccoli's Deli on the Pacific Garden Mall is really good stuff. Zachary's is a hot spot for a generous breakfast on the weekends. Walnut Street Café is always packed, but I am just not that fond of it. The fruit is always hard, and clearly not local and fresh.

The Bagelry (downtown and Capitola) serves more than just bagels, and I frequently take my teenager there. Their soups are especially aromatic and fresh.

FARTHER AFIELD

Charlie Hong Kong, in Seabright, is cheap and plentiful, and I think perhaps organic. Think giant servings of noodles ("Asian street food"). Also in Seabright is Parwana, which is Afghani food. Very tasty and fairly cheap. (Less tasty, but cheap and filling is the food at Sri, on Water Street just up from Ocean.)

Rosa's, at the harbor, has generous portions of Caribbean and Mexican food, and it's well-priced. Great casual atmosphere and view.

Burritos are best at Tacqueria Vallarta and Tacos Moreno. Out in Aptos, Sophia's has huge and good burritos.

Avoid Tony & Alba's like the plague. They are ridiculously overpriced ($26 for a pesto pizza!). I am absolutely convinced that they stuff the ballot boxes when voting for "Best of Santa Cruz" comes around each year at the Good Times.

Engfer Pizza Works comes highly recommended (they're in Seabright), though I haven't tried them yet. Eric's Deli Cafes are fairly cheap, and the food is good across the board. They started locally and went big. Things don't have that industrial restaurant taste to them, and the soups are fresh.

ASIAN CUISINE

Sushi I do know: Shogun is the best in the county. Mobo is cheaper and has variations, and is usually packed. Pink Godzilla, I hate to say, is not as good when the chef-owner is not there, and can get brayingly loud in the tatami rooms. It's the classic beach-party atmosphere (in Capitola on 41st). Takara is decent.

I ought to be better versed in Thai and Chinese but only have halting recommendations.

For Thai, on the west side is Sabieng, but it's not super cheap. There's a Thai place in Soquel, Star of Siam, that is (in my book) pretty dreadful. It's Bob's X's idea of a glistening spot, which is all I need to know. (Yes, we've been there. Mediocre Thai, mediocre sushi.) Last few times we went to Bangkok House in Aptos, we liked it very much but I hesitate to make that a recommendation since it's been so long since we were there.

Most of the Chinese places we go are out in our direction. We just tried a new one this week, and loved it (China Little House). I don't know many on the West side, unfortunately, and it's not likely your daughter will be driving ten miles to get decent Chinese. I will not go again to China Szechuan, which is on Cathcart Street downtown. We do like Chinese Village (near the Capitola Mall). We also like King Chuan, though haven't been there in some years. It's on Ocean Street.

Lastly, Cafe Brazil is a big student hang-out, but is closed temporarily due to a remodel. I believe they will reopen in October.

Finally, why not buy the Entertainment coupon book, and use coupons? You can check out the books (I always get one) at Entertainment.com, and use 95060 as the zip code. Also, the Good Times and Metro usually have lots of coupons for dining out in their weekly issues.

Gary, if you go to Omei, the basil eggplant is so wonderful that I had to teach myself to make it.

[tanabutler]

Forgot to add: avoid Mayflower Chinese on Clare's Street. Godawful.

[ExtraMSG]

I am also a former banana slug. We mostly lived on pizza off-campus. Pizza My Heart is very good and they'll put on a show by tossing the pizza by hand, which is always fun for someone unaccustomed. She's quite lucky food-wise at UC Santa Cruz. Sure, off-campus she won't have the options of nearby San Francisco, but UC Santa Cruz makes some good on-campus food. My dorm food (Crown College) was much better than any of my friends' dorm food at other universities. Steak night made me an omnivore again. Also, when I was there, there was a free shuttle to the Berkeley campus we'd take occasionally. Lots of great food in Berkeley. It's been too long and I haven't eaten enough in Santa Cruz since college to make very many recs now, though.

[tanabutler]

She will also likely be shopping at the various stores for things like vegetarian rotis with curry and stuff like that (wraps, etc.). New Leaf and the Food Bin are good bets. And the farmers' markets, too. Six days a week in Santa Cruz county: there's one on the west side on Friday afternoons that is supposed to be great, and the big one downtown on Wednesday afternoons. (It's another patchouli fest, swarming with Green Peacers who want to know if you're registered to vote..."Yes, since you were a fetus. Get out of my way, please, I need to get my basil!")

She should do well at those places, Gary.

(Edit to correct typo.)

Edited September 20, 2004 by tanabutler (log)

[Busboy]

The Santa Cruz farmer's market (Wednesdays?) offers amazing produce and bread. It is my understanding that many of the Farmers there also sell to the top San Francisco restaurants -you can get the same plums as the foragers find for Chez Panisse. I don't know how long the growing season is there (long, I hear) but stocking the dorm with truly extraordinary fruit (my wife and I still talk about the white nectarines, I almost wrecked my car on I-5 because the taste was so amazing I closed my eyes) can't hurt, and a fine loaf of bread and some salad greens are half-way to a home-cooked meal.

Edited to note that Tana beat me to the punch on this, but that she's so jaded from living out there she doesn't bother to point out how great the stuff is.

Edited September 20, 2004 by Busboy (log)

[tsquare]

Another slug alum.

Gayle's Bakery (and more!) in Capitola. Oh yes, please.

[tanabutler]

Another slug alum.

Gayle's Bakery (and more!) in Capitola. Oh yes, please.

←

My daughter just got her first job...at Gayle's! (She is super-thrilled. What a great place. But on the student budget, not cheap. Still, it's a local treasure.)

Busboy, I spend so much time yakking about how great the local produce is, the Santa Cruz Tourist and Visitors Bureau should pay me a stipend. It IS absolutely Eden here. With 78+ organic farms (for a population of only 250K), we lead the state in organic produce. A distant second (with a population of 850K) is Fresno County, and they only have 63 organic farms.

Boy, one of the great deals of the world is at the Saturday market at Cabrillo. There is a bakery offering foccacia stuffed with tomatoes and melted cheese for $2. I tell you what.

[saulbass]

I'd say the best values in Santa Cruz (aside from Omei which although a little more expensive i would still consider a great value) are:

Mexican Food - Cant believe no one mentioned this yet: Try Tacos Morenos (on Water Street), Tacqueria Vallerta (on Either Pacific, Soquel (midtown) or 41st Ave), Costa Brava (not the one downtown but the large stand at Seabright and Murray?), I'm not a big fan of Tacqueria Santa Cruz but it is worth a shot (Either Soquel or Mission)

Breakfast: Zacharys, Linda's Seabreeze Cafe, Silver Spur, Aldos

Other: Zoccolis, The Crepe Place, Pleasure Pizza

A little different: India Joze, Darma's

Edited September 21, 2004 by saulbass (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

breakfast in Santa Cruz is pure pleasure! Yes, yes, yes to Zachary's! and an equally delicious yes to breakfast at Walnut Avenue Cafe!

If you don't believe me, just take a look at this

as for tanabutler's comment:one of the great deals of the world is at the Saturday market at Cabrillo amen! It is to die for! I met my first Meyer lemons at Cabrillo!

[tanabutler]

I'd say the best values in Santa Cruz (aside from Omei which although a little more expensive i would still consider a great value) are:

Mexican Food - Cant believe no one mentioned this yet: Try Tacos Morenos (on Water Street), Tacqueria Vallerta (on Either Pacific, Soquel (midtown) or 41st Ave), Costa Brava (not the one downtown but the large stand at Seabright and Murray?), I'm not a big fan of Tacqueria Santa Cruz but it is worth a shot (Either Soquel or Mission)

Breakfast: Zacharys, Linda's Seabreeze Cafe, Silver Spur, Aldos

Other: Zoccolis, The Crepe Place, Pleasure Pizza

A little different: India Joze, Darma's

←

India Joze closed years ago. Dharma's (on Capitola Road off 41st) is vegetarian (nothing wrong with that, just giving Gary some information).

Zoccoli's Pasta House closed, but the deli downtown is going strong. Pleasure Pizza is great, but on the pricier side. The Crepe Place, I think, is a little tired but maybe I'm just over crepes.

I noted Tacos Moreno and Tacqueria Vallarta both in my prior post. Also, in Aptos, Sophia (it's at the shopping center with the Safeway and movie theaters).

I really can't join in about Walnut Street Cafe being good. Hard fruit is such a turn-off, and they serve it consistently. Silver Spur is just about perfect, but you will wait in line. And they're closed on Sundays. Linda's Seabreeze Cafe is also another perfect breakfast, and the wait is justified.

[saulbass]

Sorry for the out of date information and for missing your Moreno/Vallerta recs in your prior posts. I grew up in Santa Cruz but have not been there for any great length of time since 1995 - although i do make it back 5-6 times a year including this coming weekend.

I would also add 99 Bottles downtown - Seems to have a good student atmosphere and Good bar type food (kris-cut fries etc) and potentialy Seabright brewery as well