<p>Well, I'll me leaving my hometown, heading for greener pastures of in the East Bay. But being a local, I know all the elite stuff about this town. I wrote up an exhaustive list of some good places to get food for this dude on CalGuns, my home forum on the interwebs. If anyone heading to UCSC wants it, let me know, and I'll either PM it or try to post it here. Its was pretty long and ramble-y. I think I left out Tacos Moreno, which is a common favorite, but all the rest of the good ones are on there.</p>
<p>Or, really, any other random facts about this place, like the best neighborhoods to live, things to do, good bars (though I haven’t had a drink in a few years, so its based on old information :))</p>
<p>I’m not moving to SC…but I frequent it quite often. Could you possibly PM the list? :D</p>
<p>I would be grateful if you can pm me the list also!</p>
<p>PM/post it up…not heading to UCSC either but I love the town and haven’t had great food experiences yet! lol :)</p>
<p>Go luck @ Cal btw!</p>
<p>I’ll be going to UCSC this Fall, so if you could PM me the list as well, I’d appreciate it :)</p>
<p>I’ll try to post exactly from the original PM on the other forum, with a few extras…</p>
<p>Sure, sure. It really depends on what kind of food you like. Hulas is this Hawaiian place downtown, they have some good, hearty stuff. Jack’s burgers is also downtown; while there are other burger places, like Betty Burger, that are newer and arguably more popular, I think Jack’s is still the best. Theres some place near UCSC called “burger.” thats some trendy hipster burger place; I refuse to go there because I hate their stupid name. </p>
<p>Sandwiches, you’ll want to go to Garden Liquor and Deli, this little, secret, hole in the wall place off Soquel Drive by Dominican hospital that has some killer food. Sushi would be Mobo, downtown, or I Love Sushi for a bit cheaper/ less quality, but still pretty good. The wharf has Olitas and Stagnaros… Aptos BBQ in Aptos has amazing BBQ that I recently just discovered. For taquerias, stay away from Vallarta, which seems to draw the uninformed to their terrible burritos and whatnot. Leo’s Taco Bar in Live Oak is good, also Michoacan on Portola Drive, near Twin Lakes beach is good. For sit down Mexican, El Palomar is pretty tops, or Manuel’s out on State Park Dr. in Aptos is really good.</p>
<p>If you are having your own BBQ, make the trip to the Corralitos Meat Market, their homemade sausages and Bloody Mary marinaded tri tip/ skirt steak is unreal, you’ve never tasted better I swear.</p>
<p>For breakfast, Linda’s Seabreeze Cafe, on Seabright, is probably the best. Their weekend eggs Benedict special… my God, its good. Also Hofmanns downtown has both good breakfasts and dinners. Also, Zachary’s downtown has good breakfast. Cafe Brazil, on the Westside, is supposed to be amazing, but I haven’t made it out there yet. For a quick bite, my new favorite place is the little hot dog stand by the U Save liquors on Mission, Gary’s Snappy Dogs. Excellent hot dogs, even some sausages from Corralito’s market. Lets see… The Crepe Place in midtown is pretty good, has a sort of hipster vibe with live music often, Charlie Hong Kong across the street is alright, but can be hit or miss. For thai, Bangkok West in Soquel/ Aptos can’t be beat. Thai orchid on the Westside is also pretty good (Westside/ Mission St. is near UCSC, btw)</p>
<p>I know I’m forgetting some classics… oh, Carpo’s in Capitola is really good, sort of a mish mash of different types of food, burgers, seafood, etc. Nearby, if you’re looking for a fancy meal, Michael’s on Main is excellent. Also, Shadowbrook, in Capitola, probably the nicest restaurant in town. In the Capitola village, Caruso’s is another nice Italian restaurant.</p>
<p>Probably my favorite restaurant is Lillian’s, sort of homestyle Italian food, over near the Crepe place on Soquel Ave. Great food, always a long wait but its worth it.</p>
<p>I couldn’t tell you bars, since I quit drinking, but from when I did 99 bottles downtown is good, also Poet and the Patriot, and the Seabright Brewery.
Ice cream has got to be Marianne’s on Ocean St.</p>
<p>Well, thats a pretty epic list, should have you set for quite awhile. Oh, if you are in the mood for Vegetarian, Dharma’s in Capitola has excellent food, and even though I’m nearly a carnivore (and a massive, fat one at that!) I like going there, since they have so much good flavor. Anyway, any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask.</p>
<p>Oh, avoid Santa Cruz Diner if you want a late night meal, go to Jeffery’s instead, its a bit better as far as greasy 3am diner food is concerned. </p>
<p>I was trying to think about stuff on the Westside thats good, since its close to campus. I think they have a Tacos Moreno up there now, which has delicious quick Mexican. If you like Greek food, Vasili’s on Mission is regarded by many as some of the best in Northern California. The falafel place next door is great for a quick bite. La Mission, also good Mex… I can’t think of any else. Oh, the Parish Publik House, good bar/ pub food over there, and the Santa Cruz Mtn brewery is over there too, excellent microbrews. </p>
<p>Santa Cruz isn’t the most diverse town, but we do have some good food.</p>
<p>Dude. Saturn Cafe. Especially if you’re vegetarian or vegan… It’s a must. Plus it’s open really late. Also, I just tried burger the other day and it was good. Great vegetarian options there, too.</p>
<p>Not that I’m from Santa Cruz, but I live near San Jose, so I go there somewhat often. :)</p>
<p>Yeah, Saturn’s pretty good. I think Dharma’s has a better selection, but they aren’t open late, plus its in Capitola.</p>
<p>Pink Godzilla in Capitola has great sushi.</p>
<p>Well, I wouldn’t call Pink Godzilla “great,” but it sure is a bargain. Much better than, say, Benten downtown. I like Rumble Fish in Scotts Valley, it might even be a bit better than Mobo. But Pink Godzilla is decent, especially for the price.</p>