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Hand to Mouth

Twenty Thousand Leagues Down the Mall: Santa Cruz sidewalkers take a break in front of one of the Jules Vernesque kiosks. After tireless research, painstaking scientific inquiry and utter disregard for convention, we at Metro Santa Cruz have devised our own guidelines for culinary and nutritional success. After all, if the Modern Library can issue a list of the 100 most important novels of the 20th century, surely we are entitled to decree which foodstuffs are crucial to the health, not just of the body, but of the soul. It takes a village to topple a pyramid--but it takes only a gentle Food Handshake to crush a Food Pyramid. We have dispensed with the Pyramid's hierarchical culinary tyranny and rigid triangular shape and substituted an outstretched Hand as the hospitable new symbol of civilized dining. The Handshake offers, on five friendly digits, the five food groups we consider essential: Pizza, Asian, Mexican, Breakfast and Dessert. The Handshake, as its name suggests, is about eating friendly. It's not out to offend anyone; no one finger is more important than any other, and we're certainly not going to get into that discussion of left versus right. The most important meal of the day, breakfast, is designated as the thumb on our Food Handshake. Without opposable thumbs, humanity couldn't have pulled itself out of the primordial ooze, and ditto without breakfast. You can't shake hands without a thumb, can you? Santa Cruz is nothing if not a breakfast town, as you'll see from the rich variety of hash joints listed below. Breakfast should get you through the day until, dizzy and weak from hunger that night, you consult your Food Handshake chart for advice on what to have for dinner. The Food Handshake-method of eating is designed for convenience and mobility. The central fingers of the Handshake--the index, middle and ring finger--stand for Pizza, Asian and Mexican. All three cuisines were selected for their ease of ordering in, getting as take-out or eating on the go. They make excellent leftovers and lend themselves to microwaving or straight-from-the-fridge, late-night noshing. And, the Handshake is multicultural, each finger touching a different corner of the globe. Although we've saved dessert, the pinkie finger of our Handshake, for last, this all-important food group can actually be consumed throughout the day and, in a pinch, can be substituted for any of the other fingers on the Hand. If you've been trying to pacify the Pyramid's rigorous demands, try the Food Handshake method instead. It's egalitarian, wholesome, beneficial to body and mind, and above all, it's easy. Five food groups. Five fingers. One friendly hand. --Tai Moses Pizza Aptos Pizza--Delivers. 7945 Soquel Dr., Aptos (831/688-4030) Big J's--Delivers. 845 Almar Ave., Santa Cruz (831/458-1000) Michael's Pizza--Delivers until 9pm, weekends only at Aptos location. 99 Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, Aptos (831/662-3362) and 1700 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz (831/477-0456) Pacific Avenue Pizza & Grill 1415 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-7492) Pizza Amore 103 Cliff St., Santa Cruz (831/423-2336); 783 Rio Del Mar, Aptos (831/688-1477) Pizza Mania 809 Bay Ave., Capitola (831/464-3755) Pizza My Heart--Delivers until 10pm weekdays, 12:30am weekends. 1116 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/426-2511); The Esplanade, Capitola (831/475-5714) Pleasure Pizza 4000 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz (831/475-4999) Storti's Pizzeria 920 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-8888) Tony & Alba's--Delivers until 9pm. 817 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-8669); 1501 41st Ave., Capitola (831/475-4450) Upper Crust Pizza--Delivers until 1pm weekdays, 11pm weekends. 2415 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/423-9010); 2501 Soquel Dr., Santa Cruz (831/476-2333) Breakfast Aldo's Harbor Restaurant 616 Atlantic Ave., Santa Cruz (831/426-3736) Bea's Koffee Kup Restaurant 1209 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/423-9224) Beach Street Cafe 399 Beach St., Santa Cruz (831/426-7621) Cafe Brasil 1410 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/429-1855) Cliff Cafe 815 41st Ave., Santa Cruz (831/476-1214) Harbor Cafe 535 7th Ave., Santa Cruz (831/475-4948) Linda's Seabreeze Cafe 542 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz (831/427-9713) New Davenport Cash Store Highway 1, Davenport (831/426-4122) Old Sash Mill Cafe 303 Potrero, Santa Cruz (831/426-7392) Paula's Brooklyn Coffee House 3500 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz (831/464-0741) Red Apple Cafe 783 Rio Del Mar Blvd., Aptos (831/685-1224) Saturn Cafe 1230 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/429-8505) The Walnut Avenue Cafe 106 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz (831/457-2307) Whale City Bakery Bar & Grill Highway 1, Davenport (831/423-9803) Wharf House Capitola Wharf, Capitola (831/476-3534) Zachary's 819 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/427-0646) Asian Bangkok West 2505 Cabrillo College Dr., Aptos (831/479-8297) Benten 1541 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-7079) China Station 2301 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/458-9097) China Szechwan 221 Cathcart St., Santa Cruz (831/423-1178) Golden Buddha 4610 Soquel Dr., Soquel (831/479-0788) King Chwan 415 Ocean St., Santa Cruz (831/429-5898) Little Shanghai 1010 Cedar St., Santa Cruz (831/458-2460) Masayuki 427 Capitola Ave., Capitola (831/476-7284) Mei Garden 533 Ocean St., Santa Cruz (831/458-1687) Miyako Sushi Bar 1820 G 41st Ave., Capitola (831/462-5288) Mobo Sushi 105 S. River St., Santa Cruz (831/425-1700) O'Mei 2316 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/425-8458) Pacific Rim Buffet 8035 Soquel Dr., Aptos (831/688-5208) Panda Inn Deer Park Center, Aptos (831/688-8620) Paradise Sushi 200 Monterey Ave., Capitola (831/464-3328) Pink Godzilla 830 41st Ave., Santa Cruz (831/464-2586) Real Thai Kitchen 1632 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz (831/427-2559) Saigon Palace 5600 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley (831/438-6888) Star of Siam 3005 Porter St., Soquel (831/479-0366) Sukeroku 1701 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/426-6660) Sushi Capitola 820 Bay Ave., Capitola (831/462-3387) Szechuan Garden 617 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/423-2574) Takara Japanese Restaurant 1800 Soquel Ave., (831/457-8466) Thai Basil 210 Monterey Ave., #3, Capitola (831/479-8985) Thai House 353 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/458-3546) Westside Thai 2238 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/469-3209) Mexican Cafe Carlos 6016 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley (831/439-8448) Cilantro's 1934 Main St., Watsonville (831/761-2161) Costa Brava 505 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz (831/423-7871) Don Quixote 6275 Hwy 9, Felton (831/335-2800) El Palomar 1336 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-7575) La Mission 1719 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/426-3564) Little Tampico 2605 Main St., Soquel (831/475-4700) Mexico City 5050 Soquel Dr., Soquel (831/464-0739) Planet Fresh 1003 Cedar St., Santa Cruz (831/423-9799) Rancho Grande 1205 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville (831/722-1606) Rosa's Roticeria 493 B Lake Ave., Santa Cruz (831/479-3536) and 1726 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville (831/728-4249) Tacos Morenos 1053 Water St., Santa Cruz (831/429-6095); 303 Beach St., Santa Cruz (831/427-2200) Tampico 822 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/458-2821) Taqueria Santa Cruz 2215 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/423-0606) Taqueria Vallerta 608 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/457-8226); 893 41st Ave., Santa Cruz (831/464-7022) Jalapeno's 206 Laurel St., Santa Cruz (831/457-0159); 1201 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/466-9739) Sofia's Taqueria 140 Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, Aptos (831/688-1417) and 860-41st. Ave., Santa Cruz (831/475-8316) Tortilla Flats 4616 Soquel Dr., Soquel (831/476-1754) Tucson Taqueria 218 Mt. Hermon Rd., Scotts Valley (831/439-8470) Dessert Baskin-Robbins Locations in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Capitola, Aptos and Freedom Double Rainbow 1123 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (831/423-3231) Fosters Old Fashion Freeze 229 Laurel St., Santa Cruz (831/426-2311) Gelato Bar at Riva Fish House 500 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz (831/429-1223) Marianne's Ice Cream 1020 Ocean St., Santa Cruz (831/458-1447) Polar Bear Ice Cream 1224 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz (831/425-5188) Saturn Cafe 1230 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/429-8505) Yogurt Delite 1306 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831/429-6400) [ Santa Cruz | MetroActive Central | Archives ]