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Photograph by Carlie Statsky
Automation Nation: Wurlitzers, like this specimen at the Red Room, ushered in an era of coin-operated music madness.
Five for A Buck
Whatever happened to the jukebox?
By Curtis Cartier
Drop a coin, hear a song. It's a simple concept that, 80 years ago, revolutionized both the music industry and the tavern. In its heyday the jukebox, whether a classic neon-bubbling Wurlitzer or a space-age Rowe/AMI NightStar downloader, could be found in nearly every drinking establishment in the country, if not the world. For patrons, the jukebox delivered cheap and instant entertainment, which, as anyone who's had a couple of beers will tell you, is exactly how they like it. For bar owners it kept customers occupied and added some extra cash from the 25 cents to $1 shelled out per song. And for musicians and record companies, the jukebox paid royalties and exposed music to the same crowd that's prone to buying concert tickets and albums.
But like any American institution, the jukebox was more than the sum of its discs. It was also a peek inside the soul of a bar and represented the people who gladly spent their hard-earned dollars on the same Van Morrison song and the same Wild Turkey and Coke day in and day out. The musical assortment in every bar jukebox was as unique as a fingerprint. It told you, "This is where you are, and this is how we party."
But the Internet age turned the jukebox's couple hundred song choices into a couple hundred thousand. And it also sounded a death knell for the iconic self-contained original so deftly activated by the fist of the Fonz.
In Santa Cruz County, only five bars have kept their jukeboxes off the web, and only one still plays vinyl. All five, however, are fiercely defended by a contingent of loyal listeners who cling to the past like others cling to guns and religion as they fight against the death of the jukebox.
Quarters for the Past
The 1976 Rowe/AMI vinyl jukebox stands in the same place it always has inside the SeaBreeze Tavern on the Aptos waterfront. Its 200 songs on 100 records range from Dean Martin's "Memories Are Made of This" to Jimmy Buffet's "Margaritaville." And for owner Sarah Unger, the old machine represents everything she's tried to preserve since she reopened the historic old bar last year.
"We don't want a fancy Internet jukebox in a place like this," says Unger. "We want to preserve what this bar was like in its heyday. I mean, look around you!"
She's right, of course. With its stained glass chandeliers, pinup girl posters and classic painted wooden stools, it's hard to imagine anything inside the SeaBreeze that includes an Ethernet cable or a satellite relay. Her conception of the bar as a "1970s time capsule" takes vivid life when the mechanized arm of the machine snatches a waxy disc from the rotating wheel of 45-inch records and a familiar burst of needle static kicks off "Jailhouse Rock" or "Moondance."
"People come from all over and ask about the jukebox," says Unger. "It's just one more way for me to keep the nostalgia alive and remind people of where we came from."
Red All Over
Ask anyone to describe their favorite jukebox, and chances are they'll mention the neon lights and bubble tubes of the timeless Wurlitzer 1015. In downtown Santa Cruz, the Red Room and its upstairs and upscale cousin, the Red, have two of these gems. And while these 1980s-era German-made machines have traded records for CDs, the songs inside are a handpicked cross-section as diverse as the crowd that feeds it quarters.
"It's a classic. We put up with its occasional malfunctions, and it goes down every now and then, and honestly, sometimes I think I'm going to smash the stupid thing, but we'd never think of getting rid of it," says Red Room bartender Corinne Ready. "The music selection tries to reflect the people who work here and the people who come in."
David Humphrey of Soquel is one of those people, and while he thrusts in coins and selects a hefty helping of rockabilly, he explains that the limitations of older jukeboxes are part of what makes them so special.
"Every song in this thing was picked by someone who has spent a lot of time in here and cares about the place," he says. "With Internet jukeboxes, any idiot can walk in and jam J-Lo while everyone else watches their brain cells die horrible deaths. This bar caters to a certain scene, and this music is for them."
But it's not just the black-bandanna-sporting hipsters at the Red Room that are willing to throw down over their Wurlitzers. Keeping the jukebox low-tech is a championed cause of the same crowd that likes its convertibles to be Cadillacs and its beers to be Schlitz. For blue-collar regulars like Hazel Haze at The Over The Hill Gang Saloon or Larry Lee at Ye Olde Watering Hole, the jukebox is a sacred convention that an Internet connection would only taint.
"I like my Neal Diamond and my Bruce Springsteen, and I know just where to find 'em," says the white-haired, chain-smoking Haze. "I'd certainly love it if someone would ask me to dance, but if they don't, well, I'll still put on the Boss and I'll dance anyway."
It's here, in the dimly lit dive bars where beers are still $2 and advice is still free, that "newfangled technology," as Haze calls it, is most unwelcome. The Rowe/AMI at Ye Olde Watering Hole on Mission Street can barely get though a single track from one of its 200 CDs without skipping. But for patrons who know their favorite songs not as "Stairway to Heaven" or "Hotel California" but as "B-24" or "C-19," to upgrade to digital would be an assault on their musical sensibilities.
"We don't need no Internet with our jukebox," says Lee over a weekday afternoon cocktail. "We've got rock, surf music, oldies. We've got lots of unique music that shows we're in Santa Cruz, and don't you forget it."
Dollars for the Future
While the slow death of the classic jukebox may be at hand, its web-connected brethren are alive and well, and in the last five years, the digital jukebox has become the most popular coin-operated machine in America. Wurlitzer General Manager Doug Skor allows a hint of sadness to creep into his voice when he talks about the shift toward digital. But he also says no business that plans on making any money can afford to watch technology pass it by. Today the same bubbling classic inside the Red Room has been re-created in every way besides a touch screen downloading browser occupying the space where once was a rotating CD changer or record player.
"The shift to digital started well over 10 years ago, and over a time it became a mandate," says Skor from Wurlitzer headquarters outside Chicago. "It's more convenient to operate, it produces greater revenue and it offers customers more choices. After all, that's what the jukebox was all about anyway."
Choices are exactly what Lizzy Smith of Santa Cruz expects when she shoves $5 into the Asti's Internet jukebox and shuffles between Iron Maiden and NOFX. For Smith, like the majority of today's bar-goers, it's her taste in music, not anyone else's, that's worth her shiny quarters.
"If I'm going to pay to hear a song, it better be exactly what I want to hear," she says. "Just because whoever owns the place is into Motown hits and solid gold oldies, doesn't mean that's what I should be forced to listen to."
But if bars and pubs are no longer a welcome haven for classic jukeboxes, home basements and game rooms have never been more popular. Skor said the majority of old-style jukeboxes, especially antiques, are being bought by the same people who buy pinball machines and build "media rooms." Skor is also quick to remind that the concept of pay-for-play entertainment is safe as long as Americans keep their attention spans short.
"Downloading is definitely the future for jukeboxes," says Skor. "But in the future it may not be just music. It could be videos, it could be shopping. The jukebox could turn into a POS system for anything you can do with a computer. It's an exciting time for the jukebox, even if some of the classics might be lost. Sometimes, though, you just have to move on."
Photograph by Carlie Statsky
Absinthe-Minded: David Pierce pours out an absinthe at the Crepe Place while Emily Zimmel looks on.
The New Booze Revue
What's hot behind the bar
By Jessica Lussenhop
As reliable as an astrological sign, the spirit one imbibes can speak volumes about a person. Traditionalist, fashionista, ironic, independent or alcoholic, there's never a shortage of ways to carouse until you've lost your wallet and wandered home with some butter face. We asked some local suds slingers to talk about what's new, and what's so old it's new.
Nuvo
From the makers of Hpnotiq comes another blasphemous mix of boozes to tuck your baby mama in with--Nuvo bills itself as the "first sparkling liquor" and is decisively for women and the men who wish they were. "It's definitely for the sweeter taste buds. And it is pink," says Brandon Roberts, day manager and bartender at Clouds Downtown--not to mention the fact that the bottle looks like the boozy love child of a lipstick tube and an eau de toilet. Nuvo is a vodka-based fusion of fruit flavor, chardonnay, pinot noir and sprinkle of CO2, and in its 200-ml size, looks like a very pricey answer to a man's premium bottled beer. The fizz adds a nice pop to the juicy grapefruit and pomegranate flavor, but this ain't no brut--drinkers must have a very serious sweet tooth. Roberts recommends sipping it on the rocks in a champagne flute, but will also splash it over the top of more traditional cocktails, like a lemon drop--"I would venture to say in any of the more sour cocktails, or in a Cosmo without the triple sec," he says. "Just because it's so sweet, having it as an additive would be my suggestion." Clouds premiered the blushing booze at its fashion show a couple weeks ago to some success. Also, come November, keep your eye out for the Clouds holiday infusion, akin to last year's bourbon-based "warm apple pie."
Clouds Downtown is at 110 Church St., Santa Cruz; 831.429.2000.
Zwack
If the word Zwack feels good in your mouth, the booze has got to feel even better, right? That's what the Hungarians figure, anyway, with their first U.S. offering of this sharp herbal spirit, which overseas is known by the slightly less snappy and slightly more sexual moniker Unicum. Many people who've boozed their way through Europe will have at one point or another been talked into slamming a few shots of this dark elixir, described as a mix between Jaegermeister and Fernet, with a 40-herb recipe that dates back to 1790. Though it was once the favored tipple of emperors and dukes, today its clientele are selected on a less discerning basis. "I think people just see the bottle--it's a very distinctive, cool-looking bottle with a red cross on it," says Blane Bowman, bartender at Red Room. Though some websites recommend serving it with energy drinks and the like, Bowman admonishes, "No, it's not that kind of an alcohol." Drinkers are advised to grow a pair and zwack it down in shots. Zwack hit the scene just in the last couple weeks at Red Room and the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, and at Verve Lounge in Aptos.
Red Room is at 1003 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, 831. 426.2994; Verve Lounge is at 7941 Soquel Dr., Aptos, 831.662.2247.
Absinthe
As the legalization and distribution of absinthe in the United States marks its first anniversary, there is no better way to celebrate than to take a lesson from Nick Gyorkos, absinthe-aficionado and bartender at the Crepe Place, where customers can peruse all the absinthes currently available in town. Just last week the 10th arrived, La Fée, Gyorkos' favorite--well, that or the La Muse Verte, he's torn--which he prepares traditionally, by pouring the green mouthwash-colored liquor into a snifter and slowly dripping cold water from a glass apparatus through a sugar cube. Contrary to popular belief, Gyorkos says lighting the sugar on fire is not really traditional or necessary. However, he says, "I'll light it on fire every now and then. It fills the room with the smell of absinthe." Depending on your World War II-inspired loyalties, drinkers may opt for the more labor-intensive German method, which, while difficult to describe, involves fire and some fancy glass handling, after which the patron sips the absinthe fumes from an upside down snifter. As the water and sugar add to the absinthe, the clear green suddenly fogs up or "louches"--each does so in a slightly different color. La Fée turns an almost luminescent, misty and very Halloween-appropriate green. However, Gyorkos, who first tried the wormwood-based spirit when he made it himself with a friend in college and has had it available to him long before it was ever legal, prefers to drink it straight up. He offers these handy tasting notes:
Pernod--a more traditional absinthe, or as traditional as one can get with the original recipes destroyed 100 years ago, and high-proof
Kübler--a white, Suisse absinthe, more candylike and very reminiscent of Good & Plenty
Lucid--a harder edged, French absinthe
La Fée--"It's just perfect," says Gyorkos.
Le Tourment Vert--a blue absinthe with more mint and slightly less anise
St. George--a California absinthe from Alameda, with a wealth of extra herbs added including basil, stinging nettles and tarragon
Grande Absente--another high-proof absinthe, with a sweeter taste
La Muse Verte--an all-natural, unfiltered, high-proof absinthe
Obsello--a Spanish variety, with a very traditional flavor, smooth and crisp with less alcohol, perhaps more of a beginner's absinthe
(the 10th drink is a Brazilian absinthe that's been discontinued, so the bottle is mostly for show)
Though there are many types and ways to drink it, all absinthes taste strongly of anise, and Gyorkos says that despite the nuances, "You either like it or you don't." Tuesday nights are absinthe night at the Crepe Place, when this sometimes pricey green treat goes on special.
The Crepe Place is at 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 831.429.6994.
Photograph by Curtis Cartier
KAMMIO: Jonathan Schneiderman, a.k.a. KAMM, spins at the Crepe Place.
Burning Midnight Wax
Five spectacular Santa Cruz DJs
By Curtis Cartier
Whoever controls the music controls the party. And anyone who's heard a record skip and seen dancers flee the floor like cockroaches when the light comes on knows that a quality DJ is a must for any party where booty-shaking is allowed. Santa Cruz may not have multilevel dance clubs with velvet rope entries and 8am closing times, but when it comes to disc jockeys, these five wax burners know that a party is only as good as the DJ in the booth.
DJ AD
There is perhaps no DJ in Santa Cruz who puts more asses on the dance floor than DJ AD. The 10-year queen of Club Dakota (R.I.P.) and resident DJ at the Red and Coaster's has the moves when it comes to no-frills, crowd-pleasing fun. The full-time DJ and self-proclaimed hustler is open for business and plays everywhere from the hottest bars to the coolest bar mitzvahs, and it's her range in styles and adaptability that put her on this year's list. "For me, I totally respect all the DJs who can scratch and do all that," she says. "But I'm all about the crowd. All I'm here to do is make sure they're having a good time."
KAMM
As not only a staple DJ on the local lounge circuit but also the owner of Metamusic record store on Cedar Street, Jonathan Schneiderman, a.k.a. KAMM, is instrumental in promoting DJs and their craft in Santa Cruz. Supplying records and equipment and dispensing knowledge from behind his register, Schneiderman is the Yoda of the local DJ Jedi Order. While he prefers to lay down electronica icons like Trentemøller or Andars Ilar, he still spins indie rock at the Crepe Place and funk at Brookdale Inn & Spa on the regular. "I think electronic music is definitely growing in Santa Cruz," he says. "It's still mostly underground, though. It'll take some time for people here to adjust."
187 Soundsystem
If you've ever rushed to stand in a doorway or hide under a desk, convinced that the next big earthquake has hit, chances are it was only Damian Ashton, a.k.a. 187 Soundsystem, dropping bass-thundering Dubstep from his subterranean lair. The intelligent and articulate subjunkie doubles as a local substitute teacher, but it's not just the classroom where he drops his knowledge. Cutting up records at Cafe Mare, the Vets Hall and countless underground parties, 187 Soundsystem is never more than 300 yards from a set of turntables. "My job as a DJ is symbiotic with the crowd," he says. "I want to take them on a journey but I also want to give them what they want. I want to drop what they want to hear before they know they want to hear it."
Little John
WHAT! OK! No, not Lil' John, the dreadlocked Tourette's syndrome sufferer Dave Chappelle loves so much. Santa Cruz's own Little John has been cutting up the ones and twos since 1995--long before the word "Crunk" was ever invented. With a penchant for acid house and breakbeats and a regular spot at Cypress and Giza Hookah Lounge, Johnny Boy also has a finger in almost every underground party pie in town. He says while there "isn't really a club scene in Santa Cruz," he's still ready to make kids dance wherever they are. "I see a lot of crossover music really taking hold here," he says. "It's the Daft Punk-esque sound from guys like Justice mixing rock and electronica that the Santa Cruz kids seem to get into the most."
DJ EKO
If Erica Olsen's parents had given her a drum she might have only been a drummer. Instead, Olsen picked up turntables, and after mastering the wheels of steel she later got into the Brazilian drumming that now shapes her DJ sets at Cafe Mare and the Red. The constantly smiling party queen says it's her love of dancing that keeps her at the clubs and parties. And with an extensive library spanning nearly every genre, EKO follows the Scouts' motto when it comes to DJing: be prepared. "Being a DJ has helped me get through chaotic times and emotions by letting me connect with people through music," she says. "Music is the universal language, and at the party I get to do the talking!"
Photograph by Carlie Statsky
Roger That: The Ginger Rogers at Vida is a tall cool drink of sass.
Destination Cocktails
Drinks we'd walk a mile in high heels for
Ginger Rogers
Here's what it is: ginger-infused vodka, lemon, mint, ginger ale
Here's what we thought: Sparkling with bubbles, effervescent energy and the irresistible spiciness of ginger, this long, tall cocktail has everything to like. Like its vivacious namesake--the feisty blonde dancer/actress whose maribou-hemmed gowns kept perfect time with Fred Astaire's black tux--this cocktail exudes cheerful spirits. Part of that is definitely due to the universal pleasure of ginger, here infusing not only the vodka, but also present in the form of ginger ale. The durable soft drink continues to delight drinkers, not just because of its uncloying flavor, but also because there's a distinct jungle undertone in the taste hot bite of ginger, something suggesting the wild and untamed. Another tone adding depth to this cocktail is the crush of fresh mint, always a clean, zestful, spritzy flavor. These are highly desireable properties in a cocktail, very much like acidity and minerality are in wine. The ginger and mint combo makes this a cocktail that delivers delight, yet never hammers the palate, as for example many a rum cocktail might. Nor does it require that you enter a contemplative mode and chew every sip, like, say a classic gin martini might. No, siree. This one is made to sip while flirting madly with the guy sitting next to you, or to sip while listening to your girlfriend's adventures driving over Highway 17. (Christina Waters)
South of the Cosmos
Here's what it is: Mandarin Absolut vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, pomegranate juice
Here's the experience: Elegant, sensuous and sophisticated, this is the enlightened variation of the durable Cosmopolitan. Served in a martini goblet, this is the brazen, pomegranate-hued sister to everybody's favorite cocktail of the '90s. Updated with designer vodka--in this case haunted by Mandarin orange--and Cointreau, this is easy-sipping that also rewards a bit of deconstruction. Absolut, by the way, conveniently infuses a dozen of its crystalline vodkas with fruit flavor variations. Absolut Mandarin has been infused by primarily Mandarin and orange citrus notes. Cointreau, that versatile liqueur made from a distillation of sweet and sour oranges, is the required secret of everything from a true Margarita to a complex Big Dipper. A brand name for Triple Sec, Cointreau is one of the primal infrastructure elements of high spirits and the South of the Cosmos takes full advantage of its unbeatable orange depths. The lime juice pushes back any softness from the Cointreau and the pomegranate juice adds vibrant flavor--and soft-core color. Almost sinfully easy to drink, this is a creation that rewards slow sipping. It actually unfolds into new flavor elements as it opens, oxidates and moves upward in temperature. Can your Cosmopolitan do that? (CW)
The Classic Mojito
Here's what it is: White rum, fresh limes, sugar cane syrup, fresh mint, sparkling water
Here's the result: If you think this breathtakingly tart, crisp cocktail is no longer hot, you need to pull up a stool and drink deeply. Watching Marisa at Hula's tamp down a fistful of fresh mint leaves into a bed of ice, add cane syrup, more ice, squeeze in lime after lime, add rum and then shake, shake, shake, we quickly got the point that the rum-scented, mint-infused drink of the Caribbean is one of those labor-intensive, artisanal miracles. Your mixologist needs serious technique, strength and flair to pull off a mojito that blows away stereotypes (and clear away cobwebs). But in the right hands, this can and should be a destination ride. Ask for your mojito "not too sweet" and watch the bartender smile. Sugar is for sissies. The mojito cries out to be tart and astringent. The haunting, signature flavor of the rum makes perfect love to the mint--it's a brilliant match-up. Correctly made, the classic mojito actually refreshes your mind, body and palate. None of that cloying finish, as in, e.g., a White Russian or Pink Cadillac. Always dialed to the exact perfect flavor pitch, somewhere between bracing and cooling, the mojito lets you take your time. What is it about rum? I don't know--it sells itself. But whatever it is, you'll find yourself unapologetically slurping the very last drops of this world-class cocktail. (CW)
The Dr. Funk
Here's what it is: Coconut rum, vodka, crème de banana, pineapple juice, orange juice
Why we never skip our appointments: All right, let's get the cards on the table. Anyone who's ever delivered a drink with an umbrella in it to a tableful of sunburned tourists cannot, shall not, will not order a piña colada in public, never mind that it's one of the most delicious things ever invented. That combination of coconut and pineapple was sent from heaven by a benevolent god who wants us all to roll around in the sand with someone nice. But the Dr. Funk at Hula's--that's permitted. A potent mix of coconut rum and vodka lays down the base; crème de banana liqueur and pineapple juice complete the tropical wallop, while orange juice rounds out the flavor profile. My, but these go down easy, and it's hard to resist succumbing to the pleasure of kitsch when your tasty little booze bomb is served in a fetching ceramic vessel engraved with a scary-looking tiki face. It's all fun and games at first, but watch out for this Doctor--he's tougher than he looks. (Traci Hukill)
Photograph by Carlie Statsky
Dance Fever: Patrons at the Blue Lagoon shake a leg.
Lounges, Groggeries And Speakeasies
A compendium of Santa Cruz drinking establishments, listed by neighborhood
Downtown and Central Santa Cruz
99 Bottles of Beer On the Wall
110 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.459.9999
515 Kitchen and Cocktails
515 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. 831.425.5051
Acapulco
1116 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.426.7588
Aqua Bleu
1108 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.423.6999
The Asti
715 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.423.7337
The Avenue
11 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.426.3434
Blue Lagoon
923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.423.7117
Bocci's Cellar
140 Encinal St., Santa Cruz. 831.427.1795
Cafe Limelight
1016 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. 831.425.7873
Caffe Lucio
381 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.427.0164
Cafe Mare
740 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831.458.1212
Callahan's
507 Water St., Santa Cruz. 831.427.3119
Catalyst
1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.423.1338
St., Santa Cruz. 831.427.3119
Center Street Grill
1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. 831.423.4745
Clouds Downtown
110 Church St., Santa Cruz. 831.429.2000
Cypress Lounge
120 Union St., Santa Cruz. 831.459.9876
El Palomar
1336 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.425.7575
Fusion
110 Pearl Alley, Santa Cruz. 831.429.8070
Hindquarter Bar and Grill
303 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.426.7770
Hula's Island Grille and Tiki Room
221 Cathcart St., Santa Cruz. 831.426.4852
I Love Sushi
516 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831.421.0706
Jury Room
712 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. 831.426.7120
Kianti's
1100 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.469.4400
Kuumbwa Jazz Center
320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. 831.427.2227
Poet and Patriot
320 Cedar St. #E, Santa Cruz. 831.426.8620
Red Restaurant and Bar
200 Locust St. (upstairs from the Red Room),
Santa Cruz. 831.425.1913
Red Room
1003 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. 831.426.2994
Rosie McCann's
1220 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.426.9930
The Rush Inn
113 Knight St., Santa Cruz. 831.425.9673
Soif
105 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.423.2020
Surf City Billiards
931 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.423.7665
Tampico
822 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.458.2821
Vida Lounge
1222 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz 831.425.7871
Wharf and Boardwalk, Santa Cruz
Carniglia's Seafood49A Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz. 831.458.3600
Gilbert's Seafood Grill
460 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz. 831.423.5200
Ideal Bar and Grill
106 Beach St., Santa Cruz. 831.423.5271
The Miramar
45 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz. 831.423.4441
Olita's
650 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz. 831.458.9393
Riva Fish House
500 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz. 831.429.1223
Stagnaro Brothers Lounge
59 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz. 831.423.2180
Westside Santa Cruz and North
Davenport Roadhouse
1 Davenport Ave., Davenport. 831.426.8801
La Mission
1719 Mission St., Santa Cruz. 831.426.3564
Parish Publick House
841 Almar Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.421.0507
Ye Olde Watering Hole
2405 Mission St., Santa Cruz. 831.469.4653
Seabright, Santa Cruz
Aldo's
616 Atlantic Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.426.3736
Brady's Yacht Club
413 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz
Cafe El Palomar
2222 E.Cliff Dr. # 100, Santa Cruz. 831.477.0371
Cayuga Vault
1100 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.421.9471
Crepe Place
1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.429.6994
Crow's Nest
2218 E.Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz. 831.476.4560
Johnny's Harborside Cafe
493 Lake Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.479.3430
La Posta
538 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.457.2782
One Double Oh Seven
1007 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.425.9589
Rio Theatre
1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.423.8209
Ristorante Italiano
555 Soquel Ave. #150, Santa Cruz. 831.458.2321
Seabright Brewery
519 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.426.2739
Seabright Lounge
529 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.425.2900
Eastside/Pleasure Point
Cafe Cruz
2621 41st Ave., Soquel. 831.476.3801
Castaways
3623 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz,. 831.462.1319
Chaminade
1 Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz. 831.475.5600
El Chino
2525 Soquel Dr., Santa Cruz. 831.476.7175
Moe's Alley
1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. 831.479.1854
Over the Hill Gang Saloon
3530 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz. 831.476.3679
Rock of the Sea
3910 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz. 831.464.1104
Capitola
Bay Bar and Grill
209 Esplanade #A, Capitola. 831.477.0749
Bluewater Steakhouse
110 Monterey Ave., Capitola. 831.464.2583
Cava
115 San Jose Ave., Capitola. 831.476.2282
Fast Eddy's Pool Hall
4300 Capitola Road, Capitola. 831.462.1882
Fog Bank Bar & Grille
211 Esplanade, Capitola. 831.462.1881
Il Pirata
201 Esplanade, Capitola. 831.462.1800
Margaritaville
231 Esplanade, Capitola. 831.476.2263
Shadowbrook
1750 Wharf Road, Capitola. 831.475.1511
Stockton Bridge Grille
231 Esplanade, Capitola. 831.464.1933
The Wharf House
1400 Wharf Road, Capitola. 831.476.3534
Zelda's
203 Esplanade, Capitola. 831.475.4900
Soquel
JJ's Saloon
4714 Soquel Dr., Soquel. 831.462.1631
Michael's On Main
2591 S. Main St., Soquel. 831.479.9777
Sir Froggy's Pub
4771 Soquel Dr., Soquel. 831.476.9802
Aptos/Rio Del Mar/Seacliff
Bittersweet Bistro
787 Rio Del Mar Blvd., Aptos. 831.662.9799
Britannia Arms
8017 Soquel Dr., Aptos. 831.688.1233
Cafe Rio
131 Esplanade, Aptos. 831.688.8917
The Corner Pocket
3102 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz. 831.475.9819
Manuel's
261 Center Ave., Aptos. 831.688.4848
Mediterranean
265 Center St., Aptos. 831.688.7004
Sanderling's at Seascape Resort
1 Seascape Resort Drive, Aptos. 800.929.7727
Sea Breeze Tavern
101 Esplanade, Aptos. 831.688.2430
Severino's Bar and Grill
7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos. 831.688.7300
The Windjammer
1 Rancho del Mar, Aptos. 831.685.1587
Verve Lounge
7941 Soquel Ave., Aptos. 831.662.2247
San Lorenzo Valley
Boulder Creek Brewery
13040 Hwy. 9, Boulder Creek. 831.338.7882
Boulder Creek Golf Course
16901 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek. 831.338.2111
Brookdale Inn & Spa
11570 Hwy. 9, Brookdale. 831.338.1300
Don Quixote's
6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. 831.603.2294
Henfling's Tavern
9450 Hwy. 9, Ben Lomond. 831.336.9318
Hollin's House at Pasatiempo
20 Clubhouse Road, Santa Cruz. 831.459.9155
Jia Tella's
18 Victor's Square #3, Scotts Valley. 831.438.5005
Joe's Bar
13118 Central Ave., Boulder Creek. 831.338.9417
Malone's Grande Grill
4402 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley. 831.438.2244
Max's Lounge at the Hilton
6001 La Madrona Dr., Scotts Valley. 831.440.1000
Peachwood's at Pasatiempo Inn
Highway 17 and Pasatiempo Dr., Santa Cruz. 831.426.6333
Redwood Pizzeria
6205 Hwy 9, Felton. 831.335.1500
Rumble Fish
4727 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley. 831.440.9240
Sandabs Seafood & Wine Bar
11 Camp Evers, Scotts Valley. 831.430.0657
Scopazzi's
13300 Big Basin Highway, Boulder Creek. 831.338.4444
Trout Farm Inn
7701 E. Zayante Road, Felton. 831.335.4317
Tyrolean Inn
9600 Hwy. 9, Ben Lomond. 831.336.5188
Watsonville, Freedom and South
Cilantro's
1934 Main St., Watsonville. 831.761.2161
Club Octane
321-D Alvarado St., Monterey. 831.646.9244
Green Valley Grill
40 Penny Lane, Watsonville. 831.726.0644
Jalisco's
618 Main St., Watsonville. 831.728.9080
The Villager
1032 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville, 831.722.5200
Wooden Nickel Bar & Grill
1819 Freedom Blvd., Freedom. 831.724.2600
Zuniga's
100 Aviation Way, Watsonville. 831.724.5788
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