Touring one-man band and viral video star Saxsquatch, appearing as Bigfoot April 4 at Felton Music Hall (6275 Highway 9), has a motto that feels helpful: “Be what you believe in.”
At the moment that messaging appears on a Saxquatch show poster on the wall at FMH. But it also thumps in the heart of the concert venue, which positions itself less than a mile from the legendary Bigfoot Discovery Museum.
Last week, a different creature took the stage. As Chicago-based Pelican gave wings to its own take on instrumental-atmospheric metal, local craft beer flowed in the lodge-like bar area, and “ (which is open 5-8pm show days and 11am-8pm Friday-Sunday).
I was there on behalf of KRML 94.7FM Radio—which is definitely being-what-it-believes-in, namely that local radio works—having extended its independent airwaves to Santa Cruz last year, while partnering with the likes of FMH and the Catalyst on a concert calendar airing around 12:45pm weekdays.
And while there’s a lot going on at FMH, plenty more awaits in its vicinity. Here appears a round up:
• At The Grove (6249 Highway 9), pastry chef-owner-operator-pop up legend Jessica Yarr continues to honor a believe-in-what-you-want-to-be approach and her Felton heritage. (Her parents, after all, ran the aforementioned Bigfood Museum!) Grove just celebrated its second anniversary and has new hours as of this week—8am-2pm Monday-Thursday, 8am-6pm Friday Saturday, 8am-3pm Sunday—to pair with 1) a new dinner program three times a week; 2) weekly supper club take-home menus starting the first week of April; 3) upcoming Thursday neighborhood nights; 4) a more involved catering operation; and 5) #YarrStar appearances at upcoming events like Pebble Beach Food & Wine (April 10-13) and Santa Cruz Mountain Mushroom Festival (May 4-5), thegrovefelton.com.
• Over in the kitchen at the mountain branch of Taqueria Vallarta (6272 Highway 9, Felton) I decided to test them out on one of my go-tos, remembering every Mexican-food lover should have a favorite barometer—or five—for quality taco spots. Their carnitas tacos are a tribute to a treasured category for me, juicy yet crispy, rich yet not greasy, loaded with a towering lump of toppings, enjoytaqueriavallarta.com.
• Even a reinvented gas station is adding flavor: Great Gas & Food Mart (6320 Highway 9) has replaced Cornerstone Gas and—on top of already updated snacks, hoodies, and a surprisingly stocked tobacco, cannabis and smoking gear gallery—has a coffee shop on the way, (831) 335-9104.
• Cult hit Emerald Mallard, a chef Lance Ebert joint nesting in Humble Sea Tavern (6256 Highway 9, Felton), has added brunch noon-4pm Sundays. French omelets, keeping with the wider restaurant’s lean toward contemporary Francophile-Californian, occupy a menu packed with pancake “quack stacks,” artisan breads, pastries, croque madames, country-fried steak and eggs, and craft cocktails. While the OG smash burger continues to headline during regular Thursday-Saturday dinner hours, Point Reyes oysters, duck leg confit, fried chicken sandwiches and Thursday-Friday happy hour specials (4-5pm) also do well. Then there’s occasional Ramen Nights with steamed bao buns, chicken katsu and what I really want to believe in: kimchi okonomiyaki, emeraldmallard.com.
