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SLV Eateries: A Compendium of Critical Reviews  (Spring 96)

Stacey Cambell (stacey@tuffy.Eng.Sun.COM) started this list, and I have updated it 
with whatever I caught that has been posted since. It is featured in the 
Santa Cruz Mountains On-line Guide at http://www.hiway9.com/~slv/

Gary Starkweather

This list of 40 or so reviews is an ongoing project conducted in the 
scruz.slv newsgroup. It is limited to eateries located in the San Lorenzo River 
watershed (that part of Santa Cruz county which is served by Highway 9).


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News and gossip: 

A Nuevo Traditional cuisine restaurant named Livingston's is opening at the old 
Joe Palooka's site. I hear that the theme is casually elegant dining on excellent 
foods... In Boulder Creek, True Nature Foods has changed hands and the 
new owners have put in a full deli. Also, Karan's Deli has become the Wild Iris Cafe 
and Deli. Both seem to have retained what was good and are infused with new 
energy... The old Heavenly Cafe location in Felton (across from the Pantry) is the 
site of a new eatery named Mama Capone's Redwood Cafe. It is not open yet (something 
about permits...) but I hear that it will be soon. 

In other news, the venerable Tyrolean Inn is still on the market and may be snapped 
up by Long's as part of a proposed Ben Lomond expansion... The Ben Lomond Market has 
added espresso to their line of comestible goodies. It would be easy to view this 
as a response to Java Bob's success, but I think it is the local expression of the 
coffee culture as it is known in Seattle, where every gas station and most other 
businesses sell some upscale coffee drink... Basham house is still for sale, and 
Coffeetopia has opened a Pleasure Point branch.

Let's all submit new reviews. It is a new season and many of these are getting 
tattered. I would like to see all new reviews in a month or so. Let's get some 
quick reviews of the new spots as they open!

Life is best taken one bite at a time.

To add your review to the list, express it in a sentence or three, post it to
scruz.slv and/or email it to me at gstark@cruzio.com. Please put 'SLV Food Review' 
in the header. 

Thanks,

GS


Reviewers:
BRW - Bill R. Ward
DEJ - David Evan Jones
DL - Doug Landauer
DM - Dan Murphy
DU - Dave Uebele
GAH - gah@netcom.com
GS - Gary Starkweather
HB - Harry Berggren
HM - Heather Madrone
JH - Jeannie Hobbs
JL - Jeff Liebermann
JRD - J.R. Dean
JS - John Spiller
K - kathryn@apple.com
LR - Lefty Redux
M - marcel@parcplace.com
MB - Mike Bender
MdF - Martha de Forest
MJ - Martyn Joyce
PS - Pat Shriver
PT - Peter Trudelle
SC - Stacey Campbell
SP - Steve Premo
SY - Susan Yoohs

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Adelitas 
Highway 9, Boulder Creek

Real Mexico City style food cheap--not like the usual Taco Bell tex-mex.  
Wonderful ambience on balcony overlooking the creek. - JH

I guess my palate for Mexican food isn't as refined as some others.  I
thought Adelita's was OK, no better.  - LR

Some of the best Mexican food I've ever tasted in California. My friends
with more refined Mexican palates tell me the same. We go there for dinner
once a month or so. - MB

Excellent Mexico City style Mexican food. A favorite place. - GS

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The Basham House
Highway 9, Boulder Creek

Average menu, average food, average service, average prices--but great 
biscuits! -JH

Mediocre food and, on a good day, service to match.  They did have really
good sarsparilla, but seemed to be out of it about half the time before we
finally gave up on the place. - JS

Good wholesome homestyle food. Very friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
Reasonably priced. - K

Tried it once for dinner. Four of us got different dinners. No one
thought the food was particularly good. Salty to my taste. - GS

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Ben Lomond Market
Mill St., Ben Lomand

A lot of the stuff there is very good.  I'm a big fan of their pork
buns, pierogies and chow mein. - LR

Made-to-order deli sandwiches are probably the best that I've tasted in SLV,
but that's not saying much since I haven't found a place that has really
good deli sandwiches. - MB

Chinese food to go, usually not too bad, sometimes it tastes like it's been
in the food warmers for a long time. I like their Cornish Pasties. - SC

Oddly enough, I think it is the best Chinese food in the valley. - GS

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The Boulder Creek Brewery
13040 Highway 9, Boulder Creek

I like their Big Brown Ale. Good unusual pizzas & BBQ. Very kid friendly.
Great coconut cream pies and such. The best garlic fries in the valley IMHO.
A good place to go for vegetarian food - GS

Has pretty good (but not usually great) beers and pretty good food.  The
place is usually a little stuffy in the summer, and usually has good music
at night. - JS

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Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club 
Highway 236, Boulder Creek

Moderately priced food.  We average $50 for three entrees, two beverages,
and sometimes one or two deserts.  The food is very consistent.  Their new
(last 12 months) chef is a degree better than the previous one.  Same menu.
They treat their regulars well.  Specials of the evening are great. - MdF

Was pretty good and cheap.  I had a great salad and a pretty good steak for
under $10. - M

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Brookdale Lodge
Highway 9, Brookdale
     
Dinner (Thurs-Sat evenings) is good but expensive. Mostly California Cuisine
or American type entrees on the dinner menu (i.e. lots of red meat). Meat was 
good, rolls and other side items were mediocre and had the look and taste of 
institutional food. Worth having dinner there just for the Brook Room. - MB

Watch for onions where you don't expect them, but otherwise fine. - JH

Great Swedish pancakes -- generous portions!  Rate=3D ** - HB

Fast breakfast place when the line is long at Spanky's. - SC

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Ciao Bella
Highway 9, Ben Lomond

Nifty new-style Italian grub, with slightly snooty atmosphere.  Long lines.
Can get tired of the sauces, stay away for a while, then check out again. - SC

Interesting upscale take on Italian cuisine. No reservations. Expensive. - GS 

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Coffeetopia
Highway 9, Boulder Creek

Great choices in coffees and snacks--I think these folks are the main 
reason Country Harvest Bakery closed.  Try their York Cocoa--mint hot 
chocolate, mmmmm!  Great place to sit and talk or look at the creek. - JH

Nicer atmosphere than The Bistro (not so snobby), better coffee to boot.  
The Bistro serves coffee from pots, Coffietopia brews it fresh for each cup.
Also, free live music on Friday and some Saturday nights. Good black bean 
burritos and sinful cakes. - MB

Nicer atmosphere than The Bistro (not so snobby), better coffee to boot.  The
Bistro serves coffee from pots, Coffietopia brews it fresh for each cup. - MB

Good coffee, deserts, and ambiance. I had a tasty piece of Tamale Pie and 
cocoa. You can NetSurf there! - GS

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Dale's Diner
Highway 9, Felton

Wonderful place for breakfast, especially if you can make it during the
weekday when it's less crowded. Omeletts are always great. Reasonably priced
for the amount of food you get. - MB

Dale, formerly of the Harbor Cafe on 7th, makes monster omelettes and other
good things for breakfast or Sunday brunch.  Great staff, nice ambience,
and pretty crowded on weekends. - DM

The last remaining dirt parking lot in the area.  (This is important
to some).  Huge servings for major gluttons. - JL

Large portions -- VERY home style!  Try the Eggs Benedict with 1/4" slice of 
baked ham (no thin shavings here!).  Rate =3D *** - HB

Okay breakfast spot if you don't mind the wait in summer. - SC

Great breakfast place. 	Not for light eaters or calorie counters! - GS

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Don Quixote's
Highway 9, Felton

We waited in the front "lobby" five minutes and were never acknowledged. 
We won't be back. - JH

The food is about on par with Tampico Grande and margaritas were still good!
The menu is mexican with an emphasis on
seafood. The kids meals come with ice-cream!! - PS

Gets a thumbs-down from me.  Slow service, uninspired cuisine, expensive. - HM

Service and food coming up in standard since they first opened.  A little
pricey but otherwise acceptable.  - SC

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Felton's Pantry
6249 Highway 9, Felton

Fresh fixin's and imaginative menu items.  Good choices for vegetarians. - SC

Great healthy food. The new larger space is great. I always get an order of the 
spicy noodles to go or the hot noodle salad. Highly recommended!- GS

The 'plush-mush(room) tofu burger' I just had (with added exotic hot sauces 
from their extensive collection...) >was every bit as good as I recalled.  
Nice people too. They're on the main 'drag' next door to that coffee place 
the name of which escapes me just now - DEJ (it's the White Raven - GLS)

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Henflings
Highway 9, Ben Lomond

Bar, with food as an afterthought. 
Had fish and chips, it was ok. If you want to check out the Harleys
on a sunny afternoon, and have a beer and sandwhich, it would do. - DU

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JB's
Highway 9 & Graham Hill Rd., Felton

Uninspiring, and uninspired, fast food - LR

Fast and greasy burgers and fries, some veggie stuff too which is unusual for
a fast food joint. - SC

They do a damn fine gardenburger (available as veggie burger or "way
veggie" with fried mushrooms).  We go there pretty regularly for
gardenburgers and fries.  Their mozarella sticks and onion rings are
also quite good. - BRW

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Java Bobs
Mill St., Ben Lomond

Cool Ben Lomond hang-out for coffee snobs.  Chai is on par with the best in 
the county. - SC

Best hot chocolate in the valley. - DL

Cool Ben Lomond hang-out for coffee snobs.  Chai is on par with the best in
the county.  Muffins are mediocre, they need to talk to Rebecca's. - SC

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La Salsa
Main & Mill Sts., Ben Lomond

Seems like a smoking-only joint sometimes--phew! But the bartender makes the 
best Midori daiquiri around.  Live music (Thursdays?) too loud, but usually 
decent talent-wise. - JH

La Salsa really lays in on the old cheeze.  About 37 1/2 pounds per enchilada.
Echh...  But... the salsa itself is fine.  The REALLY bad thing is that they
removed the Tijuana Jail before I ever had a chance to "serve time".  Also...
Mexican restaurants should play Mexican music... - JAH

Salty and filling Mexican food.  Excellent drinks.  Weird atmosphere for 
a Mexican restaurant.  Cigarette smoke frequently drifts in from bar.  - SC

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Mama Mia's
Graham Hill Rd., Felton

Great pizza.  I like their lasagna and their garlic chicken; and their Steak
Diane is always my wifes favorite (get the sauce on the side).  Manager Mike
is very gracious and has always been nice to us. - DL

Comfortable atmosphere and OK with or without kids.  I have never had their
pizza but the Chicken Jeruselum is great! - PS

My fave pizza place in SC county, and that's saying something.  Selection
for vegetarians is mediocre to poor. - SC

Best Italian food in the valley. Good pastas, pizzas, parmigianas etc.
sometimes they have wandering music - often it's good! - GS

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Moonshadow
Highway 9, Felton

The naked butterfly lady is still there. The food is competently done 
"American cuisine", albeit expensive. If I were going to spend that kind of 
money to go out to dinner, I'd go toCiao Bella or the Tyrolean Inn. - LR

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New Peking
Highway 9, Boulder Creek

The food there seems to be always greasy and over salted. Expensive for the
quality of food you get. - MB

How can you go wrong with a dish called "Saute Happy Family"?  This
place is one of the very few spots in the valley that're open until 10:00
pm, and is thus our only choice sometimes.  Decent soups, mostly mediocre
otherwise. - DL

No matter what we order, they always give us Mongolian beef. - HM

The sign says they serve 'Oriental Food'. Might be true, cause it is
like no cuisine I have ever had before. Tried it three times - GS

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Old Mountain Inn
Highway 9, Boulder Creek

Very comfortable, kid-friendly place for breakfast. Try their Pasta 
Scramble! The biscuits always need extra warming, though. Their fresh 
squeezed orange juice is a big plus with me. - JH

People say that this place is supposed to have the best breakfasts around,
but I wasn't impressed with breakfast. - MB

The food is middle of the road.  No exotics, no ethnic concoctions, no
oddities.  Just ordinary breakfasts and lunches.  I've been trying to get
them to add Polish foods to the menu without success.  Prices are also
middle of the road. - JL

The Old Mountain Inn is one of my favorite breakfast joints.  It is often
crowded, but has the best porridge around, and what I call the "Heart
Stopper Omelet" (bacon, cheese, avocado, sour cream).  Their lunches are
good too. - JS

Absolutely the BEST breakfast restaurant in the mountains, IMO.  Excellent
omelettes and buckwheat cakes!  Say hi to Barbara when you go there, but
don't try to move any tables around!  Rate =3D **** - HB

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Pizza Factory
Highway 9, Felton

Simpler pizza than Mama Mias, less grease and salt than Round Table.  Good 
backup pizza restaurant for Felton.  - SC

Their slogan is "We toss them, they're awesome".  These pizzas stand by their 
slogan. The crust is perfect, not to thin or too thick.  - SY

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Round Table
Graham Hill Rd., Felton, Highway 9, Boulder Creek

The Veggie Supreme pizzas are very good. You can usually use expired coupons
(just don't tell them they are expired), otherwise their prices (with
delivery) are on the high side without a coupon. - MB

Hey, they deliver, what can I say?  Very salty, is this normal for RT? - SC

I like the newer stuff SW Chicken, Pesto, etc. I don't like Ranch Dressing
on Pizzas (default for chicken&garlic) you can specify tomato though... - GS

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Scopazzi's
Highway 236, Boulder Creek

Continental food, nice.  Good Caesar salads, prime rib, Canneloni, etc.
Beautiful wood beams and rafters in the main dining hall.  Haven't been
there in two or three years.  I think this is the most expensive restaurant
in the valley. - DL

Of all the places in the valley, this is my personal favorite.  The other 
two co-owners, Talal the maitre d' and Paul the chef, are both really nice
people. - DM

My S.O and I have had dinner there nearly every week for more than ten
years now.  Will continue to do so as long as we can afford to, probably. - MJ

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Spanky's
Highway 9, Ben Lomond

Super friendly service!  Great outdoor rear patio.  Breakfast Burrito is
quite good.  Rate =3D *** - HB

Fast and tasty breakfast spot for Ben Lomond locals.  Chicken Fried Steak is
recommended by my Texas born mother-in-law (hi Lil!). - SC

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Stellini's
Highway 9, Boulder Creek

My current favorite Drive-In type eatery. Try a Stellini Weenie! The SLV 
french fry runner-up as far as I'm concerned. Highly recommended. - GS

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The Trout Farm Inn
East Zayante Rd.

Seems to be the Tampico Grande people doing it at a new location. Same
good food, including the famous Mole Burritos plus new fish dishes - HM

Went there on a Sunday afternoon with five adults and four kids.  We
were about the only people in the restaurant, got the slowest service
I've ever seen, and and the staff got over half the orders wrong. - SP

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Tyrolean Inn
Highway 9, Ben Lomond

Very good, mostly Austrian, cooking.  Expensive, but worth it. My favorite 
is the kaeseschnitzel; the goulash is also reportedly excellent. - LR

German/Bavarian/Austrian food.  Their Sunday brunch (summer only, I
think) has/had some great, unusual dishes (Thick apple-bacon pancakes, and
the Bayern Fr=FChstuck is good and was always amusing due to how my son
would twist up his mouth when he tried to order it).  And I just like the
name "Bauernschmaus". - DL

Roasts, veggies, and tangy cabbage dishes are my fave, lots of German beer
to choose from.  One of the more expensive restaurants in SLV. - SC

Good German food. Very salty for my palate. Good desserts too. - GS

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VJ's Pizza
Highway 9, Ben Lomond

Now, _this_ is a pizza.  _And_ they know how to slice the god-damned thing, 
too. I shudder to think of the years (and dollars) I wasted at Round Table. 
Now, if they'd only start doing cheesesteaks and cheese fries as well as they 
do that pizza, my life would be complete. - LR

Great NY-style pizza, but they don't deliver. If I'm Jonesing for a good pizza
and can get out of the house, VJ's is it. - MB

Best damn NY-style pizza this side of the Rockies. - JRD

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The White Cockade
Highway 9, Boulder Creek

Find out when the owner is bringing in fresh salmon and call Chip and
reserve your place for dinner. Absolutely some of the best salmon that 
I have ever tasted. - MB

Authentic British/Scottish Pub. Good fish'n chips, bangers, steak'n
kidney pie etc. Lots of good beers. Fun but small. - GS
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_____________________________________________________________________
Gary Starkweather                                   gstark@cruzio.com  
San Lorenzo Mountains On-line Guide        http://www.hiway9.com/~slv
SGO Technologies Inc.			           http://www.sgo.com