SOQUEL

HOME restaurant opening a café and shop

HOME restaurant owners Brad Briske and Linda Ritten are opening a nearby community café and market, Home Away, in June at 4901 Soquel Drive, the former location of Vinocruz, which closed in April. Using fresh, local ingredients, it will feature indoor seating and counter service and be open from late morning to the early evening.

Located around the corner from HOME, the venue aims to remind customers of a “home away from home.” Expect generous bowls of hearty soup, such as bean and vegetable soup with produce from farmers markets, chicken noodle that includes freshly made stock, and gazpacho to kick off the summer season. The menu includes signature focaccia from the restaurant with a variety of toppings.

Briske and Ritten are excited about Home Away, which will be open Wednesday-Sunday. “We like the idea of refreshing an old restaurant space and doing something new, bringing it back to life,” the couple shared. “We’ve long wanted to have a farm to table butcher shop and a farm stand.”

With Home Away, they will have this plus a café. A deli case will include marinated olives and fermented pickles, oysters, ceviche (including cilantro from Home’s onsite garden), and homemade pates, cured meats, sausages and salamis including hand-stuffed ones. Drinks will include California wines, local Tanuki Cider on tap and nonalcoholic beverages such as “HOMEmade” garden shrubs and locally made kombucha.

Bittersweet Bistro expands dessert martini menu

This week, Bittersweet Bistro (787 Rio Del Mar Blvd., 831-662-9799, bittersweetbistroaptos.com) is adding a new dessert martini: dulce de leche crème brûlée. It contains house infused dulce de leche vodka, crème anglaise, caramel, hazelnut liqueur and house-made vanilla cream.

Bittersweet launched its dessert martini offerings four months ago. The other seven varieties, which all include house infused vodkas, include strawberry-rhubarb dreamsicle and tiramisu. Restaurant hours are 3 p.m. to closing Tuesday through Sunday. The closing time varies depending on customers.

BEN LOMOND

Fika Bakeshop at Mountain Feed

Fika Bakeshop, a Scandinavian-inspired licensed home bakery, is partnering with Happy Patch Flowers for a pop-up from 10 a.m. until noon (or until sold out) Saturday at Mountain Feed & Farm Supply, 9550 Highway 9. Fika will have selections including its signature Swedish cardamom buns, and Happy Patch Flowers will have bouquets for Mother’s Day and other occasions. Learn more at fikabakeshopbenlomond.com or on Instagram @fikabakeshopkitchen.

Special May sundae at Marianne’s

Marianne’s Ice Cream (1020 Ocean St. in Santa Cruz and 218 State Park Drive in Aptos) is serving a chocolate churro crunch sundae through May. “It is our homage to Cinco De Mayo,” said a company spokesperson. Ingredients include horchata and salted caramel ice cream, chocolate fudge, cinnamon toast crunch crumbles, whipped cream, cinnamon and chocolate sprinkles. Visit mariannesicecream.com for information.

CAPTIOLA

Chick-fil-A pop-ups at Capitola Mall

The Chick-fil-A food truck appears every Saturday at the Capitola Mall. Hours are about 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., or earlier if it sells out. The truck, which serves Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo and San Benito counties, parks off 41st Avenue, near Kohl’s.

APTOS

Pino Alto Restaurant season ends soon

Pino Alto Restaurant (Sesnon House, 6500 Soquel Drive), which the Cabrillo College Culinary Arts Department operates, is ending its spring season soon and will be closed until the fall. A new lunch menu, served May 6-15, includes mussels and fries and a spicy chicken sandwich. It’s available from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. Dinner service, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, ends May 8. Call 831-479-6524 for reservations, which are recommended but not required. Visit pinoaltorestaurant.org for details including current menus.

Also, the restaurant is hosting a spring tea party buffet brunch Saturday with a choice of 10:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. seating; get $55 tickets at pinoaltorestaurant.org/product/spring-tea-party-brunch/647.

SANTA CRUZ

Rum tasting on deck at Makai

Makai Island Kitchen & Groggery (49A Municipal Wharf, 831-466-9766, makaisantacruz.com) is offering a guided rum tasting, with one-ounce pours, hosted by Holmes Cay Brand Manager Mike Hooker at 5 p.m. Friday. Attendees will taste four single cask rums: Guyana 2014, Belize 2006, Jamaica 2014 and Australia 2012. Cost is $50, which includes light tropical appetizers. People are encouraged to RSVP by emailing info@makaisantacruz.com, but walk-ins are also welcomed.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Scrumptious Fish & Chips pop-ups

Scrumptious Fish & Chips has several pop-ups in May. It will be at Steel Bonnet Brewing in Scotts Valley from 4-8 p.m. Friday and May 30. It’s participating in the city of Capitola’s Food Truck Friday at Monterey Avenue Park from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 16, and the Santa Cruz County Parks Food Truck Friday at Simpkins Swim Center 5-8 p.m. May 23. The food truck will pop up at Bargetto Winery during a free Joint Chiefs music performance 5-8 p.m. May 29.

Other appearances: the Felton farmers market 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Humble Sea Brewing in Santa Cruz from noon to 7 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6:30 p.m. Sundays. See the full schedule at scrumptiousfc.com.

HALF MOON BAY

Wine and jazz festival this weekend

The fourth annual Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival is from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission includes unlimited tastings from 50 wineries including Hendry, Grgich Hills Estate, McPrice Myers Wines, Siduri and Thomas Fogarty Winery. Attendees can also purchase items from Bay Area food trucks and local craft breweries and cideries. Live jazz performances will include the Tiffany Austin Quintet, and the San Francisco Community Music Center Teen Big Band with a Duke Ellington tribute led by Marcus Shelby.

General admission is $75; VIP tickets for $175 include early check-in at 11 a.m., and exclusive tastings in “It’s Italia,” the VIP Lounge with beverages such as Grand Cuvée Champagne Camp, Samuel Louis Wines and Kings Mountain Vineyards, alongside food such as a blinis and caviar station, mini ahi poke tacos and short rib polenta cakes. For details and tickets, visit hmbwineandjazzfest.com.

Quick Bites, compiled by Tara Fatemi Walker, is your weekly helping of Santa Cruz County restaurant, food and drink news. Send items to sentinelfood@gmail.com (Sunday 7 p.m. deadline for that week’s column). Want local food and drink news as it happens? Follow the Sentinel’s food crew on X @santacruzfood.