SCOTTS VALLEY

Casa Nostra temporarily closes

Casa Nostra (219 Mount Hermon Road, 831-225-0590, ristorantecasanostra.com) is temporarily closed. It announced on its Facebook page: “We’re reaching out for help to save our restaurant! We’re offering a percentage of equity to any investor who shares our passion for authentic Italian cuisine and community-driven values. If you’re interested in learning more … please contact us.”

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Gingerbread house kits available at Penny

The Penny Ice Creamery (thepennyicecreamery.com) is offering gingerbread house kits for $30 at all of its locations. Each kit includes cookie tiles, frosting, gumdrops, jelly wreaths and more. Pre-order at the website.

Flower Bar shutters doors

The physical location of flower shop and café Flower Bar (912 Cedar St.) abruptly closed last month. The owner announced the closure on Instagram. The post included, “It is with a heavy heart I announce Flower Bar Cafe is closed permanently. After a long debate over rent and buyout it has been the decision to close the doors to the cafe. My flower shop will continue to operate online at flowerbarsantacruz.com.”

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Subway on Pacific permanently closed

The Pacific Avenue location of sandwich chain Subway is permanently closed. Santa Cruz County locations that remain open include 1723 Soquel Ave., 2215 Mission St. and 811 Ocean Ave in Santa Cruz. In Soquel, at 2740 41st Ave. and branches in Scotts Valley, Aptos and Watsonville.

SCOTTS VALLEY

Wine, live music at Pelican Ranch

Due to a tornado and power outage, Pelican Ranch Winery (2364 Bean Creek Road, 831-332-5359, pelicanranch.com) rescheduled its event from last weekend to this weekend. There will be wine tasting from noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Visitors can enjoy three recently released 2023 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir wines including the Dijon 667 Clone, plus barrel samples of 2024 Pinot Noirs. Cost is $15 for the public and free for wine club members. Ben Davis plays acoustic music starting at 2:30 p.m. and handmade Bronx-inspired pizza is available.

BOUDLER CREEK

Scopazzi’s announces Christmas menu

On Christmas Eve, Scopazzi’s Restaurant & Lounge (13300 Big Basin Way, scopazzisrestaurant.com) is serving dinner starting at 3 p.m. Holiday specials include crab-filled King salmon and roast rack of pork chop with cherry chutney. Dinners include flourless chocolate cake with crème anglaise. The regular menu will also be available. For reservations, call 831-338-6441.

APTOS

New Year’s Eve dinner at Persephone

Persephone (7945 Soquel Drive, 831-612-6511, persephonerestaurant.com) is serving a four-course prix fixe menu on New Year’s Eve. Entree options include apple cider braised pork with polenta and braised collards, and chicken and biscuits with arugula. Cost is $95 per person. See full menu and buy tickets at exploretock.com/persephone-restaurant-aptos.

SANTA CRUZ

Pre-order holiday treats from Manresa Bread

Manresa Bread (330 Ingalls St., manresabread.com) is accepting pre-orders for holiday goodies to pick up on Dec. 23-24. Visit exploretock.com/manresa-bread-santa-cruz by Dec. 21 to place orders. Holiday items include triple chocolate and candied orange panettone, pistachio cranberry babka and chocolate caramel gateau.

SANTA CRUZ

Local Dungeness crab season delayed again

The start of the commercial Dungeness crab season is delayed again; we reported the original delay in late October. The season is delayed until at least Jan. 1. The goal is to lower the chances of migrating whales getting tangled up and stuck in crab fishing ropes. The next assessment by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be completed soon.

SANTA CRUZ

Holiday meals at Jack O’Neill Restaurant

Jack O’Neill Restaurant and Lounge at Dream Inn Santa Cruz (175 West Cliff Drive, 831-460-5012, jackoneillrestaurant.com) recently shared its holiday menus. It will serve the regular brunch menu plus a special menu including lobster and steak benedict with California white sturgeon caviar hollandaise, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 25. From 1 to 8 p.m., Jack O’Neill offers a three-course prix fixe menu for $85 with entrée selections like duck paella. For New Year’s Eve, a three-course dinner for $105 features selections including celeriac bisque and red abalone.

SANTA CRUZ

Holiday closure at farmers market

The Wednesday Downtown farmers market, operated by Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets, will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. For more information, visit santacruzfarmersmarket.org.

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 & drink news as it happens? Follow the Sentinel’s food crew on Twitter @santacruzfood.