APTOS

Emilie and the Frenchies open

French café Emilie and the Frenchies opened last weekend at 7564 Soquel Drive, the former site of Carried Away. The menu includes salads and made-to-order sandwiches with Companion Bakeshop and Kelly’s French Bakery bread, such as croque monsieur and vegetarian le mamamiam with mozzarella, tomato and more. Breakfast options include avocado tartine and house-made pastries including Nutella muffins. Drinks such as French-flavored coffee and tea are available. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The co-owner also runs a business in France. Visit emilieandthefrenchies.com or call 831-266-8686. Follow the business on Instagram @emilieandthefrenchies.

Salty Otter Sports Grill serving customers

Rachael Smith recently opened The Salty Otter Sports Grill at 110 Walnut Ave., in the former 99 Bottles of Beer location (most recently Firefly Tavern and CT Lights). The menu offers items including burgers plus a seafood chowder also offered at Monterey’s Salty Seal Brewpub and Sports Bar, which Smith co-owns and operates. The Salty Otter features pinball and other activities, with future plans including live music, electronic darts and a pool table. Call 831-200-8069 or visit saltyottersportsgrill.com for details. Hours are 10 a.m. to midnight daily, with food served until 10:30 p.m.

Restaurant Walk benefits Common Roots Farm

Capitola Coast Lions Club is hosting the annual Santa Cruz Restaurant Walk, with 20 downtown Santa Cruz venues, on May 28. Restaurants provide samples of a menu item to attendees. Participating businesses include many returning ones — Belly Goat Burgers, Nick the Greek, Veg on the Edge, Iveta, Nahna, Mozaic, Kianti’s, Poke House, Rosie McCann’s, Pono, Penny Ice Creamery, Arslans, Pana, Woodstock Pizza and Oyuki Sushi Nikkei — and two new ones, Fusion Fare and Food Talk. Also returning: Front & Cooper and Big Basin Vineyards will provide libations to those 21 and older, and Hidden Peak Teahouse will provide tea. Passports are $40 plus fees at eventbrite.com/e/santa-cruz-restaurant-walk-tickets-1297237555449.

A portion of proceeds benefits nonprofit Common Roots Farm (commonrootsfarm.org), which grows organic produce and runs programming for youth with and without disabilities. After the 2024 event, Lions Club donated $8,000 to Common Roots.

Hula’s Mahalo Mondays benefit women’s health

Hula’s Island Grill and Tiki Room (221 Cathcart St., 831-426-4852, hulastiki.com) will donate 10% of sales on Mondays in May to the Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center. Mahalo Mondays are occurring from March through November in 2025; the June recipient is the Community Action Board. The restaurant recently brought Mahalo Mondays back after a pause that began during the pandemic. Since the program began in 2008, Hula’s has donated more than $160,000 to the local community.

Forks, Corks, & Kegs Festival on tap

The third annual Forks, Corks, & Kegs Festival is 3-7 p.m. May 28 at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Tickets are $75 and include samples from local wineries, breweries, spirits and restaurants, plus a commemorative glass. Food vendors include Rose Acres Kitchen, Copal, Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge, Mariposa Coffee Bar, Fonda Felix, Solaire Restaurant & Bar, Togos, Pono Hawaiian Grill, The Picnic Basket, J&M Sourdough Bagels and Togo’s. Drink vendors include Kissed by an Angel Wines, Bargetto Winery, Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Humble Sea Brewing Co. and Laughing Monk Brewing. There will be a raffle and photo booth, too. The Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce sponsors the festival. Buy tickets and see the full vendor list at sites.google.com/view/forkscorksandkegsofsantacruz/forks-corks-kegs/tickets.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

New lemon tart at Staff of Life

Both locations of Staff of Life Natural Foods, in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, are carrying a new and popular pastry in the bakery section. It’s a made-from-scratch Genoa lemon tart with a shortbread crust and fresh whipped cream available in individual and 8-inch sizes. Gary Bascou, Staff of Life’s founder and owner, operates Happy Valley Orchards and is growing produce, including organic avocados, lemons and limes. These organic lemons are from his orchard.

Additionally, the store is offering a new Basque cheesecake, also a favorite among customers.

SANTA CRUZ

Cookbook author at Companion Bakeshop

Companion Bakeshop (2341 Mission St., 831-471-8378, companionbakeshop.com) is hosting a demo and tasting event with chef and award-winning cookbook author Nichole Accettola (“Scandinavian from Scratch”) from 5 to 7:30 p.m. May 16. Accettola is the owner of San Francisco café/bakery Kantine.

Attendees will enjoy a baking demo, tastings, local wine and a 10% discount on Companion Market products. Tickets are $45; learn more and purchase at companionbakeshop.com/sign-up-for-classes.

SANTA CRUZ

Mackenzie Chocolates pop-up schedule

Mackenzies Chocolates (1492 Soquel Ave., 831-425-1492, mackenzieschocolates.com) is doing a few pop-ups. Hours each time are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This week, it is open Wednesday. In May, it is open the first and third Tuesday (May 6 and May 20) and the second and fourth Wednesday (May 14 and 28). The shop will sell limited quantities of many selections. Past pop-ups have included buttercreams, peanut butter bears, almond bark, English toffee, maple walnuts, truffles and more.

To be alerted to future pop-ups, visit the website and click “Join Email List.” The best source of current information is the website, which co-owner Ian Mackenzie is keeping updated with hours and days open. Mackenzies closed in December after 40-plus years in business.

SANTA CRUZ

Downtown wine walk on deck

The downtown Santa Cruz spring wine walk is 3-6 p.m. May 18, featuring a dozen participating wineries. After checking in at Oswald Restaurant, participants can visit various downtown Santa Cruz retail shops and sample 1-3 wines from all 12 wineries. The cost is $40 in advance or $45 at the event if not sold out. Attendees must be age 21. To purchase tickets and view the winery list, visit eventbrite.com/e/downtown-santa-cruz-spring-wine-walk-may-2025-tickets-1207914738499.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Martinelli’s re-introduces hard cider

S. Martinelli & Co., makers of sparkling cider and apple juice for more than 155 years, has created 12-ounce cans of 1868 Hard Cider. These come in six-packs; flavors are original, imperial, mango and the latest variety, berry blush. The cider is made from 100% U.S. grown, fresh-pressed Newtown Pippin and West Coast apples. It’s available at select Santa Cruz County retailers: Whole Foods (Capitola and Santa Cruz locations), Trader Joe’s (Capitola and Santa Cruz), New Leaf (Santa Cruz and Aptos), Nob Hill (Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Capitola) and BevMo! (Capitola).

The company’s hard cider roots are deep. In the late 1910s, the Martinelli family, anticipating a need to pivot during changing political times, developed a pasteurized, non-alcoholic version of the family’s cider. When the National Prohibition Act occurred in 1920, they had already replaced their hard cider with sparkling and still apple juice. The hard cider returned in 1933, when the 21st Amendment made the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages legal again. Over the years, Martinelli’s hard cider has returned for limited runs. The company says this time, it’s here to stay.

SANTA CRUZ

Mother’s Day offerings at Manresa Bread

Manresa Bread (330 Ingalls St., manresabread.com) is accepting pre-orders for Mother’s Day treats to pick up May 10-11. Visit exploretock.com/manresa-bread-santa-cruz to place orders. Holiday items include berry shortcakes and passion fruit cheesecakes. Other selections include strawberry pistachio babkas and vegetarian and non-vegetarian quiches.

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.