Clam Chowder Cook-Off selling tasting kits in advance

The annual Santa Cruz Clam Chowder Cook-Off is Saturday and Sunday at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. You can avoid lines at the event by pre-purchasing your tasting kits ($15, six tastes in each) online at beachboardwalk.com/Clam-Chowder-Cook-Off. Amateurs compete on Saturday, professionals on Sunday. Judges determine the best Boston and Manhattan clam chowders. Members of the public get to vote on other awards like People’s Choice. Proceeds benefit the city of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department. Last year, more than $130,000 was raised.

Skills of Life Café adds espresso drinks

Skills of Life Café (979 17th Ave., skillsoflife.org), which provides vocational training to its staff members, recently added espresso drinks to its offerings. Living Swell Kombucha will be available in the near future and smoothies will be on the menu in the spring and summer. The current menu includes coffee from local Three Waves Coffee, biscotti and muffins from local cottage baker Tree of Life Kitchen, breakfast sandwiches, noodle bowls, quesadillas and burritos.

Molly Turner, who serves as owner, executive director and occupational therapist, shares about the success of the café, which opened last October, and is staffed by teens and young adults with mild intellectual disabilities. “Our location at Santa Cruz County Parks Department on the plaza outside the Simpkins Family Swim Center and the Live Oak Library Annex and Community Rooms is a safe and predictable community-fueled location, which supports our job training and learning objectives,” she said. “The interns have a platform to form positive social engagement while the customers are excited to support their skill building.” Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Verve Coffee’s matcha menu now available

Verve Coffee Roasters recently introduced Verve Matcha, its first-ever, ceremonial-grade matcha. It has added a matcha menu with nine drinks to its cafes. Offerings include strawberry cold foam matcha (an iced matcha latte), sparkling grapefruit matcha (grapefruit tonic base with a shot of matcha and honey), a classic matcha latte and more.

Also, Verve recently launched a new blend from its Wilder Collection (this collection is inspired by local Wilder Ranch State Park). This season’s offering highlights three different regions: Guatemala, Rwanda and Peru. It has notes of pluot, cherry leaf and dandelion, and is available in whole bean and in Verve’s Craft Instant Coffee both in-store and online. Verve’s Santa Cruz stores are at 1540 Pacific Ave., 1010 Fair Ave., 104 Bronson St. Suite 19 and 816 41st Ave. Visit vervecoffee.com for details.

Menu additions at The Crow’s Nest

The Crow’s Nest (2218 E. Cliff Drive, 831-476-4560, crowsnest-santacruz.com) launched a new “Beach Treasures” menu last month that features dishes with smaller portions at lower prices. A couple of items that each cost $17.95: an ahi poke bowl with jasmine rice, avocado, radish, seaweed and other ingredients, and four petite baby back ribs served with coleslaw and French fries. Another highlight is chicken satay kabobs served over rice with sautéed vegetables. One kabob is $8.95, two are $15.95 and three are $19.95. To see the full menu, visit crowsnest-santacruz.com/santa-cruz-the-crows-nest-menus-downstairs-beach-treasures.

WATSONVILLE

New cupcake at Freedom Bakery

Freedom Bakery (125 Hangar Way #130, 831-722-5223, freedombakery.com) recently added a new cupcake flavor: matcha green tea. Freedom Bakery’s top-selling cake varieties include dream cake (chocolate chiffon cake filled with a whipped cream, topped with whipped cream and Belgian chocolate shavings), Hawaiian banana delight (orange chiffon cake filled with raspberry and orange-pineapple cream and fresh bananas, iced with whipped cream) and chocolate ganache and mousse cake. The bakery, which has been in business since 1975, opened a second location in Monterey in 2024.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, LOS GATOS

Ambrosia India Bistro earns accolades

Ambrosia India Bistro (ambrosiaib.com) recently received recognition for its Santa Cruz County and Los Gatos locations.

With two local locations (Scotts Valley, 831-713-5594 and Aptos, 831-685-0610), the restaurant was awarded first place in the “Best Indian Restaurant, Santa Cruz County” category and second place in the “Best Restaurant Overall in Scotts Valley” in the annual Santa Cruz Sentinel Readers Choice poll.

Also, the Los Gatos branch — the newest location, 133 N. Santa Cruz Ave., opened in March 2024 — earned second place in the “Best Indian Restaurant of Los Gatos” category in the “Best of Los Gatos 2024: Food & Drink” contest. Winners were selected by readers of the weekly newspaper Los Gatan.

SANTA CRUZ

Tickets available for Hook & Line, fisheries event

Tickets are on sale for a fundraiser dinner Feb. 25 at Hook & Line (105 Walnut Ave.) for the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust. Cost is $100 for a four-course family style meal highlighting local fisheries. Visit montereybayfisheriestrust.org for tickets and more details. The event is part of a Get Hooked community dinner series. A portion of sales benefits the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust Community Seafood Program, where seafood is purchased from local fishermen at fair market rates and donated to food relief organizations in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. One goal is to work toward equitable distribution of nutritious proteins.

WATSONVILLE

Date set for National Agriculture Day lunch

The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, in conjunction with Agri-Culture, will host the National Agriculture Day spring luncheon March 19 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds’ Heritage Hall. Cost is $75 per person. To learn more and get tickets, visit eventbrite.com/e/national-agriculture-day-spring-luncheon-tickets-1138653616619 or contact 831-724-1356 or sccfb@sbcglobal.net.

SCOTTS VALLEY

Saison Cellar & Wine Bar hosts Cousins Maine Lobster popups

Saison Cellar & Wine Bar (222 Mount Hermon Road, Suite I, 831-200-8312, saisoncellarsv.com) is launching Third Thursday Cousins Maine Lobster popups. Starting this week, the food truck will be at Saison from 4-8 p.m. the third Thursday of each month.

WATSONVILLE

Watsonville Public House, My Mom’s Mole partner for party

Tickets are on sale for the Watsonville Public House’s 1st anniversary party, from 5-9 p.m., Saturday at 625 Main St. My Mom’s Mole is preparing a five-course meal, and each food course will be accompanied by a beer pairing. Talon Kyle is providing entertainment. Learn more and purchase tickets for $75 per person at watsonville.pub/events. My Mom’s Mole became the in-house food vendor for Watsonville Public House last November.

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 X @santacruzfood.