Mint Cafe & Wine Bar

There are so many places to eat in SV (please note sarcasm), that's when a good one is found, it's worth talking about. Mint is tucked away along SV Drive - don't blink or you might miss it!

Website

I had read some Yelp reviews about the lack of a hostess stand and not knowing if you should seat yourself. When we walked in, Ed, the owner behind the bar, came over and said to sit anywhere. Problem solved! There were several TVs, some high tables and a dining room with arts and crafts for sale around the perimeter.

There's a comfortable bar with beers on tap, but Mint is known for its wine selection. Ed brought us over food and wine menus. He offered to let us taste something before we ordered. Plus one star for that! The wines ranged from $5 to $14 a glass. You can also get a half or full bottle. A good selection of reds, whites and bubbly's.

To go with our wine, we decided to get the cheese plate ($14 for two cheeses) with Irish Cheddar and Spanish Manchego along with sliced apple, toast, salted almonds and cashews. For $4, the Rocco Plate was sliced hot links with a honey mustard. The spicy sausage and creamy cheeses were great together. I would have liked more fruit on the plate, but it was plenty for the two of us.

They have an extensive menu of lunch and dinner items too, but we were only here for wine and snacks. There's Tri Tip Sliders (shown above), Lots'o Meat Lasagna, Stuffed Shrimp Avocado Salad and more. We will be coming back for sure...

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Services: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7.5

Mint is in the same location that the Scotts Valley Tree Circus was many years ago. Some of the trees were moved to the Gilroy Gardens Park, but there's still a little sign showing the history there.

West End Tap & Kitchen

One of the best places to go in Santa Cruz is the West Side. A walk along West Cliff, a jaunt through Natural Bridges, a bike ride to Wilder Ranch... what could be better? Food! West Side has some fun, little places here and there and one of the most recent additions is West End Tap & Kitchen.

Website

Located in the Swift Street Courtyard, it's across from the SC Mountain Brewery and besides a couple winery tasting rooms. That's tall company to keep! How does it measure up?

My brother Mike and sis-in-law Diane met me there for lunch this week. Diane had been a couple times last week and wanted to go again. They have two large dining areas, a good-sized bar, a fireplace with comfy chairs and a small patio as well. We sat along the wall at some high tables.

It was cold and cloudy that day, so I started off with something to warm me up - a small French-pressed coffee from Verve ($3.50). It was strong and good, but I would have preferred it served in a smaller cup. It looked dinky!

After scanning the menu, we all decided on an appetizer, fried calamari with jalepenos ($9). It was served with homemade ranch and garlic oil. Yes, those are big slices of jalepenos battered up with the calamari. Yes, it was a crunchy, spicy sensation. We all dug in with happy smiles. The server said it's even better during happy hour (M-F 3-6pm) when it's only $5.

Diane said there's lots of things she wants to try on the menu, but keeps coming back to the bleu cheese burger ($11.95 + $2.75 cheese). It comes on a large tray with crispy french fries. Even though I consider a lunch burger and fries over $14 a bit expensive, she went on and on about how good it was. The bread was from Gayle's in Capitola (why not Kelly's next door?).

I got the Chicken sandwich with a side salad ($11). The chicken was buttermilk-coated and fried and was nice and flavorful. It had a tangy coleslaw and marinated onions on top, which was a good contrast to the slightly sweet bread and salty chicken. The side salad was just dressed with a mild vinaigrette, which was sadly bland. I should have gotten fries!

Mike's burger lunch came with bacon ($11.95 + $2.50 bacon) - how could you go wrong? It was gone in two shakes of a pig's tail. Man, that guy can eat!

So, West End is a nice place for a good lunch, but I would have like to have seen more choices on the menu. Sandwiches, burgers, flatbreads and salads are about it. Maybe there were daily specials I missed, but our server didn't mention any. The prices were a bit higher than I like to pay, but the food was quality. This place would be good to impress a date or your parents. Happy hour sounds like a deal too.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Value for price: 6
Overall: 7

Bonus: Rogue Public House SF

Special bonus edition of the Santa Cruz Food Blog... coming to you from SF!

A sunny day in San Francisco! Will wonders ever cease? We also found an all-day parking lot with an attendant for $15! No, I'm not telling you where...

After exploring the Ferry Building (which deserves a whole blog post by itself), we were ready for a nice cold one. There are some good beer places in the city, but the closest one was in North Beach.

Website (FB)

The Rogue Public House on Union and Powell doesn't brew the beer there, but gets their supply from the brewery in Oregon. We arrived during the Argentina/Belgium World Cup game, so the place was hoppin'!

They have the beer list written on chalkboards on the wall. Quite the selection, so why not try a sampler?

For about $7.37, you get a taster tray of four different beers. I like to start with lighter brews, so I got a pilsner, brown ale, pale ale and hefeweizen. Dat's good!

For lunch, my guest got the Kobe Bleu Balls ($9.95), which is a meatball sub with homemade chips. The meatballs have bleu cheese in them - yum! She said they were good and didn't have filler like breadcrumbs in them. I really liked the tangy marinara sauce on it.

I went with the Irish Nachos ($9.95), a big helping of waffle fries with horseradish cream sauce, corned beef, cheddar and green onions on top. Talk about a great pairing! I needed another Hazelnut Brown Ale ($6.44) to go with it. The cream sauce just gave a hint of horseradish, which is probably better than a stronger bite. The fries did come out just warm though.

Rogue Public House is worth a visit for all beer fans out there and is a lot closer than a drive to Oregon. The food was a bit better than normal pub food. Our server was friendly and attentive. It was noisy and crowded during the World Cup game, but it wasn't uncomfortable. We will definitely be coming back.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7.25

Kao Sook Thai

It's been awhile since I wrote up a restaurant review - sometimes life can get in the way of what you like to do. Some friends of mine have been going through some tough times, so I dedicate this blog entry to them. When the going gets tough, the tough go out for Thai food!

Website

I have been to some good Thai places all over town like Sabieng, Thai Orchid and Sawasdee, so I like to think of myself as an expert. This place in Scotts Valley is small and hidden in a strip mall across from the Kings Village shopping center. Is it worth it to search out?

My dining companion was excited to try it too. You walk in and it's one big room with tables and the kitchen in the back. I liked the decorations they had at the front.

We started with a traditional Thai appetizer, Chicken Satay ($7.25) and what a feast for the eyes! I love those grill marks on the chicken, which was cooked through and still juicy (not dry). The peanut sauce had a nice zing to it and I think I hogged all the cucumber onion salad. It was a great way to start out meal.

Next up, Tom Kha or coconut milk soup ($9.95). There were lots of chicken, mushrooms and onions all floating around the bowls. The soup serving bowl is so cool with its volcano-like tower and the Sterno flame underneath. We wisely put aside the pieces of lemongrass - too tough to eat, but gave a nice flavor.

Our main dish was the Pumpkin Curry ($11.45), which was served in a neat fish-shaped bowl. The blue trim and the orange sauce made for another visual pleasure. There were very generous portions of beef and veggies including the nice chunks of pumpkin. As a curry, I was expecting more of a punch, but I didn't specify any hotness. Still, the flavors were good and not too sweet. My guest said she liked it too.

We also got the Chicken Fried Rice ($5.95) to go with the curry. It too had generous pieces of chicken and chopped veggies. The rice was cooked just right, not too sticky or dry, but the chicken itself was plain. I would have preferred it grilled or better seasoned. Still, it was fresh and not dry at all, but I'll rate it as average.

I need to mention our smiling server who made us feel right at home. It's funny how a smile can make you feel welcome and our waiter certainly did. He was always available and seemed proud to deliver to us all the delicious food.

Kao Sook is truly a good place to eat. I would include it with the other good Thai places I mentioned above.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7.50

De La Hacienda Taqueria

Have you ever heard about a place, but never managed to get over there? De La Hacienda Taqueria was one of those places for me. I'm happy to report I finally made it there for lunch and was glad I did!

Website

Located on the corner of Laurel and Washington, it's across the street from the Louden Nelson Center. It's small inside with under ten tables, but if you like Mexican food, you need to get here.

My first item from any new Mexican place for me is always nachos. What else covers the plate with all the essentials and topped with melted cheese, salsa and guacamole?

Their "guac" was actually sliced avocado, to which I was not displeased. The Chicken Nachos ($7.25) was very generous with meat, beans and chips. And the salsa is served in bottles on every table. It's much like the salsa at Tacos Morenos. Rumor has it that they have the same owner (I haven't confirmed this), but the salsa is fantastic!

My brother, Mike got the Super Carnitas burrito ($6.50), which was as big as his head. It had meat, cheese, beans, cabbage, avocado and sour cream. You can see how he liberally used the salsa bottle. I have to admit, the "take a bite, splash with more salsa" technique is a winner. Notice the grill marks on the tortilla - this is key to better flavor - no steaming this burrito!

I stopped by later in the week to treat myself to another lunch and picked up a regular Chicken Burrito ($5.50). The chicken was so tender and juicy, I almost didn't need salsa... almost. Chips are $1.75 and they have cans and bottles of soda for $1.25. There's also cerveza por favor!

Scores out of 10:
Food: 9
Service: n/a
Atmosphere: 6 (small but clean)
Value for price: 8
Overall: 7.75

Betty's Noodle House

Seth, my friend and co-worker turned me on to this place, right by the downtown Metro station. So it's only fitting we go to lunch and write it up. He lives downtown and was very happy when this place opened a few years ago. As he says himself: "I love soup!"

Website

For a smaller place, they have an impressive menu of soups, salads, noodle and rice bowls. There's only room for 20 diners or so inside, but they have some tables on the patio too.

When you walk in, go right to the back wall to see all the choices up close. Each dish has a picture and description along with if it's vegan, contains peanuts, etc. You can get tofu, chicken, pork, veggies, shrimp or beef in each one too. If you are like me and can't decide easily, you may be there awhile.

Check out the candy wall! More distractions. So many cool things from overseas here - Pocky, fruit gels, Hi-Chew and more. Good thing we were just focused on lunch. We ordered at the counter and then got some water from the self-service station. There were forks and napkins, but we used the chopsticks at the table. The food was done quickly and the chef brought it over.

First up was the Spicy Vegetable Dumplings ($6.50), which were surprisingly softer than what I expected. They looked like pot stickers, but weren't fried. These must have been boiled or steamed since they almost fell off my chopsticks. Inside was chopped cabbage, carrots, corn and scallions. Outside was a sticky, sweet and spicy ginger sauce. Very good!

Seth got the Coconut Curry Noodle Soup ($7.95) and it was huge. He had to take the second half home and it filled up a quart container (provided by the chef). There was a perfect amount of noodles to broth and he enjoyed every slurp. I have gotten that before and it's a flavorful experience of a curry kick and coconut sweetness.

I got the String Bean Noodle Bowl with tofu ($7.95) and everything was placed separate in the bowl. Why you do this? I prefer it mixed up and luckily, there was plenty of sauce to cover the noodles and sprouts. The beans and tofu were cooked well and the sprouts provided a nice crunch.

Betty's, not to be confused with the burger joint farther down the mall, is a good, quick lunch spot. There aren't many noodle shops in downtown, so it's good to know you can get your fix here. Next time, I will try the Pho and Pad Thai. Great variety, great eats!

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: n/a
Atmosphere: 6
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7

Sushi Totoro

Lunch time with my brother and sister-in-law at one of their favorite places, Sushi Totoro on Mission Street. You may remember Totoro from the adorable Studio Ghibli anime "My Neighbor Totoro". He's a big, furry, blue cat-like creature. Sort of like my brother...

Yelp website

This is a popular place for college students and has lots of whimsical decorations as well as pictures of past customers on the walls. I think they are going for a party atmosphere, which is good for smaller sushi place.

It was about half full when we got there mid-week and the waitress was quick to give us menus and drinks. Mike, my bro, said we're getting the stuffed peppers appetizer. Sure, sounds good...

The Little Bomb ($7.95) was filled with tuna and cream cheese, deep fried and covered in roe and sauce, it was quite the starter. The sweetness of the fish and sauce balanced the spicy jalapeño and finished with a crunch. I'm a fan!

Next, I ordered my old standby, a California roll. Some things never go out of style. Did you know it was invented in LA in the 70s? Ichiro Mashita, a sushi chef, replaced tuna with avocado and it was an immediate hit. This version was fresh with lots of crab, but I didn't taste the cucumber.

Mike ordered his favorite, the Big Boy ($16.95) has tuna, salmon, spicy tuna, avo & cream cheese and it was double-sized. It too was deep fried and then covered in roe and sauce. The other roll was the TNT Special ($9.95), which had spicy tuna and cucumber. Even though fried, both weren't greasy and we could taste all the ingredients.

The last roll we ordered was the Philadelphia Special ($13.95) with salmon, cream cheese and avo. I guess the specials are all deep fried with sauce and roe. You can get them without, but why would you want to? They make for a more filling meal.

Sushi Totoro is a cozy place that has a great menu and good food. There are other places in town for bigger parties, but for a quick lunch hour, it fits the bill.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Value for Price: 6
Overall: 6.75