Edible Monterey Bay

18/02/2026

The long awaited old-school jazz lounge The Alley-Oop opens Friday in Santa Cruz, reimagining a spot which for decades housed the beloved Poet & Patriot Irish pub. Owner Max Turigliatto urges patrons to get dressed up and bring a date for classic cocktails, small plates and music. Alley-Oop was shrouded in secrecy while under construction, but EMB's Mark C. Anderson got a sneak peek of what to expect inside.

Feb. 17, 2026—Picture a windowless speakeasy built around trim cocktails, fluted booths and a mint condition 1952 Baldwin baby grand, a place that feels part 1933 Chicago, part 2026 New York, but still very Santa Cruz. You may be picturing something like The Alley-Oop, a self-described jazz alley ...

11/02/2026

Hatch is a small town in New Mexico not far from the Mexican border, but its name also describes the famously tasty chiles grown all along the Rio Grande Valley. And now it's also a new restaurant in Carmel. Hatch Southwest Kitchen opened yesterday at The Barnyard.

Feb. 10, 2025—There’s a lot of striking storylines that feed into Hatch Southwest Kitchen, which debuted yesterday in the Barnyard Carmel at full bustle. They involve a rare homecoming-of-sorts for a pair of brothers, romance in the crazy industry that is hospitality, a family obsession with New...

27/01/2026

Join Community Cuisine and soak up the spirit of Julia Child and Simca Beck while staying at Simca’s former summer home in Provence, France, where she and Julia Child created Mastering the Art of French Cooking!

We'll be in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region along the Riviera, surrounded by the sea, olive groves, and rows of cypress trees. We'll stay seven nights at the former home of Simone Beck, next door to Julia's once summer home.

This trip has been curated to be much like the food we'll cook - lovingly grown and "built on friendship" as Julia and Simca did. Daily excursions for our group of no more than twelve are unique. They're structured but organic, with room to adjust our plans or menus based on the season.

Our culinary focus will be on "slow food" — meaning the made-from-scratch traditional and regional dishes of the area and France itself, as well as Julia and Simca's cookbooks, of course! We also focus on traditional seasonal dishes and produce like foraged, wild asparagus.

During the day we visit ancient villages, stunning markets, have a private cooking class and lunch at Michelin restaurants and more. At the house, there’s time to enjoy the pool and lounge in the garden. Evenings include a cooking class as we prepare dinner.

Sample itinerary includes:
• Julia Child's favorite market in Cannes
• A cooking class and lunch at a Michelin restaurant, Alain Llorca
• A visit to a family-owned organic olive orchard
• A 100 year old perfume factory
• THE BEST open air market on the Riviera
• Brocante shopping in Old Nice
• Visiting iconic medieval villages

Visit CommunityCuisine.com for more info

llorca

14/01/2026

Heart shaped pizzas are just part of the plan for the new La Crema Lovers Point—the newest project from energetic chef and caterer Tami Aceves.

Jan. 13, 2026—One door closed. Then another door opened. Then…another opened. And another after that.  And that final door is a large, well-lit and gorgeous opening onto Lovers Point Park and the Pacific Ocean. (More on the others doors below.) The closed door belonged to The Grill at Point Pin...

07/01/2026

Welcome to the New Year! It's already shaping up to be a memorable one for local food and drink openings. Fancy fine dining in PG? A new cocktail lounge? Southwestern cuisine? A breakfast boogie? 2026 has all that in store and much more. Get your taste buds ready, EMB's Mark C. Anderson has our annual look ahead at 14 coming attractions and when to expect them.

Jan. 6, 2026—While this list unleashes an avalanche of appetizing new Monterey Bay area restaurants in alphabetical order, two 2026 developments transcend any of them. Number one is an entire place apart, a destination so stunning it’s often attributed supernatural qualities: South Big Sur. Next...

07/01/2026

Carmel cookbook author and the irrepressible founder of the Monterey Bay chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier International passed away over the holidays. A beloved presence in the local culinary world, Chamberlin was a caterer by profession, who drew inspiration for her cookbooks from world travels alongside her pilot husband.

January 6, 2026 – Beloved local chef, caterer, culinary educator, cookbook author and founder of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, Central Coast chapter, Mary Chamberlin, a long-time resident of Carmel, passed away in late December at the age of 91. Mary was born on an Illinois farm and her f...

06/01/2026

A look back at our wonderful Winter issue release party at A Taste of Monterey just before the holidays + a huge thanks to chef Bruce Finch and his team for the incredible food.

New owners Britt and Belynda Talbert are the perfect hosts and look forward to welcoming readers for a glass of wine, a full meal or a private party.

The views are unbeatable, the local wines are superb and now the food is also worth a visit. Thank you A Taste of Monterey!
•
•

26/12/2025

Santa Cruz used bookshop and natural wine bar Bad Animal will enter a new phase following a brief winter break. It will reopen Friday, January 9 with with chef Nick Hahn in the kitchen and a fresh concept styled after a Left Bank Parisian bistro.

Dec. 23, 2025—Pop quiz: You’re asked to spotlight an eatery to represent Santa Cruz to the world. What leaps to mind? Here’s a candidate: Bad Animal, which would be a curveball—and a contender—in part because it goes so far beyond food.  This is a Valhalla for used and rare books, with a ...

17/12/2025

Congratulations to all the winners!

17/12/2025

On the heels of breakout breakfast stars Mad Yolks and Pretty Good Advice, downtown Santa Cruz is getting another buzzy breakfast spot. The Breakfast Club at Midtown is going into the Pacific Avenue space that was formerly Assembly and, briefly, Alderwood Pacific. It's part of a small, but growing, Bay Area franchise that started in San Jose, and EMB's Mark C. Anderson reports they aim to put the party in your mornings.

Dec. 16, 2025—The Breakfast Club at Midtown has proven a buzzworthy hit since its line-out-the-door debut in San Jose circa 2016. Now it’s on an explosive growth spurt, with cascading additions in Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Castro Valley, Morgan Hill, Livermore, and San Mateo in the last two years...

17/12/2025

A little over a year ago, Edible Monterey Bay broke the news that Seaside's community-minded Other Brother Beer Co. was adding a location in Aptos and the time has finally come. OBBC Aptos is officially opening next Tuesday, December 23.

Dec. 16, 2025—It’s time to rebrand the phrase “Oh, brother” to “Ohhh, Brother!” Or at least the latter would work well with what will be flowing soon in Aptos Village. Other Brother Beer Co.’s shiny new second location debuts Tuesday, Dec. 23, with some “very soft” opening action i...

31/10/2025

It’s been a long time since downtown Santa Cruz welcomed a new sit-down restaurant with pedigree. Chef Desmond Schneider and mixologist Julianna Mireles open their new Mane Kitchen & Cocktails tonight! French bistro style with a California twist and great drinks at 1222 Pacific Ave. where Betty’s Eat Inn used to be. See story link in bio.