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Best of Good Times 2015 in Aptos

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Best of Santa Cruz 2015
Good Times Best of Santa Cruz 2015

Good Times Magazine is back with its Best of Santa Cruz Issue for 2015. Unsurprisingly, the Best of Good Times 2015 in Aptos is a long list. Congratulations to all the Aptos winners – the recognition is well-deserved!

The Best in all of Santa Cruz

Best Farmers Market: Farmer’s Market at Cabrillo

Best Place of Worship: Twin Lakes Church

Best Indian Cuisine: Ambrosia India Bistro

Best BBQ: Aptos St. BBQ

Best Mediterranean Cuisine: Zameen Mediterranean Cuisine

Best Carpet Cleaning: Connoisseur Carpet Cleaning

Best Children’s Day Care: Simcha Preschool

Best Insurance: Rovai Insurance

Best Laser Hair Removal: Laser Hair and Skin Solutions

Best Running Store: Fleet Feet Sports

Best Swim School: Seahorse Swim School

The Best in Aptos/Soquel

Best Mexican Restaurant: Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant

Best Patio Dining: Bittersweet Bistro

Best Seafood: Café Rio

Best Sushi: Kauboi Japanese Grill & Sushi

Best Burrito: Los Gordos Mexican Restaurant

Best Breakfast: Red Apple Café

Best Burger: BURGER.

Best Date Night Restaurant: Bittersweet Bistro

Runners Up

Best Restaurant Aptos/Soquel: Café Sparrow, Bittersweet Bistro

Best Men’s Shoes: Aptos Shoes and Apparel

Best Pet Store: Aptos Feed

Best Women’s Clothing: Aptos Shoes and Apparel

Editor’s Picks

Best Convenience Store/Gas Station: AJ’s Market

Best South County Breakfast Burrito: Palm Deli

Manuel’s Restaurant Celebrates 50 Years

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Manuel's Mexican Restaurant
Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant in Aptos

The folks at Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant in Aptos have done a good job getting the word out…but if you haven’t yet heard, the venerable and much-loved Aptos institution is having its Golden 50th Anniversary this week. On March 15, Manuel’s Restaurant celebrates 50 years of serving its food to our community.

The restaurant was started in 1965 by Manuel and Alice Santana, and it wasn’t long before the establishment got the attention of a number of luminaries of the day. In fact, Manuel’s was an early favorite of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, and was mentioned in Tom Wolfe’s famous Novel, the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

Manuel’s Restaurant has a long history of giving back to the community which they serve, and to honor that tradition, they will be donating 50% of the sales this week to a number of local organizations they have supported over the years:

  • Monday, March 9: Homeless Services Center of Santa Cruz
  • Tuesday, March 10: Second Harvest Food Bank
  • Wednesday, March 11: Teen Kitchen Project
  • Thursday, March 12: Cabrillo College Visual, Applied and Performing Arts
  • Friday, March 13: Women’s Crisis Support – Defensa de Mujeres
  • Saturday, March 14 & Sunday, March 15: Donation will be divided equally among the five groups.

This week, plan to head on down to Manuel’s to help them celebrate the occasion, and support some of these well-deserving charities.

See also: Manuel’s Restaurant Web Site

The Hideout in Aptos

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The Hideout
The Hideout 4.0 star rating 366 reviews

The Hideout in Aptos is located along Soquel Drive, just past Aptos Village as you are heading south towards Rio del Mar. It is appropriately named, because unless you know where to find it, it’s an easy spot to miss. The Hideout opened in January of 2015 and it became an overnight sensation. The restaurant is routinely packed for both lunch and dinner, and locals have taken to raving about the place on Facebook and Yelp.

They feature American bistro style cuisine – soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches, an array of tasty appetizers, and a full cocktail bar with a dozen or more beers on tap. The interior is divided up in to several distinct areas, which makes it good for groups. There’s also an outdoor seating area, which surprisingly isn’t too loud given its proximity to both Soquel Drive and the freeway.

The building that the Hideout calls home was originally a home, built in 1927 by some early Aptos residents. Over the years since it stopped being a house it’s been used by several different restaurants, but has been thoroughly renovated and updated by the owners of the The Hideout. Today it’s a chic and fun place to go for lunch or dinner.

See also: Hideout Facebook Page, The Hideout Web Site

The Hideout in Aptos on Soquel Drive
The Hideout in Aptos

Rawhide Baseball Group Pasta Feed and Silent Auction

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Rawhide Baseball Group
Rawhide Baseball Group

The Rawhide Baseball Group is having a pasta feed and silent auction at the Resurrection Catholic Community Church on December 6th. The festivities start at 6 PM, and feature the local band Soulwise, a local reggae/funk rock band from Santa Cruz. Two of the Rawhide Baseball Group coaches are in the band: Adrian deMar and Kevin Eichorn.

Tickets are $25 each for adults, and $10 each for kids, and you have your choice of vegan or meat sauce. They’ll be having a silent auction as well, and proceeds go to support the youth of Santa Cruz county. Rawhide Baseball Group is an organization that puts together a string of camps, clinics and teams for kids ages 8-14 run by current and former MLB players from the area.

To learn more and get tickets, visit http://rawhidebaseballgroup.com/pasta/

See also: Rawhide Baseball Group on Facebook

Gourmet Grazing on September 27 in Aptos Village Park

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Get ready for Gourmet Grazing on the Green on Saturday, September 27 from 12:00 to 4:00 PM at Aptos Village Park! This event is in its 11th season, and it’s a fantastic day of excellent wine, delicious food and, of course, live music! While away the day savoring the rich flavors from dozens of the most acclaimed local restaurants and wineries.

This event is put on by the Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group, and all proceeds from the event go to support the cause. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

See also: Santa Cruz Cancer Benefits Group

Bittersweet Bistro

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Bittersweet Bistro
Bittersweet Bistro 3.0 star rating 391 reviews

When it comes to fine dining in Aptos, Bittersweet Bistro has to be near the top of the list. Located near the Deer Park Marketplace Shopping Center, Bittersweet Bistro specializes in what they call American Bistro cuisine with Mediterranean influences. They have a full bar, and also have an extensive wine list and a rich dessert menu.

Adjacent to the Bittersweet Bistro is Cafe Bittersweet, where they serve Breakfast (from 8 AM til 1 PM) and lunch (from 10 AM to 2 PM). They have also opened the Bittersweet Lounge, with leather chairs and three flat panel televisions – including a 110 inch screen! The Lounge is open 7 days a week, but on Friday and Saturday is open only for patrons 21 years and older, but all ages are welcome Sunday through Thursday.

 You will often find live music on the weekends, with a variety of local musicians tuning up and entertaining the crowds.  Whether you are just looking for a quick cocktail and some appetizers or an unforgettable full meal, this is the spot to try in Aptos.

Tip:  Every day of the week they feature $7 “nightly nibbles” starting at 4 PM.
See also

Bittersweet Bistro - Aptos
Bittersweet Bistro – Aptos