October 21–28, 2026 | KRML Community & Culture
There are plenty of good reasons to visit Santa Cruz County. The beaches. The redwoods. The eccentric personalities. But for eight delicious nights this October, we have another: Santa Cruz Restaurant Week.
From October 21 through 28, more than two dozen local restaurants are rolling out special three-course dinners priced at $45, $55, or $65. It’s an invitation to explore new kitchens, revisit old favorites, and perhaps discover that the restaurant you’ve driven past 200 times deserves a closer look.
And yes, dessert is included. Finally, a civic event we can all get behind.
A Little Adventure on the Menu
At Bittersweet Bistro in Aptos, chef and owner Thomas Vinolus is celebrating classic bistro cooking with a generous helping of imagination. Think steak and fries, blackened local cod, cheese ravioli with butternut squash, and French onion soup. And for dessert? Pumpkin crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, lemon pudding cake, and a rather ambitious cookies-and-cream creation. Apparently, restraint was not invited to the planning meeting.
Over at The Point Kitchen and Bar, the kitchen is bringing back its People’s Choice award-winning clam chowder. There’s also a 12-ounce New York steak on the $55 dinner menu—a particularly generous offering when you consider that the steak alone ordinarily approaches $50.
Hula’s Island Grill is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a playful return to Hawaiian comfort food, including katsu-style Spam musubi. Seasoned rice, crispy nori, tonkatsu sauce, and teriyaki glaze. If you’ve never tried Spam outside a camping trip, this might change your opinion.
At Chocolat, chef David Jackman has been experimenting with vegan cheeses and plant-based cooking, resulting in new vegan options across all three courses. Proof that a meatless dinner needn’t be an exercise in self-denial.
And Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen is stretching culinary boundaries with dishes like short rib birria over hominy grits and chipotle bucatini featuring coffee-rubbed cheddar. Unusual combinations? Certainly. But that’s part of the fun.
Old Favorites, New Tricks
Restaurant Week isn’t just about inventing new dishes. Sometimes it’s about bringing back something customers have been missing.
East End Gastropub is reviving its popular Brussels sprouts and bao buns, this time with a crab variation. Mozaic is offering a slow-simmered lamb shank. Riva Fish House, a fixture on the Santa Cruz Wharf, continues its tradition of serving seafood with a side of local history.
For those inclined toward Italian cooking, Avanti is highlighting seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, while Kianti’s is pairing its pizza and pasta with comforting desserts.
Elsewhere, KRML-fave Laili offers its distinctive combination of Afghan, Central Asian, and Mediterranean flavors. Its owner, Wafi Amin, has lowered this year’s Restaurant Week price from $65 to $55, acknowledging that dining budgets are stretched.
That’s a welcome gesture, and one that captures something important about this event.
More Than a Discounted Dinner
Restaurant Week is about value, certainly. But for the restaurants themselves, it’s also about introducing their work to people who might never have walked through the door.
Running an independent restaurant isn’t easy. Ingredient prices fluctuate. Labor is expensive. Customers are increasingly careful about discretionary spending. And one excellent meal doesn’t necessarily guarantee a return visit.
For many participating chefs, Restaurant Week is less about maximizing immediate profits and more about investing in long-term relationships.
Some even use the week as an informal culinary laboratory. Introduce a new dish, listen to diners, see what sells, and perhaps give a successful experiment a permanent home on the menu.
It’s a clever form of community-driven menu development. The only requirement for participants is to show up hungry.
The Best Ingredient Is Community
There’s another reason we love this event at KRML.
Independent restaurants do something that national chains, delivery apps, and algorithm-driven recommendations can’t easily replicate: they give a community its character.
They’re where friendships begin, anniversaries are celebrated, first dates become long marriages, and occasionally a chef remembers exactly how you like your dinner.
From the waterfront restaurants of Santa Cruz to the neighborhood kitchens of Aptos, Capitola, and Scotts Valley, these businesses help make the Monterey Bay region more interesting, more connected, and considerably better fed.
Restaurant Week is our chance to return the favor.
Our completely unscientific KRML dining strategy: Visit one restaurant you’ve never tried. Return to one you haven’t visited in years. Order something you can’t pronounce. And tip generously.
There are eight nights to explore. That’s probably not enough, but it’s an excellent start.
Santa Cruz Restaurant Week runs October 21–28, 2026. Explore participating restaurants and their special menus at SantaCruzRestaurantWeek.com. Reservations are recommended where available. Tax and gratuity are additional.
Restaurant highlights informed by William S. Woodhams’ October 21, 2026 coverage in Good Times.
KRML — A Little More Local. A Lot More Human.
Laili and Bittersweet were my “go-to” restaurants with my wife. Can’t wait to revisit.