Morning Lookout: Eaters Digest, miso mastery and a guide to Open Studios

Hello again, friends! It’s Friday, Sept. 30, and another mostly sunny day awaits us in Santa Cruz County (give or take some marine layer, as always), with temps heading toward 90 in the mountains and into the 70s closer to the bay.

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It’s a foodie Friday here at Lookout, leading off with the latest Eaters Digest from Lily Belli. She’s got news on a downtown coffee establishment, where to get some free espresso, and waxes poetic about her favorite local taco.

Thomas Sawano, meanwhile, profiles the miso evangelists at Hakouya, the latest in our Farmers Market Fridays series. (And if you haven’t already, check out our definitive guide to local farmers markets here.)

Thomas also sat in on a symposium at UC Santa Cruz, where the specter of far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro loomed ahead of that country’s election.

And with the Open Studios Art Tour kicking off with the first of its three weekends, read along for a guide from Wallace Baine, who also has a recommendation-packed look at our local arts and culture scene in his latest Weekender newsletter.

Before we get to Friday’s headlines, though, I wanted to let you know about a great chance to support both local journalism and a great local organization. Become an annual Lookout member now and 10% of the price of your membership will support the O’Neill Sea Odyssey’s Adam Webster Fund, a program that funds educational experiences for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities. This program needs our help in ramping back up after being hit hard by the pandemic. It gets better — that donation will be matched by O’Neill Sea Odyssey donors. Click the links below for more info and to join Lookout.

And now let’s check out those headlines.

Mariposa Coffee finds permanent home, Cat & Cloud turns 6 and one of the best tacos ever

Mariposa Coffee has found a permanent home for its Cuban coffees and vegetarian pastries and sandwiches in downtown Santa Cruz. Plus, one of the best tacos in the county and a local coffee chain celebrates with some free espresso. Get all that and then some in Lily Belli’s latest Eaters Digest.

➤ MORE FROM LILY: Find all of Lookout’s food & drink coverage in one spot

Hakouya spreads the word on miso

The mother-and-son team behind Hakouya has gone beyond their local favorite miso dressing to sell a wider array of traditional and not-so-traditional miso products — including their own take on amazake, a fermented rice drink. Thomas Sawano delivers another Farmers Market Fridays profile.

➤ MORE ON FARMERS MARKETS: Get the scoop on the vibrant local scene with our definitive guide

Plenty of fuel to get you through Friday and into the weekend. Keep it tuned to Lookout by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and click here to get breaking news alerts and our other newsletters — including our specially curated Sunday Reads — so you don’t miss a thing.

And what better way to bolster trustworthy local journalism and sock away some good karma than by becoming a Lookout member? Our content isn’t possible without community support.

Have a most excellent Friday and a safe, relaxing weekend — catch you back here Monday!

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz