Quick Take
Downtown Santa Cruz's 1-year-old Firefly Tavern closed in June, and new owner Noel Cardona opened CT Lights Lounge in the storied Walnut Avenue space. With chef Jose Ortega still at the helm, new dishes are coming to an eclectic menu that blends Asian, Latin and American flavors.
Last month, Firefly Tavern in downtown Santa Cruz winked out after just one year in business. In its place, CT Lights Lounge opened in mid-June, with Noel Cardona as the new owner.
Cardona, a former commercial pilot, explains that the restaurant’s new name is a re-spelling of “city” lights, one of his favorite views from the air. “When I was in aviation, during night flights, I would enjoy that view. It gave me a special feeling,” he says.
This is Cardona’s first foray into the restaurant business. When the opportunity came up to purchase the restaurant from former owners Hans Losee and April Wilkerson, Cardona jumped at the opportunity to achieve his lifelong dream of owning a restaurant, he says.
Chef Jose Ortega, who has also worked at Home restaurant in Soquel and The Kitchen at Discretion, will continue to offer some of the eclectic and modern American dishes he popularized under Firefly Tavern, including the pollo chile verde and double cheeseburger. Starting this weekend, guests will begin to see new menu items made in Ortega’s vibrant, fusion-forward style that blends Asian, Latin and American flavors. Expect to see more seafood-based dishes, too, such as poke and ceviche.
In addition to CT Lights’ current list of wine and beer, Cardona plans to add a list of mocktails, such as alcohol-free versions of cocktails like palomas and margaritas, and juice-based drinks.
Previous owners Losee and Wilkerson gave the much-loved Walnut Avenue restaurant a major upgrade in early 2023, adding many glamorous touches to the former 99 Bottles pub, which closed in March 2020. Losee also owns local coffeehouse and bagel chain Firefly Coffee, which has locations on Front Street and Commercial Way in Santa Cruz.
With the new changes, Cardona says he hopes CT Lights Lounge will be a place the entire community can share, whether customers want to watch sports at the bar, sit on the outside patio or relax with a book in the upstairs lounge. For now, he’s keeping much of the interior design the same, except for the addition to the dining room of a large mural of the San Francisco Bay Area at night – as seen from above.
CT Lights Lounge is currently open every day except Tuesday for brunch, lunch and dinner. It also offers a happy hour every day from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
110 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz.
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