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Eat this, dude: A special 4/20 edition of Eaters Digest
Ahh, April 20. An iconically Santa Cruz holiday. A day for relaxation, community and … wait, there was something else I wanted to say, but I can’t remember … what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the food! 4/20 celebrates cannabis culture, including its distinct culinary arts, making it a lesser-known food holiday. Born from the cravings that often strike while stoned, the munchies have birthed both gastronomic delights and disasters, but hey, at least they had fun trying.
This Saturday, three local businesses are offering their own 4/20 specials for one day only to satisfy any curious cravings.
CBD-infused espresso tonic at Coffee Conspiracy in Santa Cruz
Small-batch coffee roaster Eddie Alaniz is offering the “Dude, Where’s My Car?” espresso tonic, a thirst-quenching CBD-infused elixir that’ll leave you saying, what cotton mouth? This iced drink layers a shot of house-roasted espresso with housemade simple syrup and Liquid Death sparkling water, and is finished with a spritz of CBD oil “to activate chill mode,” says Alaniz in an Instagram post.
Flamin’ Hot Deluxe Grilled Cheese & micheladas at Fruition Brewing in Watsonville
The kitchen at Fruition Brewing harnessed its “stoney ingenuity” and created some “half-baked ideas” to celebrate 4/20. Namely, a fluorescent grilled cheese sandwich fried with a generous layer of crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Thirsty? Wash it down with a michelada with a bright red Flamin’ Hot rim, or one of Fruition’s super dank IPAs.
The Trash Bowl at Chubbs Chicken Sandwiches in Santa Cruz
With the Trash Bowl, Chubbs Chicken turns the munchies into a high art. This annual stoner special has everything: a big bowl of mac & cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, fries, coleslaw and chopped chicken thigh, topped with pickles and a choice of sauce. It may sound like an abomination, but really, what’s not to love?
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Best of the Week Ahead
Below, find a curated list of the best food and drink events in Santa Cruz County for the coming week. At the top, I share my picks of unmissable local happenings.
News of the week
ICYMI – here are the food news stories from Lookout that you might have missed, plus important news from beyond our borders picked by yours truly.
- Live Oak farmers market: School district will consider moving market to nearby school (Lookout)
- Eaters Digest: Three summer event series to check out (Lookout)
- Bocci’s Cellar is for sale: Santa Cruz’s ‘oldest restaurant’ listed for $1.199 million (Lookout)
- 15 takeaways from Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2024 (Edible Monterey Bay)