What’s good, Lookout friends? It is Friday, Feb. 6, and our Santa Cruz County forecast is for another nice, mostly sunny day – a little cooler than the past couple but still 60s and a few 70s – with much the same through the weekend before chances of rain early next week.
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Downtown Santa Cruz bookstore/wine/bar/eatery Bad Animal has brought its restaurant operations in-house, and Lily Belli has a review of chef Nick Hahn’s opening menu, billed as modern French bistro cuisine, drawing from numerous global influences. The “execution is precise, the textures and seasoning nearly flawless,” she writes. “Still, I kept wishing for a few more surprises, a similar sense of delightful discovery to match the unconventional offerings within the bookstore and wine list.”
Watsonville has higher rates of traffic injuries than other similar-sized California cities, with Freedom Boulevard particularly dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. The city council is taking steps to change that, Max Chun reports, and at its Tuesday meeting will hear staff recommendations about how to make the well-traveled thoroughfare safer.
The Friday headlines also include a guide to the weekend courtesy of Lily Belli and Lookout’s BOLO events calendar – saddle up.
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Bad Animal’s next act: Global French bistro cuisine offers glimpses of a chef on the rise
Bad Animal ended its acclaimed Hanloh pop-up in December and brought its kitchen in-house, tapping former chef de cuisine Nick Hahn to lead the downtown Santa Cruz restaurant. While his precise, produce-driven dishes show clear promise and technical confidence, the opening menu feels like an early chapter — polished and wine-friendly, but still searching for the sense of surprise that defines the space. Here’s a review from Lily Belli.
Watsonville City Council to hear initial plans for making Freedom Boulevard safer for pedestrians, cyclists
The Watsonville City Council will receive a report on conceptual plans to make Freedom Boulevard safer for pedestrians and cyclists at its Tuesday meeting. The study also looks at traffic collisions along Airport Boulevard, East Lake Avenue, Riverside Drive, Green Valley Road and Main Street, but Freedom Boulevard is its priority because it has the highest collision rates of the listed roads. Details here from Max Chun.
DAILY DIGEST
The weekend approaches, and Lookout is keeping our eye on all things Santa Cruz County. Bring our award-winning local coverage along wherever your ride takes you by downloading the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and for all of our other newsletters, including the specially curated Sunday Reads. Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads are where you can keep up with it all on social media.
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Many, many thanks for reading, today and all week long. Here’s to a smooth Friday for all of us, and a safe, relaxing weekend beyond.
Will McCahill