The best things I ate and drank in Santa Cruz County in October

As I compiled my list of the best things I ate in October in Santa Cruz County, one commonality jumped out at me: passion. Though the cuisines range from Japanese and Thai to American, each dish was the result of focus and care to achieve an apex of creation, be it ribs, sushi, hot chicken or roasted duck. 

This is, really, one of the best reasons to go out to eat, rather than cooking at home: to enjoy the result of someone’s obsession. At Sidepiece Sushi, a pop-up on Santa Cruz’s Westside, two accomplished chefs with a love for sushi teamed up to offer immaculately sourced and prepared fish. The St. Louis pork ribs at Carne in Live Oak are the result of years of trial and error by owner Tim Estrada. 

The best things I ate in Santa Cruz County in: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September

In Capitola, house-roasted duck is the star of a vibrant larb salad at My Thai Beach. One bite of the heavily seasoned fried chicken at Hot Birds 831, and you’ll know why the Watsonville-based eatery has expanded to three locations within the past six years. 

I may have raised an eyebrow at Sidepiece Sushi’s suggestive social media marketing, but when an absolutely stunning collection of fish and accoutrements was placed in front of me, it was clear that despite the silliness, this pop-up is not messing around when it comes to sushi. 

The bara chirashi ($35) is like a little jewel box, stuffed with marbled otoro (a $22 add-on) and ruby chutoro from a prized Pacific bluefin tuna, beads of orange roe, pearly citrus-brined yellowtail and pink Mt. Lassen trout, with bites of roasted wood-ear mushrooms and microgreens. It was a delight to discover the varied oceanic textures and flavors over warm, nutty rice. 

A collaboration between chefs Jeffrey Wall (currently at Johnny’s Harborside, formerly of Alderwood) and Adam David, Sidepiece pops up at Madson Winery in Santa Cruz on Thursday and Friday evenings with a short menu of hand rolls and bara chirashi rice bowls. The ingredients are sourced from nearby farms, Monterey Bay and, occasionally, verified sellers in Japan. 

As its name implies, Live Oak’s Carne is a temple to meat. Featuring an extensive butcher shop of thoughtfully sourced beef, pork, poultry, lamb and seafood, a market and a counter-service eatery with steaks and chops cooked to order, the choices could induce kid-in-a-candy-shop sensations for any omnivore. Whatever you do, get the ribs. 

The St. Louis pork ribs ($25 half rack/$44 full rack) are a crowning achievement of owner Tim Estrada’s more than 30 years of butchering and cooking experience. It was a dish that inspired him as a teenager, and he dedicated himself to mastering it to serve at Carne. “A lot of what I sell is just what I love,” he said. 

Estrada uses spare ribs from heirloom hogs raised by Rancho Llano Seco in Chico, California. The flavorful pork is smoked for six hours over oak, then seasoned with Spiceology spice rubs, a brand Estrada favors made in Washington state. Finally, the ribs are brushed with a sweet-tangy barbecue sauce that finishes with a lick of heat. Tender, perfectly smoky and flavorful, they altered my true north for ribs. As Estrada put it, “They’re unbeatable.”

Every time a restaurant notes its house specialities, all other options fade away for me. I always want to try what a restaurant puts its name behind. So when Erica Muangnum at My Thai Beach, a tiny Thai eatery in Capitola Village with an ocean view, strongly recommended the larb with roasted duck ($30.95), I closed the menu. 

Muangnum and her wife, chef Jade Suriyapongchai, purchased the business in 2025, and together they offer classic Thai dishes vibrant with herbs, lime juice and chiles. Their take on larb is a salad of fresh basil and mint, green and red onion, bound in an intensely flavorful dressing and sprinkled with crackling toasted rice. The dish is, in fact, named after this last ingredient, Muangnum told me (the more you know!) 

I think any dish topped with Suriyapongchai’s luxurious duck would be a winner. Roasted until beautifully tender and boasting crackling skin, its fattiness is a delicious foil to the bright, slightly spicy salad. Be sure to order sticky rice to soak up everything on the plate, and wash it down with an icy young coconut. 

Congratulations to Hot Birds 831, a food truck that launched in Watsonville during the pandemic, expanded to a second food truck, and finally opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Watsonville in October. The fire engine red paint and furnishings sends a clear message: Things might get hot. 

Hot Birds 831 sells spicy fried chicken in sandwiches, tenders and over crinkle-cut fries and macaroni and cheese. Thankfully, it has a tiered system depending on your desired heat level and pain threshold, so even moderately wimpy tasters like me can enjoy the crackling, juicy chicken. 

The crust is heavily seasoned and powerfully flavorful. It’s divine in a classic sandwich ($12.99) — soft potato bun, coleslaw, pickles and creamy house sauce — but the tenders are irresistible. Add one as a side for just $4. 

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