Restaurants and Sidelights
Watsonville - Near Fairgrounds
Gizdich Ranch 55 Peckham Road (off Carlton), Watsonville 95076. Open 361 days/year, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Known by the locals for their always freshly baked pies, either whole or by the slice, and pick yourself berry fields. Berries, fresh in season or frozen year-round. Deli sandwiches are available at lunch and the warm ollalieberry or apple pie ala mode is not to be missed. 831-722-1056
Farm Fresh Corn Palace 2202 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville 95076. 7:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. A favorite produce stand which is very clean with attractive displays and good prices. Extensive assortment of dried fruit. Small grocery and dairy sections. 831-722-8988
Watsonville - West Beach Street
Beach Street Café 435 West Beach Street, 831-761-0544. Well known by locals for their great breakfast.
Sunset State Beach
Offers sweeping views of bluff-backed sand and sea, with the Santa Cruz Mountains to the northwest and the forested hills of the Monterey Peninsula to the southwest. The area offers a chance to watch dolphins, sea otters and grey whales. Shore birds, white-tailed kites, western snowy plovers and red-tailed hawks make Sunset (and nearby Manresa) their home.
Riverside Drive
Annieglass(seconds store), 310 Harvest Drive (corner of Riverside (Hwy. 129) and Harvest Drives, 831-761-2041 x21. Hours: Mon - Sat 10:00 to 4:00 Annieglass, handcrafted sculptural glass dinnerware, serving pieces, drinkware and accessories, is designed by artist Ann Morhauser of Santa Cruz, California. High-end stores throughout the U.S. carry Annieglass. Products offered here are seconds at reduced prices.
Grand Old Ladies of East Beach
Traveling east, you will see remnants of a once gracious and elegant neighborhood. The Brockius-Orr House, now owned by the Pajaro Valley Historical Association, was built in 1870 and is located at 332 E. Beach Street, 831-722-0305. The YWCA is located in another historical home at 340 E. Beach Street, 831-724-6078.
Main Street
This downtown area offers dining choices from one end to the other—a variety of ethnic eateries as well as a choice of “fast food” establishments.
Bagel Café & Bistro & Cafe, 972 Main St., 831-722-2566, bagels in the AM plus regular food the rest of the day
China Garden, 1433 Main St., 831-768-1826
El Alteño Mexican Cuisine, 323 Main St., 831-768-9876
Jalisco Mexican Cuisine, 618 Main St., 831-728-9080
Red Apple Café, 589 Auto Center Drive, 831-761-9551. Open for breakfast and lunch only; well know for its great breakfasts.
Super Taqueria, 720 Main St., 831-761-1565
Sushi Garden, 1441 Main St., 831-728-9192
Nob Hill Shopping Center, 1900 block Main Street
Nob Hill Market, 831-728-9555
Long’s Drugs, 831-722-3356
Cilantro’s, 1934 Main St., 831-761-2161
Golden China, Chinese Restaurant, 1866 Main St., 831-724-6957
Imura, (Japanese, Korean, Sushi), 1994 Main St, 831-761-8799
Green Valley Road
Applebee’s, 1105 S. Green Valley Rd., 831-728-7272
Coco's Bakery Restaurant, 1051 S. Green Valley Rd., 831-768-8800
Erik’s Delicafe, 1074 S. Green Valley Rd. @ Main St., 831-724-7575
Green Valley Grill, 40 Penny Lane @ Green Valley Road, 831-728-0644. Continental cuisuine
Home Depot, 355 S. Green Valley Rd., 831-786-9877
Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH), 1060 S. Green Valley Rd. @ Main St., 831-728-7701
Others
Cassidy’s Pizza, 1400 Freedom Blvd., 831-724-2271
California Grill (Continental) 1970 Freedom Blvd., Freedom, 831-722-8052
Café Ella, 734 East Lake Ave., Watsonville, 831-722-0480 (breakfast & lunch only)
La Fondita Restaurante, 30 E 5th St., #D @ Main St., Watsonville, 831-761-0936
Tabacchi’s Family Coffey Shoppe, 11 Green Valley Rd., Freedom, 831-768-9405
Zuniga’s Mexican Food, 100 Aviation Way (off Airport), 831-724-5788
Corralitos
Corralitos Market & Sausage Company, 569 Corralitos Rd., Corralitos, 831-722-2633. Smokehouse products including ham, bacon, sausages, and salmon. Delicious hot sausage sandwiches.
Moss Landing
At the midpoint of Monterey Bay shoreline, Elkhorn Slough is a biological, cultural and geological channel for one of our planet's richest ecosystems. The 6.000 foot deep Monterey Canyon begins just at this point. Inside the harbor is a boating community, research institutions and commercial fishing concerns. Elkhorn Slough is home to 80 species of fish, hundreds of marine invertebrates and more than 250 kinds of birds including great blue herons, egrets, and cormorants nesting in the ancient Monterey pine groves. Address: 1700 Elkhorn Road, 831-728-2822, www.elkhornslough.org
A well known local eatery is Phil's Fish Market & Eatery, 7600 Sandholtd Rd., Moss Landing, 831-633-2152 as well as several other excellent seafood restaurants.