FOUNDATION TO ROOF INC

I've not used these guys, nor will I in the future because they leave leaflets on my doorstep. I'd rather use folks who rely on word-of-mouth or reputation.

Mayan Night Club

The Mayan has Salsa nights on Friday and Saturday. There is a great instructor at the beginning of the night (before general dancing) to show you the basic Salsa moves, but believe me, this is nowhere near what you will need to dance on this floor.

Once general dancing starts, it is easy to be intimidated by the level of dancing - if you are a beginner or medium dancer, definitely go with a group of folks that are at your level, this will make it more comfortable because you'll be able to dance with each other.

It is tough to walk up to a person and ask him/her to a dance unless you are a sizzlin' salsa superstar - it is more of a nightclub atmosphere than a ballroom. (I've heard The Granada in Alhambra is more of a ballroom atmosphere where folks are there to dance Salsa rather than pick each other up.)

The live music was very good when I was there.

PROS: Historic, good music
CONS: Intimidating

Native Foods Cafe

This is a nice Native Foods location right next to a big sports store (Empire Sports I think). The buliding is a funky round structure which I like. The food is similar to the other Native Foods locations - quality vegan food with meat substitutes for meat eaters. Highly recomended.

PROS: Nice location, good food
CONS: None

Nhi Casey Photography

Nhi is a great photographer - she is very professional, has a good eye, has good equipment, and is very prepared. We had a great experience doing our pre-wedding photos with her.

She knows some good outdoor photo shoot areas and also has a studio. She says she specializes in candids but our posed photos came out great!

Nhi is a very pleasant person to work with as well. Highly recommended. She has some sample photos on her website.

PROS: Nice person, good equipment, good eye, prepared
CONS: none!

Foothill Smog & Auto Repair

Finally, an honest mechanic! Avo was straightforward and pleasant to deal with and only worked on the items that I asked him to. I asked him if anything was wrong with the steering and he said nothing was wrong.

PROS: Honest, straightforward, clear
CONS: none

19 N Market St

19 Market is a nice Vietnamese bistro - I was pleasantly surprised by the interior decor and the quality of the food and service. We had folks in our party with special dietary needs (peanut allergy, vegan) and they were very accomodating. The food was good and prices were a bit high but not too unreasonable.

Stagnaro Bros Seafood

A trip to Santa Cruz isn't the same without stopping by Stagnaro Bros. Seafood. It is located at the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf and has a great ocean view.

Back when I used to eat fish, I had a hard time finding a place with better fish than this place. The prices are surprisingly good for what you get.

The side vegetables are not the greatest, but it doesn't matter - it is all about the fish.

PROS: The best fish, reasonable prices
CONS: Nothing else is really good here but who cares

Cornelio's Tree Services

All I know about this guy is that he spams my front door every week with his business card. I tried to find more info on him but he's not listed anywhere which seems a bit shady. I found an old Pennysaver ad but that's it.

Please don't reward spammers with your business!

PROS: None
CONS: Spams my front door with his business card

L A County Museum Of Art

I saw a great exhibit here with works from Czanne and Pissarro who were both good friends and collaborators - the exhibit showcased their influence on each other and even had side-by-side works where they drew the same scene. I loved it!

Moca | The Museum Of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

I saw the Rauschenberg exhibit here which was free after 6pm on one of the weekdays. They had a knowledgeable person give a talk on his works. The experience couldn't be beat, especially if you are into modern art.