The popular O'mei on Mission continues to dazzle diners with its array of flavors

For more than 30 years O'mei Restaurant has served its classy renditions of Chinese cuisine on busy Mission Street. It had been some time since I had visited, and was looking forward to its special brand of spiciness.

We were offered a dinner menu, a specials menu which included seasonal Chinese vegetables, and the express menu which included noodle bowls, sautées and chow mein.

We chose two appetizers ($3) from a tray of six. String beans were mixed with plenty of garlic. Tanned and lacquered cashews were polka dotted with black and white sesame seeds for a sweet and salty snack.

There's a new Dog in town on the corner of Pacific Avenue and Laurel Street. Surf Dog serves mainly burgers and hot dogs, and you can design your own from a selection of ten meats and 19 toppings

The finishes are upscale for this small, late-night joint, with mosaic tile floors and a Corian-style marble table which matches those at Khyber Pass, the owner's other restaurant.

This isn't necessarily fast food: it took 20 minutes for a Juicy SC ($5.95), made to order. But it was hot, and even though cooked through, plenty moist. The fat sesame-seeded bun, spread with tart orange Surf Sauce was filled with a thick grill-marked patty with sautéed red bell peppers, crisp-textured onions and mushrooms. The orange cheese quickly melted until lusciously gooey, although the described garlic flavor was not apparent to me.

The menu at the reinvented Casablanca Bistro offers novel ingredients to complement the fabulous view

The new owners of Casablanca Bistro and Inn have enlisted Jon Carder as Executive Chef. With an extensive multi-ethnic culinary background, his menu brings numerous unique and unfamiliar ingredients to the table.

Lunch is served downstairs in the Bistro bar’s Sea Level Room and on its Beach Street patio. The menu includes a selection of small plates, salads, and sandwiches.

Build your own Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($6) with a familiar flavor, or investigate Spain’s rich Manchego or Italy’s Burrata, a fresh mozzarella with creamy center. Then choose vegetables, meat and a spread such as fig jam or spicy Tunisian harissa. Other sandwiches ($11-$15), served with salad or fries, include France's famous ham and cheese croque monsieur or Grilled Coulotte steak with blue cheese, and Chinese heirloom pink watermelon radishes.

I remember fondly our family picnics at various local beaches. Nothing ever tasted as good as the sandwiches my mom made on her blanket in the sand with freshly sliced sourdough bread, salami, cheese, tomatoes and dill pickles. Were they marvelous because of impending hypothermia, or because they were healthy and freshly made?

The Picnic Basket, a new endeavor by the folks at Penny Ice Creamery, brings a fresh and healthy taste of Santa Cruz to Boardwalk-area visitors. The menu includes food products from a venerable local list of who’s-who, with an emphasis on sustainability.

For breakfast ($3 to $8), begin with organic, brick oven breads and pastries from Mission Street’s Companion Bakers, or hot cereal from the 70-year old South San Francisco mills of Giusto’s Specialty Foods. You'll find all-natural bacon or ham from the family farms of Niman Ranch, Heidi Schlecht’s Santa Cruz Plumline organic jams, and sweet and savory turnovers made in-house.

On a concrete island smack in the middle of Santa Cruz's downtown metro center, fragrant sauces simmered in a tiny but well-equipped kitchen where two women were busily rolling burritos. It's a perfect location for good fast food; right on Front Street and at the stop for the heavily ridden Highway 17 Express.

Quesadillas ($3 to $6) include Sea and Land. Surprisingly thick with its edges sealed like a turnover, plump shrimp and steak joined tomatoes, pickled jalapeños and plenty of cheese within the browned tortilla.

New on the menu is Dandy's Synchronizada ($6), which combines chewy pieces of chopped steak with ham, onions, jalapeños and cheese.

El Dandy's tortas ($4.50 to $6) are very transportable—including the Torta Cubana ($6). In an oblong airy bun, thinly sliced ham, steak, chorizo, griddled, sliced hot dogs, tomato and hot pickled jalapeños made a satisfying lunch.

Britannia Arms expands to Capitola with bay views, breakfast and a few surprises

As it does in Aptos, Capitola’s Britannia Arms offers a combination of British, American and pub fare. Although decorated with a series of classic Guiness posters, from the architecture and view exuded a California beachfront aura.

Behind the fully occupied bar, bottles sparkled in impressive wooden shelving. From the elevated cupola room we could watch the Giants game while bright alternative rock from XM radio brightened spirits on a drizzly Tuesday evening.

Gallos means rooster in Spanish and at Taqueria los Gallos, you will find portraits and statues of the colorful fowl. Now with a second Scotts Valley location on Mt. Herman Road, their well-flavored Mexican family specialties including tortas, fajitas and vegetarian preparations are more attainable than ever.

The aroma of chilies and masa swirled from the container holding an Enchilada ($2.50). The 5-inch corn tortilla covered with a classic bright red sauce and a generous amount of melted cheese held finely shredded chicken.

By the time I got home, the cardboard box was greedily absorbing the sauce of an egg-battered Chile Relleno ($4.25). The meaty, sweet, cheese-stuffed fresh poblano chili was topped with a purée of green chilies and fresh tomatoes.

The county is abuzz about Geisha's unique commitment to sustainable sushi in Capitola

Geisha Japanese Restaurant and Tea Room features creative combinations of textures and flavors in its makimono as well as a nice selection of teas. And what’s unique is the restaurant's mission to support sustainable fisheries. Unlike most sushi eateries, there is no unagi (freshwater eel), or Tako (octopus) on the menu.

The goals of sustainability include fishing practices that avoid ecosystem damage, maintain or improve target species' populations, and eschew harm of non-target species. Geisha has taken on this difficult pursuit in a complex, global industry which necessitates special relationships with fishmongers.

Although Malabar refers to a region of India along its western coast bordering the Arabian Sea, Santa Cruz's Malabar Restaurant infuses ingredients from around the world into its vegetarian menu. Japanese pumpkins, Anaheim chilies, Greek cheese, Malaysian peanut sauce and Russian Borscht are just some of the flavors that join curries and samosas in its rich list of small plates, soups, salads, pastas and entrées.

We began the meal with exotic beverages. Persian Nights ($4.25) was a sweet, lavender-colored blend of banana, pomegranate and almond milk scented with rosewater.  Supertonic ($4.50), a refreshing fusion of ginseng, ginger and allspice, was topped with chewy dried Himalayan goji berries.

Baked Sonoma Goat Cheese Salad ($7.75) with beautiful baby lettuces was lightly dressed with lemon vinaigrette and topped with a soft puff of white cheese. We enjoyed it with an order of Pan ($4), the airy, soft flatbread, which was served with clarified butter ghee, generously laden with minced fresh garlic.