Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 60

Back in orbit Santa Cruz's beloved Saturn Cafe is reborn Good taste dining has made a world of difference to both employees and customers. For those unfamiliar with the Saturn, it's safe to characterize it as the quintessential California eatery. Healthy, homemade soups, salads and smoothies, hot specials like Steamed Vegetables and Brown Rice veggie burgers galore, a sandwich selection that includes classics like Peanut Butter, Honey and Banana ($3.40) and the Venus (tofu, hummus and avocado, $4.75) you'll find them all on the menu. I would think regulars of the cafe are pleased with the new owners and the changes they've made; newcomers in search of this sort of California experience will undoubtedly find it immensely satisfying as well. After all, where else can you go at 11:30 at night and find an avocado sandwich on whole wheat bread with vegan mayo? The Saturn Cafe is at 1230 Mission Santa Cruz, and if you need to know more, call 429-8505.

Hours are noon to midnight seven days a week. Bueno burritos Hundreds of readers wrote to Sunset magazine to cast votes for their favorite bur-rito joint in the West; the May issue, on newsstands now, contains everything you need to know about this much-loved food a listing of "The West's Best Burritos;" glossary of terms; recipes, and enthusiastic quotes from burrito-loving Bill LoveioySentinel The rulers of Saturn: cafe owners Annie Schuessler and Tristan Nathe at one of the cafe's most popular tables. they're all still available. Smith told me they've added a few new items, including nachos, in either regular or vegan version ($2.75 to miso soup ($1.70 to the Big Bang an ice cream creation in the same genre as Chocolate Madness that incorporates cookie dough and hot fudge sauce, and some sandwiches. You will notice a change in the decor though; gone is the dark blue ceiling accessorized with planetary paraphernalia, the eclectic lighting arrangements and often messy walls and tabletops.

Instead, the inside is clean, serene white, accented by brick and, of course, a melange of knick knacks to eye or play with as you await your meal. According to Smith, the partners did a lot of "pretty intense cleaning," and renovation, and I would have to say it's noticeable. Another big difference is that now, there's actual table service at the Saturn. Yes, that means you go in, choose a table and wait for a waiter to take your order. Granted, this is still the Saturn, so that waiter may have blue hair or multiple piercings, but at least there's no more standing in line waiting and wondering when your turn would come or how long the process would take.

Seems like such a little thing, but Smith said this change was shut down. Although I couldn't reach owners Mike and Patty Ruyman, from earlier conversations it's safe to guess there just wasn't enough walk-in business to keep the venture alive. Whether they'll continue to sell their vegan specialty pasta in retail remains to be seen. I sure hope so. Janet Blaser IT WAS QUITE a shock for many longtime Santa Cruzans when the Saturn Cafe closed its doors at the beginning of this year after more than 15 years in business.

Employees Sarah Smith, Annie Schuessler and Tristan Nathe decided to do something about it, and re opened the eclectic West Side restaurant in February, unionizing the kitchen in the process. If you haven't visited since they took over, rest assured that all your old favorites are still on the menu, including the famous Chocolate Madness. (In fact, on "Madness Mondays" the decadent chocolate desserts are two-for-one.) That hearty, satisfying vegetarian chili, those classic California sandwiches full of sprouts, avocado and Jack cheese, the little scoops of raw chocolate chip cookie dough A Good Taste is written by staff writer Janet Blaser and appears each Friday in Spotlight. Please send tips, info, and comments to her at the Santa Cruz County Sentinel, P.O. Box 638, Santa Cruz, CA.

95062, or call 423-4242. JQC'0J0B And lo and behold, a Santa Cruz restaurant made it to the Honorable Mention list; Sunset said "letters about these places were simply too mouthwatering not to mention." Who was it? Tacos Moreno, at 1053 Water Street, Santa Cruz you know, the little hole-in-the-wall place that has a line out the door basically from the time they open till 2 p.m. every day. Pasta no more I heard that Positive Pasta was closing, and indeed, when I walked over to the food court on Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz, everything 0Be SfiB) I iji3fjoaftHSB9 KCGXtffii 0GG0c rX W0OCOHtSXiQi tarn i tit iii torn OH 22 Spotlight Sentinel Friday, May 17, W6.