Jacob Pierce

Staff Writer

The Dive Bar Guide

The Dive Team completes its investigation of Brady's Yacht Club. (Photo by Chip Scheuer)

Let’s open with a few simple parameters, beginning with what makes a dive. It usually boils down to good drink prices and friendly people. Pool tables, dartboards, a jukebox and a slightly smoky atmosphere don’t hurt a bit. A good dive usually has more grumpy old men than the Sentinel’/i>s online comments page. And while occasional live music is allowed, the diveyness of the bar itself must remain the top attraction.

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Local Arts Icon Ralph Peduto Dies

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Ralph Peduto, a local writer, actor and director, has died. Peduto leaves behind a legacy that included roles in Mrs. Doubtfire, Patch Adams and The Rock. In Santa Cruz, he was just as well-known for his work in local theater, his generous personality and his warm smile. He succumbed to leukemia Monday—just 12 days after…

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Secret's Out About Sentinel Café

Lauren Bates-Rodriguez of the Sentinel Café, the increasingly popular spot inside the Cruzioworks building. Photo by Chip Scheuer

Lauren Bates-Rodriguez likes shopping at the farmers market to buy salad and soup ingredients for the Sentinel Café, where she’s worked for over a year. Located in the Cruzioworks building, the coffee shop also has pastries from Kelly’s Bakery, bagels from the Bagelry and coffee from Verve. SCW: What kinds of people come by here?…

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Preview: Leo Kottke at the Rio

Leo Kottke has pretty much banned himself from live interviews, because he can’t stop talking. He wrote Santa Cruz Weekly from the safety of his computer as he prepared for his show at the Rio.

Leo Kottke sits down with an acoustic guitar—likely one of his trademark Taylors—as the uproarious applause of the full theater before him quiets. He launches into “William Powell,” plucking and hammering away furiously at an open E chord for about four bars. Then he takes a breath and stops. “That’s a little fast. I’m going…

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West End Tap’s Unusual Influences

Geoff Hargrave brings some surprising influences to West End Tap. Photo by Chip Scheuer.

Geoff Hargrave, a Texas-raised chef, knows there’s beer for every occasion. “When it’s hot outside, I love a Kolsh,” says Hargrave, chef and co-owner at West End Tap. “When it’s cold outside, I prefer a porter.” The eight-month-old restaurant in the Swift Street courtyard sits in the former site of Le Cigare Volant, and will…

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