Announcements

Earth Day “Supper Club”

by Carolyn on April 17, 2012

This coming Sunday, April 22, is Earth Day.  There will be celebrations all week, including a Santa Cruz community gathering on Saturday.  How will Charlie Hong Kong honor the occasion?  Being present for the original first Earth Day, was a moving event for me.  What seems to have become a big party, though I’m not against celebrating, I felt Charlie Hong Kong needed a larger personal context for this Earth Day.

So when Sarah Wood from Edible Monterey, called to ask, if Charlie Hong Kong would like to do a “Popup Supper Club” the wheels of my mind stared turning.  This after I said, Supper Club, we’re not that kind of restaurant. Edible Monterey’s mission for the “popup supper clubs” is to nurture our local conscious food community.   Well, Charlie Hong Kong, is a Certified Green restaurant.  We’re committed to using organic produce grown right here on the central coast.  Charlie Hong Kong is alignment with this mission. Thus our Earth Day celebration started to take shape.

But I felt it had to be more then just Charlie Hong Kong serving our Signature vegan bowls.  Then the obvious struck me; the UCSC Farm and Garden, bring them into the equation. Here is this amazing program right in our neighborhood.  Their Apprenticeship Program is educating a new generation of organic farmers.  This gives hope, for that critical mass to shift away from convention argro-business to sustainable, organic farming.  This resource is available to gardeners and our entire community.  I wanted to pay respect to this amazing endeavor.  This is what Earth Day is about.

A number of e-mails and phone calls and UCSC Farm was on board.  The plan: a private tour of the farm, with Liz Milazzo, field production manager, generously offering to be our guide.  It will be very exciting since it’s planting season and she’s the expert.  Then rendezvous at Charlie Hong Kong, for a private tasting from our Signature Vegan Bowls and other menu items.

Yes, this feels like the way to honor Earth Day!  Gratitude, respect, kindness and generosity, the founding principals of Charlie Hong Kong.   The same expression we want to express towards our magnificent earth.

Details: Edible Monterey blog April Supper club

Cost: $20.00-($5.00 goes to UCSC Farm & Garden)

Time: 3 pm meet at Farm then Charlie Hong Kong

Limited space

Sorry Restaurant will be closed during this special event 4:30-5:30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Good-Bye Plastic To-Go Bags

by Carolyn on April 15, 2011

We’ve finally made the decision and we’re sticking to it.  As of April 16th the Earth Day celebration in Santa Cruz, Charlie Hong Kong, Santa Cruz will no long use plastic to-go bags.  We’ve  been moving in this direction for the past year.  Then an article in the Good Times, with an accompanying photograph of a mother otter’s desperate attempt to remove a plastic bag from her trapped baby, pushed me over the edge.  This was right here in our very own Monterey Bay.  The visual made it absolutely clear- now is the time for action.

We will offer cheery bright red re-useable Charlie Hong Kong bags for a nominal fee.  A percentage will be contributed to an environmental organization, beginning with Save Our Shores.

It’s been about a year, since we stopped carrying plastic water bottles.  After I read how many plastic bottles were ending up in our landfills, I decided as a green business it was our obligation to stop offering water in plastic bottles.  Apparently, though plastic bottles can be recycled, many people just through them away.  I had to push to not stock water bottles in our drink case because  it was such a popular item.  But we offer filtered water so it made sense, to me anyway.  Our customers have been great about it.  When asked,” Do you have bottled water?”. Reply, “No but we have filtered water outside on tap.”  Besides there is great debate about where that water in the bottles actually comes from, as well as the effects of the plastic on the water itself.

So, you can take your to-go box as is; bring in your own bag; purchase a CHK re-usable bag; use a recycled box; or some other creative option of your own.  It will be an adjustment for all of us.  Together we’ll figure this out.

Carolyn

 

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Charlie Hong Kong Attends EcoFarm Conference

February 3, 2011

Charlie Hong Kong attended  the 31st Ecological Farming Conference at Aslomar, in Monterey.  We were invited to be on a panel for organic cafe/restaurants. We are the end users of the product that come from the dedication of organic farmers.  The focus of the conference is on sustainable farming.  It is the biggest event of [...]

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Good News for Gluten Sensitive

January 20, 2011

I’m really excited about the findings regarding gluten in our soy sauce.  I’m aware that many people are discovering they feel better eating a gluten free diet.  This can be a challenge with Asian inspired food which uses an abundance of soy sauce.  Some time last year, we inquired about a gluten free soy sauce. [...]

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Charlie Hong Kong is Open Again

January 5, 2011

We’re open again, after being closed for 9 days. During that time we worked hard, deep cleaning the woks, stoves and every part of the restaurant. Many of the walls and the outside trim were freshly painted. We like to start fresh with an sparkling clean place in the New Year. That tiny kitchen space [...]

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Charlie Hong Kong, Santa Cruz, Closes for Holidays

December 24, 2010

Charlie Hong Kong, Santa Cruz, honors their tradition of closing over the holidays.  We’ll close Dec 24, and open Jan 2.  This is a gift to all our employees, of a much deserved vacation.  It also gives Rudy & I  the opportunity to get work done to the building difficult to do, while we’re open. [...]

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