Frattoria e Mare's Fresh Approach

Pablo Estrada, head chef and owner of Frattoria e Mare in downtown Half Moon Bay, checks the crops at a local farm to see what looks best to purchase for the week's constantly rotating menu. Estrada takes the phrase "farm-to-table quite literally; 80 percent of his menu is made from scratch using ingredients from local farms and fishermen. September 5, 2023.

The Chamarita Queens of Pescadero

Once a year, giggling young queens in sparkling tiaras and medieval robes fill the streets of the small coastal town of Pescadero, eager to celebrate the crowning of a new “Big Queen” and “Little Queen” in the town’s Holy Ghost Festival. The traditional Portuguese celebration, known colloquially as “Chamarita”, hails mostly from the Azores and dates back to the 14th century. Portuguese communities throughout Northern California celebrate the tradition, and the young queens and their courts spend most of their Sundays in late spring and early summer getting dressed up to visit neighboring communities’ celebrations and participating in processions.

A Timeless Feast with the Pescadero Native Sons

Once a year, Pescaderans gatherfor a crowded, rowdy feast consisting almost exclusively of wild game and fish hunted, prepared and donated by community members, all in the name of community.

The Final Days of Pacifica's Sea Bowl

On May 31, 2023, the last bowling ball rolled down the lanes of the Sea Bowl, closing the bowling establishment after 65 years. In the months leading up to the iconic Pacifica bowling alley’s closure, loyal bowlers came from near and far to say their goodbyes, bowling leagues scrambled to find a new home, and the regulars savored every last game at the alley.

A Path Forward

The Pumpkin Festival of Half Moon Bay