Café Kuumbwa serves dinner one-hour before all Kuumbwa produced concerts. Head chef, Cheryl Simons, serves healthy dinners using the freshest ingredients and organic, when available. Dinner is one entrée, generally a meat dish with rice, salad and bread (call day of concert for current menu). Dessert and beverage not included. Vegetarian options are always available. In addition to the entrée, Café Kuumbwa serves meat & vegetarian chili, salad, cornbread, and a variety of delicious homemade desserts. This additional menu is also available for all non-Kuumbwa presented events.

The Monday night jazz series (National/International acts) dinners are available on a first-come, first-served basis as we do not take advance reservations. Doors open and dinner is served one-hour before showtime. Series is sponsored by Santa Cruz Sentinel.

THURSDAY NIGHTS AT KUUMBWA

The Thursday Night Jazz Series called “Cookin’ at Kuumbwa,” features Guest Chefs from local restaurants, plus Café Kuumbwa resident chef, Cheryl Simons. For one-low price, jazz and dinner may be purchased in advance. Advance reservations include reserved seating at a table, plus the advance Jazz & Dinner package includes a discount off the door price. Doors open and dinner is served one-hour before showtime.

A short list of past Guest Chefs includes:

Pearl Alley Bistro, Marc Wesburg
Chocolate, David Jackman
Las Olas Cantina & Grille, Steve Orb & Antonio Garcia
Bobby’s Can Cooking and Catering, Bobby Bishop
DeLaveaga Lodge Restaurant, John & Marcie Bei & Chris Conlin
Wharf House Restaurant, Bobby Z. & Willie Case
Soif, Michael Knowls
Theo’s, Nicci Tripp
Creative Cooking & Catering, Madlyn Norman-Terrance
Convergence Catering, Seth Pasternack & Peter Grey
Oswald Restaurant, Damani Thomas
Costanoa Lodge & Camp, Marissa Johnston
Sand Rock Farm B & B, Lynn Sheehan
Malabar Café, Raj
Al Frisbee Catering, Al Frisby
Star Bene, Sandro Costanza
Caffe Lido, Lee Walters
Reel Food, Poppy deGarmo
Xin Noodles, Karl Cook & Roger Grigsby
Peachwood’s Restaurant, Scott Lewis from
Fine Wine Specialist and Chef Doug Ahlstrand
Gabriellas, Ilona Wood
Dharmas Restaurant, Chef Bruce Laurin
Casablanca Restaurant, Chefs Aaron Cunningham and Scott Cader
Michael’s on Main, Michael Clark
Thai Noodle House, Duangjai Sachsel
Café Cruz, Stephen Wilson
La Bruschetta, Sebastian Nobile
Café La Ve, Chris Harrington & Colin Murray
Saharan Catering, Naima Hyver
Carried Away, Tom McNary
Red, Bobby Madrid
Alfresco, Marilyn Strayer

CAFE KUUMBWA CHEF CHERYL SIMONS

Cheryl came to Kuumbwa after years of restaurant experience and now uses our kitchen as her stage. She is inspired by the taste of fine food and is ever learning and experimenting with the endless possibilities of creating new recipes. She says that  “cooking is so much fun” and that it ‘feeds her’. She uses the freshest local ingredients and sometimes from her own organic garden. Some of Cheryl’s biggest fans are the musicians who pass through Kuumbwa. After performing all over Europe and the United States, Dave Brubeck said that Cheryl’s dinner was the “best dinner on the entire tour”.  Diane Schuur was so taken by Cheryl’s cooking that when she went on stage to perform she spontaneously made up a song about it. Once you try one of Cheryl’s dinners you’re likely to become a fan too.