OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 | 11 at’s also when he takes his sta on excursions to Two Harbors, a rustic village on the west end of the island, sitting on a narrow strip of land separating Isthmus Cove from Catalina Harbor. “ e rst time, I took Cristina Gorka (festival seating coordinator) and her partner, Donovan, and Jack and Mary Tofelogo (security and merchandise managers, respectively) in my Jeep just for a day trip. It’s about an hour-and-a-half drive from Avalon each way,” Good said. “ e second time, I got rooms for everyone at Banning House bed and breakfast. We went to the Harbor Reef Restaurant, sat at the bar, got drunk and watched baseball,” he added with a chuckle. e food and drinks de nitely lure some folks to the island. However, in October, it’s all about the music, where the venues are as extraordinary as the island is magical. e festival starts on ursday at sunset with “Unplugged Under the Stars” on Descanso Beach, a short walk along the Paci c Ocean shoreline from the Catalina Casino, the main concert venue. Two sets of artists perform on a small stage in front of patrons seated in chaise lounges, chairs on the sand, or private, reserved cabanas. e main concerts are held Friday through Sunday in the top- oor Ballroom of the iconic Catalina Casino, which is not a gaming facility, but means “gathering place” in Italian. e circular Ballroom is adorned en, on top of that … performance a er performance a er performance by the stars of smooth jazz for two weekends, including ursday “Unplugged Under the Stars” and Saturday night a er-parties with a DJ at Descanso Beach. en, there’s also the food. “Rib-eye and Key lime pie at Steve’s Steakhouse with a glass of Malbec wine. Or sand dabs at Bluewater,” Good said are some of his favorite dining places. Avalon has a variety of restaurants and ranges of cuisines, but bu alo burgers and fresh sh are two of the island’s specialties. One of the best dining spots on the island is Steve’s Steakhouse & Seafood. Steve Bray, the owner, said they’re best known for their rib-eye steak and local white sea bass and sword sh. e fresh catch that’s reeled in that morning can be sizzling on their grill by dinnertime. But he recommends that you save room for his signature Key lime pie. And, the food quality and service are consistently rst-rate. Plus, panoramic views of Avalon Harbor from their upstairs waterfront location add to the dining experience. Bray said that they’re also continuing beach dining, on the sand, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. daily, weather permitting. Another outdoor, on-the-sand spot that Good recommends is “Cocktails at the Descanso Beach bar, where the a er-parties are held. Or, sh and chips or sh tacos with a dra beer at Eric’s on the Pier.” Although, Good sometimes has to wait till midweek between festival weekends to truly enjoy those experiences because he’s busy producing the festival ursday through Sunday. Craig Collier enjoying Steve's Steakhouse & Seafood beach dining in October 2024 "Unplugged" at Descanso Beach Photo: PAT BENTER the food quality Avalon waterfront dining they’re also daily, weather Another “Cocktails Or, sh and Although, weekends the festival Craig & Seafood continued on page 12
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