you should've eaten @ Gilda's Restaurant on the pier. they have daily specials at good prices. our favorite is wednesday, delicious, good sized prime rib for $8.95.
I guess because I was born and raised in Santa Cruz and I do still live here, I find this all a little strange. There are better things to do in Santa Cruz.
To the person who said they were born and raised in Santa Cruz...you hit the nail on the head. For those of us that just take a small trip up once every five years or so, the boardwalk is quite enough to make us happy knowing we don't have anything like that near us.