Squash Goals

Let’s meet your new edible allies:

• 🍝 Spaghetti Squash — The carb impostor. Roast it, scrape it with a fork, and marvel as it turns into long, noodle-like strands that your brain insists are pasta. Great with marinara, pesto, or the tears of anyone who still thinks gluten-free is a personality.
• 🎨 Kabocha Squash — Japan’s answer to the question “what if a pumpkin actually had flavor?” This sweet, chestnutty squash has a velvety interior that caramelizes beautifully. Pro tip: the skin is edible, which is one less thing to peel when you’re already emotionally peeling from the week.
• 🧈 Butternut Squash — Smooth, creamy, and slightly smug about it. Roast it, blend it into soup, or use it as a vessel for self-reflection on how you once confused it with a sweet potato. (We forgive you.)
• 🔴 Red Kuri Squash — If a pumpkin joined a jazz band. Small, red-orange, and slightly nutty, it’s perfect for roasting or soups. The French call it potimarron (because of course they do). Everything sounds fancier in French, even “awkwardly shaped gourd.”
• 💛 Delicata Squash — The people’s squash, with a sweet, nutty flavor. Tender, stripey, and so easy to cook you could do it blindfolded (but please don’t do that then post it to Tik Tok and send the video to us so we can laugh at your failure, publicly).

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So before the pumpkin spice lattes fully breach our defenses, come load up on the real squashes at Ava’s. They're nature’s humble, colorful way of saying: “We were here first.”

Bubbles & Honey: The Wonderful World of Sprecher Craft Soda 🍯🥤

They’re back! Sprecher Craft Sodas have rolled into Ava’s: clinking, glowing, and ready to make your tongue believe in joy again. These aren’t your average corn-syrup sugar bombs; they’re fire-brewed in kettles (just like actual beer) and sweetened with real Wisconsin honey, which is basically Midwestern liquid gold.

• 🍯🧈 Cream Soda — Sprecher’s Cream Soda is smooth, mellow, and vanilla-rich. It's the perfect match for roasted butternut squash, whose buttery sweetness practically purrs in response. It’s like dessert… if dessert had a degree in cozy.
• 🍊🎨 Orange Dream — This dreamy orange-vanilla soda pairs beautifully with the nutty, chestnut-sweet flavor of Kabocha (especially the green kind). It’s like an orange creamsicle met a Japanese harvest goddess and decided to elope.
• 🌿🍺 Root Beer — Sprecher’s Root Beer is deep, foamy, and layered with sassafras, honey, and nostalgia. Pair it with caramelized Delicata rings for a flavor combo that screams “autumn in a flannel shirt.” (Optional: actually wear the flannel. Required: sip smugly.)

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Fun fact: Sprecher started as a microbrewery in Milwaukee in 1985, but people loved their root beer so much that now they brew more soda than beer. So yes, these are the real deal, made by folks who understand bubbles, flavor, and the Midwest work ethic. Represent.

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Recipe: Squash & Soda

The Squash & Soda supposedly originated in Wisconsin in the late 1940s, when a thrifty diner owner ran out of milkshakes during a county fair and decided to “improvise” with leftover mashed squash and a few bottles of cream soda. For decades it was quietly passed down through small-town church cookbooks under the name “Autumn Fizz.”

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To make it, blend a few spoonfuls of roasted squash with chilled Sprecher Cream Soda and a squeeze of lemon to brighten things up. Pour over ice and garnish with a dusting of cinnamon (or just a knowing smile). It’s sweet, aromatic, and reminds us of all the best that Autumn in Mountain View brings, without the constant barrage of Californians repeating the mantra "We really needed the rain".

Correction: It Was Supposed to Be Scotch & Soda, Not Squash & Soda

So… umm, funny story. Turns out when we saw “Squash & Soda” written on the planning board, it wasn’t a request for a previously-unknown-to-us drink concoction. In reality, it was just Juan’s handwriting. Somewhere between the Q and the T, a seasonal drink became a root-vegetable smoothie. And because we’re professionals (and cowards), we made it anyway.

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The good news: no lasting injuries, and only three customer complaints of gastronomic distress (two verbal, one liquid). The better news: we’ve since confirmed that “Scotch & Soda” is, in fact, a classic, not a crime. This actual drink dates back to the early 1900s: a simple, elegant mix of Scotch whisky and soda water, typically served over ice with a twist of lemon. It’s smooth, balanced, and pairs beautifully with long evenings, short apologies, and the lingering shame of washing out container after container of vegetables blended with cream soda.

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To make the real thing: pour a shot (or two) of high-quality Scotch over ice, top with soda water, and stir gently. Garnish with lemon peel and humility. Sip slowly (unless you're in a hurry). And of course, Ava's has a great selection of only the best scotch, whisky, and soda water.

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So this week, please join us in a toast: To the start of the Fall season; to delicious organic squash; and to always double-checking the instructions.

Upcoming Events​
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• Wednesday, 5-7pm — 🎵 Music on Castro​
  ​Enjoy live performances right in Downtown Mountain View! Come for the tunes, stay for the vibes, and don’t forget to swing by Ava’s to grab dinner from Poké Bowl or Simply Sabor, or just pick up a box of cookies to munch on while you vibe to the music like a very classy raccoon. 🎶🍪🦝
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• Sat & Sun, Oct 11-12 — 🍺 MV Oktoberfest​
  Downtown MV goes 🇩🇪 for the weekend! Join your neighbors in silly songs, stein-holding contests, and tons of hangover breakfast items when you stop by Ava's afterwards to finally make a good decision for the first time that day.
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• Sat, Oct 25, 10am-2pm — 👺 Monster Bash​
  ​Rengstorff Park fills up with screaming ghouls hopped up on sugar. And YOU are going to need a healthy snack (and a strong alcoholic beverage) to survive it. Stop by Ava's to pick up the essentials. (P.S. We also sell hand wipes.)
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• Sun, Nov 2 — ⏰ Daylight Savings Time Ends
  ​Remember to set your clocks forward an hour on Sunday. Then on Monday, remember to set your clocks two hours backwards because you got it wrong again. Jeez, can't you do anything right?