Trancas Heads Into the Holidays Without Kristy's

For years, the posts showed up every December. Kristy Apana would share Mele Kalikimaka greetings from her native Hawaii, along with a reminder, as The Malibu Times recounted it: "Don't forget to come to Kristy's on Christmas morning for free pajama pancakes for the kids!"

This December won't have that post. Kristy's served its last meals at Trancas Country Market on Sept. 9, after 15 years in Malibu. The September closing came before any holiday plans would normally be made. Now that the season is close, the bigger loss is easier to see. Many Trancas businesses make up a weekday routine. Kristy's was the one that kept the holidays.

A Calendar Built Around One Kitchen

Kristy's opened on every holiday, according to The Malibu Times. That meant Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, with a special menu for each. Laid out across one year, the restaurant's season looked like this:

1. Chinese New Year. An annual community gathering, which the paper said was very well attended. It featured a dragon dance and bian lian, the face-changing performance from Sichuan opera where dancers swap brightly colored masks in an instant.
2. Thanksgiving. Open, with a holiday menu.
3. Christmas morning. Free pajama pancakes for kids.
4. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Open both days, with menus made for each.

The rest of the year was filled with private occasions. "We've hosted birthdays, anniversaries, retirement celebrations, wedding proposals, and memorials honoring those we've lost," Apana told The Malibu Times. The same story said Kristy made custom cakes for birthdays and other events, mango coconut among them, and handled special requests.

The paper also called Kristy's "a beacon for Trancas businesses." In practice, that described a restaurant whose calendar doubled as the center's.

Two Addresses, One Following

The restaurant didn't start at Trancas. Kristy Apana and Greg Basant opened Kristy's Wood Oven & Wine Bar in early 2011 on the Malibu Country Inn property, overlooking Zuma Beach. It served breakfast, lunch and dinner. Before that, Apana had helped run a pizza trailer at the Malibu Chili Cook-Off and built a following there.

In early 2017, Kristy's left the Zuma overlook and took over the former Le Village Cafe space inside Trancas Country Market. The Malibu Times reported that regulars followed and business grew. The menu reflected that history. Apana described it as "California Coastal with some Chinese specialties," along with dishes carried over from Le Village Cafe. Longtime customers named the walnut shrimp and the fresh salads.

Over those years, the kitchen also served people when restaurants usually close. After the 2018 Woolsey Fire, Apana told the paper, Kristy's fed locals for two years, paying out of its own pocket. It also delivered lunch to the emergency room staff at St. John's in Camarillo. The holiday openings were part of the same habit.

The Teriyaki Bowl at Vintage Grocers

Kristy's reached beyond its own doors, and you could see it inside Vintage Grocers. Adrian Casso, who manages the store, told The Malibu Times that Vintage customers will miss being able to buy Kristy's popular chicken teriyaki bowls at the grocery. "Kristy has always been wonderful to Malibu and to our store," he said.

So the closing reaches past one storefront. It took a prepared-food option out of the grocery case, and it ended an annual gathering that the paper credited with tying Trancas businesses together.

CBS Los Angeles covered the going-away party customers threw for Apana. It reported that the lease was ending and that closing was her own decision. She described it to The Malibu Times this way: "Malibu has been an amazing place to have a restaurant!"

What Still Runs at 30745 Pacific Coast Highway

Two places to eat in and near the center keep very different hours.

Malibu Brewing is the center's anchor for a sit-down meal. On Sunday, Oct. 18, the brewery announced that its Malibu location was open again once power returned, with reservations available. Owners Ryan and Jill Ahrens opened a second taproom in Agoura in late August. According to The Malibu Times, the Malibu original is still central to the brand, and the two locations share dishes like smashburgers and fish tacos. The brewery's events page currently lists no upcoming events.

Down Morningview, Sara Jerabek's The Sandwich Shop opened in September across from Malibu Middle and High School. The menu includes tuna, turkey, vegetarian and vegan options. It's a weekday lunch spot, open three days a week.

The rest of the Trancas Country Market directory covers errands and recreation more than gatherings. The center lists Vintage Grocers, Starbucks, Drill Surf & Skate, Sea Lily, Nati Boutique, Swaggy P's, Sweet Bu Candy Co., Malibu Music Co., Trancas Canyon Nursery, Glo Yoga Studios, Legacy Malibu Jiu Jitsu, Postal Annex, Bubbles Dry Cleaning and the Chevron station. Glo Yoga Studios is the newest name on the list. In July, The Malibu Times reported it was due to open at Trancas late that month.

Each of those businesses covers part of a Trancas week. The holiday menus, the Christmas pancakes and the Chinese New Year gathering left with Kristy's.

What Comes Next for Kristy's

Apana is taking catering work, and The Malibu Times printed her contact address for anyone who wants her team at a private event. CBS Los Angeles reported that she hopes to open somewhere else, but she hasn't announced a location. Asked about her next steps, she gave the paper an open answer: "You never know what the future holds!"

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, and Christmas falls on a Friday. A family hoping to order Kristy's holiday menu this year would have to book her for catering and host it at home.

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