Monterey Bay Restaurant Week

Keep on Dining!

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:30:03 +0000

Charthouse’s Chef William Poolman really served up an amazing “Surf and Turf” with a sauce au jus that made the lobster even better somehow! The fried asparagus to start and the key lime pie to finish were hard to finish but somehow I did !

Here are some of the hot dishes served this year during Monterey Bay Restaurant Week and are some of the top dishes served at these restaurants now during our traditional ‘harvest season’ so be sure and keep dining on the Monterey Peninsula at one of these great restaurants and try something new.

Charthouse's Fried Asparagus with a mustard cream sauce

Edgar's at Quail's Salmon en Papilotte

Haute Enchilada's prawns served atop a deep fried eggplant with seasoning that comes from corn stalks !

1833 Restaurant has amazing steaks and their own spirits bar!

Great Dining during Restaurant Week Continues!

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:25:40 +0000

Old Fisherman’s Grotto’s 3-course menu has a diverse selection of the best of their menu, including fish, chicken and steaks. I ordered the Salad with Halibut encrusted with Macadamia nuts and cooked perfectly over sweet potatoes cooked in maple syrup that were yummy. My dining partner had the scallops with beurre blanc sauce and lightly seared. The Pumpkin cheesecake and Tapioca Pudding with Fresh mango and strawberries was the best I’ve ever had!!! Be sure and make a reservation as they were packed on a Monday night! www.oldfishermansgrotto.com

Old Fisherman’s Grotto’s Great 3-Course Menu!

admin — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:25:43 +0000

This is the 3rd year for the Old Fisherman’s Grotto’s participation in MBRW and their menu is always a pleasure to peruse as their dishes are some of the best they offer on their menu. Their Wild Salmon with Beurre Blanc Sauce served with organic vegetable; their Linguini Isabella with bay shrimps, cramp and scallops tossed in creamy garlic sauce or their Macadamia Crusted Halibut with a citrus pineapple sauce are all great seasonal cuisine with the freshest flavors of seafoods. If you like steak, that is what they are famous for as well with their Certified Angus Beef tenderloin and Lobster Tail with garlic mashed potatoes or Filet Mignon with Green Peppercorn Sauce will certainly be enjoyed. With a great selection of choices and a wonderful drinks and wine menu, this is got to be one of the top restaurants on your list this week. BTW – their wine list is 25% off on their entire list! Be sure and make a reservation as they are very popular especially on weekends and sunset nights.

Restaurant Week is Here!!!

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:49:28 +0000

All the restaurants are listed on our website so be sure and check out the great menus, the chefs, the new and some of the well-established restaurants around the Monterey Bay. Be a FAN on our Facebook page and montereydining on twitter (check out our blog too) and grab some reservations and your friends and start dining. Remember you can win a $75 dining adventure with your friends so iphone me your fav menu = rest = chef or new dining experience of MBRW!

Ray Napolitano’s ‘Take’ on MBRW 2011

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:41:24 +0000

I feel like your mother. Every day since the day you were born I’ve been feeding you and cleaning up after you and one day a year, Mother’s Day, you decide to do something special for me—then I usually end up still having to take care of you. Well, Monterey Bay Restaurant Week is when all these mothers in the restaurant business get shown a bit more love, a bit more excitement—but still they have to give something up to get it. And give it up they do.
If you want to know what the dinners cost, what the times are—blah, blah, blah you can find that info somewhere else on this site. I’m gonna tell you what I’d do, if I were you—no, better still—I’m gonna tell you what you’d do, if you were me (terrifying thought) taking advantage of this holiday known as Monterey Bay Restaurant Week.
You’ve got a full week to enjoy this completely outlandish promotion so from my perspective (remember the theme here) the first thing to do is understand that we’re going to need huge chunks of available time throughout the week. Ideally, take the week off and get some running mates, since, like golfing, eating and drinking for the long haul, while solitarily enriching, becomes nearly profound if accomplished with soul mates.
In the past I have approached the conundrum (might be one of the wine choices along the way) of attempting to visit every participating restaurant using a territorial strategy. By clustering joints according to their relative proximity to one another it becomes logistically practical, although not always sensorially, nor more importantly, creatively fulfilling. The object when marauding across the restaurant landscape is to attain a feeling of mushin—mind without mind—whereby you become the experience, you don’t do the experience.
Therefore, this, like all plans of action can only help nudge us to a starting point. In fact, keeping that in mind, let’s visualize one possible scenario for the week, based upon the current information at press time…
Early on the first day it’s out to the fog-laden fairways of Poppy Hills Grill. Sit by the window and enjoy a hearty breakfast while anxious golfers scurry around preparing their excuses for their upcoming rounds as you lazily enjoy bacon and eggs, toast and coffee, safe in the knowledge that while they’re out swinging clubs, you’ll be rolling around town just swingin’.
As soon as you intuit that the engine has been properly stoked and the fires inside are beginning to burn, the obvious next play involves finding a spot to sip a Bloody Mary, and/or a few Mimosas. Assuming you didn’t get too early a start at Poppy, it should be time for the afternoon joints to be opening for business. You won’t want to make too harsh a segue from the idyllic Del Monte Forest so either the quiet of Jack’s Portola Plaza bar, cozied in one of the stuffed easy chairs, or continuing the golf theme and swing out to Edgar’s at Quail Lodge where you’ll have the option of sitting indoors or out. Both those spots offer the opportunity to enjoy something lunchy in case you are so comfortable that moving seems pointless.
As midday rolls into afternoon, the legs need stretching and the body needs movement; perfect time for a stroll. Carmel is just a few long par-5s from Quail so it’s pretty obvious where to head. The relatively new Carmel Food Company, tucked back in that cute space on Junipero between 5th and 6th offers lovely European style homemade country food in a relaxed setting (hey, you have to prepare to stroll, know what I mean). I might want to sit there a bit with a cheese and charcuterie plate or some fresh mellon, a bit of bubbly or a refreshing Rose to get ready for strolling. The problem is that within just a couple of blocks you’ll stroll right into Flaherty’s. How can you pass by without setting up a few dozen oysters, maybe a delicious array of fresh crustaceans, a bit more of the bubbly or a crisp local Sauv Blanc or Chard (or all three)—hey, it’s restaurant week.
Must be happy hour by this time and you’ll need to walk off that last stop. Terry’s at Cypress Inn is about the most weirdly wonderful place to enter in the late afternoon when the local muttheads have taken their positions around the lounge, coddled canines in tow (or vice-versa). Sashay inside to the bar area and enjoy delightful afternoon cocktails like Negronis, Martinis and Margheritas. While there, indulge in some finger food from the interesting menu of small plates and bask in the rich warmth of this dimly lit gem.
Since we’ve made the transition to cocktails, saunter up the hill a bit then over to Basil, the hidden but not unknown favorite little beauty where hunky owner/chef Michele stuns foodies with his handmade snippets of edible happiness. A small, but intriguing list of original cocktails will keep your vibe humming along nicely.
It’s still early, we’re feeling just right, a bit full but nowhere near ready to call it a day.
Time for a complete about face—something to shake out the early evening cobwebs and re-fire the engines. LALLApalooza on Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey has been the go-to cocktail lounge downtown for over 10 years now. Pop in and admire the local talent while engaging in what all the great artists and intellectuals have been trying to perfect forever—drinking with dignity and aplomb. Get a little noisy, laugh big and feel deeply, it will help you digest the day’s eating and socializing.
Dinnertime. Enough excitement for now, I’d like to sit down like a gentleman and dine. 1833 is just a couple of blocks away. You can sit at any number of interestingly appointed tables and sculpt a meal as elaborate or relatively simple as you choose. Rob & Dave have put a generous portion of their hearts into this longtime Monterey landmark and there is every reason to let them know all the effort is appreciated.
What now…it’s still relatively early… not hungry that’s for sure…maybe a long walk out onto Fisherman’s Wharf, enjoy the crisp, refreshing sea air…hey, there’s Old Fisherman’s Grotto and Isabella’s…dare we. Afterall, we have just walked off our dinner haven’t we? Maybe just a little something something, you know, to help celebrate Restaurant Week.
As you can see, I approach the whole idea of Restaurant Week as a celebration. Because these wonderful businesses have agreed to offer special dinners and pricing that cuts into an already thin bottom line, I want to visit them all and shower them with business, money and happiness for caring so much about their fellow humans.
Day Two…
Having sunk our collective teeth into Restaurant Week and taken a nice big bite, day two will probably be slow to unfold. I’m thinking breakfast at home, lazily getting ready, letting the excitement of another day’s gourmandizing build, then an early lunch seating at Fandango. Where else to enjoy a long, drawn out Mediterranean and California style luncheon affair than this decades-long bastion of grace and good taste so elegantly established and continued by Pierre and Marietta Bain. Of course, a Bloody to start, then Onion Soup, Mimosas, Salad Nicoise, Champagne, House Cured Salmon, Croque Monsieur—we’re warming up baby. Get there at 11:30 when they open for lunch and stay until 2:30 when they close. Now we’re ready to play.
Down to the Cannery Row Brewing Company we rumble…perhaps a high-top in the lounge or something on the patio. Let’s drink some beer. We will follow the great beer drinking tempo of the British Isles—slow and steady—and work our way through all the styles of carefully made beers from across the world. Thankfully, there is plenty of interesting food to nosh on while sipping.
It’s a simple downhiller to Clementine, the Intercontinental Hotel on the water in Cannery Row where the “C” its modern glass and stainless bar and restaurant welcomes hungry and thirsty visitors from around the world. Cocktails, appetizers, more cocktails, more appetizers—you know the idea. If Bill Rammel is managing in the dining room, tell him Ray Nap sent you.
While you are there, call Bistro Moulin and reserve a table for dinner. Didier Dutuerte has been preparing his Franco/Italia/California cuisine around these parts for 30 years and proudly stars in his own open kitchen handing out goodies like Spinach Gnocchi and great braised shanks and such. Take your time, laugh with Colleen, drink plenty of wine and enjoy this relaxing transitional day in our weeklong dining odyssey.
To round out the evening, over to the Del Monte Center and LALLAgrill. This sister (brother?) to LALLAPalooza is a bright glass and Lucite drinking and eating parlor big on fresh ingredients, fun and good times. Sit in the modern bar or on the expansive patio, order outlandish girlie cocktails and snack on owner Pat Ottone’s menu of organic and sustainable food selections.
Day Three…
By now we’ve got a nice rhythm going, spending each day enjoying these fabulous local establishments in ways only true professionals can. I think brunchy time at Edgar’s for the views, the fresh air, the Bloodys, the country club feel. Then lunch at Andre’s Bouchee Bistro. Andre has Bouchee humming along nicely and what better way to watch the Carmel strollers than near a window enjoying perhaps some steamed mussels or a Kobe burger w/Bleu, or crepes—lovely.
Maybe a jaunt over to the Barnyard where Allegro has a fun wine bar in the back portion of this longtime Carmel icon where we can sip our way through local vineyard offerings until the urge for a nice hot pizza pulls the whole experience together. From there, a trip to Cannery Row for cocktails and appetizers at the Chart House. This small chain restaurant always chooses great sites and delivers professional seafood and American style fare. A Martini or two (“Martinis are like a woman’s breast, one is not enough and three are too many”), a selection of seafood specialties, a bit of bubbly and off we go…
Is it time for a cigar perhaps? With a little foresight, sitting on the back patio at the new Mucky Duck, smoking a cigar and sipping any number of possible spirit-ually combining drinks is a lovely way to play out the rest of the evening. Then when the hunger pangs strike, take advantage of the much improved pub food now being purveyed by the young brothers from San Francisco who have restored and revitalized this Monterey watering hole.
Day Four…
Today, we’re going to take it easy. It is midway through a daunting week and today will be spent enjoying a long leisurely lunch and dinner with any other shenanigans to be filled in according to want, reason and whim. For lunch, the Fish Hopper serves up heaping mounds of fresh local seafood. Sit by the window, remember why we’re so lucky to be living here and gorge on Dungeness Crab, Shrimp, Monterey Salmon, Sand Dabs and so on. Drink copious amounts of local Chardonnay and have a blast.
For dinner, we’ll have made a reservation with Kerry Loutas, Carmel’s most interesting Chef for not only his talent behind the stove but for what’s cooking between his ears. For seemingly forever, classic French cuisine has comforted loyal patrons to this romantic, homey, countryside inspired spot tucked behind the iconic giant wooden snail. Spend the evening enjoying Kerry’s deft touch and the professional service from area favorites Dino and Pieter.
The rest of the week would involve retracing steps, flipping lunch and dinner choices from earlier in the week, trying newly added spots and just continuing the varied and limitless joy of overindulging in our area’s many wonderful eating and drinking establishments.
I think you’ve been able to get a feel for my philosophy about how to best enjoy Monterey Bay Restaurant Week and I am counting on you to get out there and display the commitment and energy required of this delightfully thankful endeavor…Cheers!

MBRW at Carmel Art & Film

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:26:30 +0000

If you are in town for the Carmel Art & Film Festival you will want to check out our list of local restaurants and their menus to see what’s out there on our magical peninsula of dining. Lots of diversity of flavors and we can really boast the top in seafood, poultry, meats and locally grown veges of all colors and kinds. There is about 7 farmers markets held locally around the peninsula and you can buy everything from meat to honey, soap and lavendar – all grown within 50 miles of Monterey. Enjoy the films and Eat the Peninsula!!

Monterey Bay Dining Blog

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:42:12 +0000

Just in time to blog about all the fine dining and events on the Monterey Bay during both the Carmel Art and Film Festival and the Monterey Bay Restaurant Week! Reviews photos chefs – specialty dishes – fresh cuisine menus and much more to come as we East the Peninsula!!!
Comment on what you think “You are what you eat” means to you and be sure and give your best reviews of the best menus and most unique 3-courses you come across in your quest for the best in dining experiences on the Bay.

2011 Monterey Bay Restaurant Week Announced

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 03:21:09 +0000

The Third Annual ‘Monterey Bay Restaurant Week” has been set to take place from Thursday, October 20th through Thursday, October 27th and will feature many of the top restaurants throughout the Monterey Peninsula.

Restaurants will be preparing their 3-course menus along with their chefs blogging, Facebooking and links for booking your special table for this annual event that brings the top chefs, specialty 3-course menus, restaurants, wines and diners together in their search for ‘the best in dining’ on the Monterey Bay.
Guests from all around the world travel to this area to experience the diversity and richness of the wines and foods grown and celebrated on the Peninsula. This annual event gives Monterey Bay’s restaurants and chefs the opportunity to showcase their creative menus and the fabulously fresh seafoods and garden produce that graces this rich agricultural area. Known as ‘The Salad Bowl of the world”, the Salinas Valley nearby produces most of the lettuce and spinach to the US. Next door to Moss Landing’s marine estuary lies the farming town of Watsonville known as “the artichoke capital of the world” and, Carmel Valley and the Santa Lucia Mountains are now well-established as a wine region of California, presenting world-class wines and vintners who take top awards at international wine competitions on a regular basis.
With our world-renown Marine Sanctuary nearby providing fresh fruits of the sea, the Monterey Peninsula and the MBRW bring a unique menu to the palate of the visitor and local alike.
Visitors love coming to Monterey Bay to sample the premiere menus featuring sustainable seafoods, artisian meats and poultry, harvest vegetables and wines that are paired with the chef’s specialty 3-course menus. This is truly ‘a dining experience’ that lasts for a whole week from October 20th – 27th. Be sure and sign up on Facebook and win your own ‘dining experience’ on the Monterey Bay.

Ray Napolitano’s version of MBRW

admin — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:10:04 +0000

Monterey Bay Restaurant Week

Looks like this Restaurant Week phenomenon that has been catching on across the country has caught on here as well. Last year’s promotion was off the Chart House and this year promises even more excitement.
Looking at this season’s lineup you’ll find it to be both easy and difficult—easy to set up your schedule, difficult to find enough time to take the fullest possible advantage of the opportunities. There are various strategies one may employ based upon variables like geography, food styles, ambiance, time of day and so on. Here are a few different humble (hah) opinions from a local with some insight into the area’s dining scene.
One approach—one that I highly recommend—is to try to hit every restaurant on the list. It seems daunting at first, but if you approach it with a bit of rough planning it becomes quite clear that an ambitious foursome or duo can easily enjoy time at each restaurant during the days allotted for this promotion.
For instance: Let’s say we start in Carmel one day. A hop and skip out to Edgar’s at Quail Lodge at about 11-11:30 for Bloody Marys and/or Mimosas on the Patio overlooking the driving range. That should start to fire up the appetites, maybe lead into something fresh and fun from their interesting lunch menu. Julio Ramirez has been overseeing the culinary operation there for almost a year. Afterwards, mosey on back toward town and pop into Rio Grill as the lunch scene is winding down. Sit by the fireplace and enjoy afternoon Margueritas, lively conversation and something Tex-Mexy to nibble on. This Tony Tollner Carmel icon is still the place to greet and eat and Chef Cy Yontz knows his way around the kitchen.
From there swing up Rio Road and down Dolores to Fresh Cream’s new location for Happy Hour. Enjoy cocktails and appetizers with the locals while debating about the next few destinations. Perhaps owner Steve Chesney will thrill you with stories of his country-singing cousin. Your car should be parked for the evening and now it’s walking time. What the heck, Flaherty’s for oysters or crab or shrimp and a bottle of bubbly is just about perfect after a couple of blocks of walking.
Then head up Mission toward 5th to L’Escargot. Chef Kerry Loutas who has owned this Carmel Landmark for over a decade, consistently wows diners with country style French classics in a decidedly un-stuffy dining room. His personal touch and comfortable style make L’Escargot a can’t-miss. Afterwards, stroll back toward town and bop into Basil, the tiny alleyway eatery masterfully driven by Chef/owner Michele (pronounced Meekaylay) Cremonese. A fun patio table, fresh, original cocktails and delicately prepared dishes using local seasonal ingredients make this a perfect spot for eating and drinking during the later dinner hour.
That’s just one day. Using variations of that template, weave Andre’s Bouchee into the mix. This family-run continuation of the original Bouchee hasn’t skipped a beat. Open-air lunch at La Dolce Vita has been happening for decades and Hola in the Barnyard is knocking out the best Mexican food in Carmel in a beautiful space once occupied by Thunderbird Books.
Monterey’s scene is equally enticing, with long, fulfilling days and nights of dining, wining and song just there for the taking.
The completely revised and updated Jack’s in Portola Hotel & Spa has a clubby feel, big comfortable booths and puts you in the middle of action during the many conferences in downtown Monterey. Hotel GM Janine Chicourrat brings her extensive resume to this property, including a stint at The Lodge. Tony Tollner’s Montrio Bistro has one of the best Happy Hours around with inspired dishes by Chef Tony Baker and cocktails to match from local bartending legend Anthony Vitacca.
This week is set up for a visit to Fisherman’s Wharf. In fact, the play is to get a room at Portola or another of the area hotels and do the whole lineup of Wharf and Cannery Row spots signed up for Restaurant Week. The C at brand new Clement, named for the owner of the Intercontinental Hotel chain, is right on the water and sports Jerry Regester as Executive Chef. His pedigree is long and his menu is strong.
Fish Hopper, also right on the water is not only one of the highest volume restaurants in Monterey but also surprisingly stout with fresh seafood and plenty of it. Two of the Shake brothers own this hot spot that is a proponent of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. Rounding out the Cannery Row lineup is The Chart House, one of the prettiest spots on the Row, tucked there alongside Monterey Plaza Hotel. Chart House is a small national chain that prides itself on great seaside locales, professional execution of menu and service and high standards.
Back on the Wharf, Café Fina and Domenico’s are both Domenick Mercurio spots serving authentic Sicilian-Monterey Seafood cuisine. In fact, Old Fisherman’s Grotto, Isabella’s, virtually all the Wharf restaurants are second-generation (at least) local, grown up on the wharf-owned places that have honed the art of serving fresh Monterey Bay seafood every day. Restaurant Week is a great time to revisit the Wharf and Cannery Row to remember why it is that so many visitors flock here each year and return to these restaurants over and over. We really know how to do it right, right here.
The Lallas, Grill and Palooza, are local bastions of cocktail and wine sipping funsters. Overall frivolity shouldn’t obscure the dedication to fresh, sustainable ingredients and ambitious menus that deliver the goods—taste, quality and preparation. Also in Del Monte Center is PF Changs, the wildly popular Asian inspired chain. Dark wood, big banquets, plus a good bar at which to dine mark PF’s.
While you’re out in Monterey, you can swing by Tarpy’s Roadhouse near the airport. Another of Tony Tollner’s well-run establishments, Tarpy’s is a great place for patio dining during lunch or dinner. Classic Monterey-inspired Americana with the thrill of private jets buzzing by to keep things lively. Right down the road is TusCa at the Hyatt Regency. This beautiful property was completely renovated a couple of years ago and now boasts a delightful Tuscany/California menu. The views of Old Del Monte Golf Course are as delicious as the menu items. Great lounge too.
PG’s two entrees into Monterey Bay Restaurant Week represent classic Monterey Peninsula success and greatness. Fandango, under the leadership of owners, husband & wife team Pierre and Marietta Bain, has been a destination gem for a quarter-century, serving up Mediterranean classics in a beautiful French countryside style restaurant with multiple dining rooms. Chef Pedro De La Cruz has been there every step of the way.
At Bistro Moulin, Chef Owner Didier Duterte and his partner Colleen Manni have only been opened about 3 years but this intimate locals hangout became an instant classic from day one. Didier was the chef at Casanova in Carmel for 25 years prior to opening Moulin so his reputation had them packing the place right away. Casual fun, flavorful, just what you’d want after a day of watching fish swim around the Aquarium, which is just down the block. Sassy waitress Sara keeps things hopping in the dining room.
There are loads of choices this week around the Monterey Peninsula. With this menu of restaurants everyone should have great success going around to try new spots, revisit past friends and jump aboard the bandwagon of dining excitement that is this year’s version of Monterey Bay Restaurant Week. Cheers.

2010 Monterey Bay Restaurant Week is Ready to Rock!

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:21:34 +0000

Get ready to wine and dine the week of November 11-17th away at some of the best new restaurants on the peninsula!

Basil is back with their signature Seasonal Dining (Michele is doing an all Duck menu this month BTW), Andre’s Bouchee has their French 3-course only the way Andre can make it! Tony Tollner’s great three locations: Montrio Bistro, Rio Grill and Tarpy’s Roadhouse all offer their chef’s unique menus with their seasonal tastes and wine pairings. On the Wharf, Old Fisherman’s Grotto, Isabella’s Cafe Fina and Domenico’s and Cannery Row has the Fish Hopper, C Restaurant and the new Cannery Row Brewery where the place is screaming with the SF Giants playing the world series to a packed house!

Be sure and log on and become a FAN on Facebook and you could win $75 dining certificates and wines on us! Post pics of your fav dishes, text your best menu deal, get your friends to join and you can increase your chances of winning! Ready, get set….. go dining!!!