Monterey Peninsula

[robert]

Parker-Lusseau for pastries.

Monterey eats, mostly sad, at least a couple of bright spots

https://montereyfishhouse.com/ This Sicilian-ish place is good in an old-school way and a good value. Reminded me of long-gone old-school North Beach places. Off the beaten tourist path, seemed like mostly locals though I suppose it must get its share of Guy Fieri fans. Easy street parking. No reservations, four of us waited 20-25 minutes on Monday night. [oysters] My appetizer was oak-grilled Hama Hama oysters ($18), huge and tasty. I haven’t had such huge ones in years. [snapper] My mai…

Monterey eats, mostly sad, at least a couple of bright spots

Had lunch at Sandbar & Grill Monday. Easy (paid) parking right in front. My fish sandwich ($20) was swordfish that day, very good. Dining companion’s New England-style chowder ($9.75) was so thick that it seemed almost like bechamel sauce. Good flavor, plenty of nice, briny clams. Companions’ squid appetizer ($11.75) and squid entree with capers and lemon ($18) were both pounded from those huge calamari steaks. Tasty, a little too old-school for my taste. Fun place, great view, reasonable pr…

Monterey eats, mostly sad, at least a couple of bright spots

Had a reservation for Passionfish on Saturday night. We were catching up with friends so I didn’t take any photos. Everything was excellent. Fried squid were so good we got a second order. What a wine list and what insanely reasonable markups. We drank: Jo Landron “Atmosphères” Château de Beaucastel Roussanne Vielle Vignes Château Simone blanc Bainbridge, “Rouge aux Levres” Grolleau Domaine de la Renardiere Macvin du Jura, the suggested pairing with the Roquefort ice cream It’s no longer the…

Monterey eats, mostly sad, at least a couple of bright spots

[image] Our friends picked Stokes Adobe for Sunday night. Again I took no photos. Deviled eggs, duck liver mousse, scallops and pork belly, mushroom soup, duck confit, truffle chicken, all good. French-ish style, on the subtle and complex side, not old-school but not modernist either. Good service, correct but not stuffy. Gorgeous dining room at the back of the restaurant (Yelp photo above). Lively bar on the other side of the building. Free parking in their lot. https://stokesadobe.com/