Get Ready for Summer

By Jessica Zimmer | Photos by Manny Espinoza

The Pocket, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, is welcoming summer with a host of seasonal ingredients, craft cocktails to enjoy with friends, and winecentered events showcasing Central Coast vintages.

Guests can enjoy the innovative savory bites on the happy hour menu, which ranges from lamb lollipops to truffle fries. The menu changes every day, giving guests opportunities for repeat visits with new choices. Happy hour lasts from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Restaurant manager Arianna Ilabaca is the creative force behind the cocktails. Libations include the signature Pocket Potion, made with vodka, Prosecco, elderflower, grapefruit juice, and cranberry and grapefruit ice cubes, and The Piggyback Old Fashioned, made with bacon-infused six-year-old WhistlePig Rye Whiskey, barrel-aged maple syrup, and black walnut bitters.

Chef Michael Fischetti, recently awarded as the 2023 Certified Angus Beef Chef of the Year, is happy to serve large groups. Guests can book private events for groups numbering between 18 and 110, to be served in The Pocket’s private dining room, outdoors in the heated pergola, or throughout the entire restaurant.

This summer, The Pocket is holding intimate wine dinners. These events feature a guest speaker— typically a Central California winemaker such as Daniel Daou of Daou Winery in Paso Robles— the winery’s hallmark vintages, and a five-course meal made with seasonal ingredients. Fischetti is excited to work with sweet peaches, flavorful tomatoes, and crisp cucumbers from Swank Farms in Hollister.

The Pocket’s wine menu also showcases a new program called Discover. Guests can order unique wines by the glass, including Albariños from Uruguay and White Bordeaux from France.

In the past year, The Pocket has also become a favorite fine dining spot for birthdays and weddings.

“Whether you’re stopping in for a snack or an elegant dinner party, we look forward to having you as our guest soon,” says Fischetti.

For more information, visit thepocketcarmel.com.