Dine Local Guide

These businesses emphasize local ingredients, and they advertise in Edible Monterey Bay! Please support them with a visit and tell them that we sent you!

APTOS

Carried Away

7564 Soquel Drive • 831.685.3926 • www.carriedawayfoods.com A cozy, green-certified take-out or eat-in café, Carried Away has a menu that changes weekly and features primarily organic, locally sourced ingredients. Owner-chef Tom McNary worked for many years at Chez Panisse and his dishes reflect the seasons. Soups, salads, entrees and desserts are all made fresh daily. Thin-crust pizzas available on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Open M–F 11am–7pm, Sa 11am–5pm, closed Su.

BIG SUR

The Restaurant at Ventana

48123 Highway 1 • 831.667.4242 • www.ventanainn.com A peaceful fireplace setting and rustic wood interior give way to a legendary terrace with some of the most amazing views Big Sur has to offer. Chef Truman Jones’ cuisine uses fresh, seasonal and sustainable ingredients sourced from local farms and foragers and reflects his memories of growing up on a farm and his experience working in some of the world’s most-acclaimed restaurants. The restaurant’s menu changes frequently and its wine list is award winning. The Ventana Bistro is available for private events. Open daily for lunch 11:30am–4:30pm, dinner 6–9pm.

BOULDER CREEK

New Leaf Community Market

13159 Highway 9 • 831.338.7211 • www.newleaf.com The perfect place to stop for made-to-order sandwiches, trail mix and picnic supplies for hikers on their way up to Big Basin or Castle Rock State Parks. All ingredients are fresh and natural, meats are hormone free, produce comes from local growers. Open 9am–9pm every day.

CAPITOLA

Geisha Sushi

200 Monterey Ave. • 831.464.3328 Tucked into a quiet corner of Capitola Village, Chef David Graham has taken sushi to new heights, serving only healthy, sustainable seafood prepared in ways that let the freshness and flavors shine. And with such tempting offerings as salmon-like Arctic char, sweet marinated catfish, delicate Tombo Ahi and buttery walu, you won’t miss the net-caught blue fin or farm-raised eel or sea urchin. Produce used in Geisha’s menu items is sourced from local, organic farms, so you can be assured that when tucking into a meal in the airy pink space, you’re not only helping the ocean’s populations but local farmers as well. Open M–Th and Su11:30am–9:30pm, F–Sa 11:30am–10pm.

New Leaf Community Market

1210 41st Avenue • 831.479.7987 • www.newleaf.com The New Beet Café at the entrance offers great alternatives to fast food, serving economical daily specials, wraps, pizza and homemade soup and smoothies—with free wi-fi in the dining area. Inside, a full deli has made-to-order sandwiches, healthy takeout salads and entrée items. Open 8am–9pm every day.

CARMEL

Carmel Belle

Doud Craft Studios • Corner of Ocean and San Carlos • 831.624.1600 www.carmelbelle.com Passionate about sourcing the best local ingredients and meticulous about identifying them on the menu, Carmel Belle is a delicious choice for breakfast or lunch. Almost everything is organic, from the coffee to the meats and cheeses. Faves include a warm slow-cooked Berkshire pork sandwich with red onion-currant chutney on ciabatta, and their house-made mozzarella and asparagus panini. Open daily 8am–5pm.

Carmel Valley Ranch

1 Old Ranch Road • 831.625.9500 • www.carmelvalleyranch.com A soaring ceiling and picture windows framing coastal oaks bring the outside in at Carmel Valley Ranch. Chef Tim Wood describes his cuisine as “sophisticated rustic.” He takes freshness to lofty heights, sourcing vegetables from the Ranch’s own organic garden and Swank Farms at the height of ripeness—and often enough that he never has to refrigerate it, thus avoiding the flavor flattening that occurs when the sugar in refrigerated produce turns to starch. The restaurant also features local olive oils and wines and house-made ice cream and honey. Open for breakfast M–F 7–11:30am, lunch M–F 11:30am–5pm, dinner Su–Th 5–10pm and F–Sa 5–10pm, and brunch Sa–Su 11:30am–3pm.

Earthbound Farm’s Farm Stand Organic Kitchen

7250 Carmel Valley Road • 831.625.6219 • www.ebfarm.com/OurFarmStand Organic is essential at Earthbound Farm. In addition to fresh organic produce, prepared foods and gourmet groceries, the farm stand has a colorful salad bar and a certified organic kitchen. Under the direction of Executive Chef Sarah LaCasse, the kitchen turns out homemade soups and bakery goods daily. Take out or eat at outdoor tables set in the garden. The Farm Stand also hosts cooking demonstrations and other classes and activities. Open M–Sa 8am–6:30pm, Su 9am–6pm.

Hyatt Carmel Highlands—Pacific’s Edge and California Market

120 Highlands Drive • 831.620.1234 • www.highlandsinn.hyatt.com Highlands Inn offers awe-inspiring views, stellar service and food that draws inspiration from local farms and purveyors. Built atop a craggy cliff overlooking Yankee Point and the Pacific, there is no better perch from which to view the setting sun or a breaching whale. Start your experience with a cocktail at the Sunset Lounge, followed by dinner in the glass-walled dining room at Pacific’s Edge (daily 6–9pm), featuring sophisticated California coastal cuisine from Chef Matt Bolton. For breakfast or lunch, dine al fresco on the redwood deck or indoors next to the warmth of a pot-bellied stove at California Market (daily from 7am).

Grasing’s

Corner of Sixth and Mission • 831.624.6562 • www.grasings.com In an ivy-covered Carmel house lit by enormous wrought-iron chandeliers, Chef Kurt Grasing serves ultra-fresh coastal cuisine and upscale bar food for sharing. The dinner menu features chop house favorites, local farm-raised abalone and an eclectic variety of California wines at reasonable prices. Open M–Th for lunch 11am–3pm and dinner 5–9pm, F–Su for brunch 10:30am–3pm and dinner 5–10pm.

Mundaka

San Carlos between Ocean and Seventh • 831.624.7400 www.mundakacarmel.com A convivial Spanish restaurant and tapas bar hidden away at the back of a Carmel courtyard, Mundaka is named for a coastal town in the Basque country and has a loyal following of locals. A surprisingly authentic kitchen led by Chef Brandon Miller produces organic specialties to share like patatas bravas, croquetas, tiny lamb chops and paella. Open for dinner 5:30pm–late every day.

Rio Grill

101 Crossroads Blvd. • 831.625.5436 • www.riogrill.com The flavors of the southwest and beyond are highlighted at this locals’ favorite since 1983. The high-energy Rio features the talents of Chef Cy Yontz, who produces creative regional California cuisine using bold spices and an oak-wood fire. The recently renovated bar offers elevated cocktails and an award-winning wine list, catalogued and annotated on iPads, which are handed to guests along with their menus. (Sadly, however, they’re not for taking home.) Rio is open for lunch (11:30am–4:30pm), dinner (4:30–10pm) and Sunday brunch (11:30am—3pm).

CARMEL VALLEY

Bernardus Lodge

415 W. Carmel Valley Road • 831.658.3400 • www.bernardus.com Chef Cal Stamenov oversees the kitchen for two restaurants at Bernardus Lodge. Elegant Marinus features starched white linens and gleaming crystal in a Tuscan yellow dining room. The menu changes daily and blends top California ingredients with decadent French preparations. Private parties can book dinner in the awardwinning wine cellar or at the chef’s table in the kitchen—where Julia Child and dozens of celebrities have dined. Next to the croquet lawn, Wickets is a more casual option with simpler preparations of exquisite local ingredients and produce from the lodge’s own organic garden. Sit next to the fountain on the sunny patio and try a brick-oven pizza topped with wild mushrooms or duck confit. Marinus: Open for dinner W–Su 6–10pm; Wickets Bistro: Open for breakfast 7–11am, lunch 11:30am–3pm and dinner 6–10pm, with light all-day menu from 2–6pm.

Lokal

13750 Center St. • 831.659.5886 • www.facebook.com/lokalcarmel Chef Brendan Jones and business partner Matthew Zolan are aiming for the style to run high and prices low at their new digs in Carmel Valley Village. Ingredients will be sourced locally and the inspiration from Spain, Japan and other places that have also inflected the dishes that Jones has developed for his dad’s local icon, Cachagua General Store. Look for choices such as steamed buns with pork belly and spicy watermelon rind, burnt Caesar salad with asiago cheese lollipops and Spanish-style aged steak with local chanterelles. The laid-back but elegant interior features a 28-foot reclaimed fence wood bar where local wines and beer will be poured; an adjacent beer garden will open by summer. Open for dinner Thu–Sa, breakfast and lunch M-F and brunch Su. Check facebook page for hours.

New Leaf Community Market

6240 Highway 9 • 831.335.7322 • www.newleaf.com New Leaf offers the best fresh food made and grown here on the Central Coast. Made-to-order sandwiches, salads and hot foods are all natural. No nitrates, hormones, antibiotics or artificial ingredients. Open 9am–9pm every day.

Freedom

Freedom Meat Lockers and Sausage Company

160 Hi Grade Lane, Freedom • 831.724.4355 • www.freedommeatlockers.com Worth searching out for their natural home smoked meats and sausages, this oldfashioned butcher shop also has a take-out deli with hot and cold sandwiches, side salads and homemade apple or berry pies from nearby Gizdich Ranch. Favorites include marinated tri-tip, skirt steak and pulled pork sandwiches. Gift packs and custom smoking of your fish or game is also available. Open Tu-Sa 9am-6pm, deli hours 10am-5pm.

HALF MOON BAY

New Leaf Community Market

150 San Mateo Road • 650.726.3110 • www.newleaf.com Green plate specials offer healthy natural lunches for $5 daily and full dinners for $9.99. Lunches like Diestel turkey wraps and tri-tip sandwiches change daily. Hot dinner specials include classics like meatloaf with mashed potatoes and Smart chicken parmesan. Open 8am–9pm every day.

Marina

Wild Thyme Deli & Café

445 Reservation Rd. • (831) 884-2414 • www.wildthymedeli.com Chef Terry Teplitzky offers a dizzying array of influences on the menu at his quaint and cozy café. A tantalizing slate of salads includes everything from traditional tuna and Greek to Asian cabbage and Chinese noodle. Also on offer is some of the best mango-chutney-bursting curry chicken in the region. East Coast classics, such as massive submarines, housemade corned beef and pastrami, as well as great Jerseystyle cheesesteak might smack of fast food, but everything is prepared with organic, locally sourced ingredients. Open M–Sa 10am–5:30pm.

MONTEREY

Monterey Bay Aquarium Café and Restaurant

886 Cannery Row • 831.648.4870 • www.montereybayaquarium.org Sweeping views of the Monterey Bay are the focal point of the upscale restaurant inside the Aquarium. Executive Chef Jeff Rogers prepares sustainable seafood approved under the Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. Preparations range from New England clam chowder to Thai-style mussels, with child-friendly options as well. Complimentary binoculars offered for viewing sea life in the bay. Open 11am–5pm. A self-service café is open 10am–5pm. Aquarium admission required.

Montrio Bistro

414 Calle Principal • 831.648.8880 • www.montrio.com This sophisticated bistro located in a historic brick firehouse in Old Monterey lures with a creative, seasonal menu created by Chef Tony Baker, a British expat with an eclectic style. Montrio’s faithful start early, enjoying the small-bite menu during happy hour at the lively bar—with a spirited, innovative cocktail program designed by mixologist Anthony Vitacca. Dinner begins at 5pm nightly, and patrons often linger well into the night. Montrio embraces sustainability, purchasing from local farms and vendors, following Seafood Watch guidelines and employing a triple-filtered tap water system.

Parker-Lusseau Pastries and Café

731 Munras Ave., Monterey • 831.643.0300 539 Hartnell St., Monterey • 831.641.9188 Ryan Ranch, 40 Ragsdale Dr. Suite 100, Monterey • 831.655.3030 www.parker-lusseaupastries.com Gorgeous French pastries, cakes and tarts are lovingly hand-crafted by the young couple that owns this gem of a bakery, Ann Parker and Yann Lusseau. If you want something hot from the oven, go to the Munras Avenue location where everything is baked. The Hartnell shop is a rustic café in an historic adobe in Old Monterey. Croissants, quiche, eclairs, cream puffs and chocolates are all on the menu, along with a selection of sandwiches, salads and soup. Also offering custom cakes for weddings and other special occasions. Munras store open W-Sa 7am-4:30pm. Hartnell store open M-F 7am-5:30pm and Sa 7:30am-4pm. Ryan Ranch store open M-F 7:30am-3pm.

Stone Creek Kitchen

465 Canyon del Rey Boulevard • 831.393.1042 • www.stonecreekkitchen.com A glass-walled kitchen in the middle of a spacious cookware shop turns out imaginative Mediterranean deli treats and sweets to take away or eat under the market umbrellas outside. Petite baguette sandwiches—like grilled chicken, artichoke hearts and Boursin cheese—are little works of art. Don’t miss the pistachio/cherry chocolate bark or the paella Fridays. Open M–F 10am–7pm, Sa 10am–4pm, closed Su except during November and December.

Tarpy’s Roadhouse

2999 Monterey Salinas Highway • 831.647.1444 • www.tarpys.com This romantic, historic stone roadhouse—built in 1917 and set on five, beautifully landscaped acres—features dining in several semi-private rooms and on a cozy garden patio. Chef Michael Kimmel uses a wood-burning grill to prepare American country cuisine, including wild game, prime steaks and local seafood, daily from 4:30pm. A popular site for Sunday brunch (11:30am–3pm) and local weekday “power lunches” (11:30am–4:30pm), Tarpy’s also attracts a spirited bar crowd and is a popular spot for large banquets, meetings and celebrations.

The Wild Plum Café, Bistro and Bakery

731 Munras Avenue • 831.646.3109 • www.thewildplumcafe.com Tucked away in downtown Monterey, the Wild Plum is a local favorite for its fresh breakfast pastries and takeout entrées, like lasagna, sesame chicken and sustainable seafood. Everything is homemade on the premises and owner Pamela Burns haunts three farmers’ markets each week for the most delicious seasonal, local produce. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Tu–Sa 7:30am–8:30pm, Su–M for breakfast and lunch 7:30am–5:30pm.

PACIFIC GROVE

Happy Girl Kitchen Co.

173 Central Avenue • 831.373.4475 • www.happygirlkitchen.com The menu changes daily at Happy Girl’s airy and bright Pacific Grove café, but the food is always delicious, organic and reasonably priced: The sandwich of the day is $5.50 and a bowl of the soup of the day is $4.50. To drink, you’ll find kombucha on tap and Blue Bottle Coffee brewed fresh. Homemade baked goods include a daily scone, cookies and turnovers. When it’s time to go, take home some famed Happy Girl preserves or another local artisan food product from the café’s wide selection. Open daily 8am–3pm.

il vecchio

110 Central Avenue • 831.324.4282 • www.ilvecchiorestaurant.com Fresh, authentic Italian pastas, entreés and desserts at affordable prices draw crowds nightly and create a festive atmosphere at Pacific Grove’s newest hotspot. The warm, rustic interior was created using reclaimed and salvaged materials by owner Carl Alasko’s daughter Ariele—a Brooklyn-based designer. Many of il vecchio’s recipes originated at Rome’s renowned Maccheroni trattoria. Open Tu–Su 5–9:30pm.

Passionfish

701 Lighthouse Avenue • 831.655.3311• www.passionfish.net If you’re looking for a restaurant with playful, spectacular food and a scrupulous commitment to sustainability, Passionfish is hard to rival. The elegant dining room is celebratory yet relaxed, and the award-winning wine list features many sustainable names and is priced at retail. Chef Ted Walter’s menu is ever-changing with the seasons, but always includes organic local produce, inventive slow-cooked meats and an array of sustainable seafood choices. The restaurant was the first to be certified by the Monterey County Green Business Program. Open every day from 5pm.

Point Pinos Grill

79 Asilomar Boulevard • 831.648.5774 • www.ptpinosgrill.com With an unbeatable location on the golf course near Point Pinos Lighthouse, this clubhouse restaurant also has unbeatable food now that Chef Dory Ford and his team from Aqua Terra Culinary have taken over. Breakfast and lunch classics get his sustainable, gourmet spin, like buttermilk blueberry pancakes made from scratch, heirloom tomato tart, or arugula, fig and prosciutto salad. Happy hour prices and appetizer supper specials start at 3pm. Open daily from dawn to dusk.

SALINAS

Growers Pub

227 Monterey Street • 831.754.1488 • www.growerspub.com Decorated with sepia photos of field hands and packing houses, Growers Pub is really a restaurant where even your great-grandfather might feel right at home. A classic menu, built around its famous prime rib and steaks, also features salmon, pasta and salads made with local greens. Don’t miss the 1940s vintage bar with its once scandalous bare-breasted Indian maiden. Open M–F 11am–9pm, Sa 5–9pm, closed Su.

SANTA CRUZ

Cellar Door

328 Ingalls St. • 831.425.6771 • www.bonnydoonvineyard.com Adjoining the celebrated Bonny Doon Vineyard tasting room, the Cellar Door offers innovative and exquisite seasonal menus, both prix fixe and à la carte, served in an eclectically decorated dining room featuring an exhibition kitchen and woodburning pizza oven. Chef Jarod Ottley uses the freshest harvests of Bonny Doon’s own San Juan Bautista ranch and other organic farms around the region to spin the daily chalkboard listing of small plates, entrees and desserts. Open Th–F: 5:30–9pm, Sa 12–2pm, 5:30–9pm, Su 12–7pm; special communal dinners Wednesdays, with one 6:30pm seating and a price of $30 for three courses plus a glass of wine, Randall Grahm himself presiding.

Charlie Hong Kong

1141 Soquel Avenue • 831.426.5664 • www.charliehongkong.com Charlie Hong Kong has been providing the Santa Cruz community with healthy, fresh, high-quality food since 1998. The restaurant’s fusion of Southeast Asian influences and the Central Coast’s local organic produce is what has made it a neighborhood favorite. Its slogan is “love your body, eat organic,” and its cuisine is proof that fast food can be good for you. Open daily from 11am–11pm.

Companion Bakeshop

2341 Mission Street • 831.252.2253 • www.companionbakeshop.com After five years on the farmers’ market circuit, Companion has opened its own bakery/café. It has a brick oven, where organic sourdough bread is baked throughout the day, and a long communal table for sharing a coffee with your neighbors. Eight kinds of sourdough bread and seasonal pastries are made with local, organic ingredients. Open Tu–F 7am–1pm, Sa–Su 8am–2pm, closed M.

Gabriella Café

910 Cedar Street • 831.457.1677 • www.gabriellacafe.com One of the city’s most charming dining spots, Gabriella Café serves a CaliforniaItalian menu starring organic produce from local growers and the nearby farmers’ market, as well as humanely raised meat and sustainable seafood. There is a candlelit patio and a cozy dining room that showcases the work of local artists. Open for lunch M–F 11:30am–2pm, dinner every day 5:30–9pm, brunch Sa–Su 11:30am–2pm.

New Leaf Community Market

1134 Pacific Avenue • 831.425.1793 • www.newleaf.com New Leaf’s headquarters in an old bank building on Pacific Avenue is a worthwhile stop for all foodies. Crowded with gourmet natural foods, it also has a deli with sandwiches, salads and hot entrées. A dining area out front is great for people watching and listening to street musicians. Open 9am–9pm every day.

New Leaf Community Market

1101 Fair Avenue • 831.426.1306 • www.newleaf.com The Westside New Leaf has a large deli counter and coffee bar, with a big selection of sandwiches, salads, bakery items, soups and other hot foods. You can eat at an instore counter or at tables outside. There is a community classroom here for frequent cooking classes. Open 8am–10pm every day.

The Penny Ice Creamery

913 Cedar Street • 831.204.2523 • www.thepennyicecreamery.com Lines out the front door of its converted Spanish bungalow are evidence of Penny’s popularity. All ice cream, including bases, is made from scratch on the premises using local organic ingredients when possible. Flavors change seasonally, but two favorites are bourbon bacon chocolate and strawberry pink peppercorn. Open Su–W noon–9pm, Th–Sa noon–11pm.

The Picnic Basket

125 Beach Street • 831.427.9946 • www.facebook.com/thepicnicbasketsc Across the street from the main beach, owners of the Penny Ice Creamery have opened an alternative to boardwalk fast food. Sandwiches, organic salads, coffee and beer, all from local food artisans, and of course Penny’s popular ice cream are all on offer to eat in or eat outside with your feet in the sand. Open 7am–midnight every day.

Ristorante Avanti

1711 Mission Street • 831.427.0135 • www.ristoranteavanti.com A popular Mediterranean-style neighborhood bistro with a warm wood-paneled dining room. Food is prepared naturally and simply using local organic produce, wholesome oils and real Italian cheeses and meats. Avanti’s reputation is deeply engrained in the sustainable farming practices of the area. Hidden in a strip mall, this is a real gem. Open for lunch M–F 11:30am–2pm, for dinner Su–Th 5–9pm, F–Sa 5–9:30pm.

River Café

415 River Street, Suite K • 831.420.1280 • www.rivercafesantacruz.com A popular spot for breakfast and lunch at the Old Sash Mill, the River Café now serves dinner on Thursday and Friday nights. All meals are made with seasonal, local and organic ingredients, prepared with a Mediterranean flair. Homemade granola and quality panini. Dining inside or on their redwood deck. Open M–W 6:30am–6pm, Th–F 6:30am–10pm, Sa 6:30am–6pm, Su brunch 10am–3pm. Come by and visit their new organic produce and flower stall on Tuesdays 11:30am-4pm.

Verve

816 41st Avenue • 831.475.7776 • www.vervecoffeeroasters.com 1540 Pacific Ave. • 831.600.7784 104 Bronson St. Suite 19 • 831.464.8141 Award-winning baristas and carefully selected coffee beans, hand-roasted on the premises, make Verve a must-stop destination for coffee connoisseurs throughout the Monterey Bay area. A short walk for the surfers at Pleasure Point, the café is bright and modern and always smells great. Free cuppings offered on Fridays. Open M–Th 6am–7:30pm, F–Sa 7am–8:30pm, Su 7am–7:30pm.

Vivas Organic Mexican Restaurant

1201 Soquel Avenue • 831.425.8482 • www.vivasorganic.com A splashing fountain suggests an old Mexican patio but the food is a modern, organic and delicious take on south-of-the-border classics like tacos, tostadas, quesadillas and burritos. All meats and vegetables are organic. Local juices, organic white and brown rice are available, as well as vegan options. Open M–F 10am–10pm, Sa–Su 9am–10pm.

WATSONVILLE

Gizdich Ranch

55 Peckham Rd. • 831.722.1056 • www.gizdich-ranch.com Visitors from great distances love this third-generation, family-run farm business that popularized the “pik-yor-sef” experience just east of Watsonville’s Interlaken neighborhood. Tour the farm, pick fresh apples or berries or watch the action inside the juice-pressing barn. No one leaves hungry if they spend time at the bakerydeli that pleases with its fresh pies, shortcakes and pastries, along with hearty sandwiches and box lunches. This family friendly experience is also a treat for kids, who will enjoy the wide-open spaces and the homemade popsicles and slushes. Open daily, 8am–5pm.