GRIST FOR THE MILL

It’s our goal with every issue of Edible Monterey Bay to help our readers think more about the value of our food—especially local, sustainably produced and artisanal food, and what it brings to our community.

In this issue, you’ll find a lot on this topic to ponder.

We’re especially proud of the peek into the lives of line cooks provided by chef and contributor John Cox. e cooks he interviews—whose names have been changed at their request— share stories that are not unlike those of thousands of others who work long, arduous hours to feed diners across the country. And as is often the case, they are immigrants, sharing already low wages not just with their own children and spouses but also, generously, with relatives back home in their countries of origin. eir accounts help shed light on the current debates over restaurant wages and tips—not to mention immigration—and may change how you think about your check the next time you eat out.

In an interview with EMB’s Rosie Parker, chef and author Ruth Reichl talks about why food writing is so important right now.

Deborah Luhrman shows all the effort and thought that go into the very fine wines of Santa Cruz’s Birichino—and you can count on having some laughs before you finish the story of these highly entertaining winemakers.

We also feature a few of the most exciting new local food enterprises—Revival, Home and Cultura—which have all been started by chefs who left fine-dining or other high-end dining establishments. Each is a vibrant expression of its founders’ particular passions and offers food that is somewhat more affordable while still sustainable, seasonal, local and extremely creative.

And also in the restaurant department, we take you inside Farmhouse Café, a restaurant launched by a local organic farm, and Rosie McCann’s, a family-friendly pub that’s been greencertified not for its Irish origins, but for its environment-friendly practices.

Farmer and writer Jamie Collins reveals that there are several types of avocados that grow right here in our tri-county region, and that the time to plant them is now, in spring. Lucky for us, we have Epicenter Avocado Trees & Fruit in La Selva Beach to set us up with the right trees, no matter what local microclimate we call home.

And where do our wacky, multi-horned cover models fit into all of this? As Kathy McKenzie writes, they are being raised by Jane and Mike Hulme at their Evergreen Acres Dairy in Tres Pinos for Matt Beaudin, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s executive chef. is chef-farmer collaboration is the product of a shared passion for going to remarkable lengths to create delicious, healthful food that is also good for the planet, and the story is especially inspiring.

We’re guessing that since you’re reading this magazine, you already place a pretty high value on what you eat. But we hope when you finish this issue, you’ll appreciate our local food scene all the more.

Cheers!

Sarah Wood and Rob Fisher Publishers

edible

MONTEREY BAY

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR

Sarah Wood Sarah@ediblemontereybay.com 831.298.7117 or 831.238.1217

CO–PUBLISHER AND

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rob Fisher

DEPUTY AND DIGITAL EDITOR

Deborah Luhrman

COPY EDITOR Doresa Banning LAYOUT DESIGN Melissa Petersen

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Katie Reeves

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT AND EVENTS MANAGER Rosie Parker

AD DESIGN Dina Clark • Bigfish Smallpond Design • Jane Bolling Design • Marilet Pretorius Melissa oeny Designs

CONTRIBUTORS Jordan Champagne Jamie Collins • John Cox • Zoe Fisher Larry Gerbrandt • Margaux Gibbons George Cwirko Godycki • Margot Grych Michelle Magdalena • Camilla M. Mann Kathryn McKenzie • Amanda Pargh Rosie Parker • Ken Payton • Amber Turpin

ADVERTISING SALES

ads@ediblemontereybay.com • 831.238.1217 Shelby Lambert shelby@ediblemontereybay.com Kate Robbins kate@ediblemontereybya.com Sarah Wood sarah@ediblemontereybay.com

DISTRIBUTIONMANAGER Mick Freeman

CONTACT US: Edible Monterey Bay P.O. Box 228, Carmel Valley, CA 93924 www.ediblemontereybay.com 831.298.7117 or 831.238.1217 info@ediblemontereybay.com

Edible Monterey Bay is published quarterly. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. Subscriptions are $28 per year at www.ediblemontereybay.com. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our apologies and notify us. We also welcome letters to the above address. ank you.