October 26, 2021 – Sea diver scallops star on the new fall menus that debut this week at Rio Grill in Carmel and Tarpy’s Roadhouse in Monterey.
At Rio Grill, new exec chef Luis Osorio pairs the butter-seared scallops with squid ink fettuccine, purchased locally at Pasta Palate, sweet corn and asparagus in a smoky (but not hot) ancho chile cream sauce. “I’ve tried to elevate Rio Grill’s long-established Southwestern cuisine, while keeping customer favorites on the menu,” said Osorio, who started at Rio Grill in August.
Joining the spectacular diver scallops dish on the fall menu at Rio Grill are two new starters: a roasted beet salad with sweet golden and red beets, candied walnuts and Point Reyes blue cheese; and a Brussels sprouts dish that is the epitome of autumn flavors—combining butternut squash, Baker’s bacon, candied walnuts and blue cheese. It is served in a hot cast iron skillet and perfect for sharing by the whole table.
“I just love cooking,” says Osorio. “I challenge myself to make people happy and see how often I can make the customers come back.” He is a longtime veteran of the Monterey Peninsula restaurant scene, starting out as a dishwasher at Fisherman’s Grotto and learning his way around the kitchen at places like Stillwater and the Sardine Factory.
For 15 years he worked as executive chef with the Otone Group, opening all five of their restaurants from Ellie’s and Lalla Oceanside Grill to Lallapalooza. Most recently he was exec chef at Affina in Carmel.
Although originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, Osorio says part of his goal for Rio Grill involves making the food a little more Californian and less Southwestern. “We still use Mexican spices,” he says. “But for flavor, not to make the food spicy.”
The other two fall entrees prove his point: a wood-grilled double-cut pork chop with smoked chile and apple glaze, served with asiago mash and grilled asparagus; and striped Baja bass topped with banana tamarind salsa, served with risotto taters stuffed with pepper jack cheese and herbed broccolini.
For a special seasonal dessert the chef has come up with a must-try pumpkin cheesecake on a Maria cookie crust with bourbon dulce de leche glaze. It’s remarkably light and not overly sweet.
At sister restaurant, Tarpy’s Roadhouse, chef Ivan Guadarrama just introduced his own diver scallop dish on the fall menu. In his version, the pan-seared scallops are served alongside a mountain of forbidden rice with roasted red pepper vinaigrette. Striped sea bass—a Seafood Watch best choice—is also on the menu, with butternut squash risotto, braised Brussels sprouts, fava beans and lemon caper butter sauce.
See full menus here: Rio Grill • riogrill.com | Tarpy’s Roadhouse • tarpys.com
About the author
Deborah Luhrman is publisher and editor of Edible Monterey Bay. A lifelong journalist, she has reported from around the globe, but now prefers covering our flourishing local food scene and growing her own vegetables in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
