Nothing captures the quintessential Carmel experience quite like a visit to Carmel Plaza. For decades, the Plaza has been the epicenter for shopping, dining, and wine tasting on the Monterey Peninsula. With over 40 shops, eateries, wine tasting rooms, wellness studios, entertainment and more, Carmel Plaza truly has something for everyone and for every palate, with new places to discover opening this summer.
Flavor runs deep at Carmel Plaza. Here, you can find everything from sweet treats like donuts, chocolates, and honey, to savory gourmet bites of imported cheeses, award winning local wines and an array of Mexican, Asian, American, and French cuisine; just to name a few. There’s casual, family-friendly dining at places like Alvarado Street Brewery & Bistro, with a large outdoor patio, and there’s intimate date night opportunities, like Flying Fish Grill, serving an almond-crusted seabass that is worth coming back for again and again.
Alvarado Street Brewery & Bistro, a five-barrel brewhouse, has a neighborhood pub feel that draws a crowd of locals daily. One of their highlights is a Mai Thai IPA. Pair it with the bistro wings and be prepared to be impressed.
If you’re craving live entertainment, karaoke or a game of ping pong, head to The Links Club, Carmel’s ultimate sports bar. Give their golf simulators a whirl, trying your hand at bucket-list courses like Pebble Beach, while enjoying tastes from their elevated bar menu that includes chicken, pork, or vegetarian street tacos.
Cafe Luna, in a casual indoor and outdoor setting, offers salads, panini, pastries and coffee, along with signature dishes, like ramen and homemade potstickers, while Patisserie Boissiere, in an adorable chateau, strikes a decidedly French note. The Paitsserie serves a desirable lunch and dinner menu that features filet mignon, rack of lamb, and duck along with Old World favorites like shepherd’s pie, beef Bourguignon and French onion soup. Be sure to not pass up the homemade desserts.
Newer to the Plaza is Dutch Door Donuts, offering made to order donuts, with seasonal local flavors such as lavender and lemon, as well as fun themed flavors. During the holidays think peppermint and eggnog; for summer, a s’more donut, roasted marshmallows and all. Each donut is made-to-order creating a super fresh experience like none you have ever had before.
Expected to open any day now, is Carmel Burger Bar, helmed by executive chef Diane Sturla, who has more than 15 years of experience in the kitchen, including as chef/owner of Just in Thyme Catering and Cafe Thyme in Gilroy. She is currently executive chef at Relish Kitchen + Drink in Gilroy. On top of an assortment of burgers, signature dishes at Carmel Burger Bar will include short rib grilled cheese, calamari Caesar salad, and a Nashville hot chicken sandwich. Owner Janice Albright also owns Big Basin Burger Bar in Saratoga and Relish Kitchen + Drink in Gilroy.
Also highly anticipated is the upscale Mexican restaurant, Nicolás Cocina de Herencia, brought to you by the family that owns Villa Azteca in Downtown Salinas, famous for its elevated cuisine and addictive homemade horchata. Chefs for the new venture, to open sometime this summer, are mother and son team, Susana Alvarez and Andres Becerra. Susana has loved cooking since she was a child and has traveled throughout Mexico to learn about her culture through food. She is now imparting this knowledge to her son while encouraging him to get creative on his own.
Another hot Plaza eatery on the rise, literally, is Rise + Roam, a duality of bakery meets culinary artistry, brought to you by the genius minds of The Folktale Group. As you enter, on the left-hand side is, “Rise Bakery”, offering a tempting array of from scratch baked goods and breads in a café setting, from 7am until 3pm. Here, you can order dishes such as a farm egg Gruyere and leek Danish, raspberry cruffin, pizza by the half or even the mouthwatering toffee brown butter potato chip cookie.
On the right-hand side is “Roam Restaurant,” a new concept, opening this July, driven by executive chef and general manager Jerry Regester, who was previously at the C Restaurant at Intercontinental The Clement and at the Monterey Plaza Hotel on Cannery Row. Most recently, he cooked up his matchlessly simple and memorable fare at The Preserve.
Chef Regester is putting the finishing touches on an all-new Contemporary American Cuisine concept and menu for Roam that will combine European techniques with Asian influence. Expect roaming carts serving tapas and dim sum style items like braised oxtail with daikon radish, bean curd and porcini broth; west coast oysters with pickled watermelon soju; charred drunkin octopus with black bean sauce and Jerry’s “everything seasoning” and a frittata foo young with smoked oysters and pork belly.
Not looking for a full meal but still looking to tempt your tastebuds? There’s a cornucopia of other gourmet delights at the Plaza, including Carmel Honey Company and Lula’s Chocolates, both locally owned and made, as well as three local wine tasting rooms: Blair Estate, Hahn Family Wines and Wrath Wines. And, of course, there’s the legendary selection of cheeses, wines and everything that goes with, at The Cheese Shop, a local favorite for almost 50 years. If you’re looking for a gift that is sure to be in good taste, look no further than the gourmet shops at Carmel Plaza.
From sweet to savory, casual to gourmet, a fun night out or a fun family day—Carmel Plaza truly has something for every palate.
For more visit: carmelplaza.com
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
