Found Treasure: Woody’s at Del Mesa

July 28, 2023 – Well, of course.

There are other valid reactions to what’s suddenly the most surprising restaurant of recent months—and perhaps the weirdest and most entertaining too. 

But let’s start with that one, as in of course it’s Tim Wood and company opening an eatery in a retirement community that’s a) open to the public for lunch and dinner, with an asterisk (more on that soon); and b) well worth the adventure up to Del Mesa Carmel in the hills above Palo Corona Regional Park and Hacienda Carmel.   

It feels right for several reasons. Among them:

• He knows the community (and it knows him) after years at Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley Ranch and now Woody’s at the Airport. 

• He does the type of dependable value and classic daily specials that appeal to eaters in general and retirees in particular (and isn’t all that available between Baja Cantina and Cafe Rustica). 

• His burly and rustic plates click with the valley identity.

• He’s a natural-born community builder. 

• He has the tableside toolkit to entertain a repeat audience. 

• He has tolerance and irreverence to absorb strong opinions, if not embrace them. 

“My micro-locals are very pleasant—and very opinionated—but I’m interested,” he says. “I’m old enough to know WTF they’re talking about.”

So I set out to scout Woody’s Restaurant & Lounge at Del Mesa last week. 

The setting proves memorable, both by way of the tall redwoods on the drive in, the art exhibits on the way to the restrooms and the stately clubhouse feel of the main dining hall. (The bar/lounge is a work-in-progress for now, but should be fun and functional like the airport’s, one of the better restaurant bars in town.)

Pro tip: Call ahead for a reservation so the restaurant team can prep the gate staff down by Carmel Valley Road.

As Wood puts it: “We don’t want to make it sound like a free-for-all. Members might not go for it. Reservations help us serve you better.”

His smart takes on classic comfort carry over from Woody’s 1.0 and previous stops. 

“It’s kind of a neighborhood place, like the airport,” he says. “Where you can get a stiff drink or glass of wine with a good pour.”

Think starters like clam chowder, tasty honey chili chicken wings and “Wills Fargo” steak bites; patented salads like his Swank Farms beet number, heirloom tomato-burrata, and signature wedge with Baker’s Bacon; go-to entrees like sautéed sand dabs and roasted half chicken, all served with an old-school complement of Swank veggies and a choice of starch; along with a range of grill options like the Woody’s Angus Burger or New York steak.

In Wood parlance: “Woody’s meets Wills Fargo with Bernardus ingredients,” he says. “This is a restaurant for us, not someone going to The Ranch paying $75 for a ribeye.”

A friend and I shared the zippy chili chicken wings, a bright and tasty Monterey Bay halibut ceviche (now a summer regular, dished with healthy amount of avocado and pico de gallo), soft-shelled crab (a staple from Wood wingman Christopher Caul), a grilled filet mignon in morel Cabernet sauce and some house ice cream.

Rib-sticking, yup. Fresh, yup yup. Seasonal, yup too. Well-executed, yup again. 

“Not a budget meal—it is a restaurant, and I need to try to make a living—but we’re not focused on elaborate plates as conversation pieces,” he says. “We’re into good food at a good price.”

Diners also get complimentary doses of Wood’s far-ranging and comedic commentary on Carmel Valley, chef life and this new chapter. He’s clearly at ease with his team and the clientele, who filled the room.

“What do you think?” he asks our table, or might just be thinking out loud. “It’s a fun little spot. You come in and [say], ‘Where the f*** am I?’”

Hours run Wednesday through Sunday 11:30am-2:30pm (ish) and 4:30-7:30pm (ish). 

“It is the valley,” he says. “Try getting a reservation after 8.”

In the pipeline are winemaker dinners, Sunday Night butcher block supper experiences like he did at Carmel Valley Ranch, starring a roast reminiscent of end-of-week dinners at Wood’s mom’s house way back in the day.

He adds that he and his wife Jessica, who on our visit was helping serve (as she does when needed at the airport), never wanted to have their own restaurant because of the time demands.

But Woody’s by the tarmac and Woody’s in the valley hills both allow for him to work his magic while not cursing their life flow.

“The culinary and hospitality world is non-stop, demanding, and relentless, but Tim is the right person to take all this on and give it his best intentions and efforts,” Jessica says. “He works hard to create a team to execute his visions.” 

Those include prioritizing locals.

“We know what we look for when we go out to eat,” Jessica adds. “As crazy as it seems to take on another venture, just like the airport, Del Mesa presented itself as a special spot and an opportunity where Tim could share his style of food.”

Glen Hammer ranks among those glad they did, along with community residents who had been two-and-a-half years plus without a restaurant, and his CVR following that now doesn’t have to drive to the airport. 

Hammer’s a longtime restaurant pro and leader of gourmand group Monterey Peninsula Bailliage, and happens to hail from the same upstate New York town as Chef Wood (Kingston, population 24,100). 

He notes that being able to serve the public, and use adjoining rooms for private events, were key to the partnership. 

“[Residents] were starving for it, and they love it,” Hammer says. “And with Tim visiting every table, they get a ‘floor show’ for free.”

Put differently, they stopped making valley cowboys like Tim Wood long ago. Here’s hoping we all could be so lucky as to live out the golden years somewhere like Carmel Valley with him as on-site chef.

More at woodysmontereyairport.com/woodys-at-del-mesa.