May 23, 2017 – Since leaving Tarpy’s Roadhouse and signing on as executive chef at Folktale Winery, Todd Fisher has been busy working on a new menu and transforming the Greenhouse at Folktale into a four season space.
And while still more an extension of the wine garden experience, versus a full-service restaurant, Fisher is excited about the offerings. “The new menu is centered around three priorities,” he explained. “We want food that pairs with our wines; local, natural ingredients that promote Monterey; and food with soul and story.”
In that vein, the menu will be constantly changing and evolving with the seasons, complementing their wine offerings, and drawing from inspiration from their travels and lives. Fisher says that the same can be said about their winemaking and the property itself: it’s always evolving and changing. “This is what makes Folktale fun and fresh. We want the food to reflect the same.”
The Greenhouse at Folktale is a cozy space anchored by a communal table made from a Monterey Cypress tree. French doors open to the garden and let in the ocean breezes. Embracing the ‘greenhouse’ feel, they have added more garden-themed pieces and more flora. And shutters from the 1800s have been installed to provide more shade in the glass-enclosed, open-air space. Additionally, more dining tables will be added to make it more comfortable to enjoy a meal with wine.
If the sneak peak images on Fisher’s social media channels are any indication, fun and fresh foods are definitely on the menu. The over-the-top chef has teased Marrow Roasted Scallops, Creamed Greens, Carmel Valley Wild Fennel, Fregola, with Syrah-Peppercorn Gastrique; Crispy Maitake Mushrooms with Aged Sherry Vinaigrette and Micro-Amaranth; and Lobster Corndogs.
Folktale will continue to offer many of the shared plates, but they will be adding salad, entrees, and desserts to offer a full meal experience to the guests. Eventually they will be sourcing more ingredients from their on-site garden. For now, just the herbs from the smaller garden down by the river appear in their dishes.
When asked about any new favorites on the menu, Greg Ahn, one of Folktale’s owners, mentioned a salad that was more of a meal than a starter or side dish. “It’s a green salad but has lots of layers of flavors. There are greens with smashed fingerling potatoes and sliced steak. It’s really filling.”
Fisher joked, “My favorite dish? That’s kind of like asking me which one of my five kids is my favorite. They’re all my favorites and they are all uniquely different.” He did agree that he’s excited about their approach to salads. “I feel like sometimes salads are so predictable and boring. Our salads will not be either.” He continued, “Our philosophy is: If it isn’t awesome, it won’t be on our menu!”
In addition to the on-going remodel and new menu, Fisher and Ahn have hired a new chef de cuisine. Chef Danny Leach, previously of Roy’s at Pebble Beach, joined the Folktale Winery team and has been collaborating on the new menu. Operating hours remain the same: 11am to 8pm daily. But they are considering expanding to 9pm for the summer.
Both Fisher and Ahn remain tight-lipped about possible plans for the Seventh & Dolores event space in Carmel, but promised news about the new venture in the next couple of weeks.
About the author
Camilla M. Mann has crammed a lot of different jobs into four decades: florist, waitress, SCUBA divemaster, stock photo agency manager, stroller fitness teacher, writer, editor, and au pair. But, if she had to distill who she is today – tree-hugging, veggie-crunching, jewelry-designing mean mommy who loves to cook but hates to clean. Thankfully her husband and their boys clean like champs. Her current culinary goal: grow conscientious, creative kids with fearless palates! She blogs at culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com
