October 18, 2024 – Simple truth number one: Golf, whether you like it or not, is a major part of the area’s identity, particularly on the southern side of Monterey Bay, where 20 courses clump within a 15 mile radius.
Simple truth number two: Local golf courses, whether you consider them Gifts from Goddess or God Forsaken Wastes of Space, often deliver above-par eateries.
Edgar’s at Quail Lodge, Point Pinos Grill at P.G. Municipal, Porter’s Grill & Pub at Poppy Hills and The Terrace at Spanish Bay leap to mind immediately.
Simple truth number three (which gets a little meta): The simple truths surrounding one of my favorite—and most hidden—golf course restaurants, Bayonet Grill, in the heights of Seaside, are many.
They’ve also been proliferating of late, with the recent addition of exec chef Caleb Baker, which has me more bullish on BG than ever.
So let’s swing through those truths, a full round of 18:
- The view sweeps from the former Fort Ord to the Pacific below, with soothing green fairways between. As Baker says, “It’s just a beautiful setting.”
- The food proves more than sturdy, with plenty of burly classics (Parmesan deep-fried artichoke hearts, Reuben sandwiches, Bayonet nachos, Cobb salads, Angus burgers) and a less predictable dish or two (seared wild ahi tuna sandwich, “Philly dip,” fajita street tacos).
- Before long the food will get demonstrably better, as Baker aims to introduce a new menu—the first he’s authoring for Bayonet—by the end of the month.
- Baker’s already introducing a monthly wine dinner series that hints at what’s to come. High-pedigree vinos, as with tonight’s collaboration with E16 Winery, pair with five courses like citrus tempura oysters, fall scallop craquelins, wild boar sticky ribs and charred oak ribeye.
- You can get a pint of draft beer or a glass of wine and a large bucket of range balls for $15.
- The drinks don’t qualify as life-changing, but they cover the bases, with a handful of signature cocktails like the Dream Cycle and Bayonet Transfusion ($9-$12), local draft beers ($8-$9), wines by the glass ($7-$13) and bottle ($46-$200) and N/A concoctions too.
- The burger ranks as worthy of a self-respecting restaurant with “grill” in its name. That’s on the authority of my former journalism colleague Sarah Thornton, who our crew affectionately calls The Burger Whisperer for her abiding dedication to patty evaluation.
- The twice-fried and smartly spiced fries demand a taste. Thornton’s thought there was declarative—“The fries are exceptional”—and I can verify that is valid.
- Happy hour runs 3-5pm daily, featuring the lost art of the $5 beer and $5 house wine, plus $10-$12 appetizers like calamari, wings, Bavarian pretzels and crab cakes (and ahi tuna towers, for $14).
- Old-school details and diversions abound: In the men’s room the day’s newspaper is mounted on a corkboard above the urinals (remember that?) and the well-stocked pro shop is perpetually worth a peek.
- The sizable wind-screened patio enjoys supreme vistas, and is also dog-friendly.
- If you are into golf, the two courses are both underrated (not unlike the restaurant), and challenging, thanks to their length and altitude variance.
- The tableside service settles in with experience and sweetness. One staffer insisted on bringing Charlie Boi water, even when she couldn’t find the house dog bowl. (She sleuthed out a small soup bowl with a container of water to refill it.) When we complimented our other server on her craft, she said, reflexively, “I just love customer service! If people are happy, I’m happy!”
- Chef Baker draws from experience with a pair of Found Treasures, his former exec chef Colin Moody (when they were at Pasadera together) and Rancho Cielo’s Drummond Academy and chef-professor Esteban Jimenez. In fact, Baker will be one of the chefs cooking for Cielo’s Jazz at the Ranch, happening today through Los Lobos’ closing act on Sunday, the same day Baker will be dishing heirloom maseca—polenta-style—with blackened shrimp and peach salsa.
- The restaurant sits alongside the putting greens, and within view of a tee (depending on where you sit), which makes for bonus sportsball watching and a pre- or post-meal putt off, if so inspired.
- Homey touches like historic photos of famous golfers and Thanksgiving Celebration meals ($80 per person, inclusive of taxes and tip) add connectivity.
- It’s in upper Seaside, strategically located just off General Jim Boulevard, on the border of Monterey Bay’s two biggest blue-collar towns, and not behind a gate in Pebble Beach or at a private club.
- Last and the opposite of least: Baker fits like a golf glove at Bayonet Black Horse. “Cooking is a primary passion for me but people are my passion too,” he says. “I love the people I work with, being able to get into the systems and management of the day-to-day operations, and really having the freedom to revamp and rebrand the business. It’s been a huge undertaking but also a huge joy in my career. Also, the creative freedom they’ve allowed me to express with my cooking—to create a new menu, try new concepts—has been fulfilling. My whole thing is to bring fine dining techniques in a way that’s approachable and fun for golfers. The goal is to raise the standard.”
Which is a great—and suitably simple—truth to end on.
More at bayonetblackhorse.com/bayonet_grill.
About the author
Mark C. Anderson, Edible Monterey Bay's managing editor, appears on "Friday Found Treasures" via KRML 94.7 every week, a little after 12pm noon. Reach him via mark@ediblemontereybay.com.
