February 10, 2023 – The creamy “Hail Caesar” pizza proves indulgent in a great way. The homemade short rib ravioli delivers. The pesto tagliatelle, roasted Brussels sprouts with smoked pancetta lardons and kale Caesar salad are all spot-on.
The desserts—man, those desserts, including a double mousse cake, tiramisu and peanut-butter-and-jelly cookies—swirl into atmospheric territory.
But as effectively as all those dishes hit, at Rudolfo’s Cafe it’s the chicken that stands out, announcing the relatively new spot is a revelation ready for its close-up.
The chicken also works as a fitting flagship item because it connects chef-owner Rudolfo Ponce to his past and his future.
Several hints that the man knows his chicken were already in place.
Hint #`1: Amid COVID, Ponce created a backyard sensation with his Heat Waves 831 pop-up. His massive, messy, ruthlessly spicy fried chicken sandwiches, built from a recipe he learned at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Napa sold out every time he posted they’d be available. (He continues to serve those on Sundays, when Rudolfo’s transforms into Heat Waves for one day a week.)
Hint #2: Yesterday, while we waited for our lunch entrees to arrive, he sent out some chicken wings that promptly wow’d the table. We’re talking juicy, tender, crispy in all the proper ratios, with a sweet but unsugary edge, a spark of lime and a suggestion of Thai-style heat. The fresh from-scratch ranch it came with, as good as it was, wasn’t necessary.
The half chicken, meanwhile, might be better than the wings. He brines it for 12 hours with a mixture of water, sugar, honey, black peppercorn, lemon, bay leaf and garlic, then slow smokes it over applewood for six hours until the skin snuggles crisply into the white meat.
My lunch companions, Brittney Bristol and Steb Montez, who happen to own and operate Nacho Bizness in downtown Monterey (check out their Super Bowl specials, BTW), know food.
Still, when I asked them to articulate how the smoked chicken—complemented by baby portobello risotto and pomegranate seeds—almost melts in your mouth, they seemed stumped, which is valid, because it does defy description.
Eventually Bristol did offer two words: “impressive succulence.”
Montez asked Ponce about his background, and he spooled through how he worked locally in restaurants like Fisherman’s Grotto and Tarpy’s Roadhouse before settling in at Hyatt Monterey to earn enough money to put himself through culinary school.
From there he worked at spots like Acacia House with Chris Cosentino, and eventually made his way to Bouchon with the aforementioned Keller.
He also worked at a discount for Ciccio Napa Valley because the Michelin Gourmand spot pledged to teach him how to roll dough, and give him some of their 80-year-old sourdough starter that he uses in his pizzas today.
Dude’s paid dues.
The precision of the chicken and the Bouchon mention prompted something Keller once told me, namely that one dish stands out more than others when it comes to evaluating a restaurant.
“You know a kitchen by its chicken,” he said.
Keller would be proud of how one of his former cooks does his. But plenty of other things recommend Rudolfo’s beyond the bird.
The quiet creativity there in the Ceasar pizza—which comes with pancetta, lemon chicken, arugula and croutons to complement the Bianca sauce—pops up across the menu.
Price points are reasonable.
The sourcing is smart.
Both pizza crusts and pastas are done in house.
The wine list is short but solid.
Fresh panini and classic sandwiches (tri-tip and pastrami) are available until 4pm.
Care for detail is there too—note that the creamer that comes with coffee is served warm.
The desserts, combined with authentic gelato, make it a Found Treasure on their own—in fact, the first rave review of Rudolfo’s came from a pro baker pal who couldn’t believe they made Italian cuccidati (fig cookies).
The tiramisu, which settles on the palate like a cloud, rivals any I’ve tried. The so-called “cake,” with layers of both peanut butter mousse and chocolate mousse, approaches nirvana by way of texture and taste.
The most inspiring element, though, is how long Ponce’s been preparing for this moment.
Montez likened it to making music.
“You’ve been hearing the song for years,” he said. “Now you’ve had the chance to sit down and compose it.”
Rudolfo’s Cafe 543 Lighthouse Ave. Pacific Grove • rudolfoscafe.com
About the author
Mark C. Anderson, EMB's managing editor and "Found Treasures" columnist, welcomes responsible and irresponsible feedback. Correspond via mark@ediblemontereybay.com.
