Pretty much every holiday greeting begins with “Happy,” from New Year’s to Halloween to Thanksgiving. And every day is somebody’s birthday, which you can always make happier by offering to take them out and celebrate.
Whatever day it is, the world needs to be a happier place, which is why Estéban Restaurant Executive Chef Steven Patlan just rolled out a New Tapas Happy Hour menu, featuring unbelievably well-priced items like their popular Potatoes Bravas, with crispy duck fat potatoes, brava sauce, gremolata and preserved lemon yogurt, along with their Croquettes of shrimp, chorizo, potatoes, brava sauce, and Manchego cheese, just $9.
Their ever-popular Empanadas are now just $9 during Happy Hour: that’s more than half off the regular $19 price.
In fact, chef Patlan’s braised pork shoulder empanadas have become the big buzz at Estéban. Made with feta and salsa verde, they are wonderfully flavorful, packed with an assortment of Spanish paprikas from hot to mild, along with smoked chiles and other aromatics.
Seriously, they’re so good, they’ve made Monday Night Empanada Night, with two other empanadas available Monday evenings only. In addition to the traditional pork empanada, you can alsoorder Argentinian red shrimp with onions, tomatoes, peppers and a sassy cumin seasoning, as well as a Sofrito empanada, made with a flavorful base of sautéed vegetables, herbs, and spices. All three are accompanied by mustard microgreens and house-made tomatillo salsa, and are only $5 each on Mondays.
Talk about affordable happiness good enough to share. Chef Patlan has also added Meatballs to the menu for the first time. Made of pork and veal and dressed with Manchego cheese and brava sauce, they take meatballs to another level. There’s also a Pintxos Board ($9) with Marcona almonds, olives and pickled vegetables, and new for seafood lovers, Coastal Calamari, with Pacific Coast calamari, artichokes, lemon slices, Parmigiano Reggiano, gremolata and roasted jalapeño aioli, $12.
The kitchen at Estéban also cranks out a mean Pepperoni Pizza with San Marzano sauce, provolone, mozzarella, and Parmigiano Reggiano, just $13, that will satisfy that empty feeling you get after a long day at work. Split one with a friend and also indulge in their famous Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Baker’s Bacon, truffle aioli and saba. Or perhaps share an order of their newly popular Blistered Shishito Peppers with romesco sauce, Pedro Ximenez vinegar, and za’atar spice.
Mouth-watering Happy Hour fare is accompanied by an exciting new cocktail menu, with seven new drinks to get the party started.
This salubrious selection of new signature cocktails ($8 each) were created by Food and Beverage Manager Anthony Vitacca and will definitely raise your happiness meter. Fun names and ingredients make this a list worth perusing and pursuing, from Too Cool for School, made with mint-infused Outer Banks gin, Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters, watermelon and soda, to Get Figgy With It, a concoction ofJim Beam bourbon, amaro, fig jam, black walnut bitters and maple syrup. Not that we advocate riding a bike after this one, but the Four-Eyed Bike Ride has a high happiness quotient, owing to Sauza tequila, Aperol, guava, lime and Tahin. Celebrate Summer’s last fling with Summer Spritz, a quenching drink with St. Germain elderflower, pamplemousse, lemon, mint and cava.
Always a customer favorite, the Spanish Margarita ($8), will improve your outlook on everything. Need a pitcher to share? Just $49. Housemade Sangria, either red or rosé, is $8 per glass, and $45 for a pitcher. Spanish wines, red or white, are just $9 per glass.
The new low pricing and the delicious assortment of items from all the food groups, plus well drinks and draft beers, just $7, makes Happy Hour happier!
Enjoy Happy Hour daily at Estéban Restaurant, from 4:30pm until 6pm.
Afterwards, you can roll into dinner with the right attitude to further enjoy creations like Roasted Bone Marrow & Grilled Oysters, with Pacific Northwest oysters, ‘Nduja butter, gremolata and Otto’s sourdough, Bucatini & Clams, with Manilla clams, Monterey Bay seaweed, pickled kelp, nori butter, arugula, and Parmigiano Reggiano garden pesto, and Fogline Chicken, a pressed half chicken served with summer vegetable succotash, pickled Jimmy Nardello peppers, romesco and chimichurri.
Perhaps the most stunning new dish is the Cast Iron Roasted Branzino, featuring awhole Mediterranean branzino, accompanied by pickled cauliflower, garden pesto, anchovy & caper relish, pistachios, heirloom tomato and crispy potato salad. Plus, you’ll find many of your old favorites on the dinner menu.
Don’t forget Estéban’s mid-week specials, a lineup of unique offerings served Sunday to Wednesday, with dishes made from the freshest and finest ingredients, and featuring vibrant flavors from Spain, California, and the Mediterranean and seasonal specials.
Whether you dine al fresco on the patio or inside the cozy, casual dining room, you’ll find the ambiance jovial, the wait staff eager to please and the whole atmosphere, happy. Make sure to spread a little around!
Reservations are highly recommended. Call to reserve your table today at 831-375-0176 or book online at hotelcasamunras.com/dining
Estéban Restaurant is located at 700 Munras Avenue at the Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa in Monterey, CA. Featuring Spanish-inspired California cuisine, our network of local farmers, fishers and foragers bring us the fruits of their labor daily. Parking is available and free for Estéban’s guests.
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.
