Carmel itinerary
 

We're going to spend a long weekend in Carmel and have booked the Stonehouse Inn B&B. Dinner reservations are set for The Old Bathhouse in Pacific Grove and then Pacific's Edge.

Any feedback on any of these places? 1 afternoon will be spent at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the rest of the time is unscheduled. Other must-see places? If we want to picnic, any good spots? Where can one buy picnic supplies in Carmel-by-the-Sea?

Not a big fan of the Old Bathhouse, you are paying for a view of the ocean which at night means you are paying to look into a dark expanse. Others may disagree but there are much better places to dine in the Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel area.

alan, in Pacific Grove, my first choice for a fabulous dinner would be Robert Kincaid's White House Restaurant. (He was the creator or Fresh Cream and Robert's Bistro in Carmel), very highly creative chef with a great reputation for FINE food. In a beautiful old white victorian house. You cannot miss, if you can get in. The Old Bath House is very good too.

Pacific's Edge, at the Highland's Inn is well-known for their great food, and classic ambiance. Try to get there early enough to see the sun set over the ocean at Point Lobos--awesome!

Picnic?? My favorite would be Point Lobos. There are picnic spots both near the water and in the forest--both wonderful. Be sure to take the walking path south a short ways to see the area with a beach which has many steps leading down to it (forgotten the name, China Beach, Jade Beach??) very small and beautiful.

For fine picnic grub, stop at Neilsen's Market in Carmel, a gourmet haven. Excellent choices of the best cheeses, pates, breads,deli items and a wine shop that cannot be beat! (Oh, this is making me hungry, I plan to be in Carmel myself next week and do a picnic too.)

Do a text search on this area for tons more ideas--I know you'll have a great time.

FYI: The Pacifics Edge does not Guarantee a window table with a reservation.They are allocated on a first come first serve basis.So if your reservation is between 6:30 and 8:00PM you probably will not get one esp. on a weekend.

Not to worry...even without a window table for dinner, you can still enjoy great views of the sunset over cocktails in the large lounge area, if you get there early.:)

Thanks for the advice. I was able to get a reservation at the Whitehouse. The picnic ideas were a big help, too!

winerycat-Thanks (AGAIN!) for more mention of what to do and see after the Aquarium.
Dinner at Kincaid's for Tues or Wed and a meal at Fandango... now a picnic at Pt.Lobos! Wish were were there the same week (Columbus Day)so we could share a glass-
Happy B-) Travels
R5

Razzledazzle: Ah, yes, nothing as relaxing as lunch at Lobos. After seeing the view south, you might find yourself in Big Sur! :) Have fun...

For those of you reading this planning to visit the area: ROCKY POINT RESTAURANT is another fun stop on the way down Big Sur. You will see the sign about 12 miles south of Carmel. Drive down the road and enjoy a beer or wine on the deck overlooking the ocean. Nice casual place to stop.

Another great eating place is BAHAMA BILLYS located in the Barnyard Shopping center on HWY 1 in Carmel. We take friends there when they visit. Good food, great ambiance. Locals know it, tourists may not as it is only about 1 year old.

We live in Pacific Grove and I have not been to the WHITE HOUSE yet as it is new. My wife has been for lunch and enjoyed it very much. Good recommendation.

Across the street from the White House is the RED HOUSE. Good spot for breakfast or lunch.

PG is one of the best kept secrets on the Monterey Peninsula. Many tourists leave loving PG but thought it was Monterey!

You might try Roy's at the Inn at Spanish Bay. If you go early you can sit outside on the stone terrace and enjoy a drink as they light torches all around you. A peaceful view of the beautiful golf greens and the ocean beyond.

If you like seafood, Roy's is fabulous. Yes, it is a chain ... but hardly in the same realm as say, a Red Lobster or Olive Garden. Roy (Yamaguchi) started his first restaurant in Hawaii. His food has an Asian/Hawaiian influence ... with many interesting combinations. The atmosphere is lively while still being romantic. It really is one of my favorite restaurants. The food is just so good!

A walk in Point Lobos..seriously one of the most glorious places I've ever been.And, in Monterey I like the Fish House(not a fan of the Bath House either). The Fish House is good, filled w/ locals, freshest fish cooked a million ways and then some. Remember..depending on the time of year the view becomes a mute point. Take the shorepath from the aquarium into Pacific Grove. It's easy walking, great vistas including many sea otters and you might enjoy the town as well.

We had a great weekend, thanks in part to the suggestions posted here. Dinner at Robert's White House was excellent and the price was 1/2 of what I'd expect at a comperable restaurant.

Pacific's Edge was a great 'special' dinner and we were able to get a window table. At $180 for the two of us it's not a place we'll probably go back to (but it was worth going once).

The Stonehouse B&B isn't the fanciest I've seen, but the room was nice and comfortable and the people working there and the other guests were all very friendly. Location was perfect (2 blocks from downtown, about 7 from the beach).

Alan,
Glad to hear you had a good trip to Carmel--thanks so much for reporting back. I just got back from the Monterey Peninsula too and like you, had a great dinner at The White House--if I could, I might eat there every night :)

I just put my Trip Report on the US board yesterday, so you may want to read it for more details about Carmel hotels, restaurants, The White House. If you like beautiful B&B's that are a great value, check out The Grand View Inn's website in Pacific Grove, next door to Green Gables and owned by the same people. The best views and the rooms are absolutely beautiful.

Enjoyed reading all of the previous posts. We are anxious to try the White House for our anniversary dinner in December. We have enjoyed the Old Bath House for many years. We like to get in on their early bird specials. I think their service is impeccable there and the food is very good.
We dined at the Pacific Edge last anniversary. We were able to get a corner table with outstanidng views. We have also dined at Roy's in Pebble Beach on our last two trips. I would recommend going at sunset to hear the bagpiper play.
Another very good place for excellent steak dinners is the Whaling Station. One of my husband's favorite places with some of the best steak we have ever tasted!! Our favorite lunch place is Schooner's located at the Plaza. Sit outside and soak in the beauty of the ocean. The fish and chips are very good as are the desserts here!! ***kim***

Since this thread has been brought back up, I re-read the posts and would like to make a correction in one of my posts re: the Grand View Inn. It's right next door to Seven Gables, not Green Gables, if anyone's intersted.

Kimamom, you've been busy lately adding many interesting and useful posts re: the CA central and northern coasts and much of coastal Oregon. I'm in agreement with your recommendations and we visit the same places! Having lived outside of PDX, I very much enjoy your Oregon posts. Fodor's has become lackluster for me lately, and I thank you for helping to make it a little more interesting for me. Keep up the good posting!

Thank you WineryCat! I am interested in more detalis about the White House. I've heard there are three courses. Could you tell me about what you had and describe the entrees offered here? Also, would dress be casual or more dressy for a dinner here? In Big Sur we really enjoyed Ceilo's at the Ventana Inn and Spa. We had lunch out on their patio. Delicious squash soup and sweeping views of the ocean!! ***kim***

Kimamom: This may be more info than you want or need, but since there's not much info on the web about the White House and I am a fan of Robert's food, I'll give you all the juicy details :)

The restaurant is located in the beautiful Victorian Hart Mansion in downtown Pacific Grove, originally owned by one of PG's prominent residents, Dr. Hart, and is on the Register of Historic Places.
Robert Kincaid, the creator of Fresh Cream, bought the place last year and opened up this charming and elegant new restaurant.(He and his son live up on the 3rd floor).

Our dinner there was on the last leg of our anniversary celebration, having spent the previous few days at Manka's Lodge north of S.F. We enjoyed the food at White House at least as much, if not more so than Manka's.

For dinner, there is a 3-course fixed price menu for $24. 1st course choices could include (menu changes daily): Creamy onion tart (this is rich and custardy -- just fabulous), Salmon & Shrimp Cake, Gratin of green-lipped mussels, Smoked salmon and avocado rose, Lobster ravioli (lobster flavor comes thru well, lovely sauce).

2nd courses: Tomato basil bisque(excellent), Roasted beet salad w/ oranges, pecans, bleu cheese, Baked onion soup(also excellent), Sea scallop and asparagus salad w/ chive vinaigrette.

Main courses: Cassoulet Robert(confit of duck and garlic sausage w/ white beans)-- so flavorful!, Medallion of White Veal w/ mushroom ragout and beurre blanc, Fillet of beef w/ Maytag Blue cheese & Madiera sauce (fillet was perfect, sauces were outstanding), Roast Poussin w/ chicken mousse & brandied orange sauce, Grilled Filet of Salmon w/ olive tapanade, red pepper & white wine butter sauces, Pan Seared Sesame encrusted Ahi w/ beurre blanc & pineapple rum sauces. Whew! As you can see there's plenty to choose from --and these are expensive and labor-intensive dishes. The accompanying sides are very good.

Also available for an additional charge is Holland Dover Sole w/ Orange Beurre Blanc, Roast Rack of Lamb Dijonaise, Roast duck w/ Black Currant Sauce, Fillet of Beef w/ Sauce Bernaise.

The wine list is surprisingly small, but adequate. We shared a bottle of Markham Merlot and enjoyed it. Corkage fee is $20, I believe.

Dessert: Robert is famous for these, so don't pass them by. We shared a Tarte Tatin (warm caramelized apple tart on vanilla and raspberry sauces topped with vanilla ice cream. (Wow!)Their chocolate sack and chocolate cloud desserts are also popular & look great!

Service: Impeccable throughout. Our server was a pro and so friendly, we shared PG stories the whole time, although the house was full and very busy.

Dress: Upscale casual is fine, though I did see others a little dressier. Pacific Grove is quite relaxed-- a jacket is a nice idea, not required by the house, but by the weather. Front of the house is very accomodating -- if you need more info from them, it's 831) 375-9626.
Oh, I sure would like to be able to go back there in December. Have a romantic anniversary and please report back to us!

Our last two anniversary dinners have been at Roy's in Pebble Beach and the Pacific Edge. I am definitely looking forward to trying this place and thank you so very much for the detailed description of the White House!
I will report back on our experience there. Now, any opinions on Stokes or Grasings? ***kim***

Kimamom: Both very good--I had an excellent lunch at Grasing's, only salmon, salad and nice local wine, but all was top quality and handled well. Service was good. I remember being particularly impressed with their wine list. Casual, yet elegant. His newest restaurant, the Carmel Chop House, is supposed to be good, too.

Stokes, in the historic Stokes adobe is an interesting place. This was the social hub of Old Monterey. Legend has it that the place is haunted, ghosts have been seen and that one of the previous owners was buried out back -- I'm not kidding! Nice at night for added ambiance.

We went for lunch and had a sampling of tapas or small plates, which were simple and good with very nice wines--their winelist is top-notch.

Back in Carmel, I've heard the new Bouchee bistro is excellent. Owned and operated by former Highlands Inn people, the place is small and charming, with a its own wine bar and wineshop next door. Wines in the bistro are priced just a few dollars above retail. It's on my list for my next trip. Enjoy!

alan64 what didn't you like about the Stonehouse Inn other than the rooms? I'm planning a surprise trip to Wine Country in June for my wife. Stonehouse looks nice but I can't get much info on it. Any recommendations?

"The Stonehouse B&B isn't the fanciest I've seen, but the room was nice and comfortable."

I didn't mean to imply I didn't like the Stonehouse, because we did. I just meant that there are more upscale places if you pay 2x or 3x the money.

The Stonehouse was quaint & comfortable, but not luxurious. No hot tub, ocean view, room service, that kind of thing. We had a great stay there and would stay there again.

AA, I just noticed you mentioned the Wine Country. The Stonehouse Inn is in Carmel, pretty far from Napa & Sonoma. What 'wine country' are you referring to?