We will be heading to Carmel in August to auction a vintage motorcycle and attend Concours d'Elegance. We have never been before and have no idea what to expect beyond LOTS of people, traffic issues and busy restaurants.

I have made reservations for 6 nights - 2 at Seven Gables Inn and then 4 additional nights at a lovely cottage in Carmel Valley in a vineyard. I would have loved to stay all nights at Seven Gables, but they told me they book a year in advance. I asked if they had a waiting list, they chuckled and said no.

I am pleased with the cottage but know nothing about Carmel Valley, as we have only stayed in Pacific Grove.

Can you suggest places to eat that would be convenient to Carmel Valley? We are hoping that it may be a bit less hectic in CV.

More importantly - has any one attended CdE? I had imagined ladies in fine attire, with large hats, but hubby says that sounds more like Kentucky Derby!

So what to wear, what to anticipate as far as the big event on Sunday...can anyone give me some tips/pointers etc? Thanks so much.

Probably the best restaurant in the Carmel Valley is Marinus.
http://www.bernardus.com/lodge/restaurants/index.htm

Reservations are more than necessary. You need to book well in advance, particularly during the Concours.

Cafe Rustica is also hight recommended. Its food is more casual, but the quality is very high.
http://www.caferusticacarmel.com/

The other two with decent reviews are Will's Fargo and Wickets, both at the Bernadus Lodge. Website is above.

You will see folks of many types there. Yes, there will be fine clothes and folks dressed up, some to match their cars. Expect it to be very crowded.

The price went too far north for me to continue to go. Tickets are $200 in advance and $250 at the door.

If you look around, there are many peripheral events going on for several days, most notably the Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca. Single day tickets are $60 and way up from there.

I used to to to this every year, for about 15 years, but ticket prices and crowds have grown every year.

Several years ago, I was lucky enought to to stay with a friend at a friend-of-the-friend's house, which was on the 3rd fairway of Pebble Beach GC. We just walked out the back door to the Concours from there.

There are also a lot of very good restaurants in Carmel itself. One of my favorites is Casanova, a stalwart that's been there for many decades.

All restaurants mentioned above have very good to excellent wine lists.

Thanks, rasta! Great info. This should be a VERY interesting week for us.

Some great restaurants in Carmel in addition to Casanovas are Dametra for Mediterranean food, Little Napoli for Italian, and Rio Grill for American. Also a little hole in the wall for fabulous asian food is Tommy's Wok. An early outdoor dinner at Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch restaurant offers stunning views. A great place for a delicious breakfast in CV is Jeffrey's which is in the MId Valley Safeway Shopping Center. And you probably already know about the Red House, the Fish Wife, and the two Thai restaurants in Pacific Grove. Also I give one more vote for the Cafe Rustica in CV Village. This is just the top of the iceberg of multitudes of excellent eateries in the area. Almost any one that you stumble into will be good. This whole area is a foodies paradise.

We just spent a week eating in Carmel and enjoyed meals at Aubergine, Casanova, La Bicyclette, Cantinetta Luca, Mundaka and Basil. They were all good but Aubergine, Mundaka and Basil were the highlights for us.

In Carmel Valley we had a very nice lunch at Lokal this time. We have also enjoyed Cafe Rustica previously.

You will need reservations at all of these places. I can't imagine being there that week. The Memorial Day crowds were already getting to me!

Oh and Parker Lusseau (3 locations in Monterey) has excellent pastries. Go early, they were sold out of almost everything by mid-afternoon yesterday, cash only.

If you are interested in cooking in your cottage, the Friday farmer's market at Monterey Peninsula College is great.

I also like the prepared/deli food selection at Stone Creek Kitchen.

Hi Deb

I've been to the CdE once and Laguna Seca vintage races twice.

As far as clothes go, I would have to say that nearly every person at the CdE was better dressed than I, but then, I'm a very casual dresser. No big flowery hats; the only hats I recall were sun hats and summer hats on men.

I would wear something cool and comfortable. You will be on a lot of uneven surfaces, so comfy shoes are important.

Be prepared to entertain yourselves in traffic. CDs, snacks, drinks, would all help me endure the traffic waits near Laguna Seca and Pebble Beach. Toilets are nonexistent in the traffic going in and coming out.

Thank you all for such good suggestions! We are looking forward to this and keeping our fingers crossed for a successful sale.

Baja Cantina for food, fun, music and margaritas!