Monterey restaurant recommendations
 

My husband and I are going to Monterey next month for my birthday - we live in San Jose and go occasionally for day trips, but this time we decided to stay the weekend, which we have never done.

We go to Monterey every year for my husband's birthday and eat at Bubba Gumps - and every year I ask him if we can PLEASE go to a different restaurant and he tells me that it his his birthday and he gets to pick. So now we are going for my birthday and I get to pick :) Probably some underlying passive-aggressive issue here, but we will physco-analyze another day.

I am looking for some good recommendations since Gumps has pretty much been my sole dining experience in Monterey for the last few years. Usually when we go for the day, we stop at Phil's in Moss Landing on the way, so we don't actually eat in Monterey.

We are staying at the Hyatt Regency on the Del Monte Golf Course - Priceline bid.

For Friday night, I would like a recommendation for restaurants that are a bit romantic, although not overly fancy - perhaps a small bistro and/or someplace with outdoor seating (and heaters - LOL), a view, etc. Budget $15-25 per entre, nice wine and beer menu is a plus.

Saturday night we will meet some friends for dinner - there will probably be about 8 of us, including a couple kids. So I need a different type of recommendation - fun place where a group of talkative folks will fit right in, kid-friendly although these kids will eat more than chicken nuggets and fries, budget under $20 for entres, a good beer and wine menu not as important, but always appreciated.

Any type of food except sushi.

And as a bonus, any recommendations for good coffee places are greatly appreciated :)

Thanks.

Hard to find good stuff in your price range in such a touristy area. For Saturday you might consider Monterey Coast Brew Company in nearby Salinas. The Sea Harvest is also very good.

For Friday, Lalapalooza is probably a little more boisterous than you're looking for but check out their menu at lalla-palooza.com

Passionfish in Pacific Grove had excellent seafood/fish and is a strong sustainability supporter.

http://passionfish.net/

L'escargot in Carmel is romantic and intimate and has wonderful food.

http://www.escargotcarmel.com/

Check these old thread for others:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35146015

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35133241

Deb

In Monterey, I like Monterey Fish House on Del Monte. A small and casual place with very good and fresh fish. You will be able to stay in your budget there. We like Phil's also, though I think Monterey Fish House is better.

i second monterey fish house but it's kind of noisy and cramped so not very romantic but totally worth it

Sorry, I missed the romantic part. Maybe Monterey Fish house would work for your group dinner. I was there with a group of 7 and we were comfortable. A couple other ideas for the group dinner, would be Bahama Billy's in Carmel or Peppers in Pacific Grove (for Mexican). For coffee and tea we like the East Village Coffee Lounge, and they also have baked goods and live acoustic music some evenings. http://www.eastvillagecoffeelounge.com/index.html

hula island grill in monterey but be a good place for your group dinner

Thanks for the recommendations so far. They look great. Passionfish looks like a definite winner.

Monterey Coast Brewing Co looks good for another time - can't see going to Monterey for the weekend and then going to Salas for dinner ;)

If you don't mind a short drive towards the airport, Tarpy's Roadhouse is a fun place with good to very good food and would be "comfortable" for the kids.

I second Tarpy's Roadhouse. You can also visit the Ventana Wine tasting room next door.

Do Tarpy's and Passionfish fit the budget mentioned?

Try the FishWife in Pacific Grove. http://www.fishwife.com/

Tarpey's Roadhouse is very nice, we enjoyed the Sardine Factory for my birthday dinner this past May, the Conservatory Room is really pretty here. Schooner's Bistro @ the Monterey Plaza Hotel has a nice outdoor patio area, they also have the Duck Club which is very nice with views. ***kim*** ((#))

I looked online and Passionfish is solidly within the budget - they have a couple entres about $25, but most are right in the range.

Sardine Factory is pushing the budget a bit, but still ok.

I was wondering about Tarpy's Roadhouse - saw it online when I was doing some browsing around.

Another good thing about Passionfish is that their wine is only a few dollars over retail--so no paying $40 for a $15 bottle.

We were not very impressed with Passionfish and haven't returned, so many other great places to dine in this area! ***kim*** ((f))

I second Fishwife. Neat little place with great food.

kim - what were the issues with Passionfish?

november_moon, to the best of my recollection, kim is the only poster who has had an issue with Passionfish and never fails to mention that she does. Each to their own.

Tarpey's is wonderful. Also try Rosine's in downtown Monterey on Alvarado st. for Sunday brunch. It is awesome!! There is also a restaurant on the commercial wharf that is hanging on the side that is wonderful and reasonably priced. Can't think of the name. We spent a week there in August and ate at a lot of places. Passionfish, Gilberts, Tillies and Gorts, Tarpeys, Rosine's, Sardine Factory, Fisherman's Grotto, Monterey cafe.

Is your reference to the Monterey Cafe, actually the Old Monterey Cafe? If yes, I like that place too. It's a good breakfast & lunch spot, as is Toasties Cafe and the Red House in Pacific Grove.

It was actually quite awhile ago, the service was very sluggish, the food mediocre and and we were very cramped at our table, maybe it has improved, hope you enjoy it if you go. We loved Fishwife, colorful, fun ambiance great food and service, we had the Crab Tostaditos here. ***kim*** ((#))

Yes, it was the Old Monterey Cafe, but Rosine's is awesome whether for brunch or dinner. Their breakfast is the greatest as is their dinners.

Thanks Fosterag. I'll have to try Rosine's next time I get back to Monterey. The menu looks great!
I also like First Awakenings for breakfast/ brunch in PG, near the MB aquarium: http://www.firstawakenings.net/locations.html

If you go to Rosine's and see Rosine or Jim, please tell them hello from Pat & Foster.

I will, thanks Foster!

It's more than your price range ($28+ per entree), but I LOVE the Sardine Factory. The food is excellent. The decor is sumptuous and extravagant. And it's right there along Cannery Row, so you can walk off the food afterwards.

The Sardine Factory has 3 rooms you can choose from, we have dined in the Captain's Room by the glowing fireplace and also the Conservatory Room previously mentioned that is full of greenery and has a glass ceiling. ***kim*** ((f))

I'd love to suggest but you've got to increase your price. It's your birthday, your worth it!

you're b(

Yes, I am worth it - unfortunately we can't afford the lifestyle to match my worth ;)

Actually, it is a matter of priorities. We could spend a bunch of money on a few trips a year or we could spend less money on each trip and take more trips. We opt for more trips :) One of the ways to keep costs down is not to eat in high end restaurants.

I wouldn't enjoy the meal if I knew we were blowing the budget and perhaps shorting ourselves for other planned trips.

OK, then if you can handle the prices of the entrees at Passionfish, go there. Know that the entrees are outstanding. The service is iffy, the restaurant is noisy with no atmosphere and the desserts taste as if they don't know how to hire a dessert chef so they called Safeway to delivery. The wines are terrific. The last waitress we had at PF discussed preferences and made excellent suggestions.

If I were in your shoes, I'd choose Little Napoli. It's more romantic, the food is really good and it's in charming Carmel. Your husband needs to learn that there is more to life than Bubba Gumps, maybe this will give him a boost, a nudge, an eye-opener.

We live in Carmel. Our kids (one is still a teenager) have wonderful lifelong memories of "Mom" picking up food to go, bringing it to the beach with blankets and watching the sunset as we dine. Our beach is wonderful, you may want to consider that if the weather is right.

Our favorite romantic/charming restaurant is Fandango in Pacific Grove. We've been going there for the last 20 years and never got tired of it. The food is very good and the ambiance is hard to beat. You MUST book ahead and ask for the front rooms, preferably where the fireplace is. It looks like a country house in Southern France or Catalonia.
www.fandangorestaurant.com/index.html

Fandango is decent but not in their price range.

I beg to differ, most of the main entrees cost between $16.50 to $24.50 while appetizers & salad run $6 to $12.50. Just read the menu. Must try their osso bucco, it's out of this world. However the best part of the restaurant is the ambiance, Fandango transports you to southern France.