Restaurant help w/kids in Monterey/Carmel
 

Need some suggestions of good restaurants we can take our boys, ages 10 & 15. I have read alot of posts of great restaurants that are quite pricey, but need some good restaurants, nothing too fancy. We like seafood, italian, steaks, New York deli's, etc.
Also, we like to dine outdoors alot when available. Any suggestions will help. Maybe some of them in Carmel, some in Monterey. Thanks

In Carmel I highly recommend the Forge in the Forest. It has a beautiful outdoor dining on a brick patio w/ little fireplaces. Their menu is very kid friendly as well. Their prices are very good for Carmel and the menu has everything from hamburgers to grilled salmon.

We like the Schooner's Bistro at the Plaza with our kids. Dine outdoors on the gorgeous patio with oceanviews.

The fish and chips are wonderful and a very good dessert menu. I like their key lime pie!!

Also, Domenico's and Cafe Fina on the wharf are good for seafood. My kids have also enjoyed the Whaling Station in Cannery Row for the best steaks in the area!!!

The California Market is also very good with gorgeous views, located at the Highland's Inn in Carmel. The fish tacos are excellent and they have really good Tahatian vanilla bean creme brulee there! ***kim***

I second Forge in the Forest. Thanks to this forum we went there about a month ago with our 13 year old daughter. Sat outside and loved the "parade of dogs" that were coming to dine as well! Had hamburgers so we would have room for the awsome desserts! Have fun!

Another recommendation for Forge in the Forest in Carmel. Great casual patio atmosphere. Club Jalapeno for casual Mexican. Most everthing else in Carmel is fancy shmancy, white tablecloth...

In Carmel, the Hog's Breath Inn might be a place you'd all enjoy; I think there's outside seating. Another would be Piatti, which has very good Italian food in a casual atmosphere.

Here are the restaurants that we went to with our kids (5 and 9) on a recent stay in Carmel. None of us are meat and potatoes types, and our kids are pretty adventurous. It was spring when we went, so though we ate outside a couple of nights, it was pretty cool out.

Caffe Napoli (Carmel) - Great individual pizzas, great artichoke appetizer. Nice but not fancy or formal. There's a related restaurant that I'm told is more formal, but this suited us just fine.

The Fishwife (Pacific Grove) - Quite informal, a nice (but not fantastic) selection of fish and seafood, with somewhat of a Caribbean taste (though not much). Has a great location - after dinner we walked down the street and watched the sunset from the beach.

Rappa's Seafood (Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey) - Definitely casual, but all the fish was fried, which was not what I was looking for. I'd pass on this place next time. The kids loved whatever fried fish they ordered.

The Fish Hopper (Cannery Row, Monterey) - We went here for a light lunch, and liked it more than Rappa's. I'm told the clam chowder was very good (I'm allergic); I liked their artichoke appetizer. The views were great.

Cafe Rustica (Carmel Valley) - It was a 25-minute beautiful drive from Carmel. The place is gorgeous, with 5-7 tables outdoors in a walled area. The owner, I'd guess, is German, and there was a German influence to the menu. We had a selection of pastas and pizzas, and they were all delicious (even our son's kid's cheese pizza).

Casanova (Carmel) - I spotted this place while walking around town because it was so cute and cozy. Though it's billed as very romantic, the staff was very welcoming when we wandered in with our young kids. There's a huge outdoor dining area that's walled in. Formal, but not too formal (though there were white tableclothes), with a very nice French/Italian-inspired menu.

Our favorite place, however, was probably the Cheese Shop. It's a small shop that sells a huge selection of cheese and wine. We spent 45 minutes one day, and then went back another day, to pick up cheese, bread and wine for picnic lunches. The staff (especially the owner) was fantastic, and spent all that time giving our cheese-loving family tastes of 15 or so cheeses, and helping the kids mark them off on a cheese chart they were given. It was a wonderful experience.

Rappa's at the end of the wharf is horrible. Our service was neglectful, wait too long and food less than mediocre.

The cheese shop is nice, on our anniversary we took some crackers and cheese down to the beach and had a small pre-dinner picnic. It was very nice. ***kim***

Hey, the Cheese Shop sounds good. Where is that located? Sounds like a place we like to go down in LaJolla by San Diego!

If the weather's nice, have a picnic at Point Lobos State Reserve. First, go over to Bruno's Market (Junipero & 6th, next door to the Carmel Bay View Inn) and have them make up some of their wonderful deli sandwiches, and pick up drinks and snacks, then drive about 4 miles south of Carmel to the state park. You and the kids will love the beauty of the ocean and cliffs here! There are walking paths along the ocean and in the forest, too. A stairway leads down to a tiny beautiful beach cove. Lots of wildlife to see and plenty of nice picnic spots to enjoy.

HI Deb!! The Cheese Shop is located in the Carmel Plaza. Here's a website with other stores, also. www.carmelplaza.com It's a great place to shop and browse around. ***kim***

Great idea Winerycat, I love a good sandwich from Bruno's and it will be even better w/ the view at Pt. Lobos.

You're right about that, viamar. My daughter & her friends liked nothing more than to walk over to Bruno's for sandwiches, then walk down to the beach for some afternoon fun.

Deblynn, you've gotten excellent info here, but for a little more, here's a website of restaurants and many other things in Carmel you might like to know about. carmelfun.com

HULA'S in Monterey would be fun. This is a small place with great food. The locals go there. We live in the area and go there frequently.

BAJA CANTINA: This is out Carmel Valley Road. It has outdoor and indoor dining. Entertainment on the weekends outdoors. Great Mexican food with other items. Decorated in an automotive theme with old signs and other items. Your sons would enjoy this. Jeans would be dressed up. Another local joint that tourists miss because of location.

PEPPERS in Pacific Grove. Very casual. Mexican food the main item, but also steaks at reasonable price.

All of Bob's recommendations are good,esp for Peppers Restaurant in PG.It has outstanding Mexican style food with an emphasis on fresh local seafood ie. Salmon tacos.The only drawback is that it has wooden floors,so it gets kind of noisy,maybe a plus with kids.
With regards to the wharf,the only places the locals would dare set foot in are
1)Cafe Fina
2)Abalonetti's
3)Domenicos
All the rest are tourist traps.

Monterey Fish House:in downtown Monterey. It's a local's place with good fresh seafood and very kid friendly. Make reservations.

I also liked Forge in the Forest. We had lunch there. Many kids were there and the menu will probably provide your kids with plenty of choices.

In Pacifc Grove for breakfast and lunch try Toasties. It's very kid friendly.

TOASTIES! Great place. On Lighthouse in downtown PG. Good spot for breakfast.

In the tinnery near the aquarium is FRESH AWAKENINGS. They have indoor and outdoor seating and usually a line to get in.

Thanks so much for all the replies of good places to eat with our boys while in Carmel/Monterey! Sounds like we've got some good options. We love outdoor dining; will definitely hit Forge in the Forest, and definitely do a picnic at Point Lobos. Thanks for the ideas!
Debbie

Deb, where did you decide to stay? Carmel or Monterey? ***kim***

Great post. I am thinking of a family vacation to PG or Monterey in Spring 2005... been going there for years before the baby but now I have to rethink our eating plans.

~kat