Anything done or enjoyed as a special treat or pleasure is considered indulgent. Last week we saw indulgence in rare form as auto aficionados arrived in high gear to practice the fine art of permissiveness.
According to the Monterey Convention and Visitors Bureau, each of these hedonistic visitors spent, on average, about $670 each day around the Peninsula. In total, estimates had diners spending more than $11 million at restaurants.
Like most locals, I kept a low profile during Car Week, limiting my dining to home-cooking, pizza delivery and one questionable In-N-Out run. But I heard the stories through the restaurant grapevine: packed houses, high tickets, diners indulging like it was 1999.
So I thought it would be fun to find the most indulgent items on the menus of local restaurants. Now that the human tidal wave has receded maybe we can go out on a few self-indulgent escapades in relative peace.
Seventh & Dolores, Carmel >> Car Week is right in 7D’s wheelhouse, and executive chef Todd Fisher was not shy about waving his indulgence flag. He introduced new, on-the-fly specials such as oysters on the half shell topped with uni and caviar. Fisher is also developing a secret menu at 7D, and the first item is a trio of steak tartare, one topped with lobster and caviar, one topped with a raw egg yolk and one topped with foie gras and shaved truffles. 7D showcases indulgence daily, best to be enjoyed while ignoring your shoulder angel.
Valley Kitchen, Carmel Valley Ranch >> Chef Tim Wood puts his feelings in print right on the menu: “Indulge … Not all the time, but when it’s time!” Start with Hudson Valley foie gras with brioche cinnamon toast crunch (yes, a nod to the cereal), house-spun apple butter and sea salt ($22). If you want a large helping of California caviar (sustainable) with the traditional accompaniments (crème Fraiche, shallots, egg, brioche toast points) it will cost you $135.
Restaurant 1833, Monterey >> In a not-so-subtle nod to indulgence, 1833 offers up its special Beast Menu that includes choices among whole roasted king salmon, whole suckling pig (nose-to-tail style) and wood-fired kid goat (Oaxacan style). You need to call ahead at least a week, and it’s probably a good idea to sit before inquiring about the cost. But boy is it’s worth it.
Lucia at Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley >> The word indulgence should be somewhere on chef Cal Stamenov’s business card. While he no longer cooks in the hyper-indulgent Marinus kitchen, he does present the following: Alder smoked Sonoma duck breast, duck confit wild rice, foie gras, peach mustard, shallot soubise (onion sauce), red wine jus ($38).
Aubergine, Carmel >> Our finest of fine-dining restaurants does not have a menu, per se. Executive chef Justin Cogley offers up a list of quality ingredients as part of his $150 tasting menu. Those ingredients often include the following: kumamoto, caviar, uni, roe, abalone, Wagyu. You get the idea. And pastry chef Yulanda Santos offers similar ingredient-driven desserts that change daily.
The Whaling Station, Monterey >> In the 1990s this restaurant became a sanctuary for those wanting to break at least four of the deadly sins in a single evening. The menu has expanded beyond beef, but this steak-pasta-seafood palace still offers plenty of indulgence. In my book the menu item leading the way in that category is USDA Prime, slow-roasted prime rib (eight hours), with Yorkshire pudding, beef jus, horseradish cream, with a side of bacon-spiked spinach (full cut $48). For the uninitiated, Yorkshire pudding (originally from England) is not a sweet dessert, but a savory popover made from a baked egg batter.
Cultura comida y bebida, Carmel >> One of the most expensive local luxuries is fresh abalone, the slow-growing, high-priced mollusk that has become a worldwide delicacy. Cultura’s comida side of things includes a dish made with Monterey Red Abalone, cooked “relleno style” and served with garlic, brown butter, pasilla peppers and heirloom tomatoes ($45).
Cantinetta Luca, Carmel >> Steak doesn’t leap to mind when imagining Italian food, but in fact one of the most time-honored Tuscan foods is a simple Porterhouse steak, grilled to rare over a wood fire, sliced and assembled back around the bone. It’s called bistecca alla fiorentina, or steak Florentine, and no local restaurant does it better than Cantinetta Luca, who’s had it on the menu since Day 1 more than a decade ago. It’s sold by the ounce (currently $2.80), so a 32-ounce cut will check in at just under $90. But it’s also highly shareable (and be sure to take the bone home).
Andre’s Bouchee, Carmel >> This coveted French restaurant in the heart of the village does decadent very well. My first pick for an indulgent treat here is saumon sauvage (it just sounds exotic). It translates to wild salmon and the chef starts with a king salmon fillet, pairing it with corn, cherry tomatoes and pistou (a Provencal pesto). Second is the ris de veau (or veal sweetbreads), prepared crispy and served with braised veal cheeks tied together with a port-foie gras reduction ($34).
Akaoni, Carmel >> Indulgence from the sea highlights our region’s best sushi restaurant. We’re talking Japanese uni (sea urchin), live Monterey Bay spot prawns with fried heads, otoro (fatty tuna belly), Fanny Bay oysters (called Funny Bay on the scrawled menu board), monkfish liver, cooked red snapper head, Monterey Bay abalone sashimi, and softshell crab with ponzu. And that’s just a taste of what’s waiting for you … if you have an adventurous palate.
Montrio Bistro, Monterey >> Named after executive chef Tony Baker, Baker’s Delight is a 40-ounce prime ribeye steak, served with charmoula butter, roasted potatoes, and farmers market veggies — family style.
Rio Grill, Carmel >> Chef Cy Yontz rolls out prime sirloin and dresses it with smoked chile-onion marmalade and blue cheese crumbles, along with a sidecar — a loaded twice-baked potato.
La Bicyclette, Carmel >> This favorite isn’t known for decadence, but it’s on the plate for sure with its short ribs and marrow entree. This dish features grass-fed Angus short ribs braised in Cabernet, with a stew of potatoes, carrots, onion, crimini mushrooms and artichoke hearts. It’s finished with a zippy gremolata and bone marrow ($38).
Breakfast >> The 1-pound, bone-in, griddled ham steak with eggs and potatoes at Cafe Fina on Fisherman’s Wharf is not for the tame; the corned beef hash at Wave Street Cafe boasts the real-deal corned beef, with all the lovely, crispy bits; and the Hollandaise-drenched Dungeness crab eggs benedict (with accompanying bloody Mary) at Sandbar and Grill pairs well with a nap — or a cry for help.
Mike Hale can be reached at thegrubhunter@att.net. Listen to his weekly radio show “Food Fodder” at noon Wednesdays on KRML, 102.1 FM.
