A wearied wall made of sun-dried clay encircles a wide swath of our history in Old Monterey. Outside this adobe barrier tourists snap selfies, locals step into daily routine, buses belch around a transit center and over-eager shoppers battle for parking at the adjacent Trader Joe’s.
Behind the wall is the quiet and quaint Cooper-Molera Adobe, a 2.5-acre National Trust Historic Site that includes two lovingly preserved, historic adobe homes, an old corner store, an adobe warehouse, a barn complex, a small orchard, an heirloom rose garden and a chicken coop.
For weeks it’s also housed dozens of busy-bee workers taking part in a massive makeover as a development group retrofits walls, razes red-tagged redwood barns, enhances landscaping and grades grounds.
The Cooper adobe represents a layered history of life before California became a state. It’s the original home of John Rogers Cooper, who traveled the world as a ship captain, trading in hides, tallow and sea otter pelts.
The history and character of Cooper-Molera will largely remain. What will change dramatically is the property’s purpose. In a few months the complex that has received scant visitors for the last 10 years will house a bakery, a restaurant, a bar, an events venue, a museum and an art gallery. In short order it will become the first shared-use property among the 27 held by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
“We are so excited about this opportunity,” said PJ Clark, director of operations for Alta Group, a three-partner team that will run Alta Bakery + Cafe and Cella restaurant. “It’s such a unique place in history.”
Named Alta to honor Monterey as the former political and commercial capital of Mexican Alta, California, the bakery will stand in what was once the historic Corner Store, and later in the 1880s the Pioneer Bakery. Alta will represent history, along with contemporary artists by hanging their work on the walls.
Open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Alta will offer pastries, donuts, cookies, coffee and tea, fruit juices, toasts (think ricotta and honey on sourdough), seasonal fruit, and fresh-baked bread. For lunch expect soups, salads, sandwiches, pizza, beer and wine.
“Fresh and seasonal,” said culinary director Ben Spungin, formerly of vaunted Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn and Coastal Luxury Management (Restaurant 1833).
Spungin promises simple hearty food, but in the same breath he blurts out a bevy of delicious ideas, including “pine nut mousse with puffed wild rice.”
This is good news for those who crave a more upscale food experience in Old Monterey following last year’s closure of nearby Restaurant 1833.
The storied building that housed 1833 is also a historic adobe (built in 1833), one formerly owned by restaurateur Kirk Probasco when it was a restaurant called Stokes.
Probasco has been out of the restaurant game for a while now, running a successful real estate business. But he’s been eyeing this historic plot of land for many years, and finally waded through the red tape. Along with running the Alta Group with Clark and Spungin, Probasco is also part of Cooper-Molera’s development team led by Doug Wiele and his Foothill Partners (the company behind neighboring Trader Joe’s).
Clark worked with Probasco years ago in the REAL Restaurant Group, launching Rio Grill in Carmel. She went on to run Cindy Pawlcyn’s famed Mustards Grill in Napa before founding Maya, a Yucatan-inspired restaurant in Sonoma.
It’s a power trio to be sure. And look for Cella to become a sparkling centerpiece in the Monterey dining scene. Clark and Spungin won’t reveal exact culinary details, preferring to first hire a chef.
“We want him or her to have a voice, but for sure it will be locally sourced and globally inspired,” Clark said.
Spungin does promise an ever-changing menu and a vibrant bar scene. Dinner will be served six nights a week, with brunch on Sunday. Seating capacity will be 80 inside (counting the bar), with many more outside under a trellis, with fire pits and heaters warming things up.
The word “cella” is Latin for warehouse, and indeed diners will be served in the building’s original warehouse, with exposed beams, and glimpses of the famed adobe brick, part of which will serve as the barback.
Clark estimated the bakery will be done by mid-July, followed by Cella late summer or early fall. But the property comes with its unique construction complications. Excavators already unearthed an entire horse skeleton mysteriously buried in the courtyard.
Because of the historic nature of the property, “when something like that happens we have to stop and document everything,” Spungin said. “It can take time.”
The first sneak peek for the public will take place on Tuesday, July 3 as Cooper-Molera opens its doors at 2 p.m. Plans call for live music (from 4-7 p.m.) along with informal tours of the complex, including the finished barns that will be the site for Events by Classic, the company that operates The Perry House, Gatherings, Classic Catering and Monterey Beach Weddings.
“Folks are encouraged to walk the grounds, picnic and just lounge,” Spungin said.
On the Fourth of July, all the principles behind the project, including associates from the National Trust, will walk in the downtown community parade. Following the parade the doors will again open to the public.
“We want people to get familiar and fall in love with the property,” Spungin said. “We can’t wait to open the doors and let everyone experience the amazing history here.”
Rancho Cielo hosts benefit beef dinner
The Drummond Culinary Academy at Rancho Cielo in Salinas has planned an elaborate five-course meal on Saturday, June 2, that pairs grass-fed beef with the award-winning wines from Pisoni Vineyards.
Under the direction of executive chef Estevan “EJ” Jimenez, the culinary students help prepare and serve the meals. For the June 2 dinner, Jimenez welcomes guest celebrity chef Renee Kelly from Kansas City, Mo., (Season 13 of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef.”)
The dinner (6 p.m.) features beef from Corral de Tierra Cattle Co., and will seat only 60. Tickets: $125 to benefit the academy. Reservations: 444-3521 or www.ranchocieloyc.org.
Rancho Cielo serves real customers to prepare students for successful careers in the hospitality industry. The dining room is open each Friday, with seatings between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. New this year is a tapas patio menu, available without reservations from 5-7 p.m.
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.
