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A.W. Shucks Cocktail & Oyster Bar

colorful fish mural

Through the years, Lauren and I have made numerous visits to Carmel, California. What amazes me is that, on almost every trip there, we have stopped for either appetizers, lunch, or cocktails and a snack at A.W. Shucks. Midwest Version of A.W. Shucks Turns out, it has become one of our most favorite venues in […]

Sea Harvest Fish Market

sea harvest fish market & restaurant exterior

Of all the time I have spent in Carmel or visited there, I always take time to head to the Crossroads Shopping Center on every trip. Why? Because located there is the Sea Harvest Fish Market & Restaurant. (This page may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure about affiliate links.) Also, because there Lauren and […]

Catch

sign for catch restaurant

Although I cannot be certain, it would appear from the menu that Catch Restaurant acquired its name because of its heavily laden / abundant-with-seafood menu selections. On our first day in Carmel during a recent trip for an anniversary celebration, we were casually strolling along the south side of Ocean Avenue and passed a restaurant […]

Francesca’s Famiglia

display table of wine

  Of the half-dozen or so wine dinners which Lauren and I have attended, it would be very difficult to select the one that was head-and-shoulders above the rest… Having said that, last night’s wine dinner at Francesca’s Famiglia was akin to sitting in the first base box seats in Wrigley Field during the World […]

Maijean

exterior of Maijean restaurant

My mother had a phrase that she used when referring to something that she really liked and thought was really classy: “Simple Elegance”. And I would hope that she wouldn’t mind that I not only borrow it, but apply it to the restaurant at which Lauren and I had dinner just the other night. The […]

Tierra Sur at Herzog Wine Cellars

tierra sur at herzog wine

On the very eastern edge of Oxnard, in one of the most unlikely of places — at least from my point of view — is one of the very coolest restaurants at which I have had the pleasure of having dined: Tierra Sur. From the Herzog Winery website, I have lifted the following quote: “… […]

Mission Ranch

meadow and white picket fence

There are dozens of reasons to fall in love with Carmel, California. Among those dozens are the almost uncountable number of restaurants that dot the main street (Ocean Ave) of Carmel, as well as the numerous streets that crisscross the town itself and nearby environs. But one of the very best of  reasons is Mission […]

Birch River Grill

What’s in a name? What comes to mind when you hear the words “Birch River Grill – An American Kitchen”? Well, what should come to mind is a cozy restaurant with perhaps the relaxing and comfortable feel of a Northwoods lodge. A Long List of Interesting and Impressive Credits This particular lodge would also be […]

Sola Restaurant

sola dining room

Having spent a good portion of my life and time commuting back and forth between California and the suburbs of Chicago – the Fox Valley area – it has at times been somewhat difficult for me to decide where to call home. And having just recently returned from another extended sortie west, I was still […]

18 North

18 north church st charles

For some unknown reason, Tuesdays have become our night of choice to go out for something to eat – whether for a snack or for a full-on dinner. Last Tuesday was no exception, except that I had decided to ‘dial it up a notch’ on this particular Occasion. I say that because I decided that […]