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Il Fornaio

il fornaio exterior courtyard view

Carmel-by-the-Sea must have at least as many restaurants as I once counted in the Tri-Cities area of northern Illinois, oh, so many years ago. Or, perhaps as many beers as the Super Bowl will sell in New Orleans this February 9th… in the first five minutes of the game! But I digress… Il Fornaio Beckoned […]

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 […]

C Restaurant + Bar

C restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel

On a whim – as is often the case for us – we headed to California this past October. We had longed for the ocean breezes and the crash of waves on the shores of the California coast. Of all the many stops in the Carmel area, one memorable venue in particular was the Intercontinental […]

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 […]

Village Corner

sand dabs

Of my many favorite spots to stop for a family get together in Carmel, one of them has to be – or at least used to be – Village Corner.  Just a great place to go for a good Bloody Mary and a great breakfast. (This page may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure about […]

Sandbar & Grill

sandbar sign

An interesting address, I mused. We parked the car right on the long pier that extended out into the Pacific Ocean. Delicately sequestered beneath “Wharf #2” — amongst the power- and sailboats — of Monterey Harbor is a friendly little place that, should I return to live on the left coast once again, I could, […]

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

flemings exterior

One could easily believe that either 1) I have been hired by Flemings to write good things about them or 2) I have become enamored and addicted to the food at Fleming’s. Neither is true; it could however, reasonably be argued that I am somewhat enamored of what I have found at Fleming’s. Size is […]

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 […]