Saturday, September 22, 2007

Culinary Adventures

We just got back from our little vacation to Carmel Valley. We had a great time.

Some highlights in food & drink -



Wild Goose Bakery & Coffeehouse
-Carmel Valley Village
This place was delightful. I ate a brioche bun & a raspberry scone. Scott had a spice roll - a cinnamon bun with more spices. EXCELLENT. Finding a great bakery is not an easy thing. We were very sad we didn't discover this place until our last morning... If you are ever anywhere near, you MUST stop in at this bakery.

Georis Winery - Carmel Valley Village
We sampled the "chilled flight" - Carmelo Rosato (a blush), two Sauvignon Blancs, a Chenin Blanc & a Chardonnay. We liked all of them & purchased a bottle of the blush. The tasting was in a charming courtyard. We sat next to the lovebird aviary. There were some beauties in there. Gillian enjoyed roaming around.

The Covey - at the base of the valley - Quail Lodge Resort
In order to get a good meal, at a cheaper price, we came here for their " $5 @ 5" deal. Most folks were having pre-dinner drinks. The dining room was not yet open. But, we had a dinner of small plates, by trying all the appetizers! They were fabulous. Our favorite were the Duck Croquettes. The wine was $5 a glass, also. We had a great Sauvignon Blanc from Bernardus of Carmel Valley.

Cafe Rustica - Carmel Valley Village
Sweet little place with great wood-fired pizza. We had the classic - Margherita.
addition - -- -Warning to families with young - many of the elite dine here, who don't want to be sitting near to children whilst they enjoy their food...

Bahama Billy's - Carmel - the Barnyard shopping center
This place is a family-friendly joint in Carmel. The patio is pretty & okay for the munchkins to roam a bit. And, the center it is in, is barnyard-style. So, some kids might get a kick out of that - the windmill & such...
Anyway, the food. Scott got a sandwich with abalone & scallops. He loved it, but found it a little to heavy to finish. I got the fish & chips & finished it off just fine.

3 comments:

Stef said...

these places look amazing. I think we're going to try the pizza place when we're there.

Erin said...

Okay. But, I must expound on my initial comments concerning the pizza place. It it rather fancy, & wasn't very baby/child friendly. The waiter warmed up a bit. But, upon our arrival, he was rather icy. And, many of the snooty crowd dines there. Several people declined to take tables near to us, even though Gillian wasn't being bad....
Have you guys ever tried Bahama Billy's? I'll add that to the post. Its a good family resturant...

Stef said...

these places look amazing. I think we're going to try the pizza place when we're there.