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tage” has its own in-deck hot tub. We immediately scramble into our
swimsuits and robes, pop a half-bottle of champagne and head for the
deck. Looking out over tranquil meadows and ocean, we are uncertain
who are the more curious onlookers: us, or the keen-eyed wild turkeys
grazing below.
The resort’s Allegria spa promotes sensory relaxation before a cozy
fire. We were seduced by such treatments as “Gentlemen’s Destresser” and
“Santa Lucia Grape Veil.” Don’t try this at home!
Dinner is a positive surprise. Until the formal restaurant re-opens
in July 2009, dinner is served in the cozy bistro off the lobby. But there
is no compromise. Anticipating the Pinot Noir we selected might over-
power our first course of smoked quail and lobster salad, our waiter
brings us a lively unfiltered local Viognier. He is right. Wine and dish
are perfect.
Returning to Montecito after only five days and a little over a thou-
sand “kilometers,” we felt our spirits restored and our senses revived by
getting to know some of the coast’s small inns and emerging cuisine. Such
are the benefits of European travel, California style.
Lavender and wild heather crowd the hills en route to Monterey. At
America’s garlic capital, Gilroy, white-blossomed cherry trees line the road.
Reaching the sea, a stand of Monterey Cypress rises dramatically from sand
dunes. The Carmel-Monterey coast features the only population of this rare
species remaining in the wild; some of these trees are 2000 years old.
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In 1929, it is said, a Carmel resident fell in love with a stylish small
apartment building in Prague. Determined to replicate it, he acquired the
plans and hired a local architect and builder. The result is L’Auberge Car-
mel, a 20-room Chateaux & Relais inn, blocks from the silver surf of Car-
mel Beach, and a few quiet streets away from village shops and boutiques.
Christophe Grosjean
is the hotel’s chef and
Thomas Perez
the engaging
and gifted sommelier. Until recently, the pair wowed the elite at Bernardus,
another charming inn in Carmel Valley. Although an alluring à la carte dinner
menu is offered, when Thomas asked if we would like the chef to cook for us,
and for Thomas to pair wines with each course, our answer was a quick “Yes!”
Among our favorites were:
Red abalone and green garlic risotto with bergamot and toasted almond
milk
, paired with 2007 King Estate Pinot Gris;
Braised cardoons (a thistle-like cousin to the artichoke) and duck, with
Brussels sprouts and chanterelles
, paired with Santa Barbara County 2006
Tantara Solomon Vineyard Pinot Noir;
Sparkling carrot consommé and Dungeness crab
, which prompted
Thomas to confess that he had “struggled a week to find the right wine.”
His choice: a lovely 2007 Vouvray from the Loire region.
weekend getaway
The cottages at Ventana Inn provide every modern amenity
while offering the peace and tranquility of Big Sur
Before you pity the poor convicts, reflect that for each day of labor their
sentence was commuted by three days.
Just north of the bridge, the sign for Rocky Point Restaurant calls us,
as it has on past journeys. For whale and otter sightings, you can’t beat the
dining room with full windows on the surf. A bowl of homemade chowder
and a short hike over its headlands is a welcome break.
A unique blend of Zen – California style – and rustic sophistica-
tion awaits us at Ventana Inn & Spa. Our spacious and luxurious “cot-
Rocky Point Restaurant at Big Sur is an excellent place from which to watch for
whales and otters frolicking just off the shore
The Big Sur Coast
The drive from Carmel to Big Sur is only forty minutes or so. But
among the iconic sights to pull off for are Big Sur Lighthouse, Pfeiffer
Big Sur Beach and the haunting Bixby Bridge, built by convicts in 1932.