We woke quite early on our "getaway day" in Pacific Grove. But we just took our sweet time packing and such.
While the Missus was getting ready, I decided to head on back to Pavel's Backerei to grab a croissant to share. It was just past 7 am and I guess the "Art Store Cats" knew we were leaving and decided to not be in the window on this morning?
There was also a line outside the bakery….even longer than the last time. It did move quickly though and before I knew it I had made it in.
Where I ordered a croissant and ogled the donut bigger than my head….. I purchased my croissant and headed on out.
Pavel's Backerei
219 Forest Ave.
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
And while I was sad that the Art Store Cats weren't available, it didn't mean that there weren't interesting things to see……
Sadly, the croissant wasn't very good; lacking in butter, not flakey enough, and too doughy.
And soon enough we were off to our next stop; Carmel. We arrived quite early to the city that has no street addresses, we were staying at 7th Ave & Casanova Street, no street lights, and where you need a permit to wear high heels……really, you do. We got to 7th and Casanova early and were able to check-in! Dropped off our bags and then headed out.
I'd heard some really good things about the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, it was the center of Missions in California and Saint (as of 1988) Junípero Serra is entombed there. There were no other visitors when we arrived. We paid our $6 admission and walked on in………
This Mission is the only Spanish Mission in California that has its original bell and bell tower. The grounds are beautiful and on this day as the only visitors, tranquil….
We were captivated by the place……
One could only imagine how things were when Junípero Serra himself walked these grounds from 1770 to his death in 1784.
And while there are controversies about how Native Californians were treated by the "Catholic Invasion", much of what we see as today's California has sprouted from the seeds planted by Junípero Serra. Who was canonized by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988.
It is well worth visiting regardless of your views.
We then drove back to the Green Lantern Inn, parked our car and just decided to do some exploring….which included a walk down to the beach…..
And then doing some shopping……
Because we were able to check in early, we even managed to have a nice afternoon nap, before heading off to dinner, which was at the only Michelin Starred place in SLO-Cal, Aubergine. I had picked our accommodation because it was basically a half block from the L'Auberge Carmel, where the restaurant is located. During this time of Covid, dining was carried out in the courtyard of the hotel. We arrived and were seated in a manner of minutes. There were heaters provided, the staff was amazing.
Service was indeed at the Michelin level. It was impressive to see….when it started raining, the chef came out to help his staff clear the water from the tops off the tents……while still working to serve the Wagyu Beef mains in person. After having been thru more than a couple hefty wine pairings, we decided to get a single "Sommelier's Tasting" ($155) to share. We told our Server that a single glass would be fine, but he insisted on splitting the tasting……more points for the service here.
The amuse bouche courses were a great indicator of what the meal would be like. From the decadent anchovy ,artichoke, spinach tart with bee pollen, think savory, complex sweetness, mild vegetal flavors, wrapped in crispness. And the briney Taylor Sheldon Oysters with caviar! My goodness! The South African Bluefin was excellent, perfect texture, very clean tasting……
First up was the Sawara – Japanese Spanish Mackerel in a Nasturtium "Pesto", which was more like a broth.
The calamansi pickled carrots were amazing…..the fish, perfectly cooked, moist, flakey, the "pesto" added an interesting mild bitter-sweetness to the dish.
The smoked maitake mushrooms in a shiro dashi was amazing.
Such wonderful smokey-earthy flavors, which held up to the savory broth; which had hints of sweetness to balance things out.
You definitely wanted to get every drop of the abalone porridge……my goodness this was so good! The pieces of abalone were so tender; buttery-sweet-savory, with a mild oceany brininess. The tomato added a hint of sweet-acidity to help cut the luxurious richness of the porridge….a porridge!
Also at this time some Parker Rolls were brought out.
Which did really well with the Aged Duck.
My goodness, the dry aging of the duck breast made this so tender. The fat had rendered off perfectly….this was a plain amazing dish.
And then for the last main…..well, it was "drama" time……
My goodness, triple seared a technique that I believe originated in Japan. Just the smell of the meat almost knocked me off my seat!
A small container of a wonderfully balanced jus was brought out.
And then a plate with several purees. And then the dish was put together on the table.
This was another amazing dish; from the wonderful, pure, clean beefiness…….to the texture, the perfect bite……..just crazy good. The eggplant puree was awesome as it seemed to capture the "soul" of the eggplant. An unforgettable dish.
The Missus enjoyed the wine pairing and desserts.
From the service to the food, this was an exquisite meal, and I'm quite surprised the place only has one Michelin Star. Dinner was not cheap coming in at a grand….but heck, with no international trips on the horizon, this was the meal we needed and wanted.
Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel
Monte Verde & 7th St.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921 
Arriving back at our accommodation, one block from the L'Auberge Carmel, I broke open a beer I had gotten earlier in the day. I had gone out while the Missus was resting looking for a shop to grab a bottle.
Walking up the street I saw a couple; she had a mask on and he was walking around sans mask. They came across a sign stating that there would fines starting at $100 (This was during November of 2020) for not wearing masks. The guy freaked out and he and the woman, who I'm assuming is his wife started getting into quite the argument. I walked on over….not quite sure what response I would get, reached into my back pocket and pulled out a spare mask I had in a baggy.
"Good afternoon sir, why don't you try this on to make sure it fits?"
"Uh….um…oh……."
I was ready for some kind of weird response…perhaps he'd yell at me…..or worse, so I said:
"Getting fined for not wearing a mask, whether you believe in it or not sure can ruin your day, and we're loving Carmel and I would like to make sure you do too!"
The woman sighed and thanked me. The guy, nodded ok, and put the mask on…….
And hopefully, we had a happy ending to a rather tense situation…….
I'm still not quite sure why I did it. Maybe it was the tone of sad disappointment in the woman's voice….I'm not sure; but I'm hoping all worked out well.
