Monterey Peninsula
I have two great – and very different – recommendations for places to eat when visiting California’s Monterey Peninsula. This area – including Monterey, Pebble Beach, and Carmel – is a delight! Wind tossed beaches, quiet coves, abundant wildlife. But you still gotta eat!
For a splurge, you cannot go wrong visiting The Beach Club Dining Room at the famous Pebble Beach Golf Club. The views alone are stunning, overlooking the 18th hole with the ocean in the distance.
Outdoor dining at The Bench, Pebble Beach
Get reservations in advance and plan your sightseeing around your lunch or dinner plans. We planned our tour of 17-mile Drive around our lunch reservation. Dress is “resort casual,” and your gate fee for entry to Pebble Beach will be reimbursed with a purchase of $35.
After spending the morning walking the Coastal Trail from Pacific Grove to Monterey (and back!), we were hungry and started our lunch with a couple appetizers, including the Bread Balloon, Fire-Roasted Beets, and salad.
Salad and Fire Roasted Beets at The Bench
The beets were perfectly roasted and served with a light dressing, which cut the sweetness of the beets in a good way. It was a big serving and I could not finish!
The highlight of the appetizers, though, was the Balloon Bread. It’s essentially a pita bread, but served piping hot and still “ballooned” from the wood-fired oven. It came with a couple dips – hummus, for one – but was just great on its own. Very unique and a must try!
Balloon Bread at The Bench, Pebble Beach
For our mains, we both ordered The Burger, served with smoked cheddar and fries. It was a perfect medium-rare, juicy and full of flavor. Even though they were very thick, the fries were perfectly cooked. The atmosphere was casual. Get a window table so you can watch the golfers on the 18th hole!
The Burger at The Bench, Pebble Beach
Save room for dessert! For dessert, we shared the S’mores Skillet – a skillet brownie topped with a marshmallow creme, graham cracker crumbs, and vanilla ice cream. Served warm from the oven, this dessert is more than enough to share between 2-3 people.
S’mores Skillet at The Bench, Pebble Beach
After dining, you can walk around the grounds, check out the shop, or head out on 17-Mile Drive.
For a completely different experience, get sandwiches to-go at Compagno’s Market and Deli in Monterey. Our stop at Compagno’s was quite intentional as I wanted to try Dutch Crunch bread, a sandwich bread popular in the Bay Area and relatively unknown elsewhere. Dutch Crunch is a soft white bread, but what makes it unique is the “crunch,” the bread is covered in a paste of rice flour and sugar before baking, creating its distinctive crunchy top.
Turkey & Salami Sandwich on Dutch Crunch from Compagno’s in Monterey
Compagno’s sandwiches are filled thick with meat and freshly made. I had a Turkey & Salami with cheddar on the Dutch Crunch, while my husband tried the “Navy Special,” with prosciutto, hot copa, salami and provolone cheese. Both sandwiches were delicious and held up well for our picnic!
Undecided about where to stay? We really enjoyed staying in Pacific Grove at the Gosby House Inn. Our stay included a full breakfast buffet, and Pacific Grove was perfectly situated between Pebble Beach and Monterey.
