Little Napoli - Carmel, CA

While in San Juan Bautista over Christmas I got to spend a night out with James and Kate in Carmel. We kicked off our evening at the Caraccioli Cellars Tasting Room. Kate and I enjoyed a glass of their award winning Brut Rose. It was lovely, blend of not too sweet and not too dry. It was the perfect start to our meal to come!

Little Napoli is an Italian restaurant located in the heart of Downtown Carmel. James and kate like coming here so they wanted me to experience their little spot. We had late reservations but I was amazed at how packed the place was. I love a restaurant that serves late into the night. It was a quaint space, the lights were low and I felt like I was transported to somewhere in Italy.

When I saw that they had an appetizer special of Truffle Gnocchi I knew instantly that is what I wanted to start our meal off with. I ordered up the baked pillowy clouds of awesome intending to share but found myself pretty much polishing off the dish on my own. It would make an excellent entree order! 

Hey guess what y'all?! I didn't order seafood for dinner! This has got to be a first in a long, long time. I saw the New Zealand Lamb Shank "Osso Buco"on the menu and decided that sounded great. My lamb shank was very tasty, totally tender and the perfect amount of food for me. It came with mashed potatoes and they were a tasty compliment to the rich sauce made from the braised lamb and vegetables.

Kate did something every little foodie loves... She ordered off a secret menu! She almost spoke in code with our waitress! So cool. Kate wanted: roasted chicken, no skin, with special pink sauce and potatoes. It was amazing. The potatoes that usually come with the dish are oven roasted however they did not have them on hand that day so mashed potatoes were substituted and they just kind of disintegrated into the sauce. I think pasta might have been a better substitution because that sauce was so good.

 James ordered up the Chicken Parmigiana and it was jam packed with food. The "gravy" that the fried chicken was topped with was very good. The right amount of tang to sweet ratio. A healthy blanket of mozzarella was broiled on top. I switched plates with James at the tail end of our meals so I could sample his meal, and he could try mine. Bites of the chicken entree and tender house made pasta were delightful.

At this point we were almost uncomfortably full so we declined on dessert. Little Napoli was a great place for our little night out on the town. I enjoyed the ambiance, food and most of all the time i got to spend with my brother and Kate!

Rio Grill - Carmel, CA

 The day after Christmas my Mom wanted to use a gift certificate that she received for Christmas so we made our way to Carmel. The weather was beautiful and restaurants were packed! I guess no one wanted to eat their leftovers. We sat down in the bar area of the Rio Grill to get fed quickly.

The soup of the day was a Beef pozole. I have had plenty of pork and chicken versions so I figured this deserved a try. It was very familiar to to a beef stew, I wish it had just been tad spicier.

Kathy went for the tacos, fish and shrimp. They were just ok. Nothing to be disappointed or too excited about.

I saw a cheesy, chicken and spinach pasta on the menu and went for that as my main entree. It was mostly like Mac and Cheese but it was still quite tasty. I had wished for more chicken versus pasta but it still was totally fine.

While we were at it we decided to go for desserts. Mine a Mocha Flan which was really fantastic, the whipped cream totally made each bite delectable.

Kathy went for the Roasted Banana's with ice cream, strawberries and walnuts. I thought it looked like a messy, good time. 

We had entertainment people watching inside the bar. It really is amazing how fast you can get to know someone! An hour lunch, filled my tummy and entertained my mom and I! Double score!

Katy's Place - Carmel, CA

My brother James and his girlfriend Kate have been telling me about this amazing breakfast place in Carmel for years. We always made promises to visit it after a night of drinking but come the next morning we were not motivated to actually do it. I was in town for our local horse show and rodeo so we decided this was the time to try it! 

I ordered the Crab Cake Benedict because it is a combination of all things that I love: crab cakes, sauce,  runny eggs and English Muffins. I loved this so much so that my potatoes never even got touched. The sauce is perfect, rich and velvety. I was in love with this place on first bite.

This is what Kate ordered. Seriously. I was teasing her she better not order something like this on the way over but she actually did! Kate is a healthy little eater. It was her birthday the day before so I couldn't give her too hard of a time! 

James was like me and went for the Eggs Benedict - Classical style with ham. I enjoyed spending my time with these two. Kate feels like the little sister that I never had. She blends in with our family and makes my brother pretty happy. This was a special morning spent with two people that I love so much, it is rare I get to do it. Perfect.

Bahama Billy's - Carmel, CA

After hiking at the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park I had made plans for Elena, Amanda and I to try out a new restaurant. Bahama Billy's just so happened to be on the way home! The menu caught my eye with all the seafood choices. I have been on a kick lately, if you hadn't already noticed. In the Barnyard shopping area is where you will find great shopping, along with Bahama Billy's.

We got there at an awkward time, they were finishing up lunch service but it was not quite dinner. So we were stuck in the bar area, I did not mind but the dinner area is where the beautiful tables were - with a fantastic fireplace. We had a great view of the bar, I guess that is pretty cool. Given lunch menus, we were ravenous!

First, we had to celebrate! Bahama Mama's for the twins and a Mojito for me. The Bahama Mama's were stout little suckers if I understood correctly. Cruzan Coconut Rum, Banana Liqueur, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice and a float of Dark Rum! Yowza! That is a drink!

Like I mentioned before, we were pretty hungry so we decided to split some appetizers to kick off this little shindig. Calamari Ring caught Elena's and my eye so we went ahead and ordered those. They were a tad chewy. The Rosemary, Parmesan and Lime Tarter was a good addition to the plate. Then we saw the Sweet Potato Fries, and just HAD to try those too! They were fried to perfection and had a duo of dipping sauces to go with - Habanero Aioli and Chutney. I liked them both! Then they brought us complimentary garlic bread - whoa nelly, getting full...

Don't forget about our entrees! Lol. Totally stuffed already we made our way the best we could. I ordered the Macadamia Halibut with Whipped Potatoes, Broccolini and Mango Butter. The Fish was cooked perfectly, the Mango Butter was too sweet! I stayed away from it as much as I could. Elena ordered the Seared Sesame Tuna, it came with sticky rice Broccolini and Wasabi Aioli. She seemed to like it but nothing out of this world. And last was Amanda's Coconut Shrimp Rice Bowl. She was bummed about the dish - it did not even taste like shrimp!

After all this food we were ready to pay the bill and get the heck out of there! Too much everything! Good thing we hiked a portion of it off! The bill was a smidge pricey but what did we expect with all the food and being in Carmel. I guess Monday through Friday they have a 50% your bill during Happy Hour. That sounds like a better deal than what we had! I would given 1.25 thumbs up because the price did not match the quality of food. I think things were tasting better than what they were because we were so hungry! Another restaurant, another day!

Baja Cantina - Carmel, CA

My Mom and I had cruised over to the Carmel Valley Ranch Round Up to watch my brother and family compete. Worried we were going to be late we ran through Starbuck's in enough time to get there just in time. Yes! The full day of horse activity was lovely. James ended up second in the Ranch Horse Class and second in the Branding with my cousins. After soaking in enough sun my mom and I scrambled.

This is the Baja Cantina located in Carmel. Isn't the outside welcoming?

The patio was beautiful!

It was a warm day so we elected to sit inside. Funky and fun!

Margarita time! On the rocks with a touch of salt please!

Chips and salsa. The chips were good, and seasoned ever so lightly. I thought the salsa was just ho hum. Even a touch commercially mild. My mom thought it was spicy. She thinks everything is spicy.

We order an half order of guacamole. We love guacamole. This was just ok too. Nothing bad but nothing fabulous.

Guaymas Shrimp Bisque was on the menu and you know this cowgirl had to try it. Kathy I split a cup, which really was a crock... Shrimp, garlic, cognac in a vegetable cream base is how it read. It tasted more like tomato soup with bay shrimp mixed in. I am a soup girl and this one didn't pass my test. It just needed something!

My order of the Enchiladas Yucatan was up first. They were two corn tortillas filled shredded pork marinated in chile negro, achiote and oranges. YUM! There were sides of habanero salsa, tomatillo sauce, pico de gallo, queso fresca, refried beans and rice. Holy mackerel, there was plenty of food! I loved this dish. It reminded me of mole.

Kathy's order is up next and it is a fun one... Mango Chicken Enchiladas! Also two corn enchiladas, these stuffed with chicken, topped with cheese and bathed in tropical mango sauce. Served with rice and beans of course. This was fruity and very fun. It was kind of like island food!

Last but not least dessert! Yummo... We ordered the "Below the Border" which was a deep fried ball of coconut macadamia ice cream resting in a cinnamon tortilla bowl. How much fun is this? It tasted lovely of course, I was just so full!!!

I loved this place. The exterior and well as interior was decorated so funky. Made for a really neat atmosphere. There is a ton of stuff on the menu, not just Mexican but who orders that stuff anyway? The waitstaff was attentive and got the job done with a smile. Prices were right on as well. Very affordable. One compliant was the bar was a touch too lively for an enjoyable meal. They should calm the crazies down. They got a little to wild for me to enjoy lunch with my mother dear. Will I return? Yes! A wonderful meal on the patio is on the books! 1.75 thumbs up!