Mondays on Mission Street: L'Escargot

It's hard to believe we are in the final few days of 2014! We hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season, whether you were celebrating Hanukkah, or Christmas or any other special occasion. We've been exceptionally busy there at Tradewinds, as Carmel has been bustling with visitors for the holidays. As mentioned in our Holiday Dining post, we strongly encourage you to make reservations for New Years Eve and New Years Day if you are planning on eating out. Today, we are happy to present one of our Mission Street neighbors, L'Escargot, as this week's "Mondays on Mission Street" featured business.

L'Escargot

Mission Street at 4th Avenue

(831) 620.1942

Hours:
Open Daily for Dinner at 5:30 PM

A picturesque, quintessential Carmel Cottage nestled in a small courtyard on Mission and 4th is where L'Escargot calls home. A traditional French country-style bistro, L'Escargot consistently serves some of the best food in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The restaurant offers an a la carte menu with traditional appetizer, salad and entree selections, as well as their "Bistro Menu," a fixed price menu offering a 3-Course Meal for $36/person. As a connoisseur of French cuisine, I love to try the same dishes at different restaurants to get a feel for the restaurant's style and creativity. I'm always "trying a bit of everything," which is why I end up with three appetizers, an entree and a dessert every time I go out to eat!

The appetizers are outstanding, from the French Onion Soup, to the classic Escargot (which lives up to the restaurant's namesake), to the Veal Sweetbreads, cooked with mushrooms in a Madeira cream sauce.

Entrees are equally as delicious - not exactly the healthiest cuisine, but definitely tasty. Seafood options include a local Petrale Sole with a lemon caper beurre blanc and Monterey Sand Dabs with house made tartar sauce. For fans of poultry, the restaurant offers a Pan Roasted Duck Breast, Roasted Chicken with mashed potatoes, and Chicken in a black truffle cream sauce. Rack of Lamb, Medallions of Veal and Rabbit Fricassee round out the protein options.  They also offer their house made version of Cassoulet, a traditional French bean stew with sausage and poultry.

The Bistro Menu features salad and other light appetizer options, a selection of entrees as well as your choice of dessert.

Round out your meal with a bottle of wine (we hear they sometimes offer half-priced wine on wednesdays) and have a relaxing meal, with great service and a charming ambiance.

As always, if you are planning a trip to the Carmel area, give us a call here at Tradewinds, we would be happy to help you organize a memorable stay in town.

Until Next Time...

The Staff at Tradewinds

Our Holiday Dining Guide

Season's Greetings, Everyone!

We are making our final push toward the end of the year and are currently working on some new packages and specials for all of you to enjoy here at Tradewinds. We are really optimistic about what 2015 has in store for us!

While many of you will be celebrating the holidays with friends and family, cooking and entertaining during this most festive time of the year, others will be traveling or simply looking to dine out. We want to take as much of the headache and stress out of the equation as possible. With that said, we have compiled a list of the restaurants that will be open over the holidays and hope you will find this information useful as you plan your visit to the area.

Christmas Eve, December 24th
- Anton and Michel
- Christopher's  (5 - 9 p)
- Pacific's Edge
- Aubergine 
- Grasing's 
- Il Fornaio 
- Flaherty's (open until 7:30 p)
- La Bicyclette (lunch hours only)
- PortaBella (11:30 a - 9:30 p)
- Merlot!
- Grill on Ocean Ave
- Forge in the Forest
- Andre's Bouchee (open until 5 p)

Christmas Day, December 25th
- Anton and Michel (3 p - 9 p)
- Christopher's on Lincoln (5 - 9 p)
- Pacific's Edge (prix fixe, $110/person)
- Aubergine (9 pm seating available only)
- Grasing's (2:30 p - 8:30 p)
- Il Fornaio 
- Flaherty's (open until 7:30 p)
- PortaBella (2 p - 10:00 p)
- Merlot! (special menu available)
- Grill on Ocean Ave
- Andre's Bouchee (open for dinner)

New Years Eve, December 31st
- Anton and Michel
- Basil (special menu)
- Christopher's on Lincoln (5 - 9 p)
- Pacific's Edge (5:30 - 9:30 p)
- Aubergine 
- Grasing's
- Il Fornaio 
- Flaherty's 
- La Bicyclette 
- Casanova
- PortaBella (11:30 a - 12 a)
- Merlot!
- Grill on Ocean Ave
- Forge in the Forest
- Mundaka
- Flying Fish Grill
- Andre's Bouchee
- L'escargot (5 p - 9 p)

New Years Day, January 1st

- Anton and Michel

- Basil (special menu)

- Christopher's (5 - 9 p)

- Pacific's Edge (5:30 - 8:30 p)

- Aubergine 

- Grasing's

- Il Fornaio 

- Flaherty's 

- La Bicyclette 

- Casanova

- PortaBella 

- Merlot!

- Grill on Ocean Ave

- Forge in the Forest

- Flying Fish Grill

- Andre's Bouchee

We love tradition here at Tradewinds - in fact, the hotel itself is a family tradition - owned and operated by the same family that built it in the 1950's. What are your family traditions? Perhaps you should consider making Carmel a part of your holiday plans!

Until Next Time...

The Staff at Tradewinds Carmel

Mondays on Mission Street: Grasing's Restaurant

Today we are introducing "Mondays on Mission Street," a weekly column that will feature our favorite businesses located on the same street as us here at Tradewinds. Today we will be highlighting Grasing's Coastal Cuisine, a Mission Street Restaurant serving contemporary California cuisine, featuring fresh, local ingredients from the Carmel Coast and Central Valley.

Grasing's Restaurant

Mission St. & 6th Ave.

831.624.6562

Hours:

Lunch: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm daily (Lunch Menu)

Dinner: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm daily (Dinner Menu)

There is something for everyone at Grasing's, where simple, fresh ingredients are transformed into creative dishes with bright and bold flavors. The restaurant itself has a very charming, cottage-style exterior, and a clean, tastefully decorated and cozy interior. The staff is wonderful and accommodating and the service is excellent.

For those with a smaller appetite, the bar area is a perfect place to sip a cocktail and enjoy an appetizer or two with friends. I highly recommend the heirloom tomato salad, as the acidity of the tomato and balsamic glaze pairs perfectly with the creamy burrata cheese and red onion marmalade. Other stars on the appetizers list include the Calamari, which is offered in two different portion sizes, the Dungeness Crab Cakes and the Lobster Mac n' Cheese.

Maybe I'm weird, but I can always determine the quality of a restaurant by their salad offerings. Grasing's really knocks it out of the park with the warm spinach salad, which has diced pancetta, beets, feta cheese and a dijon vinaigrette. And for those who don't need to be bribed with meat, the Butter Lettuce with Point Reyes blue cheese crumbles, candied walnuts, caramelized peaches and balsamic vinaigrette is a great choice, full of complementary flavors and textures.

The Main Courses are where the restaurant truly shines, and the wide variety of steak, seafood and poultry options can appease an entire crowd of picky eaters. Grasing's offers their "Chop House Favorites" a selection of grilled steaks including Filet Mignon, Bone-in Rib Eye, Prime Natural New York, and a milk-fed Veal Chop.

Grasing's "Paella," a unique spin on the classic Spanish dish, with orzo pasta substituted for the rice component, is a highly recommended dish for seafood lovers. The farm-raised Monterey Bay Abalone and Seared Pepper Ahi Tuna are also dishes I can personally put my stamp of approval on. Grasing's also offers Lamb, Pork, Duck, Chicken and Vegetarian options - so really, how can you go wrong here?

If I haven't sold you on Grasing's with their food menu, perhaps I can appeal to you with their extensive, Wine Spectator award-winning wine list and inspired cocktail creations. With myriad wine options from the Napa Valley, Central Coast, and European selections, the accolades come well-deserved. No matter your favorite varietal, Grasing's has an option that will undoubtedly pair wonderfully with your food choices.

Grasing's is the perfect place for both a fun night out with your friends or a romantic, dinner with your significant other. If you are only in town for a night or two, I highly recommend you give them a try!  

Thanksgiving in Carmel

For those traveling to the area for vacation or those who are simply opting out of cooking, we have created a list of the restaurants in Carmel-by-the-Sea that will be open on Thanksgiving Day.

Anton and Michel
In addition to their regular menu, Anton & Michel is offering a three-course prix fixe traditional Thanksgiving meal for $38 per person. They will be open from 1 to 9 pm.

Andre's Bouchee
Open from 2 to 8:15 pm.

Christopher's
Open from 3 to 8 pm.

Portabella
Offering a four-course Thanksgiving Dinner for $48.95 per person, which includes two glasses of specially selected wine and is aptly named "The Vintner's Dinner."They are also offering their a la carte dinner menu from noon to 10 pm.

Merlot! Wine Country Bistro
Serving a Traditional Family Thanksgiving Dinner for $28.95 per guest from noon to 10 pm.  A three course meal offering soup or salad, roasted turkey with all of the trimmings and your choice of dessert. Also offering the following 3-course dinner: Roast Prime Rib of Beef, Roast Leg of Lamb or Poached Salmon.

Pacific's Edge
Open from 3 to 8 pm.

Aubergine
Open from 2 to 8:30 pm.

Il Fornaio
Open from 2 to 8 pm.

Flaherty's
Open from 2 to 8:45 pm.

La Bicyclette
Open for dinner from 5 to 10 pm.

Grasing's
Open from 2:30 to 8:30 pm

Casanova
Open from 1 to 8 pm.

If you are planning on dining out, we would be delighted to make reservations for you - as the holidays can be a busy time around here!

Bon Appetit!

The Staff at Tradewinds Carmel