Exploring some of the delicious delights of PG
Rediscovering Pacific Grove’s downtown dining scene through takeout
Dining in restaurants is on hold, but food critic Raúl Nava has found some delightful takeout opportunities.
Mom-and-pop restaurants, neighborhood holein-the-walls, hidden gems — whatever you want to call them, independent restaurants form the backbone of small-town economies across America.
Home to 50 restaurants, bakeries and cafes, Pacific Grove makes for a microcosm of an industry precariously hanging on during the coronavirus pandemic.
Many establishments have planted deep roots in the city. In business for 10, even 20 years, and with histories pre-dating social media savvy, they’ve become so embedded in our community fabric, it’s easy to overlook them for trendy new upstarts.
Take Max’s Grill.
Chef Hisayuki “Max” Muramatsu and wife Yuko opened this spot in 2003. I confess it’s been years since my last visit. I’d often intended to dine here, only to be wooed by more recent arrivals downtown. My takeaway from Max’s recently served up a heavy dose of “fear of missing out” — I immediately thought of the exceptional meals I’ve missed over the years.
Born in Tokyo and trained in France, Max crafts a menu that lends Asian influence to European cuisine. That flavor fusion is a throwback these days when gastronomes geek out on “authentic” regional cuisine. (We’ll save the discussion about the problematic “authenticity” of food for another day.)
The spring rolls — stuffed with succulent shrimp and fried to a golden crisp ($11) — wowed right away. I munched on these as I unboxed the rest of my meal and immediately regretted not ordering a second portion.
I’m a sucker for a Caesar salad, and with fresh romaine generously dressed in biting acidity and accented with flakes of dry, salty Parmesan, Max’s didn’t disappoint. At $6.50 for a large clamshell container packed to the brim, this salad scored high marks not just on taste, but budget too.
I opted to revisit the duck “our way” — a tip of the hat to French duck a l’orange with confit leg and duck mousse ravioli in a bright citrus sauce ($26) — that I recalled as a favorite so many years ago. Absence indeed made the heart grow fonder — one taste of that luxurious orange sauce felt like a rekindling with an old ex, the one that got away.
I certainly promise this spot will be back in regular rotation for upcoming takeaway feasts as the county pauses dine-in service again.
The side streets of downtown Pacific Grove reveal all sorts of other tasty treasures, like Mando’s Restaurant.
Owner Armando “Mando” Cruz opened his namesake restaurant in 2010. An expansive menu covers Mexican favorites, plus breakfast — served all day — and a smattering of American fare like burgers, salads and sandwiches.
The kitchen works magic with masa. The corn dough can transform into tortillas, of course, and other treats too. Tamales are always a popular pick at Mando’s, with selections like chicken, pork and jalapeño and cheese available a la carte ($2.95) or in combination meals ($7.95 to $15.95).
I took a risk on my visit this week when I opted for sopes instead of tamales.
Sopes see masa pressed and pinched, quickly fried and filled with beans, meat and vegetables. Mando’s interpretation of the favorite Mexican antojito street food stretched the masa wide and shallow to offer more surface area for toppings, like tender shredded chicken tinga ($4.95 apiece). Masa is deceptively filling — nixtamalization breaks down the corn to yield hearty and nutritious masa dough — so a pair of sopes made a satisfying supper that quelled even those faint whispers of regret for not ordering tamales.
But I couldn’t resist the pozole ($9.99) — a hearty soup that’s an absolute comfort and a must-order here.
As I slid the lid off the togo container, that familiar fragrance of savory Mexican oregano hit my nostrils. It was so intoxicating, I nearly took a sip directly out of the takeout container.
As I broke the soup’s surface, the crimson caldo revealed hearty hominy and generously large and abundant cubes of pork. I ladled the stew into a bowl and began assembling the accompanying garnishes on top — shredded cabbage, a pinch of raw onion and cilantro, then finally a squeeze of lemon — before diving in with a spoon in one hand and handmade tortillas in the other.
For a second, my coronavirus concerns drifted away, but then the hot soup reminded me of the cold reality of what’s at stake during a pandemic that’s disproportionately taking its toll on the lives and economies of communities of color.
My takeaway tour also took me to the edge of downtown. With frequent appearances on best-of listicles, Passionfish admittedly isn’t a hidden gem but is a unicorn in its fervent appeal to locals and tourists alike.
Owners Ted and Cindy Walter temporarily closed Passionfish at the start of the pandemic out of concern for the health and safety of diners and staff — especially top of mind since Ted received a double lung transplant last year — and reopened in mid-June.
With seafood the specialty at Passionfish, it may seem counterintuitive that I ordered duck confit, but the culinary team remains undaunted cooking proteins from land, sea or air. Smartly, sauces were packaged on their own, which meant my duck gave off the beautifully unadulterated aroma of a smoky grill before I even opened the box. I plated the pair of confit legs, a griddled potato cake and charred Broccolini and drizzled with the sweet honey reduction ($30) — simply sublime.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t applaud wine director Jannae Lizza’s expertly curated wine list. I enjoyed an easy drinking sparkling Sauvignon Blanc — courtesy of northern California’s Bodkin Wines ($38) — while unboxing my meal and grazing on small bites like smoked trout ceviche tostaditas ($12).
As I’ve fallen back in love with some of the neighborhood darlings of Pacific Grove, I’m sobered reading dire predictions about the future of small, independent restaurants. Industry insiders expect thousands of restaurants could close. From my dining room, I’ve seen — well, tasted — what we risk losing with the continued coronavirus crisis.
We’ve already seen coronavirus casualties in our local restaurant scene. Holly’s Lighthouse Cafe — a favorite breakfast spot in downtown PG — has shuttered, as has Cream and Crumbles ice cream shop inside the White Hart Mansion.
What does the future hold for PG’s other hidden gems downtown? Are our days numbered for bites of Takara Sushi’s tempting teriyaki and La Mia Cucina’s famed eggplant parmigiana? Will we still be able to enjoy a bowl of clam chowder at Vivolo’s and gyros at Petra after the pandemic is over?
I can’t say for sure what our restaurant scene will look like post-pandemic, but in the meantime, I’m dining out — by takeout — to help keep the hometown flavor of Pacific Grove alive.