Tim Wood
Valley Kitchen at Carmel Valley Ranch | 1 Old Ranch Road, Carmel (831) 625-9500, carmelvalleyranch.com
Restaurants reference “farm to table” as often as possible. But Chef Tim Wood’s kitchen is surrounded by a resort ranch that produces its own honey, chickens, goat cheese, herbs, vegetables and such. The rest he sources from artisan producers, fishing boats and organic farms. But, he says, “At the end of the day it’s just food.” Yeah, sure. And Alf is better than Family Ties. Even staples like shrimp and grits involve wild-caught prawns and cave-aged cheddar. And his burger layers short rib, brisket, chuck and a thick slab of bacon, and requires 20 minutes to prepare. He credits the restaurant’s success to “just fighting the trends a little, but trying not to.” In other words, he plays on the edges, but never steps off.