Quick Bites: Big Oldtown 201 news, Carmel's new spots and more.

Landmark 201 Main has parted ways with Giorgio's founding Chef Alessio Giannuzzi, who resigned and relocated to Italian stronghold Gusto in Seaside.

Back at 201, they're eyeing a shift from traditional Italian toward fusion flavors co-director Jesse Kehoe calls "Italian recipes with the vibrant local flavors of the beautiful area in which we live," with menus changing every three months.

Brenda Vasquez, who got her culinary training from California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, has moved from front of the house to kitchen manager, teaming with Sous Chef Gerardo Juarez on food ops.

"Both are from the area and understand the area and how to get the best out of seasonal flavors," Kehoe says. 

Brand new neighboring tapas spot Citracada is scheduled to open in 2016—as soon as mid January—but no firm date is in place.

The vision for the proposed club downstairs has also shifted: the Exchange Lounge will lean more speakeasy than night club, and opens New Year's Eve.

More upside down below: A 450-square-foot wine cellar has been recently completed downstairs.

Finally, the proposed wine lounge above upscale Ticino, the deli-coffee spot which opened not long after Giorgio's, has been dropped from the to-do list.

More foodie news nibbles follow:

• Carmel’s Il Tegamino (250-5790) bustled Friday night. The new European-style patio is now in action, and is all kinds of adorable. Reservations, contrary to what you heard here, ARE accepted. And the polpette pickings remain a highlight. Where else can you score a six-ball polpette mixto plate ($20) with beef (as in ground beef, pine nuts, raisin, garlic, bread, parsley and Parmesan); pork ball (with onions, bread, sage, thyme and pecorino); tuna-seafood; crab-seafood; cauliflower; and mushroom? (The mushroom just might be the best, BTW.)

• Less than a block away, Merlot Bistro and PortaBella remain under renovation, awaiting their debut under new leadership, after longtime owners Tony Salameh and Csaba Ajan have given the reins to Dametra Café owners Faisal Nimri and Bashar Sneeh, who can use the extra seating.

• About once a month Galante hosts a library tasting of well-aged reds. Last week it was estate Merlot and Cabs from 1996, with special pricing accompanying the tasting and snacks. A nice value at $20 and something worth looking out for.

• The coolest news of the week, in a week filled with it: Buckminster Fuller Institute awarded its annual top honors to GreenWave, which specializes in underwater farming of the utmost flavor and sustainability. More on the blog this week. 

• Rio Grill (625-5436) welcomes Gruet Winery 5-7pm Thursday, Dec. 3, for a Winemaker Thursday with complimentary tastings and deals on glasses and bottles.  

• Longtime Bernardus stalwart Sue Dreyer is now director of e-commerce and marketing for Inns of Monterey, which includes properties like Casa Munras and Spindrift Inn.

• Local legend Anna Vindiola has moved over from Schooners to Esteban at Casa Munras in Monterey, remaking the cocktail menu as she does, including a Boss Anna margarita to remember. 

• Cafe Lumiere has taken over Bright Coffee in funky craft store Lillify on Lighthouse in New Monterey.

• Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships for Peter B’s Catch 24 English Pale Ale, which earned 93 points.

• More than a year into his new post as wine director at landmark Big Sur Bakery, Matt Peterson has sales jumping and customers digging the new list. Meanwhile Exec Chef Jacob Burrell, nee Pilarsky—who changed his name to honor the stepdad who raised him—is constantly introducing new rustic comfort food evoking his Manresa training, like his wood-fired local white sea bass topped with wild fennel butter. He heads to Bali for a rather envy-generating 10-course pop-up dinner Dec. 11. 

• Montrio Bistro (648-8880) has debuted new desserts-sweet bites-"inspired" coffees-dessert libations menus. Think sticky toffee pudding, Mexican standoffs, Montrio mudslides and more. 

• Cantinetta Luca Executive Chef Jason Balestrieri does two evenings of his epic La Maialata VIII: Celebration of the Pig Dec. 10-11, wherein every dish on the menu features succulent swine, whether antipasti, soup, side, pizza or entree, with Mangalitsa pork from Winfield Farm in Buellton and Berkshire from Linda’s in Carmel Valley. Well worth checking out, RSVP 625-6500.