Quick Bites: New tasting room, new artichoke restaurant and new Turkish spot.

The wine boom continues to go bonkers in Carmel Valley.

Testarossa Winery opened its tasting room in November. I Brand and Family Wines opened its tasting room maybe a week later. Figge Cellars is gunning for an April debut.

Now another major piece of the ambitious puzzle at 1 E. Carmel Valley Road, in the heart of the village, debuts with the grand opening of the new and multifaceted Joyce Vineyards tasting room.

It enjoys well-designed patios, bocce ball, a sleek tasting bar and more, all designed and constructed by winemaker/co-owner Russell Joyce and his assistant winemakers/double-trouble-brothers-from-another-mother Todd and Nick Grice. 

The party happens 1-5:30pm Saturday, Feb. 18, with wines by the glass (including the premiere of the year's new Rosé), new merchandise, and special pricing on bottle purchases for new releases.

Casey Frazier will be performing throughout the event and Kuki's food truck will be selling food. 

Get more on the multi-part property project with "Carmel Valley to get a dramatic new wine-tasting combo-property led by Joyce Vineyards."

More food news nibbles appear here:

• The Flying Artichoke at the Salinas Airport (759-9096) is open for breakfast and lunch (and banquets) 8am-3pm Monday-Saturday. The Choke Burger—seasoned ground chuck sirloin with grilled and sautéed artichokes and melted Swiss ($9/lunch)—is proving a best seller, while the fried artichokes ($7) and pulled pork sandwiches ($10) are also "flying" out of the kitchen, so to speak.

• The Hayward Sustainability Speaker Series presents a free lecture "Brewing a Successful Sustainability Program" with Cheri Chastain of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 6-7:30pm Thursday, Feb. 23, in The McGowan Building, 411 Pacific St., Monterey (647-6615 x1).

• Monterey Bay Village and VNA & Hospice bring Dr. Stephen Brabeck to talk "Food as Medicine: The Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil" 2:30pm Wednesday, Feb. 22 at The Carmel Foundation's Diment Hall in Carmel (620-8701).

• Big Little Lies—filmed largely in Monterey, Pacific Grove and Big Sur—starts showing this week on HBO (Sunday, Feb. 19). Be still my Tabasco-pumping heart. More on the blog.

• Locally sown Ratel Cider pointman Bryan Laschiver just kegged his new three-apple-and-one-pear cider and his apricot cider, which debut early April. 

• The new Artemis Turkish Kitchen (622-9242) on Ocean at Mission is open daily (excluding Feb. 15 for a final inspection), after a bout figuring out a faulty hood. Insiders say the lamb is a top seller early on. Lunch service starts as soon as next week.

• Trió Carmel's (250-7714) Wine Seminar Series hosts Chef Dyon Foster, founder of Chef's Palette Spice Rubs Company from 6-7pm Friday, Feb. 17. The event will "demystify food and wine pairing," but at a max of 24 guests ($30/nonmembers;$20/members).

• It was one of those moments when the clouds above parted and the beam of glorious light hit with the angelic sound "Auuuuuuuuuuhh!" A woman at Alvarado Ramen (643-9556) was slurping from a porcelain bowl. Finally no more suffocating beneath all the single use plastic bowls and ramekins. But alas, she brought it, which is the plan for me next time.

• Tony Baker of Montrio Bistro and Soerke Peters of Basil Season Dining anchor a four-course dinner and educational event called "Going Green" hosted by ACF Monterey Bay and Wrath Winery 6-8pm Wednesday, Feb. 15 ($35/member;$45/nonmember, 601-5895 for reservations).

• Melville Tavern's (643-9525) half-price Wednesday pizza night is over. Luckily everyday $3 beer specials can still catch my tears.

• Seriously, check out the live owl box camera Haute Enchilada Cafe webcam. It has baby owls.

• The remake of Asilomar Conference Ground's Social Hall terrace continues, well behind schedule, but with great promise. Adjacent Phoebe's Cafe (635-5310) remains one of the earthier and cozier best kept secrets in Monterey County with great panini, beer and earthy salads, even real cocktails.

• House of Gyros in Seaside (717-4624) is going from falafel wraps and spit-roasted lamb to more Indonesian fare with its new owners. But it's going to take a while to redo given the amount of kitchen work they want to do.