Quick Bites: The Mucky Duck is no longer the Mucky Duck. And a dozen other items to chew on.

The Mucky Duck has croaked.

Or at least it will quack its last New Year's Eve.

From there it will be a whole other animal(s): Bull and Bear Whiskey Bar and Taphouse.

Owner Anthony Buich promises a new menu, new drink specials, new marketing, new decor and new events.

The move comes after a year in developing the new logo and rebranding strategy.

I like the smarts and the sound of it, in no small part because it evokes some of the sexiest downtown Monterey lore out there: bull-bear fights.

Buich even says their location near Pearl and Tyler was the site of a public arena where matches between bulls and Carmel Highlands grizzlies, and later matador bullfights, took place up to around 1900. 

(The Weekly's Monterey beat reporter, David Schmalz, contributed to this report.)

More quick news nibbles appear below: 

• il vecchio (324-4282) does an inspired brunch Sunday, Dec. 21—rustic omelets ($13), fried ciabatta toast ($10), prosecco ($5) among the treats—that provides a peek to something they’ll offer in 2015. New Year’s Eve six-course dinner too ($65, $85 with wine pairings).

• jeninni kitchen + wine bar’s (920-2662) guest chef dinner with Paras Shah—and the dreamy smoked sablefish that trumped even the insane pork neck/Benton’s Bacon ramen—bodes well for the best guest chef series the county has at the moment. Picks up again Tuesday nights in 2015.

• One of the coolest tasting rooms of the area’s 54, Pierce Ranch Vineyards (372-8900), hosts a holiday open house noon-8pm Saturday, Dec. 20, with tastings on the full line of current releases, light appetizers, bottle discounts and more (free/members; $5/public).

• For Christmas my brother-in-law is getting a bacon-scented pillow (!) from J&D’s Foods, the same people that helped me gift him bacon shaving cream. They also just debuted trademark-protected Naked Bacon Cooking Armor.

• Bistro Moulin (333-1200) throws down a nice Christmas Eve prix fixe dinner ($45)—spinach gnocchi, lobster bisque, leg of lamb.

• Our local indy radio heroes (244-0102) steer the KRML Cares Food Drive. Bring non-perishable food or cash donations to Rio Grill noon-3pm Saturday, Dec. 20.

• New ownership at The Whaling Station (373-3778) has reinvigorated the best bar menu by the bay. The sand dabs and deals on house wines are good, but the best thing has to be the prime rib egg rolls. 

• The 2015 Big Sur Foragers Festival Jan. 16-18 stars the innovative chefs behind the 2013 James Beard Best New Restaurant in the U.S., State Bird Provisions of San Francisco.

• Stone Creek Kitchen (393-1042) cooking classes make great gifts for gourmands.

• Monterey Cookhouse (642-9900) has a new early bird menu, with $9.95 dishes like BBQ ribs, pasta Bolognese and fish and chips, plus happy hour drink specials. Served up 4-5:30pm nightly. 

• Gift idea: Carmel Valley Wine Experience cellar passes ($50 at cvwineexperience.com) provide a standard flight at eight of the nine participating wineries, including Bernardus, Holman Ranch and Cima Collina, and discounts on purchases.

• Holiday Open House at De Tierra Vineyards (622-9704) happens 5-8pm Friday, Dec. 19, featuring tasty bites and gift specials ($5/general; free for wine club).