Pescadero

It’s rare for a new restaurant to hit the ball out the park, but Pescadero isn’t exactly a new restaurant, but a new concept from a trusted team in a familiar space. Where there was once trendy Spanish tapas, there’s a trendy take on Cali-meets-Mexico cuisine, and the vibe is as vibrant as ever, furnishing a dining experience that works like treasure for a town that can sometimes seem stagnant.

After seven years doing the Mundaka thing, owner Gabe Georis has updated the style and menu of the place while keeping the lively atmosphere intact. Former Executive Chef Brandon Miller helped him develop some of the recipes, then departed to deepen his passion for beer-focused food and drink at downtown Monterey’s Alvarado Street Brewery.

On a warm Saturday evening, the mood was cool and relaxed on the patio wedged outside the restaurant and its sister joint Barmel and the overflow former cafe space next door (also owned by Georis). A friendly server made his rounds around a flowery fountain and remained attentive as he delivered drinks like the refreshing Mezcal Mule with ginger beer and lime ($11.95) and the Tamarind Sour with rye whiskey and lemon ($12.95). Their take on a Baja margarita with Damiana ($10.95) was temptingly delicious in its simplicity, and cooling and clean to boot.

Not wasting any time, we were handed a bowl of chips and a tray of four different salsas ranging from mild to… insane. A gentle pico de gallo with onion, cilantro and some jalapeños on raw tomato was my favorite (it usually is), but the others were enjoyable to play with, seeing just how much we could handle. The first – an unassuming blend of tomatoes and roasted garlic – had a much stronger kick than anticipated. The green tomatillo salsa was tasty and left my mouth more on fire. By the time I was done with the ultimate spice level, a peanut salsa with habanero, my nose was running and I couldn’t stop hiccupping. Well done.

My companion and I couldn’t resist the tableside guac. The tender avocado was ground before us with a mix of red onion, cilantro and jalapeño. It was the yummiest thing on the table until the next item, which seemed to be the general theme. Things got better as we continued on with smoked tuna and eggplant empanadas (as this is a rotating thing, those ingredients are off the menu for the moment). We agreed that it was one of the most unusual and memorable dishes either of us has tried. That’s a big claim, but that’s how good it was (fingers crossed that it will return to the menu).

As the meal went on, we continued to be impressed. We nibbled between the arrachera steak tampiquena ($24.95) and lamb T-bone chops with fries ($16.95). The chops came surprisingly thin but with heaps of flavor, particularly from the chimichurri-style sauce which was a masterpiece itself. With bites of soft fries, it was a very interesting plate that I didn’t previously know existed but was happy to devour.

We were handed four salsas ranging from mild to… insane.

The steak held its own, with a medium rare flank that the server described as “marbled like skirt but eats like filet.” He was right: The marble delivered a deep flavor while the tenderness was on point, with the added bonus of a peppery crust and smoky aroma. Cilantro rice, pinto beans and a little guac and pico de gallo completed the flavor equation.

We left stuffed and satisfied, and I was more than a little willing to try out the lunch menu on a random Wednesday.

The whole charm of the place was alive and well as my colleague and I slid into an adorable table almost tucked away by curtains. The wall next to us brought nostalgia and fun together with a haphazard collage of black-and-white candid family photographs. Uplifting Spanish music played in the background.

Queso con rajas ($6.95) started us off after coming highly recommended by our server. Strips of flavorful poblano pepper sunk in a bowl of melty mozzarella and queso fresco. Thin onions added depth, and I was tempted to pick the bowl up and lick it clean. Instead I settled for bottomless tortilla chips fried in-house, a deal I was willing to take.

Not one to pass on tacos, I tried the rockfish ($16.95) which came with rice, beans and some pickled radishes and carrots. Other taco options include shrimp or avocado, and all three come beer-battered on homemade corn tortillas, which are cooked outside on summer afternoons. A small mountain of cabbage set the stage for the crunchy rockfish, which had just the right amount of subtle fishy aroma. Decorated with roasted tomatillo sauce and touch of peanut salsa and tons of pico de gallo, they were fresh, hearty and everything fish tacos should be.

The carnitas burrito ($13.95) brought it all home in a giant wrap almost splitting at the seams with shredded pork and beans. Between the melt-in-your-mouth tortilla, the crema dotted prettily on top and the well-handled main ingredient, the meal embodied the emotional effort that went into making it, and into creating Pescadero itself. It’s hard to present a meal in which you can truly taste the love, and with every plate here I could.

PESCADERO
San Carlos and Seventh, Carmel
11:30-3pm daily; 5-9pm Sun-Thu; 5-9:30pm Fri-Sat.
(831) 624-7400
facebook.com/pescaderocarmel