Monterey County’s mixology pioneer has a new gig in Carmel. Expect him to make a splash.

Last summer, Anthony Vitacca – arguably the most innovative mixologist in the area code – could be found behind the bar at C restaurant + bar on Cannery Row. That was where he initially landed in the wake of hospitality industry layoffs that came down like an anvil in the early days of Covid.

Vitacca previously worked behind the bar at Montrio in Monterey for 18 years, and created a cocktail menu that was unmatched locally with its playfulness and refinement. It was chock-full of drinks with obscure ingredients and unusual twists that had a singular quality to them – cocktails you would never dream up in your own home, unless you’re someone like Vitacca, who obsesses over the craft.

When I saw him in August at C restaurant, he didn’t have a cocktail program yet – due to supply chain issues, he was having trouble sourcing artisan liqueurs – but he asked if he could make me a drink. I suggested a tequila base, and I watched him, for about 30 seconds, turn the wheels in his brain, and then he said “Got it,” and set to work.

What he dreamed up was a cocktail with Avion tequila, Aperol and Pavan, a French botanical liqueur made from Muscat grapes and orange blossom water, and a neatly shaved slice of lemon zest. For sweetness, he left the bar, grabbed a single-serving jar of marmalade off a table from the restaurant and mixed it with all the above, and what he ultimately created was, and remains, one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had. That he called it “May the Schmalz be with you” might have something to do with that assessment, but I don’t think so.

On a recent Friday afternoon, Vitacca, standing near the northeast corner of Seventh and Dolores in Carmel, points up to the sign above his new workplace – Bar Napoli – and says, “This is what we’re changing. Straight and to the point. This is a bar.”

It’s a reimagining of the space long known as Vino Napoli, a wine bar and retail establishment owned by Rich Pepe, a Carmel chef and restaurateur who also owns the adjacent Little Napoli, along with Vesuvio and Carmel Bakery. Vitacca is now the wine and spirits director for Pepe’s restaurants. The role came about after several meetings with Pepe and Pepe’s sons about how long of a leash he required to make the cocktail menus pop.

“I need to have creative freedom,” Vitacca says.

He’s been given that freedom, and he already has a signature cocktail menu on offer for Bar Napoli (and Little Napoli), and is working on two more: one for Vesuvio, and another for its rooftop Star Bar. And the cocktail deals on the Bar Napoli happy hour menu – which runs from 4-6pm Wednesday through Sunday – are priced at $7.50.

“I’m competitive,” Vitacca says. “I want to be the best. I want the best cocktail program, that’s just my nature. That’s what I’m passionate about – liquor and spirits – and I want to make a big splash.”

Back behind the bar at Bar Napoli, Vitacca talks about his plans, in the works, to increase shelving behind the bar so he can have an “eye candy” display that includes things like pear brandy with fruit inside the bottle, often a conversation starter. He is a man in his element, with a monk-like aura of Zen in this space.

Like many people, if not most, Vitacca couldn’t foresee his future some 20 years ago when he moved to the area, on a whim, from Hawaii with his wife, Tuyet Mai. He was focused on making a quick buck behind a bar, wherever that may be, but when he picked up the book The Art of the Bar, he found his passion. “That’s when I started taking it to the next level. I discovered I was pretty good at creating cocktails, and I enjoyed doing it.”

Both his skill in creating cocktails, and his enjoyment in doing it, are self-evident, and as he’s mixing behind the bar, he even tells me he’s considering adding “May the Schmalz be with you” to one of his new menus, likely substituting an Italian liqueur for the Pavan. I don’t much care if he keeps the name – though it does have a nice ring to it – but I do hope he keeps the recipe.