Edible Skinny presents NorCal Explored: Of Mystery Mansions, Breathtaking Views, and Fine Dining (Vegetarian) Tasting Menus
Edible Skinny loves a road trip like nobody’s fool so last
month were delighted to hop in our ride towards the Bay area! There we explored
Mysterious Mansions, dined on extravagant (and veggie friendly) tasting menus
and at a hotel that has one of the most breathtaking views this country has to
offer!
The Winchester
Mystery House
Our first stop was something for our inner Nancy Drew had
been dying to do for years: a tour of the world famous Winchester Mystery House
in San Jose, California! San Jose's #1 attraction,
this “Mystery House” is the former home of Sarah Winchester, a widow of the
Winchester Rifle fortune. The house is
an extravagant maze of Victorian craftsmanship and eerie eccentricity.
Informed by a Boston Medium she haunted by the spirits of
those who had been killed by the guns that created her fortune she was also
advised to moved westward and build a house until she died.
And so, Winchester constructed her house with
equal parts of money and crazy.
Her additions to the original eight room structure started
around 1884 and continued for nearly 38 years round the clock. The mansion now has 160 rooms spanning 24,000
square feet over six acres. There are
2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 fireplaces, 40 stairways, 13 bathrooms, six
kitchens, three elevators, and two basements.
Legend has it that Walt Disney used the Winchester house as inspiration
for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
With stairs that lead to nowhere, corridors that loop back
on themselves, and doors that open into nothing, this is definitely a house to
be explored at least once!
Hyatt Carmel
Highlands
After our spooky tour we drove down the coastline to spend
the night at the majestic Hyatt Carmel Highlands. This oceanfront retreat, which opened on
July 28, 1917, recently celebrated a birthday turning 100 years old. Both the grounds and the view at the Hyatt
are histrionic, focusing on what NorCal vistas do best: the drama of the
ocean.
Things may have changed over the hotels 100 years, the hotel
has undergone major renovations in the past two years (with the opening of a
new restaurant, a new lounge, new menus, and a new deck), but its mission
remains the same: to offer an exemplary guest experience with impeccable
service, world-class dining and breath-taking views in a hotel that seamlessly
blends the amenities of a large hotel with the refined charm of a boutique
hideaway.
The Hyatt Carmel Highlands staff knows hospitality inside
and out. Upon our arrival we were
bestowed with complimentary glasses of champagne before being golf carted and
umbrella-ed (it’s always on the edge of raining in Carmel) away to our
expansive room with an even more expansive balcony view.
Overnight guests of the Hyatt Carmel Highlands enjoy one of
the 48 non-smoking guestrooms that include 11 suites, 32 Ocean View rooms and
five Garden View rooms. The rooms come
with free Wi-Fi, 42-inch flat screen TVs and fully equipped kitchens. Upgraded suites add private balconies and
tubs. Guests can also enjoy hotel
amenities, like a heated outdoor pool, three outdoor garden spas, and a 24-hour
fitness center. The Hyatt Carmel
Highland offers live entertainment three nights a week and Happy Hour Monday
through Friday.
The room was dusted with the perfect details: fantastically
fluffy towels, high tech coffee maker with local Carmel Coffee Roasting Company
products, and a Hyatt Grand Bed, that was one of the most comfortable things
I’ve slept on in months.
And my favorite part: a natural wood-burning fireplace for
that perfect end of the night fire. Kindling,
newspapers, matches, and tons of different types of logs were provided, for
that perfect snuggling opportunity on a cold rainy night (which is almost every
night in Carmel).
Pacific’s Edge
Restaurant
And even though the temptation of cozy fire was calling we
headed out to partake in all that the Hyatt Carmel Highlands had to offer in
award-winning dining at the newly merged the California Market at Pacific’s Edge.
The fusion of the Hyatt Carmel Highlands' two popular and
award-winning restaurants, the casual bistro California Market and the fine
dining Pacific's Edge. This renovation
created a new 1,200-square-foot deck, featuring louvered roof and glass-panel
walls with dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Big Sur coast.
But the thing that made my eyes sparkle like the sea spray
of the Pacific Ocean was Pacific Edge’s Plant-Based Tasting Menu!
Because the menu is curated by Executive Chef Chad Minton (a
Vegan) it offers a four course locally sourced menu for “you people,” as my
dining companion refers to vegetarians as (she’s my token meat eater when
traveling for work…)
It was as if Gracias Madre had migrated to Big Sur… My first course appetizer was Almond Yogurt
with root vegetables, pistachio granola, and cilantro oil. It looked like a desert, but was wonderfully savory
in taste. The dish was expertly
complimented by a glass of the M. Chapoutier Belleruche Rose from the Cotes de
Rhone. My dining companion had the
Brussel Sprouts featuring crispy Brussel sprouts, kimchi toasted hazelnuts, and
dulse seaweed. Another perfect cozy
plant based dish for a rain soaked night!
And it should be noted how fabulous our waiter, David Bindel,
was. This food specialist had been
working at the restaurant for 12 years and he knew every element of the menu,
pairing, and service in and out. He was
present at our meal, but not overwhelming.
And when Bindel needed to be scarce, he was practically invisible.
My second appetizer was Squash Tom Yum (as dish I adored in
my fish eating days, but never get these days because of the use of Fish Sauce
in Thai dishes..). Composed of charred
vegetables, local mushrooms, and coconut squash broth, it was the favorite dish
of the evening for both myself and my meat eating dining companion. This was paired with a Dr. Loosen Riesling
from Mosel, Germany.
My dining companion’s second course with Pacific Edge’s
famous Octopus featuring octopus braised in olive oil and then finished on the
grill. Peppered with local heirloom baby
potatoes, black garlic emulsion and sorrel it was an unsuspectingly tempting
dish, so tender it could be cut with a spoon.
And I should note the fantastic price point to boot on the
Vegetarian Tasting Menu! For a tasting
menu at a restaurant with a breath taking view this meal is fabulously priced
at $50 per person without wine pairing and $80 with 4 glasses of paired
wine! Quite the delight to your
pocketbook!
My entrée was a Smoked Mushroom dish comprised of king
trumpet mushrooms, heirloom cauliflower, Romesco sauce and pickled mustard
seeds. This dish is the vegetarian
version of the restaurant’s famous scallop dish. Chewy yet tender, the dish utilized liquid
smoke for the perfect taste of the woodsy seaside hamlet of Carmel. My dining companion had a similarly crafted
meal although instead of Veg friendly mushrooms, it was highlighted by scallops. The meal was paired with the fantabulous
Stolpman Vineyard Syrah from Santa Barbara County. The wine was an absolute delight of
earthiness!
I finished off my four course meal with a Chocolate Hazelnut
Tart with burnt marshmallows, wild huckleberry granite and whipped coconut
cream paired with a Tawny from Portugal.
The ultimate bite of sweetness to savory while listening to the
raindrops above.
After our dinner we huddled towards our room under a massive
hotel umbrella, honing in on that finishing fire. When we arrived there was a bottle of
Monterey red begging to be uncorked in front of the flames.
And naturally we had to comply for the perfect button to the
perfect road trip!
Here’s to life being delicious and all roads leading to
NoCal!
Kat Thomas is the
Editor in Chief of Edible Skinny, a site dedicated to making your life postcard
worthy. She is also the CEO of the
creative media company This Way Adventures.
You can find more about both brands at www.thiswayadventures.com
