Posts from — November 2009

Looking for something to do beyond eating leftover turkey and taking care of the Christmas shopping? Here’s our list.

Friday

Cannery Row‘s tree-lighting extravaganza runs from noon until 9pm. Along with the big 6pm tree lighting, there will be live holiday music, live reindeer in front of Bubba Gump from 3-7pm, and a chance to meet Santa Claus from 6-9pm. Free.

Jangly-pop act Lemon Sun comes up from Los Angeles to play Jose’s on Wave Street tonight. San Francisco’s White Stripes-esque Leopold & His Fiction and Salinas indie rockers The Mystery Lights open. 9pm, $5 in advance, $7 at the door. Get a taste of Lemon Sun’s music with this video:

Saturday

The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History goes wild with Monarch Madness. Learn all about butterflies and see live butterflies and caterpillars. There will be butterfly-themed singalongs and storytelling. 11am-3pm, free.

Female-fronted country rockers String of Ponies and acoustic folkies Hymn for Her play Fernwood Resort in Big Sur tonight. 9pm, no cover.

Sunday

The Salinas Holiday Parade of Lights rumbles down Main Street through Oldtown to the National Steinbeck Center. Check out the brilliant floats, giant balloons, classic cars and more. 6pm, free.

Still looking for something to occupy your time? Check out the Monterey County Weekly’s calendar listings.

This page has Thanksgiving dinners that took place in 2009.  Click here for 2011 Thanksgiving dinners in Monterey County.

You could spend Thanksgiving at home with your family, getting frazzled when the big bird just won’t cook – or cooks so much that it’s as if you got a plywood turkey at Home Depot. Or you could save yourself the stress, and go out for a tasty turkey dinner at any one of the restaurants listed below.

Big Sur

Have a great Thanksgiving dinner and fantastic scenery at the Big Sur River Inn Restaurant. Dishes include herb roasted turkey with sourdough sage dressing, maple marshmallow yams, fresh cranberry relish and more. $33 for adults, $15 for children under 12. Call 831-667-2700 to reserve.

Rocky Point Restaurant has a Thanksgiving dinner with a great coastal view. Noon-8pm, $49, call 831-624-2933 to reserve.

Carmel

Jack London’s in Carmel has a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, as well as blackened salmon, rib eye, and their entire regular menu. 11:30am-midnight, $17.95 for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, call 831-624-2336 to reserve.

Pacific’s Edge Restaurant at the Highlands Inn in Carmel offers an amazing prix fixe menu this Thanksgiving. Dishes include foie gras torchon brulée, tuna and scallop ceviche, grilled breast of quail, roasted Tasmanian salmon, forest mushroom crepes, beef tenderloin, maple glazed smoked duck breast and (of course) roasted organic turkey. Click here for a PDF of the menu. 2pm-8pm, $80 for adults, $40 for children 5 to 12, call 831-622-5445 to reserve.

Carmel Valley

Bernardus Lodge has all the traditional Thanksgiving food with a sustainable, local-produce focus, as well as a number of Cal Stamenov’s signaturee dishes, in its Thanksgiving buffet. There will also be wine tasting and hot apple cider by the fireplace. 12pm to 3pm, $72 for adults, $35 for children 5-12, free for children under 5. Call 831-658-3400 to reserve.

Marina

Kula Ranch Island Steakhouse offers a traditional Thanksgiving meal, with a tossed field green salad, butternut squash soup, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, candied yams, stuffing, green beans and pumpkin pie. 2-8pm, $26.95.

Monterey

The Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa is always a reliable destination for a holiday meal. This Thanksgiving they’re offering two separate meals. The Monterey Bay Buffet has over 40 items, including seafood, steamship of beef, duck and chicken paté, cheese and fruit, salads, cold cured meat, smoked salmon, and the traditional turkey. 11am-6pm, $47 for adults, $23 for children. The Duck Club Grill has a four-course Thanksgiving dinner with dishes including roasted squash soup, goat cheese and duck fritter with fig marmalade, roast turkey, lamb chops, grilled Angus, shrimp and scallop skewers, as well as vegetarian options. 1pm to 8pm, starts at $49/person; a complete turkey dinner for four is $189. Call 831-646-1700 to reserve either option.

Just down Cannery Row, Intercontinental the Clement Monterey also has a Thanksgiving dinner with a great view. Noon-8pm, $48 for adults, $24 for children 12 and under, call 831-375-4800 to reserve.

The Sardine Factory has a four-course prix-fixe dinner on Thanksgiving: roasted corn bisque, autumn green salad, roast Diestel turkey with all the trimmings, and dessert options including pumpkin pie, crème Brûlée, and pecan tart. 1-9pm, $39.95 for adults, $35.95 for seniors 65 and older, $17.95 for children under 12, and free for children under 5. Call 831-373-3775 to reserve.

The Monterey Marriott has a Thanksgiving feast with sweeping views of Monterey Bay at its top-floor Ferrantes Bay View room. The buffet includes smoked salmon, cold water snow crab claws, shrimp, a salad bar, baked honey ham, Tuscan herb-rubbed prime rib, chicken breast, wild mushroom agnolotti, corn bread stuffing, roasted halibut, and far more other dishes than we can list. Noon to 7pm, $39 for adults, $19 for children 5-12, call 831-649-4234 to reserve.

Tired of the same old Thanksgiving turkey? TusCA Ristorante at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa offers a sushi bar, pasta station, roast beef, honey roasted ham, grilled salmon and more, as well as the traditional standbys. Click here for the full menu. The Dave Morwood Jazz Band performs live. Dine indoors, or out on the patio. The fee includes champagne, as well as juice, coffee and soda. 1:30pm-8pm, $48 for adults, $24 for children 5 to 12, no charge for children 4 and under.

JACKS at Portola Hotel and Spa has a Thanksgiving extravaganza set. There’s sushi, assorted cheeses, prime rib, salmon, and vegetarian lasagna for the meatless types. Click here for the full menu on their Facebook page. 11am-4pm, $36.95 for adults, $29.95 for seniors, $16.95 for children 5 through 12, free for children 4 and under.

Pacific Grove

Asilomar hosts a Thanksgiving dinner at the Julia Morgan-designed Crocker Dining Hall. There will be a traditional buffet with turkey, ham and all the trimmings. 12:30 to 6:30, $37.69, must call 831-372-8016 to reserve.

Fandango Restaurant’s great Thanksgiving menu includes duckling pate, basque salad, and a choice of entrees including roast tom turkey, roast New York strip, fresh salmon, Virginia baked ham, and Tortellini Maison for the vegetarians, plus traditional desserts. Noon-7:30pm, $29.75 for adults, $16.50 for children 12 and under. Call 831-372-3456 to reserve.

Seaside

Give thanks for great golf at Bayonet and Black Horse. Their Thanksgiving buffet has roast turkey, roasted prime beef, sauteed salmon, cranberry grape compote, candied yams with mini marshmallows, several salads, and more. Coffee and ice tea is included in the cost. 11am-3pm, $27.95 for adults, $13.95 for children 6-12, free for children 5 and under. Call 831-899-5954 to reserve.

It’s the weekend before Thanksgiving, which means the overachievers are busily pre-baking pie crusts and otherwise prepping for the big feast! Take a break from all that early bird cooking and have some fun with this weekend’s top local events.

Friday

Looking for something free and fun to do with the whole family? Local amateur astronomers bring some amazing telescopes to Garland Ranch Regional Park in Carmel Valley for a Star Party, complete with hot drinks and cookies. Starts at sunset, which is 4:55pm tonight, so even the littlest ones can see the stars and be to bed on time. Rain or cloud cover cancels. Free.

Paraiso Vineyards in Soledad hosts a holiday open house, where you can taste wine with Santa Claus. Tell him you want a case of West Terrace Pinot Noir for Christmas. There’s also cheese sampling and caroling. 6-10pm, $10.

Big Sur’s favorite jazz act, Paige Too!, plays the Big Sur River Inn tonight. Drink specials all night. 8-11pm, no cover.

Sarah McCoy and the Zippidy Yeah’s describe themselves as “Gypsy-pirate-folk with a tiny tambourine.” To us, they sound more like a Janis Joplin-led jazz-blues act…with ukelele. Check them out tonight at Bullwackers on Cannery Row. 8pm, no cover.

Mike Beck and the Bohemian Saints play amazing country-tinged rock. If you haven’t heard them, they sound a little like Tom Petty, a little like The Byrds and a lot like something really awesome. See the video below for a preview, They hit Jose’s on Wave Street in Monterey tonight for the first half of a two-night stand. 9pm, $10.

Saturday

Start your holiday shopping – or buy yourself an early present. Crafters from Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties vend all kinds of items, from soaps to wood crafts and more, at the 39th Annual Homecrafters Marketplace at the Sunset Center in Carmel. 9am-3pm, free to attend.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium throws the spotlight on creatures of the air this weekend with Feathered Friends. Get in-depth information about the personal lives of the Laysan albatross, great horned owl, kite, Harris hawk, turkey vulture, the popular black-footed penguin, and many more birds. 10am-6pm, included in admission.

The Del Monte Center in Monterey beats the holiday rush by holding the area’s first Holiday Tree Lighting event, with cookies, hot cocoa, live entertainment and Santa. 5-7pm, free to attend.

All-female string ensemble La Pieta, led by virtuoso Canadian violinist Angèle Dubeau, appears at the Sunset Center tonight in what is bound to be an amazing performance. If you’re not familiar with their work, watch their performance of Philip Glass’s “La Belle & La Bête” below, which will also be performed Saturday night. 8pm. Tickets are $29 to $52 and can be ordered online.

Electro-funk-Latin act Trip Delight Fantastic appear at Bullwacker’s on Cannery Row with live music and a dance performance. 8:30pm, no cover.

Mike Beck and the Bohemian Saints once again rock out at Jose’s on Wave Street. 9pm, $10.

San Luis Obispo folk-rockers Sparrows Gate sound a little like an acoustic Ringside. They play Fernwood in Big Sur tonight with the mysterious and unknown The Shillelahs, a band with no MySpace page. The last time this happened, the mysterious band listed was “The Beatles’s” and it turned out to be a surprise Joanna Newsom gig. We’re not sayin’ anything – we’re just sayin’. 9pm, no cover.

Sunday

Feathered Friends continues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Get the inside information on where birds nest, how they live, and what they eat. 10am-6pm, included in admission.

Geocaching is an outdoor adventure sport in which people search for hidden items (or caches) using a GPS. The caches usually have a log book, so you can say you found it, and a little trove of goodies. It’s a fun way to have an outdoor adventure. The Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District gives beginners lessons in geocaching today at Garland Ranch Regional Park’s “Treasure Hunt: Garland Park!”. GPS units will be provided. 1pm-4pm, $11. Register online under “Family Discoveries.”

Grammy-winning blues phenom Keb’ Mo’ just released a mostly-live independent album last month. You can download a free track from him here. He plays Sunday night at the Sunset Center in Carmel. Only a few seats are left, so buy your tickets now! 7pm, $47-$67.

Instrumental rockers La Fin Du Monde bring their intriguing music to Fernwood in Big Sur tonight. 9:30pm, no cover.

Still looking for something to keep you out of trouble? Check the Monterey County Weekly for even more ideas for things to do.

The weather couldn’t have been better for yesterday’s 2009 Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay. Here’s a few of our photos from the event; keep an eye on our Flickr account as we add more over the next few days!

Gina Furnaro of Cupertino, CA; Rachel Stephenson of Double Oak, TX; Kevin Joyce and Betsy Joyce of San Anselmo, CA; Dana Maksimowicz of Seaside and other runners race down Alvarado Street during the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay.

A keyboard player encourages the racers on Alvarado Street.

Racers, including Nicky Reynicke of Redwood City, Jessica Irwin of San Francisco, and Maurilio Leon of Oakland. round the corner from Alvarado Street onto West Franklin Street.

Racers, including Lynne Cripe of Atlanta, GA; Melissa Evans of Toronto, Canada; Sydney Wothe of Monterey; Dennis O’Dea of Novato and Rahul Abhayankar of Santa Clara run down Tyler Street toward the Lighthouse Avenue Tunnel.

A racer adds some personal style with a pink feather boa.

Another racer wears a purple crown.

Medals for the Big Sur 10 Mile race await runners.

Steven Muange wins the 2009 Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay.

Sergio Reyes (left) and Ezkyas Sisay (right) are neck and neck as they race to the finish line for second and third place…

…and Ezkyas Sisay wins, only one step ahead of Sergio Reyes.

Steven Muange is interviewed after his big win.

Mary Akor wins the women’s division of the 2009 Big Sur Half Marathon.

Heather Sisk of Monterey accepts her Big Sur Half Marathon medal.

Annamaria Chen of Mountain View, California dons her Big Sur Half Marathon medal. Other racers including Mark Goetzmann of St. Louis Park MN and Tammi Blake of Santa Cruz can be seen in the background.

Big Sur Half Marathon medals hang on their rack as volunteers hand the medals to racers including Sarah Brown of Tempe, AZ.

Big Sur Half Marathon racer Kathy Cook of Aptos poses with her hard-earned medal.

Participants and onlookers celebrate on Custom House Plaza.

Do you have some photos from the Big Sur Half Marathon? Got a story to share? Comment and let us know!

John Cleese’s show at the Sunset Center may have sold out, but there’s still plenty more to do this weekend. There’s major events like the Great Wine Escape and Big Sur Half Marathon to keep you busy. Feel like you’re drowning in a plethora of options? Here’s our top picks for this weekend.

Friday

The Great Wine Escape kicks off Friday morning with a series of Coastal Kitchen Seminars throughout the day at Intercontinental: The Clement on Cannery Row. In the evening, there are eleven winemaker dinners to choose from. Buy tickets on the Great Wine Escape Weekend website.

Warm up for the Big Sur Marathon with the Health and Fitness Expo at the Monterey Conference Center. Pick up some new gear, and register for Saturday’s JUST RUN! Just Kids 3K or Run Forrest Run 5K. Expo is free; registration for the races runs from $5 to $27. Noon-6pm.

If you’re a fan of Celtic music, get your tickets now for the “Celtic Winter’s Eve Concert” at the Performing Arts Center of Pacific Grove. The concert, which starts at 7pm, features Molly’s Revenge, Tempest, the Gas Men and Drum Major Michel d’Avenas. If you’re feeling important, attend the VIP reception at 6pm, which features hors d’oeuvres, desserts and cocktails. Tickets for the reception plus concert are $50. Tickets for the concert only are $10 for students and $20 for everyone else. Buy your tickets through the Performing Arts Center of Pacific Grove website.

Saturday

The big races may be sold out, but there’s still a chance to participate in the Run Forrest Run 5K or JUST RUN! Just Kids 3K as part of the Big Sur Half Marathon. Anyone aged 5 or over in good health can participate in either race. Registration starts at Bubba Gump at 6:30am. Fees are $20 for adults and $5 for children 5-17 for the 3K and $27 for adults and $16 for children 17 and under and active military with ID for the 5K. The 3K starts at 8am and the 5K starts at 9am at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company on Cannery Row.

Event company Illusions of Grandeur has decided to clear out their warehouse with a gigantic garage sale, and a number of other businesses in Sand City have decided to join in the fun and make it a community event. 9am-2pm, 479 Elder Avenue.

Why go up to Santa Cruz to see redwoods when you can see a breathtaking redwood grove in your own backyard? The Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District and Big Sur Land Trust’s “Walk Among Giants” event offers two unique hikes through the redwoods of the Mitteldorf Preserve. The first hike is 3.5 miles with a 1000 foot elevation gain; the second is 5 miles and a 1,900 foot elevation gain. 9am-3pm, free. Register in advance online under “Teen to Adult Explorations.”

The Great Wine Escape has several options available for a day of oenophile fun. Take a self-guided wine tour of Carmel Valley or the Salinas Valley from 11am-5pm for $25. Let someone else do the driving and take a hosted wine tour of Carmel Valley or the Salinas Valley, which includes educational elements, from 10am-5pm for $65. Or go for the full educational experience and take the Winemaker For a Day tour at Paraiso Vineyards from 9:30am to 4pm for $85. Order tickets on the Great Wine Escape Weekend website.

The Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce holds its 21st annual Holiday Fashion Show and auction at Asilomar’s Merrill Hall tonight. View fashions from eight boutiques, eat a strolling dinner, enjoy live entertainment, and bid on over 150 trips, restaurant certificates, golf packages and more. 5:30pm-8pm, $20.

Taste fantastic wines and gourmet food at the Wine Enthusiast’s Signature Dinner or one of three Winemaker Dinners as part of the Great Wine Escape Weekend. 7pm, $150 for Wine Enthusiast’s Signature Dinner, $95 for Winemaker’s Dinner. Reserve online.

Sunday

It’s too late to register for the Big Sur Half Marathon or 10-Mile Walk/Run, but you can still cheer the racers on! The course runs down Del Monte, around Lake El Estero, through downtown, through the Custom House Tunnel onto Foam Street, down to Cannery Row, along Ocean View in Pacific Grove, down Lighthouse in Pacific Grove, along the coast to Asilomar, and then back to Custom House Plaza. Both races start at 7am.

The Great Wine Escape Weekend comes to a blockbuster end with the Grand Finale at Intercontinental The Clement. Taste wine from over 30 wineries and food from many of Monterey County’s finest restaurants, and watch chef demonstrations. Noon-3pm, $90. Buy tickets online at the Great Wine Escape website.

The Listening Place Reader’s Theater performs a live reading of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and The Remarkable Rocket at the Monterey Museum of Art La Mirada. 1:30pm. $5 for the general public, free for MMA members.

Still looking for something to do? Check out the Monterey County Weekly’s calendar section.

Friday

The Big Sur Food and Wine Festival kicks off its first year with some fabulous daytime wine tastings and great winemaker dinners at the Redwood Grill at Fernwood Resort, the Big Sur Roadhouse, the Big Sur Bakery and The Restaurant at Deetjen’s Inn. Reserve online, or call 831-667-0800.

The Salinas First Fridays Art Walk has live music, great art, tasty refreshments – and best of all, it’s free. 5pm-8pm, 100-300 blocks of Main Street and surrounding blocks (look for the yellow silk flags).

Catch a preview performance of the Hyperion Project winner “La Honda,” a film-noir style story of a father and son in love with the same woman, put on by Pacific Repertory Theatre at the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel. 7:30pm, tickets are $16-$35. Call 831-622-0100 to reserve.

Jose’s on Wave Street in Monterey rocks with Advanced Man early Genesis-influenced locals Teen Inc, and the droney ambient Oakland indie artists Alright Class. 9pm, $5.

Darktown Rounders bring their quirky, often funny roots music to Fernwood Resort in Big Sur tonight. 9:30pm, free.

Saturday

The Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District wants you to take a hike! Get a free tour of Mill Creek Preserve, a local park with restricted access that few people ever get to see. Saturday’s free 5.5 mile hike includes a walk through redwood groves, great views of the ocean, and a minimal elevation gain of 230 feet. 10am, free. Register online under “Free Guided Hikes” (look for the one titled “Tremendous Trees of Mill Creek”) to get directions.

The final day of the Big Sur Food and Wine Festival has five great tastings and panels, as well as great winemaker dinners at Big Sur Bakery, Deetjens Inn, Esalen Institute and a great benefit dinner at Ventana Inn Restaurant. Reserve online, or call 831-667-0800.

The new play “La Honda” premieres tonight at the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel. 7:30pm, tickets are $16-$35.

The Sunset Center in Carmel takes on a very different vibe tonight as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees WAR blow the roof off with songs like Low Rider and Why Can’t We Be Friends. 8pm. Tickets are $47, $58 and $67.

Jose’s gets loud tonight with Pleatherface, 3 Dead and Kicked In. 9pm, $5.

Santa Cruz’s Danjuma & Onola play light, danceable Afrobeat that will make you feel like summer never ended. They play Fernwood in Big Sur tonight. 9pm, free.

Sunday

The Listening Place Reader’s Theater performs a live reading of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and The Remarkable Rocket at the Monterey Museum of Art La Mirada. 1:30pm. $5 for the general public, free for MMA members.

Catch a matinee of “La Honda” today at the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel. 2pm. Tickets are $16-$35.

Still looking for something to do? Take a look at the Monterey County Weekly’s calendar listings for even more ideas.

A photo of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s most recent resident from September 23rd

Just after sunrise this morning, the Monterey Bay Aquarium released its most recent great white shark into the wild. The young female great white has been fitted with two electronic tracking tags, which will deliver data on the shark’s habits in the wild to scientists via satellite.

Aquarium fans will have to wait until at least Summer 2011 to see another great white shark at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Aquarium plans to renovate the Outer Bay exhibit starting in late August 2010, and will not house another great white there until renovations are complete.

Did you get a chance to see the great white during her 69 days in the Outer Bay exhibit? Tell us your stories, and show us your pictures!