Posts from — May 2010

Sure, technically the first day of summer isn’t for another three weeks, but (at least for Americans) the three-day Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer season. It’s time to break out the grill, hang out at the beach, and celebrate the long weekend with the following events.

Friday

Classic rock cover band Cheeky Spanks have won the Best Band award in the Monterey County Weekly reader’s poll for two years running. Find out why tonight at Bullwackers. 8:30pm-midnight, 653 Cannery Row Monterey, no cover.

San Francisco’s St. Mawr sound a little like Ryan Adams, a little like Broken Social Scene, with the occasional dollop of Modest Mouse for flavor. Tourmates Torches in Trees play music that is melodic, psychedelic, and frequently quite gentle. They play tonight at Jose’s Lounge Underground. 9pm, 638 Wave Street Monterey, $5.

Saturday

Reggae and roots music fans, don’t miss out on the Roots Music Festival at the Monterey County Fairgrounds! The festival features headliners The Dirty Heads and Tribal Seeds, along with local favorites Hallway Ballers and 15 other bands. Gates open at 10pm; first band plays at 11am. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online.

Few people ever get access to the beautiful Mill Creek Redwood Preserve. Today is your chance to take a guided tour on the “Bear Trap Trail Trek” from the Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District. Space is limited; reserve early. 10am-2pm. Palo Colorado Canyon Road (6 miles east of Highway One), Big Sur. $6 ($5 for District residents). Register online under “Family Discoveries.”

It’s a book lover’s weekend in Big Sur with the Big Sur Book and Bake Sale at Ripplewood Resort. There will be 8,000 books and about 8 billion calories’ worth of baked goods for sale; proceeds benefit the Big Sur Library. 10am-4pm, Highway One in Big Sur, free to attend.

The Mucky Duck celebrates Memorial Day Weekend with “Blues, Brews and B.B.Q.” Local blues act Blues at Eleven and A Little Taste of Soul provide the blues music; The Mucky Duck serves up a southern spread of tri-tip barbecue, fried chicken, mac ‘n cheese and more. 1pm-5pm, 479 Alvarado St. Monterey.

Warm up for the 100th California Rodeo Salinas with this weekend’s Parkfield Ranch Rodeo. Professional and amateur cowboys and cowgirls will compete in bronc riding, team roping, team penning, barrel racing, and more. After the competition, put on your dancin’ boots for the rodeo dance with Monte Mills and his Lucky Horseshoe Band. 5pm. V6 Ranch, 66450 Parkfield Coalinga Road, Parkfield. $10/adults, $5/kids ages 6 to 10.

Passionate pop band Brightmillion play Jose’s tonight with local favorites Candyflip. 9pm, 638 Wave Street Monterey, $5.

The Al James Power Trio brings their unique blend of rock and jazz to Bullwacker’s tonight. 8:30pm-midnight, 653 Cannery Row Monterey, no cover.

Afrobeat band Danjuma & Onola are sure to make your hips shake. They play Fernwood in Big Sur tonight. 9pm, Highway One, no cover.

Sunday

The Big Sur Book and Bake Sale continues at Ripplewood Resort. 10am-4pm, Highway One in Big Sur, free to attend.

The Cachagua Playboys bring their “surf zydeco” sound to Sunday brunch at the Big Sur River Inn. 1pm-5pm, Highway One, no cover.

The Parkfield Ranch Rodeo continues with bronc riding, team roping, team penning, barrel racing, and more. 1:30pm. V6 Ranch, 66450 Parkfield Coalinga Road, Parkfield. $10/adults, $5/kids ages 6 to 10.

Phoenix’s The Constellation Branch have been described as sounding like Radiohead gone punk. They play Jose’s tonight along with sweet and introspective electro-acoustic locals The Dreamer and the Sleeper and San Jose’s indie rockers The Record Winter. 9pm, 638 Wave Street Monterey, $5.

Monday

It’s your last chance to get a literary steal at The Big Sur Book and Bake Sale at Ripplewood Resort. Will you find some out-of-print gem? 10am-4pm, Highway One in Big Sur, free to attend.

If you’ve never been to an auto race, it can be hard to describe why it would be exciting. After all, aren’t you just watching cars go by over and over again? Couldn’t you just do that by standing on a highway overpass?

No, not really. Even on the Autobahn, cars don’t go at such high speeds — and they certainly don’t pass each other with such nail-biting aggressiveness. When you watch a race at the track, your entire body resonates with the loud thrum of the engines as the cars pass. As soon as the first racer makes a critical mistake, it becomes clear just why so many Americans are fans of the sport.

This Sunday cars raced in the Monterey Sports Car Championships, a segment of the American Le Mans Series event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. There were six different races, all unique. Each one featured different makes of cars and different conditions, and each race was more thrilling than the last. More than once, cars slid off the track into the gravel, and then corrected in order to return to the pavement. At least one car lost a fender in one of these incidents, and proceeded to do several laps with a chunk of its frame exposed.

One of the most fascinating places to sit was in the bleachers directly across from the pit. Cars would limp in, and the pit crew would leap out, working in a frenzy to fix the car as quickly as possible. And sometimes, even when the car seemed fixed, it wasn’t.

This photo shows the pit crew trying to push-start this race car. The stubborn engine wouldn’t catch. As cars raced by in lap after lap, the crew pushed it forward and dragged it back over and over again, trying to get it to start. Finally, they all ran, shoving it and shouting loudly enough to carry across the course. It started, and the car went back into the fray.

At lunchtime, beautiful classic cars of every vintage took to the track for several laps. Though these laps weren’t as fast as during the races, sometimes watchers still held their breath, waiting to see if a car would make a curve.

When talking about racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, however, one mustn’t forget the magnificent natural backdrop. The track is in the middle of the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, which also has truly spectacular campgrounds perched on top of hills surrounding the track. Sitting at campsite 113, here was the view of the track, with cars going up to the infamous Corkscrew:

And here was the view in the other direction, out to the Gabilan Mountains:

Many other campsites have equally brilliant sightlines, both of the racetrack and of the surrounding scenery. As a spectator, it can be easy to get momentarily distracted by the great views, which can make one wonder: how do the drivers manage to focus on the track when they’ve got such gorgeous vistas surrounding them?

Find out about the excitement of motor racing first-hand on July 23-25, when MotoGP’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix comes to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Possibly the most popular motor racing events in the world, MotoGP features the world’s top motorcycle riders whipping around the track at speeds that sometimes surpass 200 miles per hour. Those speeds are one thing with the shell of an automobile surrounding the driver; it’s quite another with nothing between the rider and the track and turns so tight that many racers’ knees nearly touch the ground.

MotoGP only comes to the US twice a year, and July 23-25 is your only chance to see these races on the West Coast. Tickets are on sale now at the official Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca website.

For the convergence of sustainability and delectability (we’re sure that’s a word) there was no better place to be Friday night than the Cooking For Solutions Gala at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. California’s best wineries and top chefs from around the country converged on the Aquarium, turning it into one giant, tasty, and most importantly, sustainable, buffet.

The Coastal Living Lounge

Unfortunately, some of our favorite foods vanished before we could get a photo. (Someone must have absconded with them! We swear!) We’re sorry we can’t show you delicious dishes like the unexpected, refreshing and tender black eyed pea calamari and the outstanding catfish mini tacos. The braised pork in clam shell buns from Charles Phan of Slanted Door were outrageously good, the sort of thing a person could live on for the rest of their life.

We did manage to get a photo of several of the yummy entrees, however.

The mini carrot on top of the braised beef made this as much a delight for the eyes as for the mouth. Thanks to Carol, who identified this as a dish by Rod Uncangco, Executive Chef at the Inn at Spanish Bay at Pebble Beach!

Jesse Ziff Cool’s wild Alaska smoked salmon croquettes were perfectly presented.

These braised beef short ribs from chef Greg Wangard of Marisol at the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach were melt-in-your-mouth delectable.

Even vegetarians had tasty foods to choose from, such as the gnocchi from Il Fornaio on the left and the crisp and palate-cleansing kale salad from Esalen on the right.

Sadly, we also missed photos of some great desserts. Crowds mobbed the chocolate-dipped strawberry table. The strawberries injected with amaretto, served with fondue, were a messy joy. The cotton candy at the exit filled guests with child-like joy. There were several other standouts, as well.

These chocolates from Palo Alto’s Shokolaat were beautiful to look at. It was a shame we had to disturb the presentation in order to devour them all!

Who knew lavender creme brulée could be so good? Well, clearly, the folks from Stanford University Catering knew.

It was a fantastic evening full of absolutely delightful cuisine. If these photos tempt your tastebuds, start making plans now for Cooking For Solutions 2011! And for even more photos, see our Cooking For Solutions Flickr set.

Our two winners of the Monsters Are Not Myths contest are Caitlin and Christina. Congratulations!

Don’t miss the Monsters Are Not Myths show Saturday night at Jose’s Lounge Underground, 638 Wave St., Monterey!

There’s signs that summer’s on the way. The sun is out, flowers are blooming and every weekend is full of great events!

Cooking For Solutions is the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s annual celebration of sustainable cuisine. Friday night features the Cooking For Solutions gala, while Saturday is full of celebrity chef cooking demonstrations at the Aquarium, a Sustainable Foods Information Fair and “Food and Wine Adventures” throughout the region (two of which still have open slots). The Friday-night Gala is $150 for the general public and $120 for members. The Sustainable Food Information Fair is included with Aquarium admission. Other events range from $60 to $225. Call 831-647-6886 to purchase tickets.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is full of thrilling auto-race action with the American Le Mans Series Monterey. The central race, the American Le Mans Monterey, takes place from 2:30 to 8:30pm on Saturday, but there’s even more race action throughout the weekend, from Friday’s practice and qualifying races to eight additional races on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets range from $30 to $70. Buy tickets at the gate, from Ticketmaster, or at any of the outlets listed on the official website.

Take a time machine back to the days of poodle skirts and greaser style with the Monterey Rock & Rod Festival at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. Friday night features a sock hop, while Saturday and Sunday feature classic car competitions as well as live performances by the Shirelles, Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, the Chicano All Stars, Trusting Lucy and more. Tickets range from $10 to $25. Buy tickets at the official Monterey Rock and Rod website.

Friday

Female-led instrumental progressive metal act Granted Earth play Jose’s Lounge Underground tonight alongside moody low-fi rockers Commissure and local experimental rockers Minus Tides. 9pm. 638 Wave St. Monterey. $5.

Saturday

Here’s an early-morning hike worth getting out of bed for. The Monterey Bay Tracking Club teaches you how to identify the signs left behind by wild animals at “Reading the Signs: Animal Tracking.” 8am-11am. Fort Ord Public Lands. $6 ($5 for residents of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District). Register online under “Teen to Adult Explorations.”

Buy some beautiful, drought-tolerant plants for your garden, enter a raffle and learn about the history of Monterey‘s formal gardens at the Historic Garden League of Monterey’s History in Bloom event. All proceeds go toward maintaining Monterey’s historic gardens. 10am-2pm, in the Casa del Oro Garden at the corner of Monterey’s Scott and Pacific Streets. Free to attend.

Take a winemaker-led tour of Ingrid’s Vineyard followed by a tasting of new release Bernardus wines at Bernardus Lodge. 1pm-2:30pm. 415 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. $25.

Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” is one of the most famous classical works of the 20th century. You’ve heard it in film and TV ranging all the way from “10″ to “Doctor Who” and as the background for many ice dancing and figure-skating performances (such as the above). It’s the centerpiece of the final show of the Monterey Symphony’s season, along with his Concerto for the Left Hand, Turina’s Sinfonia sevillana and Rodrigo’s Per la flor del Iliri blau. Final rehearsal 2pm; performance at 7pm. Sherwood Hall, 940 N. Main St., Salinas. Final rehearsal tickets are $15; performance tickets are $20 and $39 and can be purchased at the official website.

Indie band Monsters Are Not Myths, described as a mix of “Modest Mouse, Queens of the Stone Age and Barenaked Ladies,” play Jose’s tonight with reggae rockers Fighting Chance. Make sure to enter our contest to win free tix to the show and free CDs by noon Friday! 9pm. 638 Wave St. Monterey. $5.

The Mazzy Starr-esque Bermuda Triangle Service return to Fernwood Lodge in Big Sur tonight, along with Americana-influenced The Spindles. 9pm, Highway One, no cover.

Sunday

Patrick Tregenza, who normally hits the stage as drummer for “hard-bop jazz” act Along Came Betty, plays a low-key show today at the Big Sur River Inn as “Patrick Tregenza and Friends.” 1pm-5pm, Highway One, no cover.

The Monterey Symphony performs a program of Maurice Ravel’s Bolero and Concerto for the Left Hand, Turina’s Sinfonia sevillana and Rodrigo’s Per la flor del Iliri blau. 3pm. Sunset Center, 8th and San Carlos, Carmel. Tickets range from $35 to $69 and can be purchased at the official website.

In what will undoubtedly be one of the most interesting shows of the next several weeks, artsy and mysterious LA act Essay play Jose’s tonight with Santa Cruz electro-disco act Nursery. 9pm. 638 Wave St. Monterey. $5.

The contest is now closed. Thanks for participating!

San Francisco’s quirky, indie Monsters are Not Myths are playing this Saturday at Jose’s Lounge Underground in Monterey. And you could win a free CD, and even tickets to the show!

Comment with the name of your favorite monster to enter. (Make sure to fill out the “e-mail” field so we can contact you!)

On Friday at noon, we’ll pick two commenters. The winner will get free entry for themselves and a guest to the Monsters are Not Myths show Saturday night at Jose’s Lounge Underground, plus two copy of the band’s recent CD “Corporate Grown” (one for themselves and one for a guest – or heck, you could be greedy and keep them both). The runner up will get a copy of “Corporate Grown.” We’ll announce the winners on the blog, on Twitter and on Facebook.

What are you waiting for? Comment to enter now!

There’s a lot of great events going on throughout the weekend in Monterey County!

For the artistic crowd, nothing could be better than the Carmel Art Festival, which runs from Thursday through Sunday. Painters duke it out mano a mano in the plein air competition (no body-checking, guys), plus there’s lectures, receptions, gallery events, an outdoor art show at Devendorf Park in Carmel, and more.

Only in Monterey County would the county fair have both bull-riding and a wine competition! The Salinas Valley Fair, which also runs from Thursday through Sunday, features live music, a craft and 4-H exhibit, and a carnival as well as bull-riding and the Monterey Wine Competition Grand Wine Tasting.

Castroville Artichoke Festival by kthrynileen

Celebrate all things artichoke at the Castroville Artichoke Festival on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to artichokes in every way you can eat them (artichoke burritos? Check! Artichoke muffins? Check! Artichoke ice cream? Check!) there’s cooking demos, wine tasting, arts and crafts, a farmers market, tours of the artichoke fields, live music on three stages, and a parade. The most interesting event may be the Agro Art competition, in which teams build amazing artistic creations from fruits and vegetables.

Friday

See one of the future’s great classical voices for free at the Sunset Center tonight. Devon Guthrie, winner of the 2009 Carmel Music Society annual vocal competition, performs selections from Strauss, Debussy, Mozart, and more. Pianist Nathan Brandwein will accompany her. 8pm, San Carlos St. at 9th Avenue in Carmel, free.

Get a thrashtastic start to your weekend at Jose’s, with metal bands Hysteria, Praetorian, Gorphyryac and Miseria. 8pm, 638 Wave St. Monterey, $5.

Saturday

A familiar sight by tsallam

Take a rare tour of highly restricted Palo Corona Park with an expert biologist, and learn all about the breeding and migration habits of the area’s birds. The MPRPD offers this great “Wild Adventure at Palo Corona.” 8:30am-1pm, Palo Corona Park in Carmel, $22 ($2 discount for MPRPD residents). Register online, click on “Teen to Adult Explorations” and then “Wild Adventure at Palo Corona.”

The greatest young pianists in California, Oregon and Washington compete for the Carmel Music Society’s award at the Sunset Center San Carlos St. at 9th Avenue in Carmel. Finalists will perform from 10am to noon and 1:30 to 3:30pm; the three prize winners will perform at 8pm. Free.

Watch firefighters strut their stuff and compete for accolades at the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade Muster at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The brigade competes against other area fire crews in a battle to see who’s the best. 11am-4pm, $12/adults, $6/children under 12.

Taste limited-release wines and rare vintages at the fourth annual Santa Lucia Highlands winegrowers’ gala, A Highlands Fling. This year’s event takes place at Hahn Estates and features nearly 30 wineries, as well as fine hors d’oeuvres. 2-5pm. 37700 Foothill Road, Soledad. $85; purchase tickets on the official website.

EARS (the Elephants of Africa Rescue Society) hosts a fantastic fundraising gala, “Passport to Italy,” at Vision Quest Ranch, on River Road in Salinas. The event includes complimentary award-winning wine, a no-host full bar, a full dinner, live music, and a special presentation by EARS. 4:30pm-late, Vision Quest Ranch, $125 per person, call 831-455-2447 to reserve.

Fernwood Resort becomes Deadhead central tonight when Grateful Dead tribute band The China Cats takes the stage. 9pm, Highway One in Big Sur, no cover.

Sunday

Tour Monterey’s historic homes and gardens and get the inside scoop on the area’s legendary past from an expert. Historian Monica Hudson leads the tour offered by the MPRPD. 12:30pm-2:30pm, downtown Monterey, $11 ($1 off for MPRPD district residents). Register online at the official MPRPD site; click on “Family Discoveries” and then “Lifestyles of Monterey’s Past.”

Local jazz/rock trio Andreas Fault plays the Big Sur River Inn. 1-5pm, Highway One in Big Sur, no cover.

It’s a monster-MONSTER-MONSTER!!! Sunday at the Salinas Sports Complex with Monster Jam 2010! Watch Grave Digger (in video above), Maximum Destruction, The Patriot, Tropical Thunder, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Bounty Hunter, Obsessed, Blue Thunder, Shocker and Superman tear up the Salinas Sports Complex. Plus, the Pit Party is free and open to the public! Gates open at noon; show time and the Pit Party start at 2pm. 1034 N. Main St., Salinas; parking is off N. Main St. and Maryal Drive. Buy tickets online at the official website.