Cafe Rustica - California, Carmel

10 DelFino Place, Carmel Valley CA 93924
(831) 659-4444
Parking: parking lot
Hours: Tues-Sun 11am - 2:15, 5pm until closing
http://www.caferusticacarmel.com/

Last Visited: 2007

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

At first, I thought I had passed the restaurant. Located in Carmel Valley Village, you drive through the gravel parking lot (at least that's how it was during my visit) and drive past the pottery stores and other shops. Then you see a sign above a patio area and umbrellas that says Cafe Rustica. The patio is divided from the parking lot by trellis work.

The atmosphere is very warm and inviting with lots of wood in the decor. This morning, the sun had just started to stream into the windows creating comfortable lighting.

- Butter Lettuce Salad - Butter lettuce is lightly dressed with a champagne and extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette. The salad is served with cherry tomatoes and garnished with chopped chives. The vegetables were very fresh and nicely dressed. The flavors were just right - not too tart. The portion was small for the price, but the quality of the vegetables were good. $6.75

- Housemade Country Soup - Mushroom soup was the special for the day. As you can see, it comes in a cup. The soup was rich and delicious - you only wish you could have more. Again, slightly expensive for the quantity, but see the note on the bottom about pricing. $6.75

- Flammekueche - Alsatian -Diced prosciutto, onions, fresh thyme, creme fraiche top a thin crust pizza dough that is baked in a wood oven. The combination of ingredients are very good together and the pizza is fine. It wasn't the best pizza I've ever had, but it was good. $12.75

Overall, the food was pretty good although the portions were small for the price. Lowering the price by $1 to $2 would be more reasonable. The place was getting fairly busy throughout the lunch period, and service was not particularly attentive. The pizza took a while to arrive at the table after the first courses and I noticed that some tables got better service than we did.

I would go to Cafe Rustica if I was in the area, but probably wouldn't make a special trip . Based on this visit, there were opportunities for improvement that if addressed, could make this a really terrific place to go for comforting food.

A look at the menu posted on their website shows that pricing has changed. The soup costs less now in 2011 than in 2007. The salad and pizza are slightly more, but still very reasonable increases (less than a dollar over several years).

The Tuck Box - Breakfast/Tea, Carmel

Dolores St. between Ocean & 7th Ave.
Carmel, CA 93921
(831) 624-6365
Parking: street parking
Hours: Open Daily 7:30am - 2:30pm, No reservations
http://www.tuckbox.com/

Last Visited: December 2008

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

I first heard of the Tuck Box through Rachael Ray's $40 a Day television show. Constructed in the late 1920s, and used as a restaurant as early as the 1930s, the building is just so cute that it's hard to resist wanting to check it out. If you know a little kid whom loves fairy tales, this is the perfect place to show him or her.

I have now had the pleasure of visiting The Tuck Box twice, both times for breakfast. During both visits, it's been fairly packed, but the wait has been reasonable (less than twenty minutes) in my opinion.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea. Each table has fresh preserves available, and you can also purchase these in addition to the scone mix that they make through the restaurant and website.

Enter the restaurant and note the high ceilings. One of the best places to sit is in the breakfast nook adjacent to the window if you want to watch all that takes place. I enjoyed sitting there during my second visit.

- Smoked Salmon Benedict - Two poached eggs top smoked salmon on the two toasted English muffin halves and all are covered in a beautiful Hollandaise Sauce. A tomato slice garnishes the plate. The smoked salmon is delicious and I was happy with the dish. $12.75

- Waffle - Home made from their scratch recipe with fresh eggs and buttermilk. Served w/whipped butter & syrup, this waffle is a little flatter than some, but tastes great and is a reasonable price. $6.50

- Scones - You must get these scones. Unlike the type you might find in some bakeries, this is served like a pie with individual slices. The top is slightly crisp and buttered - it's wonderful with fresh preserves (orange marmalade today) and whipped cream. Must try these! $4.50

- Tea - I appreciate that they gave us a large pot of tea to enjoy. $2

The atmosphere is quaint, the food is good, and prices are okay. The servers are accomodating, though there is room for improvement. The Tuck Box will likely continue to be a stop on my Carmel visits.

Another item to note - The Tuck Box doesn't take credit cards, so have your cash ready.

Katy's Place - Breakfast, Carmel

Mission St, between 5th and 6th, Carmel-by-the-Sea
(831) 624-0199
Parking: street parking
Hours: 7am - 2pm
http://www.katysplacecarmel.com/

Last Visited: 2009

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Katy's was already getting packed and it was only about 8am when we arrived. There are a lot of locals amongst the tourists present at the restaurant. The board above the kitchen listed their daily specials. Regular menu items include omelettes, pancakes french toast, oatmeal, and of course, eggs benedict. Katy's features 16 versions of eggs benedict for your enjoyment.

I had looked up Katy's prior to the trip to Carmel and was looking forward to a great breakfast based on all of the positive feedback I saw on the web. While Katy's serves both lunch and breakfast, most people were praising their breakfast items. In terms of the atmosphere, the tables and chairs are typical of what you might find at any other restaurant. The ceiling and chandeliers along with the wall with all of the windows make nice natural lighting.

While we were promptly seated, it took some time before someone came to take our order. The wait time for food was also longer than anticipated.

- Crab Cakes Benedict - The crab cakes benedict was okay. The photo shows that we split the dish (one each), and if you aren't feeling super hungry, this is a good way to enjoy some other items. They are happy to split it for you so you don't have to worry about the hollandaise sauce getting all over the place. The potatoes that accompanied the eggs benedict were also okay - browned and seasoned, but not wow. $16.95

If you prefer one egg benedict - subtract a dollar; for split orders, add $2.50.

- Bacon - The bacon is hickory smoked and sliced extra thick. Four slices to a side order. While the bacon was also good, although I don't remember the price I paid, I do remember thinking it was high.

With tax and tip and no drinks, breakfast was about $30. My overall food experience was just okay. I still enjoyed my visit despite the lack of service. The reason - we sat next to some cool elderly gentleman whom were locals. One formerly worked for the school district and talked about how he used to golf at Pebble Beach for a super low price before it became such a popular destination. When the price got higher, he had a chance to golf there with Clint Eastwood, former mayor of Carmel. Personalities and stories like that made Katy's a worthwhile stop. Hopefully, you'll be as lucky as we were and bump into some fun people to chat with if you decide to check out Katy's.

Another important item to note - this place is cash only, so be prepared.