Pebble Beach Resorts adds another jewel to its dining crown.
Dining Review “Can you believe this used to be a sand mine?” My dining companion’s initial comment as we sat squarely in the middle of the opulent Tuscan villa-like surroundings that is Péppoli. From sand mine to the Bay Club at the Inn at Spanish Bay to what is now the fifth jewel in the crown of sophisticated restaurants partnered by Marches Iero Antinori—“the most important winemaker in Italy”, according to Wine Spectator magazine—world-class Pebble Beach Resorts just got a whole lot worldlier. Manoel Errico is the restaurant manager at the newly opened Péppoli, a veteran with the company from Spanish
The Delectable Dozen
Once again, another year has gone by and our local restaurants have created much for which many of us are thankful. Each year at this time, I list the dozen or so restaurants, reviewed in the past year, which stand out for me as being above the rest of the pack. This process of picking personal favorites obviously suffers from a subjective bias, but, if nothing else, my list provides a focus for other people to pick over and critique, as a way of identify8ing their own preferences. Over the course of the year, I have written reviews of 50 or so restaurants
Big Boxers
831 Magazine, By Mark C. Anderson Two-time heavyweight champ and former 49er top a rare boxing benefit. They don’t make too many underdogs like this; former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Dana Stubblefield is a world champion weighing more than 300 pounds. But Stubblefield, an All-Pro defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers during a dominant run that peaked with the ‘ 95 Title, is just that, given he’s facing two-time heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe. And theirs is just one of the uniquely intriguing—and unlikely—match ups at Saturday’s Celebrity Boxing for Charity at the Monterey Hyatt Regency. Case in point: It seems
The Colors of Italy
Feast. Food, Wine & Restaurants June 15-21, 2000 The Colors of Italy By Catherine Coburn Little Napoli is big on fresh, rustic flavors. Dining review For a chef/proprietor who never set out to get into the restaurant business, Richard Pepe has surprised even himself. Born in New Jersey to a big Italian family that saw aunts, uncles and grandmothers all competing with one another for the best Bolognese and eggplant parmesan—a contest that would be decided over a course of year spent around the Sunday dinner table—Pepe grew up around the fresh, rustic flavors brought over from Napoli. A baker by trade, by the early
Pepe Acting Saucy!
Carmel restauranteur Rich Pepe is doing something cool with his high school buddy Joe Pantoliano of Matrix and Sopranos fame. As Pepe writes in an e-mail, they've been teaming up for a while. "Joey, known as Joey Pants and an Emmy Award winning actor, was my original partner in my food ventures over 20 years ago," Pepe says. "But even back in our youth, whether it was delivering newspapers or bussing tables in the high school cafeteria, we like to say we've been in business since the 60s." Now they're starting a new venture, a response to all the requests Pepe has gotten
BENVENUTI!
New Péppoli Restaurant Extends a Warm Welcome Italy’s rich tradition, culture and cuisine join in a welcoming embrace at Péppoli at Pebble Beach, the newest restaurant at The Inn at Spanish Bay. Authentic Tuscan-style dishes pair with a wine-centered, casual atmosphere to create memorable dining. Opened in January, Péppoli is named for a wine estate of Piero Antinori, called “the most important winemaker in Italy” by Wine Spectato, June 1999. Recreating the ambiance of a Tuscan villa, the dining room has a grilling villa with a raised fireplace and open spit for roasting nightly specials, two large rustic tables that seat
Péppoli Pleaser “OLIO NUVO” Harvest Celebration
Fresh-pressed premium olive oil, flown in from Tuscany, inspires a special menu at Péppoli. Following the December olive harvest, the first cold pressing of hand picked, destined and skinned ripe fruit from each estate yields the finest-flavored and most expensive oil. Afiorata, made from the cream that rises to the top of that press, is bottled separately and treated with the respect accorded fine wines. Three styles of afiorata, one from an Antinori estate and two others recommended by the Antinoris, infused the specially prepared menu and are available for tasting and discussion. PÈPPOLI AT PEBBLE BEACH & the Antinori Family are proud to
Singing our Culinary Praises
It may come as a shock, but the Monterey County map is littered with fine dining establishments. It won’t build muscle tone or slim your waistline, but here’s a fun exercise for anyone who lovesto eat, and eat well: try counting the number of restaurants that you would go eagerly visit within our fair county. Go ahead. Then prepare yourself for a surprise. Some guidelines: Start by region – Monterey proper, Seaside, Salinas, Marina, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Carmel Valley and so on. Confine your imaginary visit to dinner only. (Breakfast and lunch can be separate pursuits.) And be discriminating –
Jersey on the Plate
Pepe found a place that was in juxtaposition to where he was raised – from the hard knocks ‘whatcha gotta be’ of Hoboken to a new relaxed lifestyle. Rich Pepe was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, a stone’s throw away from Frank Sinatra, who was a family friend. Like most Italian immigrant families, the Pepe home revolved around the kitchen – a pot of fresh sauce boiling on the stove at all times, sometimes crab fetched from the Hudson River. It was there, in his grandparents’ kitchen, alright with the smell of basil and oregano, that a young, scrappy, street
Is it Sauce or Gravy? Tell us what you think.
Get your $25 Gift card for Pepe's Little Napoli in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea.! Growing up in Hoboken, we called it gravy. Today our kids call it sauce. What do you call it? We want to hear your funny or interesting story! In the comment field below, just tell us any story about your childhood that includes pasta sauce or "gravy", make sure you include your email address, and you'll get a $25 gift card. It's that simple.