Just past Point Lobos State Park and overlooking Otter Cove, The Hyatt Carmel Highlands sits on a cliff above the Pacific. Opened on July 28, 1917, as the Highlands Inn by J. Franklin Devendorf, co-founder of the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, the property was purchased prior to the opening of Highway 1. According to Managing Director Melvin Bettcher, back then, people thought … [Read more...] about 100 Years of Hospitality
Food & Wine
Message in a Bottle
It’s 1915, the first full year of World War I. On the Western Front, the French launch their second offensive against the German army in Champagne. France is under siege, and in villages such as Musigny, the absence of men and horses put women in charge of everything—including the noble art of winemaking. Despite unprecedented challenges, this Burgundian appellation in eastern … [Read more...] about Message in a Bottle
Tailgate, Mina Style
I have been a 49er fan for over 25 years. During that time, I’ve attended Super Bowl games and victory parties, rubbed elbows with fellow fans, and observed celebrities and politicians lose their minds over an interception or a bad call against their beloved ’Niners. Football and food were the great equalizers at all of these games but there was never a car trunk or portable … [Read more...] about Tailgate, Mina Style
A Grape Success*
Like many young men in the 1850s, George Boekenoogen packed his hopes and dreams into a covered wagon and headed west in search of gold. Prospecting did not pan out for the dogged Dutchman, so he moved to the fertile foothills of the Salinas Valley, where he started a family legacy around row crops and cattle. George's great-grandson, John Boekenoogen, followed in those … [Read more...] about A Grape Success*
A Culinary Genius*
Palettes quiver and chefs shiver at the mere mention of the name Thomas Keller, a king among princes in the gastronomic arena. He founded world-famous The French Laundry restaurant in California's Yountville in 1992. Bouchon, Per Se and Ad Hoc followed over the next few years from the West Coast to New York. Keller is the 'Michelin Man,' and not the kind made out of … [Read more...] about A Culinary Genius*