The provenance of the name "Cachagua" (pronounced Ka SHOU wa) is lost to the sands of time. "However," according to the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, "its use goes back to the 1850s with the spelling ‘Jassagua,' which likely has native Esselen or Spanish influences." Today, the region is known as a tightly knit and somewhat insular community. It's also the nexus of … [Read more...] about An Appellation Like No Other
Food & Wine
The Magic of Mushrooms in Monterey
Forest-Foraged Fungi Make Their Way Into the Spotlight
Mention mushrooms and the responses are as varied as the number of fungi. Some become whimsical about foraging through the forests of Big Sur, searching for tasty morsels, while others turn up their noses at the mere thought of the earth-laden-flavored tree-huggers. Still others are eager to discuss the current usage of psilocybin, or more precisely, the healing aspects of … [Read more...] about The Magic of Mushrooms in Monterey
A Culinary Legacy of Elegance and Grace
The History of Gallatin’s at Stokes Adobe
After sitting dormant for the last four years, a warm glow can once again be seen emanating from the windows and garden firepits of historic Stokes Adobe. A new restaurant of the same name has brought the building back to life and its history back into the spotlight. Since the 1980s, whenever the storied adobe at 500 Hartnell Street in Monterey has changed hands and a new … [Read more...] about A Culinary Legacy of Elegance and Grace
Shaking Up the Cocktail Industry
Mariano Martinez Invented the Margarita Machine
It's worth noting that two innovations that transformed the bartending industry were birthed by musicians. The first was the Waring Blender, named for famous Big Band Era bandleader Fred Waring. The second was created as a solution to a shortcoming of the first. On May 11, 1971, Mariano Martinez debuted his first frozen margarita machine at Mariano's Hacienda, his Dallas … [Read more...] about Shaking Up the Cocktail Industry
Raising a Glass to Walter Georis
Family Owned Carmel Valley Winery Turns 40
In 1980, restaurateur/entrepreneur Walter Georis purchased a 40-acre historic cattle ranch in the rustic Cachagua region of Carmel Valley. Much of it was an ancient river bottom and full of the smooth, fist-sized river rocks that Georis calls, "Cachagua potatoes." It is precisely this type of soil that fine wine grapevines thrive in. It's difficult to farm and hard on … [Read more...] about Raising a Glass to Walter Georis