Old Monterey District Blog

Sovino Wine Bar and Merchant is happy to announce that our outdoor seating is now open Thursday - Monday every week for wine by the glass, small plates and shareables, and wine and beer to go. View our menu on our website and visit us at 241 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Prefer to stay close to home? Sovino continues to offer free delivery of wine to those who live locally as well as wine shipping to those who live farther afield. Please visit our our online store to make your purchase.

After extensive renovations and a menu refresh, Lallapalooza has now reopened as Palooza! Come on down to 474 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey for take-out and outdoor dining. It's open Sunday - Thursday, 4pm-10pm, and Friday - Saturday, 4pm-11pm.

Executive Chef Joshua Kinzer has designed an approachable, crave-worthy menu with classic and contemporary dishes that are seasonally influenced. It includes shared small plates, pizzas, burgers, and main dishes such as dry-aged steak. Many vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.

Likewise, Palooza's beverage program has been refreshed to feature not only cocktails but also a variety of natural wines, with an emphasis on artisan wines by small producers,

The museum at Cooper Molera Adobe is still closed, but we are holding plant sales every Saturday, 11am-4pm. We're featuring propagated plants from our garden including salvias, scented geraniums, hard to find francoas, and more at our front desk at 506 Munras Avenue in Downtown Old Monterey. Cash and checks only.

When you come to the plant sale, please wear a face mask, follow our 6-foot social distancing protocols, and use hand sanitizer. We are working hard to ensure the health and well being of our visitors, residents, and employees.
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Code Ninjas Monterey now has new hours for the virtual school year! We're open Monday - Friday, 12pm-6pm, and Saturday - Sunday, 10am-2pm. Curious about our flexible coding programs for kids? Please visit our website. The Code Ninjas dojo is located at 469 Pacific Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

The Child has arrived at Casual Island! We now have these Baby Yoda bags available at the shop. But don't wait too long - these are sure to fly off the shelves. (We also carry women's fashion, a wide variety of face masks, and a bunch of fun novelty items). We're located at 261 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Cooper-Molera Adobe presents our annual History Hunt! On Saturday, August 22, 12pm-3pm, the public is invited to join the fun in Historic Downtown Monterey. It’s free for participants of all ages and is designed for individuals and household groups. Learn about local history, visit important historic sights, and view architectural treasures and public art.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, our rules for participation have changed. Groups of up to six people from the same household will be allowed. Participants are required to wear face coverings, be socially distanced from others outside their household, and use hand sanitizer.

The History Hunt begins at 12pm. Pick up your packets at the Cooper-Molera Adobe Gardens, 506 Munras Avenue, 11:45am-12pm (enter through the historic gates). Your packet will include a list of 25 items to find or learn about, a map of the historic Monterey district, and the rules for the hunt. The first three participants with the most correct answers will win surprise awards.

For more information, please phone the Cooper Adobe Museum at 831-223-0172, ext. 7776.

It’s heating up, why not cool off with Puma Road's Summer Chardonnay Blowout! It comes in a glass bottle. There's a complimentary cork with every purchase. You can serve it cold or hot (if you're feeling crazy). And the prices are so low you'll say: "Gosh darn it, those prices are low!" Stop by the wine tasting room at 281 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey and stock up today.

Puma Road's 2015 Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay is now priced at $20 per bottle (reg. $35), and $200 per case. Puma Road's 2016 Pedregal de Paicines Chardonnay is now priced at $14 per bottle (reg. $25) and $140 per case.

Montrio Bistro, located at 414 Calle Principal in Downtown Old Monterey, has launched a 60-day fundraiser in support of the Food Bank for Monterey County. With the “Pick It Up, Pay It Forward” campaign, taking place now through September 30, 2020, 10% of all proceeds from take-out orders will be donated to the food bank. (Please note: this is for take-out orders only, and does not apply to delivery orders.)

With the difficulties of the pandemic, food banks are struggling to keep up with growing demand. So come and pick up your favorite meal today to help us support this cause! Our dishes make your taste buds feel great and nothing feels better than helping others in need.

Ken and Mona Donkersloot, owners of Montrio Bistro, Tarpy's Roadhouse, and Rio Grill restaurants, hope to meet a goal of $20,000 across all three restaurants. If that goal is met, they will personally donate an additional $5,000. Visit Montrio's website to view our take-out menu and place your pick-up / take-out order at 831-648-8880.

Alta Bakery and Cafe is happy to announce our July drink of the month, a kaffir lime leaf and coconut latte. It's initially intriguing and absolutely delicious! Come and try it this month - we're located at 502 Munras Avenue in Downtown Old Monterey.

Did you know that Slowfiber carries carefully curated sewing kits, perfect for mending your favorite clothing, your children's plush toys, and more? We think there's nothing more discouraging than mending something using a low quality, plastic "kit" produced in some factory overseas. We create and sell menders' kits that invite you to fix your beautiful, treasured things, and tools that are there when you need them to get you out of a tough spot.

Slowfiber offers both small and large mend kits. The Small Kit contains 12 needles (calyx style), Merchant & Mills Baby Bow scissors, a seam ripper, 1 spool A&E Gutermann brand 100% recycled thread (from pop bottles), 5 safety pins, and 3 buttons. The Large Kit contains 25 Merchant & Mills needles, a number of glass-head pins, a 60-inch Merchant & Mills tape measure (mm on the flip), Merchant & Mills Baby Bow scissors, Merchant & Mills seam ripper, tailor's chalk, 20 safety pins, 4 seam clips, 3 spools A&E Gutermann brand 100% recycled thread (from pop bottles), and your choice of locally made up-cycled cloth bag or recycled paperboard box for storage.

You can purchase your Slowfiber mend kit online or at our shop, located at 517 B Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Shear Addiction is excited to announce we're participating in an online Instagram auction, Change Happens Together, August 21-25, to support Kinship Center. Mark your calendars! Funds from the auction will go directly to Kinship Center to help provide adoption and foster care services to children and youth on California's Central Coast. Read the auction guidelines here.

Shear Addiction Barbershop and Hair Studio, located at 160 Webster Street in Downtown Old Monterey, is a classic, upscale barbershop and salon studio offering a variety of services to cater to everyone, both men and women. Our doors are temporarily closed because of the coronavirus.

Pacific Bowls and Rolls is happy to now feature local halibut on our menu! You can have it on your bowls or in your roll. Come try it as-is or marinated in cilantro and lime. (It's delicious!) You can order online, call in your order to 831-601-584, or stop by and enjoy it at one of our outdoor tables at 475 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

At Pacific Bowls and Rolls, we hold ourselves responsible for contributing to the health of our community and our planet. We are proud partners with the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Program, and our meats are all ethically and sustainably raised by Niman Ranch and Mary's Free Range Chicken. Our produce is organic, seasonal, and local whenever possible.

Haute Beauty Guide's retail shop, located at 71 Pearl Street in Downtown Old Monterey, now carries bars of soap made by Nash and Jones. These all-natural soap bars are creamy, luxurious, and designed to be gentle enough for any skin type. We're not sure whether the mint bar or the honey bar is our favorite, but they all smell dreamy! Come see what you think.

These beautiful soaps are also available on the Haute Beauty Guide website for shipping or local delivery. Haute Beauty Guide is a small, locally-owned business run by Doran, a licensed esthetician and mother of a lively toddler.