Old Monterey District Blog

Back-to-School activities are now taking place at Code Ninjas, located at 469 Pacific Street in Downtown Old Monterey. We have invested over $15,000 in the newest and freshest gaming laptops. With these new HP Omen gaming laptops, coding, engineering, and robotics can be taught to our students with greater ease. We've also upgraded our curriculum and added many programming opportunities for our students.

New to the Code Ninjas dojo:
Modding with Minecraft
Flight Simulators
Rubix Cube showdown with Sensei Bogdan
Overwatch Introduction with Sensei Evan
Fortnite Creator
Javascript Web Development with Sensei Evan

To learn more, please contact Code Ninjas Monterey at 831-200-3924 or via e-mail. to learn more. You can also book a free 30-minute session and tour.

At Code Ninjas Monterey, kids ages 7-14 learn to code in a fun, non-intimidating way – by playing and building video games they love. Kids have a blast and can’t wait to come back. Parents are thrilled as their children gain confidence and new skills including coding, math, logic, and problem-solving and as they progress from white to black belt. Our core promise is: kids have fun, parents see results. We believe in these words so much that it’s written on the walls in our center.

Revival Ice Cream is celebrating our 4th birthday and we cannot do it without you! Please join us on Sunday, October 4. Doors open at 11:30am.

On our special day we'll offer:

Revival Birthday Cake Ice Cream
The super special flavor you wait for all year! It has vanilla ice cream (colored Revival green with spirulina), gluten-free cake pieces, and raspberry sauce.

Birthday Ice Cream Sandwiches
Decorated for our celebration with sprinkles!

Dairy-Free Bee's Knees
We've had so many requests to make a dairy-free version of our award-winning, best-selling Bee's Knees Ice Cream that, only on October 4, we will be serving it dairy-free just for you.

We are so appreciative of the love from our customers, producers, and retail partners. We hope you'll join us at 463 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey (wearing your face mask and respecting social distancing, of course).

Montrio Bistro, located at 414 Calle Principal in Downtown Old Monterey, has extended its fundraiser in support of the Food Bank for Monterey County. With the “Pick It Up, Pay It Forward” campaign, now lasting through December 31, 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, have a new goal to raise $50,000 across all three restaurants. Visit Montrio's website to view our take-out menu and place your pick-up / take-out order at 831-648-8880.

Grace Lifestyle Boutique has new dresses in stock for fall! They're both comfortable and stylish. Come and check them out at 459 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Grace is open for in-store shopping and also offers curbside pick-up and shipping - visit our Instagram page to view some of our newest looks.

Do you ever get a craving for chocolate? Here’s a new item to satisfy your impulse: Valrhona Chocolate Fondant Cake at Parker-Lusseau Pastries and Cafe. It's gluten free and very tasty. Visit the shop at 539 Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey and try a slice. The kitchen is currently producing a couple batches of this delightful indulgence each week.

Good news! On Tuesday, September 22, 2020, it was announced by the California Department of Public Health that all nail salons across the state are permitted to reopen for indoor services.

You're invited to call to your favorite Monterey nail salon and make an appointment for a manicure or pedicure, but please be patient. This was an unexpected announcement, and it may take our nail artists a few days to prepare their businesses to reopen.

To learn more about the State of California's Blueprint for a Safer Economy, and to learn what's permitted in Monterey County at this moment according to the Blueprint, please click here.

Do you knit or crochet? Slowfiber carries Hooked brand yarn! Hooked yarn is made from textile waste - recycled cotton and industry off-cuts are their specialty - and most is produced at their own facility in Portugal. This yarn is great for making baby items, cowls, bags, stuffed toys, and soft goods. It's super soft, cost effective, and machine washable.

Hooked yarn is available in-store at Slowfiber in a wide variety of colors. To find out which types of yarn and colors are here, please visit us at 517B Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey or phone us at 831-901-3168. Unlike much of our stock, these yarns are not available for purchase on our website.

Montrio Bistro is launching Locals' Night every Tuesday and Wednesday, September 22 - October 31, 2020. Join us on our 40-seat outdoor patio and enjoy discounts on food and cocktails! Those nights, just show a Monterey County ID and receive 25% off the entire menu. Craft cocktails by award-winning spiritsmith Anthony Vitacca are only $11 each.

Montrio Bistro, located at 414 Calle Principal, is open for outdoor dining Monday - Thursday, 4:30pm-9pm, and Friday - Saturday, 4:30pm-10pm. For reservations, call 831-648-8880. Curbside pick-up and delivery is available daily, 4:30pm-9pm.

Now that football is back, Cult Taco at 481 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey is offering a Sunday Takeaway Menu! Order your favorite dishes ahead of time and pick up at Cult Taco at 12pm on Sunday to enjoy during the game.

The Sunday Football Takeaway menu includes margaritas, bean dip, chips and salsa, taco kits, enchilada casserole, burritos, and nachos. Place your order in advance here.

Comanche Cellars Wine Room is pleased to announce our new tasting menu! Visit us and try the 2019 Comanche Cellars Chardonnay, 2019 Dog & Pony Rose of Pinot Noir, 2017 Comanche Cellars Pinot Noir, 2017 Dog & Pony Il Rinnegato, and the 2017 Comanche Cellars Cabernet Franc. Our five-flight tasting is $20 per person - if you make a two bottle purchase, we'll waive one tasting fee.

We're located at 412 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey, and now open for outdoor wine tasting and retail wine sales. Curbside pickup of wine bottle purchases is available. Hours are: Wed-Thurs, 4pm-8pm; Fri, 3pm-9pm; Sat, 2pm-8pm; Sun, 1pm-6pm.

At Montrio Bistro we're proud to offer tasty, zero-alcohol drink options, also known as mocktails. Pictured here is the Gordon Gecko, made with passion fruit, coconut, lime, and ginger. Delicious! Montrio is now open for take-out, delivery, and patio dining at 414 Calle Principal in Downtown Old Monterey.

Casual Island, home of women's fashion, fun gifts, and novelty items, is now selling a selection of houseplants in 4"-6" pots. Cheer up your home or workplace with these sweet little plants. Family owned and operated, Casual Island is located at 261 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey and open daily, 10am-8pm.

Jazz lovers are invited to join Esteban Restaurant, September 25-27, 5pm-7pm, to view the Monterey Jazz Festival virtually and enjoy a 3-course, jazz-inspired prix fixe meal curated by Executive Chef Gus Trejo each evening on the patio. Reservations are required - please phone 831-324-6773. Esteban Restaurant is located at Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa, 700 Munras Avenue in Monterey.

Tim Jackson, the Monterey Jazz Festival's Artistic Director, will be onsite nightly to deliver an exceptional evening of storytelling and behind-the-scenes moments. View and listen to an incredible lineup featuring exclusive new performances and interviews and previously unreleased archival performances from the Monterey Jazz Festival.

The 3-course prix fixe dinner includes non-alcoholic beverages and coffee/tea. Fee is $150 plus tax and gratuity per person, per night. A full no-host bar, including specialty cocktails and an extensive wine list, will be available for purchase separately. Nightly performance broadcasts are included with your meal and complimentary parking is available. Proceeds will benefit the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Guests may choose from a selection of first, second and third courses on the menu. Highlights include: Late Harvest Corn Bisque with black truffle, scallop tartare; Heirloom Beet Salad with baby lettuce, shaved fennel, apple, lemon, and olive oil; Paella Quinoa with sofrito, chickpeas, and cauliflower roast; Cataplana a Portugese stew of mussels, clams, prawns, aioli, and grilled bread; Beef Short Rib with Za’atar lentils, otto file bread, and harissa yogurt; and Death by Chocolate with molten ganache and praline ice cream.

Slowfiber is happy to carry Gingher 8-inch dressmaker shears. (Right-handed and left-handed versions available!) The blades are strong enough to cut multiple layers of fabric and they're ideal for cutting out patterns and trimming seams. The precision ground knife edge cuts flawlessly all the way to the points, while the bent handle allows for smooth, comfortable cutting across a tabletop or counter.

Even better: you can mail these shears in and get them sharpened correctly for $12. (But if you only use them on fabric, you'll probably lose them before they need sharpening.)

Slowfiber owner Jaki Canterbury purchased a pair of Gingher shears sometime in the 1980s, and hers are still going strong. Price is $50, but they're worth it. Stop by the shop at 517B Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey, or place your order online for shipping or pickup.