Old Monterey District Blog

As a token of appreciation to locals, and in the effort to prevent fresh beer on draft from getting too old, Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill is offering 32 oz. recyclable growler fills from our taps: $7 for light beer, $8 for everything else. We will only fill the growlers we already have onsite to keep things sanitary - please do not bring your own growler to fill. There will be no charge for the container.

Visit us at 426 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. We're now open Wednesday-Sunday, 12pm-7pm, for curbside pick-up of food and beer, and Monday and Tuesday, 12pm-7pm, for curbside pick-up of beer only (no food).

Paris Bakery is now offering freshly baked Christmas cookies, which they're selling individually, in bags of 6, and in larger numbers on platters. These decorated cookies are a bright bit of delicious fun for the holiday season that's perfect for a gift or for a stay-at-home treat.

The bakery also has a full complement of special holiday baked goods including Stollen (German fruit bread), Pannetone (Italian sweet bread), candy cane shaped bread, and Buche de Noel (Yule log cake). Buche de Noel are available in four different flavors: chocolate, coffee, hazelnut, and Grand Marnier.

All of these items are available daily until Christmas Eve at Paris Bakery, a family-owned business located at 271 Bonifacio Place in Old Monterey, but ordering items in advance is always recommended so you don't miss out on your heart's desire. Just call the shop at 831-646-1620.

Rosine's Restaurant is happy to offer Family Style Holiday Meals To-Go. Order now for pick-up any time through Thursday, December 24 at 3pm. View our special menu, featuring minestrone soup, lasagna, chicken parmesan, Italian sausage caprese pasta, and prawn pesto pasta, plus a selection of our customers' favorite desserts, including our new line of liquor cakes. We also welcome special requests - we'll do our best to accommodate you. (Please order desserts at least 24 hours in advance so we can be sure to have your cake, cheesecake, cookies, or brownies ready for you.)

Please note: Rosine's will be open 11am-4pm on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. The rest of the time, we're now open Monday-Friday, 11am-8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 9am-8pm serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner and dessert for take-out.

Rosine's Restaurant is located at 434 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. To pre-order, please call us at 831-375-1400 or email us.

Parker-Lusseau Pastries and Cafe, located at 539 Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey, now has fresh stollen on our shelves from now until Christmas. This holiday favorite is so popular you should probably place your order in advance just to make sure it's there when you want it, 831-641-9188.

What is stollen? A traditional German fruit bread with candied orange rind, raisins, and sliced almonds macerated in rum...plus it features the amazing flavors of cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and a hint of tellicherry pepper.

Slice it, toast it, smother it with butter, eat it...Repeat! Bonus feature: it makes your house smell like Christmas.

Revival Ice Cream's honeycomb candy is crunchy, sweet, and pure - we make it here in the shop and it's a customer favorite! Pick up a bag when you're here, or add some to your delivery order. It's the perfect stocking stuffer for all the candy-lovers on your list. Sweet and satisfying, but without any fillers or artificial ingredients, this delicious treat is dairy-free and gluten-free.

Revival Ice Cream is located at 463 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

This holiday, leave the cooking to Montrio Bistro. Our chef has created a scrumptious dinner menu for the upcoming December stay-at-home festivities. Please place your order no later than December 20 - phone us at 831-648-8880. Montrio Bistro is located at 414 Calle Principal in Downtown Old Monterey.

MONTRIO'S CHRISTMAS TAKE-OUT MENU
Two sizes:
Serves 4 people: $200
Serves 8 people: $400
(Upgrade your holiday dinner with select wines and hand-crafted cocktails!)

SALAD
Family Style Caesar
Herb Croutons, Grana Padano Cheese

ENTREE
Choice of:
40 oz. Prime Bone-in Rib Eye Steak (Seasoned and Seared). Heating instructions included.

Duck Fat Roasted Marble Potatoes

Local Market Vegetables in Red Wine Sauce and Bone Marrow Butter

Or

Alaskan Halibut en Papillote with Champagne and Herb Compound Butter

Duck Fat Roasted Marble Potatoes

Local Market Vegetables served complete in parchment paper, cooking instructions included.

DESSERT
White Chocolate Bread Pudding, Passion Fruit Ice Cream

Venture Gallery presents a show by Carole Klein and Vanessa Martin, our featured artists for December. We invite you to come view their beautiful exhibit of paintings entitled Changing Landscapes.

Venture Gallery is now open for in-store shopping Thursdays - Sundays, 10am-6pm plus December 21-23 for last-minute holiday shopping. There will be an opportunity to meet Carole and Vanessa in person at the gallery on Monday, December 21 at 2pm.

Carole and Vanessa's artwork will be featured through December 2020. Venture Gallery is located at 260 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Visit our website to shop online for work by our local artists.

For the holidays, Grace Lifestyle Boutique has beautiful, 100% soy candles by Capri Blue, hand-poured in the U.S. Selections include the silver Mercury Hexagon candle, the Glitz Signature Jar, and the Gilded Faceted Jar, in which the lid can be used as a stand while the candle burns. Each of these containers can be used on its own after the candle is done with its lifespan.

Capri Blue candle fragrances are delightful. Grace's inventory includes "Volcano" (a tropical fruit and citrus fragrance), "Exotic Blossom and Basil" (a lovely, herbaceous, and clean-smelling fragrance), and "Pumpkin Dulce" (the coziest smelling holiday candle with a hint of gingersnap and vanilla).

Visit us at 459 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey for in-store shopping, call us at 831-324-4200 to place an order over the phone, or direct message us over Instagram. We are happy to offer curbside pick-up and shipping.

This is what happens when MY Museum's doors are locked due to Covid - they bring the fun outside!!! This extraordinary holiday display outside MY Museum, created by Poptopia Balloons, was set up for MY Museum's "Gingerbread House Extravaganza" - an outdoor pick-up of gingerbread house kits with guest appearances by Monterey Peninsula Ballet Theatre members dressed in their Nutcracker finest. Check out the great photos!

The amazing balloon display continued Dec. 5-9 and everyone was welcome to take a selfie or a fun family pic, start a little walk on the rec. trail, or just drive by and see how magical it was. MY Museum wants to thank Poptopia Balloons for their hard work and incredible creativity.

We at Alvarado Street Brewery were incredibly honored to receive our fourth medal in the past six years for our Mai Tai PA at the 2020 Great American Beer Festival. Usually we enter Mai Tai into the International-style Pale Ale category but changed it up this year into the American Strong Pale Ale category, where it was awarded a Bronze.

We believe part of the secret sauce to Mai Tai is its simplicity and nod towards balance and drinkability. It's always been solely Pilsner malt and Mosaic hops, with moderate bitterness and a clean, dry fermentation. It's not overly hopped either, but just enough for those lush, perfumey aromatics and flavors that have defined this beer over the years. We've also been lucky to forge a relationship with hop growers like Jackson Hop Farms to hand select our Mosaic lots each year, which is essential for consistency and keeping it in spec.

We're stoked to be able to brew Mai Tai PA year round and always have a fresh batch queued up. It's almost always available on burphopsnow.com for shipping, and you'll also find it at Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill at 426 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey, and throughout Monterey County and Northern California as we've increased its production over the past year.

Thank you so much for your support of Mai Tai over the years, friends! It is most definitely a big part of who we are.

Hot chocolate season is here and so is Old Monterey Cafe's hot chocolate special. They know how to do it right, with whip cream, candy cane, and the obligatory sprinkles. Have a cup and warm up! Old Monterey Cafe is located at 489 Alvarado Street.

Alta Bakery and Cafe invites you to order our delicious Bûche de Noël ("Yule log"), a traditional holiday dessert featuring chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and meringue. Order online now for pick-up on December 21, 22, or 23. Alta Bakery and Cafe is located at 502 Munras Avenue in Downtown Old Monterey.

Monterey Firefighters and Pacific Grove Kiwanis are teaming up to provide presents to families in need this holiday season and they need your help! They are seeking donations of new toys only. You can make your donation at Fire Stations #11-15, including the fire station located at 600 Pacific Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Donations will be accepted until the morning of Saturday, December 19, 2020.