Old Monterey District Blog

Venture Gallery presents the paintings of William Eatmon, our featured local artist for October. His latest exhibit, Big Cats, features six original paintings of the world's largest wild cats.

The majestic beauty of these big cats - the lion, jaguar, tiger, Siberian tiger, clouded leopard, and snow leopard - is unique in the animal world. The six paintings, each 24 in. x 24 in., are all available for sale.

Venture Gallery is open 10am-6pm daily. William Eatmon's artwork will be featured through October 2024. Venture Gallery is located at 260 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Visit our website to shop online for work by our local artists.

Paris Bakery has new Halloween treats available, including beautifully hand decorated cookies (skeletons, ghosts, and pumpkins), a jack-o'-lantern fruit tart, and vanilla or chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate spiders.

Visit us at 271 Bonifacio Place in Downtown Old Monterey, or call us to place your order in advance, 831-646-1620. These sweet treats make great gifts for anyone who loves spooky season.

Rosine's Restaurant has announced new cocktails and mocktails for Fall 2024! Visit us at 434 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Drink Menu Highlights

Apple Cider Spritz
Aperol, prosecco, apple cider, and pumpkin spice syrup

Apple Pie Old Fashioned
John Culcasi (GM/owner) creates his own syrups and infusions for his signature cocktails. This drink features a cinnamon spiced infused Four Roses Bourbon, with maple syrup, chocolate bitters, and star anise

Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini
Vanilla vodka, pumpkin spice RumChata, coffee liqueur, espresso, and chocolate bitters

La Rosina
This new drink is dedicated to our family matriarch, Rosine, made with Ketel One Citroen, Italicus, cranberry, prosecco, and fresh lime

Apple Ginger Fizz Mocktail
Apple cider, ginger beer, cinnamon, lime, and fresh mint

Having a party? Freedom Bakery is now offering dessert party trays featuring cookies, brownies, cupcakes, cream puffs, and our signature Dream Log (chocolate chiffon cake rolled with whipped cream). All are made with love in our family-owned bakery in Watsonville and available for pick-up at our Monterey boutique, Friday-Sunday, 10am-1pm, at 305 Webster Street.

Each party tray, which comes with a lovely bamboo dessert tray, can be purchased for $68-$210, depending on the size. We are happy to exclude treats containing nuts on request.

These are beautiful dessert trays for all occasions - formal and informal - including the upcoming holiday season, when we gather with friends, family, and co-workers. Please place your order at least 3 days in advance on our website.

Spa on the Plaza, located at 201 Alvarado Street, is offering summer specials including a Fall Into Relaxation Massage (60 min., $170) and a Better Than Botox Facial (60 min., $300). To learn more and make an appointment, please phone us at 831-647-9000.

Autumn Specials 2024

Fall Into Relaxation Massage
$170 for 60 minutes
Our cranberry spice massage will help you prepare for the colder months ahead. Hot stones are incorporated throughout the service to warm and relax the muscles.

Better Than Botox Facial
$300 for 60 minutes
This in-spa facial is paired with a full-size take-home P-Tiox Serum. This advanced SkinCeuticals neuropeptide serum is formulated with polyhydroxy acid, niacin amide, and laminar extract to encourage cell turnover and improve skin texture.

Franklin Street Collaborative, located at 201 W. Franklin Street in Downtown Old Monterey, is searching for a merchandising specialist and retail specialists / style besties.

Applicants must be available on weekends. Hourly wage will vary based on experience. Please email Stacia at FCS for more information and to apply.

About Franklin Street Collaborative

Franklin Street Collaborative is a collaborative concept store featuring clothing and fashion accessories, local and handmade goods, and a luxury hair salon.

Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill announces Burger Monday! Come on down any Monday, 11:30am-10pm, and snag a burger, fries, and your choice of beer for either $15 (Alvarado Burger) or $20 (Wagu Smashburger). Either way, you’ll be getting a complete meal and a killer deal!

About ASB in Monterey

Alvarado Street Brewery's original brewpub, located at 426 Alvarado Street in the heart of Downtown Old Monterey, has been serving locals and visitors with fresh beer and regional gastropub fare since 2014.

Artists from Youth Arts Collective take center stage in Animated Antics, a lively exhibit of animated, illustrated, and voice-over work at Casa Gutierrez, 590 Calle Principal in Downtown Old Monterey.

About "Animated Antics"

Dive into worlds where anthropomorphic animals sport braces with style, H.G. Wells-inspired extraterrestrials crash land, and love blossoms between a wolf and a deer. Immerse yourself in quirky, unforgettable character-filled universes, relive the magic of your favorite canceled animated show through imagined new seasons, and join a carrot and his bird friend on a muffin-making adventure.

About Casa Gutierrez Community Art Gallery

The Casa Gutierrez Community Art Gallery project at Monterey State Historic Park is supported by the “Arts in California Parks” program. The gallery is free and open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-4pm. Animated Antics will be on display through October 20, 2024.

About Youth Arts Collective

Youth Arts Collective is a nonprofit art studio and mentorship program for motivated high school and college artists. The program's mission is to inspire creativity, kindness, and confidence in youth through artistic expression and mutual respect.

The Pearl Works, located at 288 Pearl Street in Downtown Old Monterey, is seeking art for their next show, Resonance, a juried exhibition of two-dimensional work by emerging artists from around Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties addressing the theme of resonance.

This exhibit will explore the synchronistic interactions between neighboring organisms and objects, and how these connections spark empathetic understanding. Please note: no AI-generated art will be accepted.

Get more information and submit your art here by Thursday, September 19, 2024.

Variety is the spice of life! In addition to everyone's menu favorites, Nacho Bizness is introducing mouthwatering new menu items including the loaded nacho dog, the loaded nacho burger, Mediterranean nachos, and a Mediterranean bowl . Come try them at 470 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

New Menu Items

Loaded Nacho Dog
Halal hot dog on a bun with jalapeño cheddar, pico de gallo, crushed nachos, jalapeños, ketchup, and mustard

Loaded Nacho Burger
Halal beef patty on a bun with jalapeño cheddar, pico de gallo, crushed nachos, jalapeños, and ketchup

Mediterranean Bowl
Choice of halal gyro meat or pinto beans along with Spanish rice, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and tzatziki sauce

Mediterranean Nachos
Taco Works chips with choice of halal gyro meat or pinto beans, choice of cheese sauce (jalapeño cheddar, chipotle jack, vegan), plus pico de gallo, jalapeños, and tzatziki sauce

Special Deal

For a limited time, get 20% off your entire order at Nacho Bizness when you try one of our new menu items.

Learn how to be to be self-sufficient and support others in a disaster until help can arrive! The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program provides community members with important skills that are essential in an emergency such as an earthquake.

Skills You'll Learn

The CERT program is a nationally-recognized program with a well-defined curriculum. Learn: emergency first-aid, disaster preparedness, shutting off your utilities, rescue techniques, use of a fire extinguisher, communications when phones fail, assessing your home or workplace after an earthquake or storm, neighborhood search, and working as part of a team.

When Is CERT Training?

The next CERT training is scheduled 8am-5:30pm on the following Saturdays: 9/21, 9/28, & 10/5 in Downtown Old Monterey. Training is free and open to all Monterey residents! Attendance at all 3 sessions is necessary to complete the training and graduate. To enroll, please email CERT.

Community Service Credit for Students

CERT provides 24 hours of community service credit to students. (Students under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.)

Webster Street Art Gallery presents an exhibit of paintings by Monterey artist Cyndy Davis. The collection, consisting primarily of paintings from her travels and the people, animals, and scenery she's encountered, will be on display through September 2024 at 188 Webster Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

About Cyndy Davis

Cyndy Davis's love of travel began as a child - by the time she was 18 she had lived on 4 continents. Travel, learning, and exploring are her passion. She taught art in the public schools for apx. 37 years in places such as Oklahoma, California, and Queensland, Australia. She is now retired and lives in Monterey.

About the Travel Series

Cyndy writes: "My Travel Series began with travel journals that included drawings of places I visited. The drawings evolved into picture composites to help me remember and understand where I was visiting. This travel series was inspired by those black and white drawings. People I meet impress themselves into my memory while the landscape flows through design. One painting often takes many months to work out - they are not random, but thoughtfully composted to tell my story of a place."

About the Animal Series

Cyndy writes: "My series of animal paintings is entitled the Defaunaion Series. The definition of 'defaunation' is the depletion and extinction of animal species due to human population growth. I've had personal experience and contact with each of these animals. In the paintings, you will notice the human figures in the negative space. I have pieced the canvases together in a patchwork fashion to symbolize out worldwide social and legal efforts in wildlife conservation."