Old Monterey District Blog

Sometimes dairy-free ice cream tastes like...dairy-free ice cream. (If you know, you know...) But Revival Ice Cream is proud to create dairy-free desserts that EVERYONE will enjoy! It's truly delicious ice cream that just tastes great.

Revival has dairy-free choices available in the scoop case every day, and our signature dairy-free flavors are also available for nationwide shipping. Come into the shop at 463 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey to try one of these delectable flavors, or visit our website to place an order for home delivery.

Pictured here: Revival's dairy-free cold brew coconut ice cream

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Did you know you can use Fleet Feet Monterey as your home base for any run during our regular business hours? Just drop off your keys and belongings in one of our lockers and take off! After your run, you can make use of our Recovery Zone in the store. Fleet Feet is located at 472 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

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Monterey State Historic Park is excited to announce that our guided tours of Larkin House and Stevenson House have returned! House tours, lasting 45-60 minutes, are now offered on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Stevenson House tours are offered at 10am on those days; Larkin House tours are offered at 2pm.

Tickets are $10 for adults; free for children 17 and under. Tickets can be purchased on location starting 15 minutes before the tour. Group size is limited to 8 people per tour. For more information, please visit our website or contact the Pacific House Museum at 831-649-2907. (Pacific House, located at 10 Custom House Plaza, is open Tuesday - Sunday,10am-4pm.)

Monterey State Historic Park House Tours showcase both the buildings’ important roles in Monterey’s history along with the impressive art work and antiques located inside each home.

Stevenson House (530 Houston Street) was a temporary home of the world-famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson in 1879. Though he only spent a few months staying in the boardinghouse that occupied the adobe structure at that time, his family later donated many of his personal possessions to the building, where they are currently on display. It is now one of the best collections of Stevenson artifacts found in the world today. The building’s rich history includes a stint as the hub of Monterey’s art scene in the 1920s and as a showroom for interior designer Frances Elkin after that.

Larkin House (464 Calle Principal), built in 1835, is a two-story adobe brick building that is known for being one of the area’s best examples of Monterey Colonial architecture. It is also notable for being the home of Thomas Larkin, the first and only U.S. consul to California during Mexican rule. Its interior is furnished with striking artwork and furniture from around the world.

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Monterey Tree of Hearts Exhibit at Alvarado Gallery

Posted on October 25th, 2021 by omba

Alvarado Gallery at Monterey Conference Center has a new art exhibit - the community "Tree of Hearts" are now on display to enjoy. You're invited to browse the collages made up of hundreds of paper hearts, each featuring a special message from a community member to fellow residents and their loved ones, originally created in March 2021 to hang on a tree in front of City Hall to commemorate the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Monterey.

Alvarado Gallery is open to the public weekdays, 8am-5pm, and located on the mezzanine of Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza in Downtown Old Monterey. Masks are recommended. (We believe that the exhibit will be on display for the rest of 2021, but a formal decision has not yet been made - stop by soon if you don't want to miss this remarkable historic snapshot.)

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Happy Hour at Melville Tavern

Posted on October 23rd, 2021 by Melville Tavern

Melville Tavern invites you to join us for Happy Hour, Sunday - Thursday, 4pm-6pm, featuring food, beer and wine specials. We're located at 484 Washington Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Happy Hour Specials include $4 bottled beer, $5 draft beer, $6 & $8 glasses of wine, plus a delightful array of eats including pork mole tacos, garlic-parmesan tater tots, fried artichoke hearts, chili-cheese fries, chicken wings, and bacon-wrapped hotdogs.

Melville Tavern is open daily for indoor and patio dining for both lunch and dinner. On weekends and holidays, we offer brunch 10am-3pm with bottomless mimosas! Come watch your favorite sports on our TVs (including our 10 ft. big screen).

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The Old Monterey Business Association would like to congratulate the 29 Old Monterey businesses and organizations that won Monterey County Weekly’s Best of Monterey County 2021. Click the links to read what the Weekly’s writers and editors had to say about each business.

Alta Bakery and Cafe
Best Coffee Shop
Best Cappuccino / Latte

Alvarado Street Brewery
Best Local Beer / Brewery
Best Bar for Gen X'ers
Best Place to See and Be Seen

Ambrosia India Bistro
Best Indian Restaurant

Bagel Bakery
Best Bagel

Britannia Arms
Best Place for Karaoke

Crown and Anchor
Best Pub / Best Late Night Hangout

Easy Street Billiards
Best Place to Shoot Pool

Euphoria Salon and Spa
Best Salon - Women

Federico's Shoe Service
Best Shoe Repair...Read More

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Daruma Japanese Thread Now at Slowfiber

Posted on October 19th, 2021 by Slowfiber

Slowfiber is happy to announce we now carry Daruma embroidery thread and sashiko needles from Japan that are perfect for mending. You can find them both on the Slowfiber website and in the shop at 517A Hartnell Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Daruma thread can be used for its original intent, sashiko stitching, or, like me, you can use it for boro-style patching. (Your jeans will love you for it!) Designed for mending and repairing clothing, this thread is stronger than typical embroidery floss, and the colors are fabulous.

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Tickets Now on Sale for Christmas in the Adobes 2021

Posted on October 19th, 2021 by MSHPA

Tickets are now on sale for Monterey's signature holiday event, Christmas in the Adobes, on December 10 & 11. Stroll the streets of Monterey and tour any one of 15 beautifully decorated adobes with soft holiday lights and entertainment.

Tickets are $25 per night for adults, $2 for children ages 6-17 when accompanied by a paying adult, and free for children age 5 and under. (Buy early and save! Now until November 1, single night tickets are only $20 for adults.) Tickets may be purchased online or in person - visit the website for details.

Proceeds benefit Monterey State Historic Park children's educational and school history programs.

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Old Capitol Books is very pleased to announce the launch of our new, independent press. Boukra Press is a collective of writers, intellectuals, artists, and translators who are committed to bringing high-quality poetry and essays to the Monterey community and beyond.

We have an excellent list of publications lined up for 2022, starting with an essay by Zoe Baker. Writers and poets who are joining Boukra Press’s list of authors, in addition to Zoe Baker, include Chris Siders, Jean Vengua, Jose Luis Gutierrez, Jeff Erwin, Abdelatif Elfaki, Josiah Luis Alderete, Maryam Elmubarak, and Kenny Garcia. Publication is by invitation only.

For more information about Boukra Press publications, please visit the new Boukra Press website. Old Capitol Books is located at 482 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

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We Did It!

Posted on October 4th, 2021 by Foolish Times

The Foolish Times and a host of volunteers worked with Save Our Shores' annual Coastal Cleanup event to clean up Downtown Old Monterey on September 18. Together, we collected 104 lbs. of trash in two hours! The incentive? An after party featuring comedy by Richard Stockton and beer tasting by Alvarado St Brewery and Peter B's.

We extend a special thanks for all the support we received that day. Don't worry if you missed it...we will do it again.

Stay 'tooned!

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Did you know that Cha-ya Japanese Tea & Things serves a variety of high-quality matcha teas? You can enjoy our matcha in-store with our ceramic cups or take a cup to-go. Visit us at 118 Webster Street in Downtown Old Monterey - we're open Monday - Saturday, 11am-4pm.

Cha-ya now offers a loyalty program for our tea drinkers: buy 10 cups of tea and get your 11th cup free.

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Peter B's Brewpub Call for Artists

Posted on October 4th, 2021 by Peter B's

Calling all local artists! Peter B’s Brewpub is looking for an artist to create a painted mural for our patio, located at 2 Portola Plaza in Downtown Old Monterey. This will be an exciting opportunity to showcase your work at one of Monterey’s most popular sports bars and craft breweries.

The space for Peter B's new mural is located outside the Brewpub’s front entrance and measures 89.5” W x 107.5” H. (View a photo.) If you have a great idea for this space, please send us a complete proposal including:

1) Your Contact Information

2) Your Concept
A brief description of the concept with a sketch included, and a statement regarding why you would like to partner with Peter B’s Brewpub.

3) Your Portolio
2-3 pictures of recently completed work, or a link to your website portfolio.

4) Your Budget
Your projected budget and a list of materials. (Please keep in mind we are an eco-friendly busines, and will not be accepting proposals with materials that are harmful to the environment.)

Please e-mail us your complete proposal with the subject line of "Proposal for Peter B's Artist Call" by October 31, 2021. The selected artist will be notified by November 8, 2021, and may begin working on the mural at that time with a completion date of December 22, 2021.

*

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Spa on the Plaza, located at 201 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey, is offering two special autumn services now through November 29, 2021. To make an appointment, please phone us at 831-647-9000.

Autumn Highlights

Leaf Me Be - Aromatherapy Bath & Facial
$190 for 1.5 hours
Begin with a 30-minute hydrating cinnamon aromatherapy bath surrounded by fall leaves, and then enjoy our ultra-concentrated herbal recovery facial, bringing a renewed radiance to your complexion.

Scents of Autumn - Aromatherapy Massage & Facial
$330 for 2.2 hours
Fall into sweater weather with an 80-minute warm aromatherapy massage featuring a detoxifying herbal back treatment. You'll also enjoy a 60-minute ultra-concentrated herbal recovery facial, bringing a renewed radiance to your complexion.

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Rosine's Restaurant invites you to celebrate the beginning of fall with us! We have new Special Drink Menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner featuring our Apple Cider Mimosa (sparkling wine with apple cider), our unique Cinnamon Roll Cocktail (RumChata and Kahlua on the rocks), and an Apple Cider Mule.

Rosine's opens at 8am daily for indoor and outdoor dining at 434 Alvarado Street in Monterey.

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Please note: as of April 2023, Portola Hotel & Spa is no longer offering free Covid testing.

Portola Hotel & Spa in Old Monterey is proud to announce a new partnership with Virus Geeks, Inc. to provide no-cost COVID-19 testing to hotel guests and to the public, Tuesday - Saturday, 7am-4pm.

Walk-in testing services provided by Virus Geeks are available at the Peet’s Coffee shop at Portola Hotel, 220 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. COVID-19 PCR testing at this location is free. (Please note: Peet's Coffee at Portola Hotel is temporarily closed for business. It is currently used only as a testing site.)

The opening of this new testing location in Downtown Old Monterey aligns with Portola Hotel’s continued efforts to create a safe working environment. All non-vaccinated Portola Hotel employees will be tested twice a week, and testing services will be available for all staff, guests, and community members.

"The successful fight against this pandemic includes the support and action of every community member and visitor to our destination. Opening up a testing center in Portola's central location will benefit visitors and locals alike," said Janine Chicourrat, Managing Director at the Portola Hotel & Spa.

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Venture Gallery presents the work of local watercolor artist Tamara Selyangina, our featured artist for October.

A gifted, self-taught artist, Tamara Selyangina started exhibiting her work in 2009 after moving to Monterey. The beauty of our area continues to provide endless inspiration for her work which often captures breathtaking coastal scenery, local street scenes, the wharf, and fishing boats.

Venture Gallery is now open daily, 10am-6pm. Tamara Selyangina's artwork will be featured through October 2021. Venture Gallery is located at 260 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey. Visit our website to shop online for work by our local artists.

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Whether you're going back to school or have an appreciation for fun art supplies and organizers, Haute Beauty Guide has some great new items for you! This cozy store now offers rainbow sparkle glitter markers, POP pencil boxes, sherbert ombre journals, work-life balance planning pads, and a selection of stylish pens and cards. Available online and in the shop at 71 Pearl Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

Rainbow Sparkle Glitter Markers
Perfect for kids or adults who like to keep things colorful, these markers are fun for all ages. The shimmering set of 15 markers includes 10 classic colors and 5 pastel colors.

POP Pencil Case
These fun and retro pencil boxes (in pink or teal) are perfect for school time...and they're so cute! Each box has a magnetic closure and comes with 10 pencils. Pink pencils and box embossed with: "Never pass up cotton candy." Teal pencils and box embossed with: "Don't be afraid of adventure."

Sherbert Ombre Journals
Minimal and functional, you can take these journals with you anytime you need to jot down quick notes, reminders, or memos. Each journal comes with 45 pages of blank, colored paper and a unique ombre paper cover design.

Work-Life Balance Planning Pad
More than just a to-do list, this holistic 52-week tear-off desk pad helps you to improve your work-life balance. Each sheet has space for self-care, to-dos, habits, goals, gratitude, and affirmations. Stay productive and focused throughout the week while focusing on what matters to you most.

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