Old Monterey District Blog

Venture Gallery presents a show by Barbara Lee Furbush and Noriko Constant, our featured artists for October. We invite you to come and view their lovely fine art prints. Venture Gallery is now open for in-store shopping Thursdays - Sundays, 10am-6pm. We will be hosting a demonstration by Barbara and Noriko in front of the gallery on Saturday, October 17, 2pm-3pm.

We often think of a print as a reproduction of an original painting (sometimes called a giclee). But in this case, a fine art print (or monotype) is the original artwork. Noriko Constant and Barbara Lee Furbush share a passion for printmaking and the endless ways to create an image and this show highlights how the medium supports different visions.

In the monotype process, ink is moved around on a flat surface and you can never make another image that is exactly the same - this is what makes it so exciting and unique. If you visit the gallery in October, you will see several examples of work created with different techniques accompanied by an explanation of the process.

Barbara and Noriko's artwork will be featured through October 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.

Nomads Fine Rugs is happy to announce our 40th Anniversary Sale! Through the end of October 2020, we're offering 40% off everything in our showroom which features a wide variety of handmade rugs from around the world, both new and antique. Visit us at 486 Alvarado Street in Downtown Old Monterey.

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

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.