32 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 2-8, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Your mother’s tamale recipe, grandmother’s spaghetti bolognese, uncle’s pho broth. For all home chefs who have ever been told “this is so good, you should start a restaurant”—here’s an opportunity to try just that, and it’s more accessible than you might think. On Sept. 19, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted to opt in to Assembly Bill 626. That bill, which was signed into law on Sept. 18, 2018 and went into effect on Feb. 1, 2019, enables the creation of Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO)—a new kind of retail food facility, operated out of a home kitchen, where the resident/ chef may store, handle, prepare and even serve food to customers on site. In essence, this means any private home can now become a small-scale restaurant offering most any kind of food for pick-up, delivery or dine-in. The main benefit to a MEHKO is that it greatly expands the variety of food that can be legally prepared and sold when compared to the existing home-kitchen-turned-business law: California’s Cottage Food Act. The Cottage Food Act, which took effect Jan. 1, 2013, permits only a short list of items that the Health Department calls “nonhazardous food items” for their distinction as being pretty much foolproof when it comes to food safety: nuts, dried fruit, baked goods without custard fillings, vinegar, mustard, popcorn, coffee, tea and spices. Essentially items that are shelf-stable—or at least won’t go bad too easily or quickly. A MEHKO permit opens up the possibility to sell hot, prepared food. But not everything is fair game—raw oysters and raw milk are among the items that a MEHKO cannot serve. MEHKOs are also limited to no more than 30 individual meals per day (and 90 per week), no more than $100,000 in annual revenue and no more than one full-time employee (not including the home’s resident and/or family members). And no alcohol allowed. “The intent is to allow mom-andpop food businesses to enter the business, and do so in a safe manner,” says Armando Gonzalez, supervisor for consumer protection services in the County of Monterey Health Department. Gonzalez says the Health Department first brought this new regulatory possibility to the Board of Supervisors just before the Covid pandemic began, but the onset of that public health emergency (understandably) pushed the issue to the backburner. Since September, though, he says his office has received dozens of calls from potential MEHKO operators seeking more information—people interested in making and selling things like menudo and pozole, tacos, hamburgers, etc. To start a microenterprise home kitchen, a would-be operator must submit a health permit application and a standard operating procedure—including information on what kind of food you’ll serve, how it will be prepared and what days/times your kitchen will be open—to the Health Department. The kitchen in question will then be subject to an on-site inspection, a process Gonzalez acknowledges is a little different, given that it means health inspectors are entering a person’s private home. Inspectors will not access any areas of the home other than what has been identified as part of the business’ operations, he says—they’re looking for proper hand-washing protocols, correct temperatures for storing and maintaining food, and systems in place to avoid cross-contamination of ingredients. Home kitchens do not have to meet commercial-grade requirements, but they do need to demonstrate the ability to keep cooked food hot before serving (above 135 degrees) and refrigerated ingredients appropriately cold. “The main focus here is food safety,” Gonzalez says. Assuming the kitchen passes inspection, the business will receive a permit valid for one year for $588. The Health Department has not yet received any applications for a MEHKO, in part due to a payment processing software snafu that means the office is not yet accepting completed applications. Once that is fixed (by Nov. 6), Gonzalez admits he has no idea how many applications his office might receive. Will local home chefs jump at the opportunity to turn their kitchens into a business? Only time will tell. To learn more about Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations in Monterey County, and to obtain an application, visit bit.ly/MontereyMEHKO. First course Otto’s Bread Company (pictured) operates using a California Cottage Food Act license. A MEHKO allows expanded retail food offerings out of a private home kitchen. Fried Chicken Fridays… You have just three more opportunities to enjoy Fried Chicken Fridays at Peter B’s and Jacks Monterey. Get yourself a fried chicken dinner with Chef Carl’s secret retro-style recipe now through Nov. 17. Both locations are serving a plate with fried chicken, tropical coleslaw and French fries for $24. 2 Portola Plaza, Monterey. 649-4511, portolahotel. com/dining. Time to Wine and Dine… The Big Sur Food and Wine Festival kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 2 and continues through the weekend. While many events are long-since sold out, there are still tickets available to a couple of things, including two informative panel tastings. Indulge in some of the area’s finest wines and bites, and contribute to organizations that support this beloved place. bigsurfoodandwine.org. Play With Plant Medicine… Take a stroll through nature to learn about local plant species and their medicinal qualities with herbalist Lianne Neptune, then experience their flavors while you nibble on specialty small bites made with the same kinds of edible plants. The next tour takes place on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 1:30pm, and there are more opportunities throughout the month. The tour starts in Seaside. Purchase tickets at bit.ly/medicinalplants2023. Dine With Miner… The C Restaurant hosts its first post-pandemic wine dinner on Thursday, Nov. 16. Enjoy a seasonal five-course meal, each course paired with a glass of wine from Napa family winery Miner Wines, and an evening of conversation in the picturesque Library Room for $150 per person. 750 Cannery Row, Monterey. 3754800, thecrestaurant-monterey.com. Dumplings and Disco… Name a more iconic duo. Miss Lippe’s Dumplings, the flavorful and creative brainchild of Emily Lippe, is now available late-night at Compact Disco in Monterey on Fridays. Dumpling happy hour lasts from 6-8pm, but you can get a lil’ snack up until midnight. 420 Tyler St., Monterey. misslippes.com. mashup mania…There’s a new concept on the menu at Nacho Bizness: the Macarrito is a burrito with mac and cheese, waffle fries and carne asada inside. Just because these things taste good independently, should they be combined? Decide for yourself. 470 Alvarado St., Monterey. nachobiz.biz. By Jacqueline Weixel morsels Send a bite to eatanddrink@mcweekly.com Any private home can now become a small-scale restaurant. Eat + DrinK Daniel Dreifuss Yes Chef A new kind of permit allows food entrepreneurs to turn a home kitchen into a small-scale restaurant. By Tajha Chappellet-Lanier
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