44 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 21-27, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Think you have a big crowd coming for Thanksgiving? Some local hotels and restaurants are expecting over 600 people to show up, starting around lunchtime then cycling into the evening. Hundreds of turkeys already brined and seasoned will slide into restaurant ovens in the wee hours of the morning to emerge juicy and tender. Meanwhile, sumptuous side dishes and desserts will be whipped up and readied for buffet tables. Preparing for such an iconic American meal requires skillful planning and precision timing. Chefs planning their menus weeks in advance navigate a delicate balance between satisfying guests who pine for tradition and those ready for something unique and different. At Carmel Valley Ranch, where they’re expecting over 300 buffet guests and around 350 in The Valley Kitchen restaurant, Sous Chef Andrew Juinio confers with partner Swank Farms in Hollister about what produce will be at its peak by Thanksgiving. This year Juinio is using Swank’s butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and others, including green beans for a “killer dish” he tops with crispy shallots and toasted almonds, then serves in a garlic butter sauce. Juinio also uses CVR’s own artisanal products like goat cheese from their own goats, honey from their hives and house salt. The salt, made with water from the Pacific, will encrust Juinio’s prime rib, along with herbs from the resort’s garden. There are two teams, an AM team and a PM team. The AM team oversees the brining of turkeys and salting of prime rib. “At 5am I need the turkeys in so they can be in for eight hours,” Juinio says. The prime rib takes two and a half hours. The side dishes are cooked fresh throughout the day. The in-house pastry team makes an assortment of pies. At Bernardus in Carmel Valley, Chef Christian Ojeda takes a similar tack, thinking about what’s in season and crafting a menu that is traditional but new at the same time. “Obviously the highlight of the show is turkey, right?” Ojeda says. “I try to ensure we still offer the classics but sometimes with a twist to make it a little more unique of a dining experience.” Priding himself on scratch cooking, Ojeda says they begin preparations a week out or more, making the brine for the turkey and toasting flour for the gravy. They do about 200 pounds of breast meat and 25 pounds of dark meat between a buffet lunch and a plated dinner. Chef Mario Garcia at Grasing’s in Carmel relies on guest favorites from years past, then looks to what’s in season at farmers markets to create both traditional and unique dishes. “If someone is tired of the same old, same old they can come and have something a little different,” Garcia says. His favorite dish is the less traditional red curry squash risotto with crispy sage and parmesan cheese. Entrees this year include braised veal osso buco with mashed potatoes and Chilean sea bass. Yet tradition still prevails: “I would say 80 percent of our sales is still the turkey dinner,” Garcia says. He plans on preparing around 65 turkeys this year, for restaurant dinners as well as pick-up meals with all the trimmings. The team starts at around 4am so the turkeys are out by 1pm. They rest for an hour for the first “turn” of guests at 2pm. The kitchen crew cooks the rest of the menu all day. “You’re running on adrenaline,” he says. In Monterey at the Portola Hotel, Chef Carl Ashurst is all about tradition. He oversees three Turkey Day meals: a buffet in the De Anza Ballroom and sitdown service at Jacks Monterey and Peter B’s. He brushes off any suggestion he has a hard job. “Thanksgiving is easy. You have to have turkey, you have to have cranberry sauce, you have to have stuffing. Then you can add on anything you want—usually we have a ham and a prime rib,” he says. There is green bean casserole and Brussels sprouts, plus yams in a honey sauce and topped with marshmallows—his personal favorite. The meal is rounded out with several different salads, and a kids station featuring mac and cheese and chicken fingers. Ashurst always makes sure there is something chocolate on the dessert table. “We’ve been doing it for years, it’s almost down with our eyes closed,” Ashurst says. First course Turkeys ready for the oven at Grasing’s in Carmel before a previous Thanksgiving dinner. Chef Mario Garcia and his team will prepare approximately 65 birds this year. To The Flame…Heritage Fire and Whiskies of the World are hosting a unique evening at the Inn at Spanish Bay on Friday, Nov. 22. For the first time, the two touring lifestyle events—one with foods cooked over fire, the other featuring spirits—take place at the same time and location. Tickets sold out. 2700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach. Raise A Glass…A year after the death of Whole Enchilada co-founder Ray Retez, Haute Enchilada in Moss Landing is celebrating his life. Retez died on Nov. 24, 2023 at the age of 93. This Nov. 24 (Sunday), the restaurant will be giving out “Lucky Ray Lottery” tickets and whimsical glasses. 7902 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing. hauteenchilada.com. Fish Frenzy…Another seafood spot is heading to Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey. On Nov. 19, city officials announced they’d signed a lease with Southern California-based San Pedro Fish Market, known for its shrimp trays. Renovations on the 17,000-square-foot space—formerly home to Scales, which closed in 2021 after a seven-year run— will begin in 2025, with an anticipated opening in 2026. Drink Big…Twisted Roots Winery is making the holidays even merrier. For the first time, vinophiles can purchase large-format bottles of the wine, each one hand-painted with an exclusive design. And while that’s cool, bringing a jeroboam (5-liter) or double magnum (3-liter) to the table is even more impressive. If you must, they also have magnums for sale. 12 Del Fino Place, Carmel Valley. 594-8282, twistedrootsvineyard.com. Not Norman Rockwell…If you’re looking for a Thanksgiving meal that’s not turkey and stuffing, head to Camalig Filipino Cuisine where they will be serving up traditional Filipino dishes like adobo, pancit palabok or guisado, lumpia and so much more. Have a different Thanksgiving meal, no reservations required. 190 E. Laurel Drive, Salinas. 292-4290, camaligfilipinocuisineca.com. Sips Of Fall…We already have pumpkin spice lattes and peppermint mochas, but Rosine’s Restaurant has even more fun fall beverages to help us get in the fall spirit. Highlights of the seasonal drink menu include an apple cider spritz, an apple pie old fashioned, a pumpkin pie martini and other creative cocktails. 434 Alvarado St., Monterey. 375-1400, rosinesmonterey.com. By Jacqueline Weixel morsels eatanddrink@montereycountynow.com “You’re running on adrenaline.” Eat + DrinK Courtesy Grasing’s Restaurant Turkey Trot Restaurants and hotels get busy prepping for the big day and big appetites. By Pam Marino
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