Pacific Grove

After my second annual voyage for The Triathlon at Pacific Grove, this time with Julie, I thought the town itself deserved its own mention. If you haven't been to Pacific Grove, you can read up on it HERE.

We stayed at the Borg's Motel, an unremarkable motel in every sense other than location. It sits directly across the street from Lovers Point, which serves as the transition area for the triathlon. We had a parking lot view, but the motel does have rooms that face the bay. At $109/night, it would qualify as an absolute bargain in Pacific Grove, especially for race weekend.

The best way to see Pacific Grove is on foot. Julie caught some good pictures of some of the many 19th Century homes that line the streets between downtown and the Bay. The homes there reflect the irreverent vibe I get from the town, and are a big reason it has become one of my favorite places in California. After the race, we walked from the hotel along the water to Cannery Row in Monterey, which is also most of the run course for the race. I have a better appreciation for the scenery from the walk: Pacific Grove is my quintessential Central Coast town. Abundant Cypress trees overlooking the water, abundant wildlife, and sandy beaches with rolling dunes.

If you go: just walk from Lovers Point along the Ocean View to Cannery Row. It should take 20-30 minutes, and there are plenty of cabs to drive you back if you aren't up for the return. Also, be sure to traverse downtown on Lighthouse, and explore some of the side-streets (16th - 18th Avenues are great) to see the historic homes.

Restaurants
A great race weekend, for sure. But also a great food weekend. Culinary thoughts:

Latitudes was a nice location for a drink, since it is right next to Borg's. There aren't many traditional bars in Pacific Grove, so the lounge here was a great place to watch football and drink beer after the race. The artichoke heart and calamari plate was very good. Beer selection is marginal. The lounge has 3 TVs and a couple of couches to go with typical bar tables. They also are a race sponsor, so athletes should try to support them in kind.

Joe Rombi's was our Friday night Italian carb-loading meal, and it was a treat. Joe was there to take our reservation, seat us when we arrived, and check in on us throughout the meal. His passion permeates the place, and its loud, upbeat, and affable atmosphere kept us in a positive mindset before race day. The lasagna (Friday nights only) is superb, with thin noodles and a hearty meat sauce that filled me up but wasn't overly heavy. Excellent flavor. The mozzarella/basil/tomato roll appetizer was unique, I liked it. Great strawberry shortcake. Excellent, friendly service by the entire staff (including Joe himself). It's a small place, so make a reservation if you go.

Saturday post-race meal was at the 17th Street Grill, which boasts the best burgers in town (and they probably are, as far as I know). It's a popular spot, you order from the counter and they bring your food to you. Service was slow. My turkey burger, with a side of homemade tortilla chips, was very good. The home-brewed ice tea was also excellent, with a hint of fruit but not too sweet. A good place for kids if you can stand the wait. They also allow dogs on the patio, an additional plus in my book.

We hit The Sardine Factory in Monterey for drinks and music on Saturday. It's a traditional, old-school piano lounge where you can expect to hear Moon River followed by Five for Fighting. Good wine list.

Dinner Saturday was at Passionfish, an eclectic seafood restaurant downtown. This place is totally out of the box, from the Gorgonzola salad with candied walnuts and chutney (it worked) to my "cowboy meal" of sturgeon with sweet corn and potatoes (very hearty and filling). The pear bread pudding was brilliant -- ample fuit and a little crispy on the outside. Julie's scallops were amazing, and I'm not normally a big fan of scallops. Incredible wine list at prices only $5 over retail, although we brought our own wine. Over a dozen after-dinner teas available. Passionfish supports a some very important causes, including sustainable seafood and healthy oceans in partnership with the Monterey Bay aquarium. They are the first Green restaurant in Pacific Grove, and appear intent on running their business the right way. Definitely make reservations if you plan to go.

The Lighthouse Café Sunday filled us up for breakfast. I had an excellent Spanish Omelet with homemade salsa and home-style redskin potatoes. Coffee was average, but the food made up for it.

Special mention to P.G. Juice and Java, which gave me a much needed pick-me-up Friday afternoon. Good smoothie (with plenty of boost options), and they sell California Suncakes (a Julie favorite). It's in a neat old building, and has free wifi. They also appear to have a nice selection of coffee and tea drinks.