This Week on the Central Coast…
Carmel now has two starred restaurants, a South Korean reality show is filming in Marina, and Seacliff Inn introduces a wine event.
Monterey
Chez Noir earns a star
Carmel now has two Michelin starred restaurants as Chez Noir joins Aubergine. The restaurant, owned by Jonny and Monique Black, creates a friendly, almost casual feel with its dining room, eight-seat bar, and patio seating. The team focuses on hyper-local seafood and produce, leading to an often-changing menu based on availability and season.
The owners are no strangers to the hefty demand of keeping up a high-profile restaurant. The pair have worked in several starred restaurants before, such as Atelier Crenn, Quince, Per Se, and Coi. Chez Noir even has their own branded reserve caviar, which was created with the help of California Caviar Co. from Sausalito.
Michelin’s review loved the atmosphere of the two-story home / restaurant combination. The food is a fusion of styles, mixing French bistro with California coastal cuisine. The review mentioned the “spot-on sea bass and swoon-worthy abalone.” Many online reviews recommend the abalone skewers with liver butter and Meyer lemon, as well as the sweet corn agnolotti, when it's available.
Chez Noir is located on 5th Avenue, between San Carlos and Dolores street in Carmel. Their website states that they do not have a phone. Reservations are handled online and for any other inquiries, they request that you email or message on Instagram. They are open Tuesday to Thursday from 5 to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 9:30pm.
CSUMB’s annual summer research symposium
The annual symposium focused on the work of undergraduate students in research programs. It presented the students’ summer research “across 12 academic disciplines and 14 grant-funded programs.” The participants also attended over twenty hours of workshops to prepare them for the event.
The event honored the students for taking on some of the most serious topics facing our area, such as investigating the potential harmfulness of Pythium in Salinas Valley lettuce. Another presented the research on the impact of sea-surface temperatures on local birds who depend on the ocean for food.
The students’ abstracts are available online.
A popular South Korean reality show is being filmed in Marina
The name of the show is Unexpected Business, which places two actors in charge of a local grocery store for ten days. The actors take over all daily operations, including helping customers, inventory management, and serving meals.
The show is filming at Asian Market on Del Monte Boulevard in Marina. The creators of the show said that, after two seasons of filming in South Korea, it was time to mix it up. Marina stuck out to them because of its diversity and the amount of privately owned Asian markets in the area. Fort Ord was also interesting to them as the 7th Infantry Division of the Army trained there and eventually fought in the Korean War and “was stationed in South Korea for years after the war ended.”
Unfortunately, the show is not planned to be released in North America.
Santa Cruz
Art Exhibit incoming: “Contemporary Indigenous Voices of California’s South Coast Range”
A traveling art exhibit that “explores tribes' land-based culture, cultural restoration, the perspectives of elders and youth, and barriers to cultural expression in the modern world” has come to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. The exhibit is a photograph and short-film display presented with in-person events and Q&As.
The exhibit is presented by Kirti Bassendine, a photographer and documentarian. She was born in Kenya and emigrated to England before graduating from Derby University in the UK with BA Honors in Fine Art Photography. She’s built trust with the indigenous people of California's South Coast Ranges to bring together a wide variety of sources. Her work explores the lives of these tribes as they work against the history of colonization, missionization, and capitalism, which have all but erased their stories. The exhibit ensures their stories have a place as they relearn and restore their culture. Through photography, storyboards, videos, and in-person dialogues, Kirti also explores women’s roles and experiences in these tribes.
The exhibit will be up until August 27. Admission is free.
Seacliff Inn introduces a monthly wine stroll
Seacliff Inn is presenting a new program (similar to a wine club) called Wine30, which will explore the diverse wines of the area. Every Thursday, patrons of the inn’s restaurant, Sevy’s Bar + Kitchen, get 30% off 30 wines from 6-9pm. Plus, every third Thursday, the inn hosts a “Sip & Stroll” on their event lawn. Local artists are invited to show off their works while guests can enjoy a $10 tasting from the featured winery of the month. In addition to the art show, there are also lawn games and local musicians to keep the festivities going. Sevy’s Bar + Kitchen is also open to provide food for guests.
Featured wineries are rotating, ensuring that there is something new for each Sip & Stroll. You do not have to be staying at the inn to participate.
Salinas
Rancho Cielo announced a new solar project
Rancho Cielo announced that it will be installing and maintaining solar energy panels. The project will be overseen by Scudder Solar Energy Systems of Marina. Rancho Cielo students who are taking Ag Technology, Construction, and Youth Corps classes will be included in the installation and maintenance of the 42 solar panels. Panels are being installed over 13,000 square feet that includes roof and ground installations.
The learning center estimates their current annual energy costs at $100k per year. The solar panels are expected to have a 5 year break-even point, which will then save the school money on energy. Over 25 years, the school estimates the solar panels will save them about $3.4 million.
The system is expected to be completed by the end of this year and powered up on January 1, 2024.