Charming restaurant entrance
Do you have your favorite neighborhood restaurant that you like to go to every week? You know the kind of the place where the staff welcomes you by name and even on occasion gives you complimentary wine, or your favorite dessert on your birthday or maybe even an entire meal.
One of my favorite things to do when I moved neighborhoods a lot in college was to find that perfect place – the restaurant or café that had staff who cared about the food they put out as much as they cared about their clientele. I became a faithful customer to places like this wherever I lived and it always made my neighborhood a little richer.
Fandango Restaurant is a beautiful and charming restaurant in Pacific Grove, on the popular Monterey Peninsula, that marries fine dining with a warm and homey European atmosphere. This wonderful spot near downtown hasn’t changed much since they first opened their doors in 1983 and continues to have a faithful following of customers. And part of the restaurant’s charm is its unique history of how it got started in Pacific Grove.
Central dining room with fireplace
The story goes that among the first to dine at the new restaurant in 1983 were Pierre and Marietta Bain. Pierre was at that time the long time manager of Club XIX at The Lodge at Pebble Beach working with Executive Chef Pedro De La Cruz. Club XIX is a classic French restaurant within The Lodge in Del Monte Forest. In 1986 Fandango was sold to the Bains who then reopened the restaurant at the end of the year with Pedro as their head chef.
At Fandango you will enjoy classic Mediterranean and European style cuisine along with attentive service. My favorites are their fresh seafood and rack of lamb from their wood burning grill. I had the sand dabs the last time we went with a cold glass of Pinot Grigio wine and was in heaven.
The restaurant has two main dining rooms and five private dining rooms – you will definitely find a table that suits your mood. We usually enjoy a table in one of the smaller rooms but I do love sitting in the main dining room near the fireplace.
When you go be sure and check out a copy of the book Alan Shugart and Pierre put together in 1993 called Fandango, The Story of Two Guys Who Wanted to Own a Restaurant (Fortunately One Knew What He Was Doing).
Great book about Fandango's creation
223 17th Street
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
Reservations: 831-372-3456
Monday – Saturday
Lunch 11:30am–2:30pm
Dinner 5 to closing
Sunday Brunch 11:30am–2:30pm
Dinner 5 to closing
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5 Responses
Yes! Yes! I agree with everything you say. I love Fandango for the lamb, others can’t resist their traditional paella. You are one lucky gal if this is your neighborhood restaurant.
By the way, your readers might be interested in my review of Pacific Grove’s Green Gables Inn
http://lodging.uptake.com/blog/green-gables-inn-pacific-grove-california-2nd-night-free.html if they are in the area.
Nancy D. Browns last blog post..Resort at Squaw Creek in Squaw Valley, California
Hi Nancy – They really are the nicest owners and staff. My parents go every week so yes, I am very lucky indeed.
We used to have a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place where we were treated like this. Funny thing was, I didn’t really like their food, but the owners were so sweet we went nearly every week for 15 years. They sold it in 2007, and while I think the new family deserves some support, my husband refuses to go back in there. Says he can only take so much of a menu he doesn’t like. LOL
Julie Sturgeons last blog post..New Year’s Eve Confetti Caper
[...] The million dollar renovations are ongoing but many of the rooms are finished. You might want to ask for one of the newly finished ones when you make your reservation. I found the front desk very helpful. If your stay is a special occasion, I can suggest a nice spot for dinner in Pacific Grove. [...]
[...] Big news in Monterey: the Royal Chapel of Monterey, the first architect-designed building in California, has been restored. During the restoration, workers found previously unknown frescoes and paintings on the walls. Read more in this San Francisco Chronicle article. Berberian made the following very cool video on a trip to Monterey. Check out what the area looks like in HD! Monterey from Paul Berberian on Vimeo. If you ever wanted an itinerary for a wine tour of Monterey, WineCountry.com has written a great one. (Or you can refer to the afternoon portion of Day Two of our Midweek Monterey Getaway itinerary, which was released in our most recent newsletter.) Take a look at photos from the Central Coast’s Elegant Gothic Lolitas meetup at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (What’s an Elegant Gothic Lolita? It’s a fashion trend, started in Japan, that involves dressing up in stylized Victorian-influenced garb.) Matteoettam posted this breathtaking photo of Big Sur on Flickr. The Safari Press came to Big Sur for New Year’s Eve and posted some great Polaroids of the adventure. Saya, meanwhile, posted fun Big Sur photos from Halloween, and Daryl L. Hunter posted a great shot of the beach at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Speaking of breathtaking photos, check out this great shot of Elkhorn Slough from Thephrog! The Uptake Restaurants Blog had very nice things to say about Pacific Grove’s Fandango Restaurant. [...]