La Dolce Vita, (The sweet Life), and Dametra Cafe, Carmel by the Sea, Ca.

I'm heading back to Carmel by the Sea this week and am going tell you about two of my favorite restaurants there that you should definitely try when you're passing through or staying in this quaint hamlet by the sea in Monterey County.  Before I do, I should give you some small backround on Carmel BTS.

Carmel is directly between, and adjacent to, Monterey on the north and Pebble Beach on the south, and home to the world famous golf facility and the annual AT and T Pro-Am. (I've actually run into Clint Eastwood several times walking around town and at his famous Mission Ranch facility which is right in town.)

Carmel BTS is home to 26 Bed and Breakfast hotels, over a hundred restaurants and loads of overpriced tourist shops for every taste, all crammed into a mile square area.
(It may seem a little stuck up at first, by not having any actual addresses on any properties in town, and it can be fun trying to find anything without Google Maps), but actually, I can't think of a better place to spend a romantic weekend eating, window shopping and walking along the beautiful, dog-friendly beaches.

La Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant, owned by my friend Miguel Mendes, is a great place to stop for a romantic dinner and a great pizza to boot!  The food is freshly prepared and authentic.  With a great outdoor patio and local wine selection it's a real winner any time.

My other favorite restaurant in town, and known to be one of the best on the Central Coast is Dametra Cafe.

Dametra, owned by two other of my dear friends, Faisal and Bashar, combines a mix of unique Turkish, Greek and Mediterranean Cuisine in tasty dishes that are different than anything you will find anywhere else. Add the great atmosphere, where the owners sing, dance and play instruments for a ten minute "jig" during dinner and you'll walk away satisfied both in stomach and heart.

I'll be back in a few days with some more from these two favorites and some more pictures of the awesome food.

Until then, Ciao

Find LA Dolce Vita here:

And Dametra Cafe here: www.dametracafe.com

El Cantaro Vegan Mexican cuisine in Monterey Ca.

Yesterday I went to a really great Mexican place in Monterey California for the first time called El Cantaro Vegan mexican cuisine. If you've read my columns before you know I am a solid meat eater my whole life and love a good burger or steak sandwich. I also happen to consider myself somewhat of an expert on good Mexican Cuisine. I'll take salsa as hot as you can make it and the fresher the pico de gallo the better, so bring it on! I definitely separate the good from the bad based on these factors and conclude that this restaurant is an excellent choice even for meat eaters like myself.

The enchiladas were excellent and the "cheese" tasted great. The enchilada sauce was wonderfully prepared and the spicy orange salsa, (which I would assume most people would find a bit too much, but I loved), was excellent. The various tacos made with some types of protein (I'm not exactly sure what) were very delicious. The mango taco was my favorite .

What I will reveal now is that for the last several months I've been making an effort to cut way back on the amount of meat and dairy products I consume. I've noticed by eating less of these products I seem to feel a little bit lighter and I've lost weight without doing anything extra, and kept it off. Although these are benefits that help me personally, I can't help but mention that the benefits of eating fewer meat and dairy products, including poultry and pork, are good for society and the health of our nation as well. Watching movies such as "Vegucated", "Fed Up" and "Cowspiracy" (all on Netflix) have convinced me that by cutting back on dairy and meat products, and consuming fewer processed foods with added sugars and preservatives, we can cut down on the rate of cancer, stop much of the cruelty that is done to animals in the processing of the food and the raising of the animals, and also help the environment by saving our air and water for more important and useful tasks.

At the risk of sounding preachy here, I'd like to suggest that we all try to make an effort to cut back on the amount of dairy and animal products that we consume and try a vegan diet, which I have been pleasantly surprised with.

I'll definitely be coming back to this place often, and continue my exploration into a plant based diet and how it makes me and my family feel.

Until then, Ciao

El Cantaro is located only about 2 blocks from the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California and you can find them on the web at:

www.elcantarovegan.com

Lou Lou's Griddle in the Middle, far above middle. Monterey, Ca.

 We stopped by one of our favorite breakfast places here in the Monterey Peninsula last week, Lou Lou's Griddle in the middle which is located on the commercial Wharf directly next to the main Fisherman's Wharf in downtown Monterey. With a beautiful view of the ocean the sounds and smells of the sea around us and seated outdoors on a beautiful summer day, it's a great place to enjoy a breakfast or lunch while passing through Monterey. The fresh fish, shrimp, crab, and calamari are excellent when mixed with eggs or in the crabcakes. The omelets and breakfast burritos are enormous and packed to the gills, (to use a pertinent reference) and so are the chocolate chip pancakes, which are bigger than a dinner plate, hanging over the edge, and grilled to Perfection right in front of you.

The decor inside is a very eclectic and a bit of a tight fit, where you watch them cook your food while sitting at the counter and drinking your coffee.

I'll be back to Lou Lou's often for the atmosphere, the food, and the fun friendly people that work there.

Find them on the web at www.loulousgriddle.com

Be sure to check out the interview I did with one of the owners, Gigi at my YouTube channel:
www.YouTube.com/uradioshow

Until then. Ciao.

Be sure