Featured Stories

Sept. 15, 2025

There is a quote for everything, especially when it comes to food. Among my favorites are these:

“Food: the art form we consume, the memory we digest.”

“In the world’s buffet of flavors, curiosity is your best seasoning.”

“Eating is not just about sustenance; it's a celebration of culture on a plate.”

But if I had to pick a quotation that best describes my experience wandering through the 12th Annual Flavors of Pacific Grove last September, it might be this one: “Taste the story of a place with every forkful of its cuisine.”

The Flavors of PG event (scheduled for September 25, 2025 from 5:30PM-8:00PM) is more than two-dozen restaurants around town showing off their cookery concoctions. It’s a conversation of sorts between a thriving culinary community and the townsfolk who crave amity amid appetizers. It’s an opportunity to see the diversity of PG reflected in its cuisine. And it’s an opportunity to bond over deliciousness. In fact, the two most common refrains I heard were “Ooh, that’s good” and “You’ve gotta try this.”

Another good quote: “Music is to the soul as food is to the body.”

But the combination is always superlative. So it was at Flavors, where five bands provided a soundtrack to the gastronomic scene at five different PG business hubs – the Victory Lane Band (at Fairway Shopping Center), the Wharf Rats (at Forest Hill Shopping Centers), the Stu Heydon Band (at California Seltzer at Lovers Point), the Transducers (at Monarch Pub), and Shannon and the Night Divers (in front of Bradley Print Services).

“Taste the journey, not just the destination, with every culinary escapade.”

Shuttles journeyed through town with pickups and drop-offs at both shopping centers, Lighthouse Avenue, and Lovers Point. That way, you didn’t have to drive if you wanted to imbibe. You could enjoy wine tastings at Bradley Print Services, beer and kombucha at Coldwell Banker, and samples from Pacific Grove Bottle Shop, Monarch Pub, and Hops & Fog Brewing, among others).

“Exploring a new cuisine is like unwrapping a gift from a different part of the world.”

Indeed, I sampled paella at Fandango, a brisket empanada from Café Guarini, a pork tamale from Mando’s restaurant, beer-battered fish and mushy peas at Monarch Pub, a quesadilla at Peppers Mexicali Café, and a falafel Greek salad at Petra Restaurant.

“Life is too short for ordinary food – embark on a journey of extraordinary flavors.”

Among my favorite extraordinary flavors were ceviche tostaditas at Passionfish, squash and pear soup at Spotted Duck, firecracker shrimp at the Beach House, cioppino from Fishwife, a torched beef crostini from il Vecchio, spinach ravioli at Red House Café, coconut jalapeno ceviche at Wild Fish, and a maple nut scone at The PG Meetinghouse.

So that was last year’s gastro-event. And with the 13th Annual Flavors of Pacific Grove approaching, Pagrovians can once again look forward to embracing the full array of delicious dishes in PG. To quote the late, great Anthony Bourdain: “Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”