Mundaka Restaurant : Carmel, CA Sharing Food with Family and Friends in Carmel, CA.

Share

Carmel is an eclectic little village that encompasses about a square mile. It is known for it’s artistic community, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants and interesting people.

A LITTLE COLOR
Gabe Georis greeted us with a warm smile and a glass of Fronton De Oro, a red wine from the Canary Islands and said, “This is my new favorite wine. Welcome to Mundaka.” He seated us at a cozy corner table in the main dining room. The built-in bench seating was intimate and comfortable. The lively colored walls and accent lighting set the tone for a relaxed social dining experience. The ambiance is Spanish chic and the restaurant’s interior is all reclaimed.  Wooden floors were fashioned out of Walnut beams to look like bricks, which softens the acoustics of the restaurant. I heard Clint Eastwood had just dined here a couple of days earlier so I was looking forward to easing into some authentic Spanish Tapas cuisine and getting to know my host better. Gabe provided us with some interesting color on his background and business philosophy, which turned out to be more entertaining than some primetime talk shows. He’s from a well known Carmel restaurant family and had managed a 30,0000 bottle wine cellar at his father’s and Uncle’s establishment called Casanova’s. Gabe is a great entertainer and loves to throw a good party. The consummate host, he’ll make you feel right at home at Mundaka

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TOUCH
Gabe was first introduced to Spanish Tapas cuisine while living in San Sebastian, Spain.  He said “I just loved how the Spanish got it right. They know how to live! They’d take a little nap in the afternoon and ease into the evening around 10:00 p.m. It’s all about sharing food with family and friends.” With this mantra in mind, it was only natural when he decided to bring this style of dining to Carmel-By-The-Sea. It’s a party here every night at Mundaka. He partnered with Chef Brandon Miller whom he met at a local charity event. He said, “Brandon was cooking and I was serving. I knew that I’d found someone who I could partner with to start my new restaurant. It was all about how he touched the food. It takes a certain magic to get it right. Brandon has it.” Brandon studied under Cindy Pawlcyn and Michael Ciriello the Top Chef Masters TV show hosts. He also worked at San Francisco’s famous Fog City Diner. Miller is a world-class fly fisherman too!

FARM TO TABLE
These guys believe in serving up only the freshest foods with “real” ingredients. The Monterey area is blessed with some of the best organic growers in the world and they knock on Mundaka’s door daily. The menu changes based on whatever is available to them at that moment. It’s spontaneous, creative and artistic. Recently, a local fishing boat captain boated a giant squid.  Chef Brandon came into the kitchen with four-foot squid tentacles draped over his arm and said, “We’re having Sea Monster Bolognese tonight! That’s got to be a worldwide first, I’m sure. 

THE PARTY KEEPS GOING...
After hours, the party doesn’t stop--it just shifts gears. Live music plays nightly after 10:00 p.m. If you like twirling and listening to Jazz and Flamenco this is the place for you. Movies and videos are projected on the wall in the bar where you can try Gabe’s cool Spanish drinking contraption the Peron. It looks like Aladdin’s lamp with a spout on one end that you can chug a lug of your favorite wine from. We sampled these assortments of delicious Tapas, wines and desserts. All of them were over-the-top. This is a serious restauant.

Selección de lberico
Famous Black-Footed, Acorn-Fed Pig Sampler Jamón de Bellota, Lomo de Bellota, Chorizo $34.00
Albondigas
Meatballs, Chanterelle, Béchamel,Piquillo Coulis $9.50
Tagine
Braised Lamb Leg, Giant White Beans, Prunes Organe Gremolata $14.50