Restaurant recommendations for Carmel or Monterey?

Someone wrote:

> Can any one recommend any romantic restaurants for Valentine's Day?
> Any type of food will do.  I know some people who will be vacationing
> and want to find a place out this way.

If you can, drive 20 minutes or so south into Big Sur & go to Nepenthe (try to get there before sunset). It's seriously beautiful, perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The food & service are very good.

Kelly

Will B. wrote:
>
>With all due respect - there are many roads in central and northern
>California that are at least as treacherous as Hwy 1 running thru Big Sur,
>and I say this as one who has spent a good deal of time there (atop
>Partington Ridge).
>

One of my favorite roads in this area is Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. It is not too well known.  It's the only way of getting across the Santa Lucia Mountains in the 100 mile stretch found between County Road G16 in Carmel and State Road 46 in Cambria.

However, not much food can be found around this road.  A restaurant used to exist about 2 miles south of this road on Highway 1 at a place called Pacific Valley.  Also, many of the restaurants in this area do tend to close early, so keep this in mind.