For an explanation of this post's (uncharacteristic) brevity, please see the first installment.
7 September 2003 – Pacific Grove, California
Passionfish – As with Tarpy's Roadhouse, there seems to be an effort to get us out the door as quickly as possible, one that's thwarted by our dining habits. I don't know why they'd rush, anyway; it's not like they're full, nor are we the last diners standing sitting.
Food-wise, everything is "too," which would be more acceptable were the skill up to the effort. Still, nothing is bad, and some is quite good. Sea bass is slightly overcooked (a sin), as is duck, but the oysters are fresh and varied, and the service is – despite the rush – quite friendly. More problematic is the wine program. The list is not only excellent, it's astoundingly-priced at a very small markup over wholesale, and it's a struggle to narrow the options down to just a few wines. The problem, however, is immediately visible if one has a view of the bar: the reds are clustered in bins near the ceiling, baking away. Not good.
Edmund Fitzgerald…or Andrea Doria?
Since Theresa is having fish throughout, and we're walking rather than driving back to our B&B, we do a bottle and a half with dinner; an easy choice at these prices.
Neudorf 2002 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) – I didn't get to taste the wines of this respected Nelson producer while in New Zealand, so I leap at the opportunity to try one here. Structured, with drying tannin enfolding capsicum, lime rind, and tart grapefruit that finish long and white-peppery. A complex and interesting sauvignon blanc.
Tablas Creek 2000 "Esprit de Beaucastel" (Paso Robles) – (The red, from 375ml.) An "adult" wine, refreshingly interesting after last night's Novy, showing blackberry and smoke with loads of complexing structure and the blackest earth as a foundation. Needs much time, but it's a really good wine.
And, after dinner, a glass of Port to ward off the chilly Monterey Bay breezes.
Quinta do Crasto 1996 Porto (Douro) – From a new bottle. Cherry and smoked blackberry jam, sweet and simple with a moderate life ahead of it.
![[ghostly ship on Monterey Bay]](http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/user_images/tci_903ca_ghost_ship.jpg)