Raul N.
Yelp
Of all the food experiences on the Central Coast, perhaps none is more unusual than Monday Night Dinner at the Cachagua General Store: a remarkably refined meal--set in the middle of rural Carmel Valley. (One of my friends likens it to eating a fancy dinner in a trailer park.)
Monday Night Dinner is such an indescribable beast. The location is half an hour past the middle of nowhere. The setting is essentially a cleaned-up storage room with tables and rickety chairs arranged haphazardly. It's loud and very casual, attracting a diverse set of characters. Service is slow. But the food trumps all these (minor) inconveniences.
The menu includes two dozen choices for appetizers and almost as many entrée selections too. On my first visit, my friends and I sampled nearly everything on the menu in a true test of gastronomic endurance.
The pear salad with parsnip strips, Brie and a yuzu honey dressing was one of the best appetizers of the night--the creamy cheese and sweet pears. The beet salad was flavorful and so elegant in presentation.
The poached egg with sorrel, black trumpet mushrooms and goatsmilk burrata was rich and creamy, with a unique blend of flavorful herbs.
And of course we sampled the famous bone marrow--a large bone halved in two, roasted and served with crisp crostini and mushrooms. The buttery bone marrow paired nicely with the earthy mushrooms.
My entrée--the seared duck breast--was good, but given the high praise I've heard about this dish, I expected it to be better. The meat was tender and flavorful, but a little gamier than I usually prefer.
Among the entrees ordered at the table, the double pork chop was the best. And it was a huge portion of meat--like a portion for a caveman! The pork was well cooked, and nicely seasoned. The peach confit and plum sauce that accompanied the meat were quite tasty.
Despite stuffing ourselves with appetizers and entrees, we decided as long as we'd trekked all the way out to the valley, we should try dessert too.
The chocolate crema ingelese, served with olive oil and sea salt, was great. The mousse was smooth, with rich chocolate flavor. The roasted stuffed apple with white chocolate crema ingelese and Jack Daniels caramel sauce was also quite good.
For round two, I joined friends for dinner at Cachagua last week, a holiday get-together of sorts.
We were more reserved in our ordering this time--picking up mostly appetizers and a just a few entrees.
The beer-battered wild rice pancake, topped with mushrooms, was the sleeper hit. The flavor combination was totally unexpected--the earthy mushrooms and the creamy beer batter. The quail was also very good. The meat was tender--always tricky with such a tiny little bird--and the accompanying chile pasta was a unique pairing that built heat with each bite.
The chanterelle and porcini soup was rich and creamy, packed with mushroom flavor. But we thought this heavy soup might have been better as a sauce.
And of course the bone marrow was as buttery as always.
Two of the entrees really shined: the pork ribs--topped with a delicious housemade mole sauce--and the chef's famous rabbit five ways. The latter arrived with five preparations of rabbit: fried, braised, stewed, bacon and terrine. The terrine was my favorite, with smoky flavors and a hint of spice.
We sampled two desserts--the Jack Daniels apple cobbler and the white chocolate parfait. The cobbler was full of sweet apples and the perfect wintertime dessert. For those less indulgent, the parfait was a clean, light finish to dinner.
Not every dish is a knock-out, but you'll find food certainly as tasty as any of the fancier spots on the Monterey Peninsula. And dinner here doesn't come with the high price tags so common on the Peninsula--the food and wine are remarkably reasonable considering the quality and the portions.
Cachagua is really an otherworldly experience--and it might not be for everyone. But if you're willing to take a chance on a dining experience that's rough around the edges and head out to the valley with an open mind, you can find one of the Central Coast's hidden culinary gems.
Just remember, when it comes to the bill, split checks are a big no-no at Cachagua. If you're dining with a group, make sure you all bring cash or make sure one of you has a healthy credit card balance to foot the bill.
