La Balena - Italian Bliss In Carmel

  Last night I took my charming husband out to dinner. It was his birthday, and this is what we do. We haven't exchanged gifts for years. There was a time when I would buy loads of things for him…little things he would ask for throughout the year. I would file these items away and go hunt them down. Then I would gift wrap these treats, and pile them at the end of the bed for him to wake up to. 

  What can I say…we don't have kids. And he loved being treated like one….

  Since we've started traveling more, this is our gift to one another. And it's a great gift, believe me. Now we just enjoy each other over a nice dinner someplace special. 

  These days one of our most favorite spots of all is La Balena, in Carmel. We love that it is kind of hidden back in a sweet courtyard, off the beaten track. Admittedly, La Balena has been "found", but it deserves it's popularity.

The entry courtyard/outdoor dining area of La Balena.
There are two outdoor dining areas, front and back.

   Owners Anna and Emanuele Bartolini feel like family. They are warm and ever so welcoming. We have had lunch and dinner a few times since they opened... I think in 2012. Emanuele comes from Florence, Italy and his wife Anna is from Georgia. They are both sweethearts, and seem to really enjoy what they have here. 

  Emanuele worked front of the house at Del Posto in New York, as well as Cantinetta Luca, here in Carmel. He is easy going with a keen knowledge of Italian wines. We love to spend time chatting with him about Italy…and the accent kills me every time. The lovely Anna seems to be on sight at all times…a very hard working and dedicated gal. She is always ready to help us with the menu, and point us to vegetarian delights. I believe she is vegetarian herself, but not 100% certain…..Chef Brad Briske, though no longer vegan himself, hails from our favorite SF vegan eatery, Millennium, so we can always expect something special when it comes to the veg choices. 

  On more than one occasion, the kitchen has fixed us an off menu dish, because there isn't a veg option. I love this. And I understand, too, because everything on the menu is seasonal and much of it is locally sourced, too. We feel as though we are eating in Italy, honestly. The products are that good.

The main dining area. Cozy? Yes.

  We enjoy sitting either outside, in the back patio area, or at one of the "chef tables", which are located just off the side of the main dining room. You sit with boxes of wine, water, all sorts of activity from the kitchen…I really love it.

  A couple of photos, below, from the little chefs tables. We have also sat with pals at a four top table back in this area. We always have a good time here.

The B-Day boy waiting for something tasty to eat and drink.

Me, too! After several stressful weeks, so nice to just sit and relax,
waiting for a very wonderful meal.

An up close and personal view of the available wines.
We like to try something different, and have never been disappointed.

  While we decide on what's for supper, we almost always have the warm house marinated olives. I can't get enough. The mix of olives is nice, with both big, meaty varieties and the small fun-to-eat types. They are served really nice and warm, too. No fooling around.

  The luxury of an evening out….sigh. It's been awhile! We decide on something big and oaky to drink. Though the oak forward chardonnays are "out of fashion" these days, I don't care. We both love the buttery, liquid gold feel of these wines. On this night, we chose a wine from the Sonoma Coast, "Red Car". 

What's not to love? A perfect glass to sip with the olives, a bit of good ciabatta and some spicy green olive oil…HEAVEN.

I could just stop here, but…… why?

The dynamic duo…bread and olive oil.
Really great olive oil...

  The menu changes with the season, as I mentioned, so it's always fun to see what is new or different. We have watched various dishes come out from the kitchen(a big plus to eating at the chef's tables!), and it all looks so good….Though we are non-meat eaters, I still totally enjoy seeing the plates of osso buco, salumi, octopus, etc. go on by. Evidently, on certain nights only, there is a fried chicken to die for. It goes fast, too, so plan ahead for this dish. 

  At lunch, we'll often go for a couple of starters, and then split a salad and frittata. A perfect meal for mid-day. The salads are fresh and seasonal. Very inventive combinations, as well as classics, like panzanella.

The menu on this particular evening in September.

  After a little more wine, we asked to start with the bruschetta with basil and burrata. I almost never pass on the opportunity to dive into some burrata, and this was served in a different way than we have had before.
  We usually have this very delicate cheese, basically a fresh mozzarella ball stuffed with more mozzarella and cream, served on a plate, kind of "cracked open" and drizzled with good olive oil. You spread it on crusty grilled bread with a dash of sea salt, and dig in. This dish was warm, like a typical bruschetta, with the cheese just lightly melted and topped with fresh basil. Of course there is olive oil and salt….
  I could have had another plate, certo! But, being a good girl, I held back, knowing there would soon be a superb plate of pasta in the very near future...

Crispy, grilled bread, creamy burrata, and lemony basil.
I want to do this one at home. Maybe even tonight.

  In between bites, we followed the action in the kitchen as well as the nearby main dining room. It was busy, which is always nice to see, and the vibe was great. Both the outdoor dining areas were full, as the evening was warm enough to dine al fresco.
  Really, a perfect place to be at a most perfect time.

 
 We were going back and forth, trying to decide on a pasta dish. Johnny wanted gnocchi, but the menu had only a version with pork sausage. Sounded lovely, just not for us vegetarians. I had already zoomed in on the tagliatelle verde, so I was set. As always, Johnny didn't want to order the same as me, and I love this about him. We like to change plates about halfway through.
  Anyway, we asked our dear server if the chef could do a vegetarian gnocchi. She soon returned with options…a creamy, tomato or olive oil based sauce?
  I love La Balena.
  Johnny went with a creamy sauce.

The vegetarian gnocchi on this night
 featured chopped Tuscan kale in a light parmesan cream.
The slightly browned gnocchi were just the way we like them.

  I was pretty excited about my choice, the tagliatelle verde, and it was a perfect pasta for me. I don't care for pasta with lots of sauce, and when I cook at home, I like a more "dry" type of condiment for my pasta.

  The pasta was cooked just right, and the combo of chantarelle and artichoke is another match made in heaven. I often garnish pasta with toasted bread crumbs. They add a nice salty, oily crunch. The truffle oil was not too overdone, thankfully. Just enough to add a bottom note of earthiness. 

Crunchy, velvety, earthy. I would order this again in a heartbeat.

Since it was his birthday, Johnny splurged on some extra calories with the polenta with truffle oil.
Again, enough truffle to know it's there, but not too much.

   As we were just finishing our dinner, Anna let us know we were going to have some Italian company soon, and what a delightful surprise. Just married the day before, Giammario from Rimini, and his new American bride Brandi, were too much fun to sit next to. 

  We rarely chat with neighbors while in restaurants, but these guys made our evening more special. We both had fun talking about Italy, California, music, movies….art! It was great! When they stopped by the gallery the next day, we felt like we had made new friends. Anna knew we would enjoy their company, and I'm glad she did. 

  Serendipity!

Ciao, Newlyweds!
So glad we met you-

  You are thinking…what about dessert? Well, a dear friend had given Mr. J two little lemon pound cakes, which were waiting for us at home. Let me just say, they were so yummy…we only split one that evening, and had the second little bit of sweetness the following night.
  Thanks, Marilyn!!!

  I am just waiting for another good excuse to go back to La Balena. Hmmm…I think it's National "Go Out To Eat" day soon, isn't it? Yeah, yeah... that'll work for me….


  If you want the closest experience to true Italian dining on the Monterey Peninsula, don't hesitate! Make your reservation today, and enjoy una vera cucina Italiana!


For all the information you need:
La Balena