Big Sur Foragers Festival
If you reside in California that is! The magical Monterey Peninsula is a feasible destination for any Californian who can drive and enjoy our countryside road trips. The beauty of the Pacific Coast is unparalleled, and makes a few hours behind the wheel a rather pleasant price to pay for a wonderful weekend in Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove, and practically any little town of this blessed land.
Big Sur Foragers Festival is a popular annual event at end of January that serves as a fundraiser for the Big Sur Health Center, a non-profit community organization benefiting from the festival proceeds to support local health care services.
The long weekend event usually includes foragers’ hikes in nearby wooded areas at the peak of mushroom season; culinary showoffs by notable chefs who focus on mushroom-centered fare for the occasion, and wine and beer tastings from the Monterey area producers.
Fungus Face-Off is one of the festival’s central and most popular happenings featuring wild mushrooms tastings in the form of various bites, prepared by the kitchen teams of hotels, restaurants, and cafes, all of which excel in California cuisine and follow its main concepts of seasonality, freshness, and sustainability.
This year, “Wild Foraging Walk and Talk” guided mushroom hikes doubled in attendance comparing to the years past, and extended for two days. The educational talks were conducted by the fungi experts, Lisa Haas and Maryia Crabbe, who put together colorful displays of wild mushrooms. Mountainous forest hikes were led by experienced foragers, Mark Gillespie, Anthony Gerbino, Todd Marcellini Spanier, and Phil Carpenter.
The festival’s signature culinary extravaganza, Fungus Face-Off, held at the Big Sur Lodge at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, featured 20 distinguished wineries presenting their best wines, and 11 renowned chefs offering a number of creative and complex tastings dishes, like “Mushroom Parfait” made of Big Sur porcini confit, celery root and bay laurel espuma, pickled Big Sur chanterelles, California wild rice, and black trumpet mushroom “soil” presented by Sierra Mar restaurant of Post Ranch Inn (Director of Culinary Reylon Agustin); “Black Sage Financier” of duck mousse, Big Sur chanterelles, black truffle vinaigrette, and wild watercress from Alta Bakery Café (sous chef Erika Neargarder); and “Wild Caught Black Cod Tartar” with pickled wild porcini mushrooms, black garlic aioli, charred leek gremolata, and crispy fried leek from The Pocket restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea (Executive Chef Mike Fischetti).
Making the Fungus Face Off an extraordinary and memorable tasting presentation were the following local wineries, inns, and restaurants (in alphabetical order): Albatross Ridge Winery, ALTA, Bernardus, Big Sur River Inn, Cafe Carmel, Coast Big Sur, Comanche Cellars, Cordant Winery, CRU Winery, Deetjen’s, Big Sur Inn, Flywheel Wines, I Brand Winery, Joyce Wine Company, Kin and Kitchen, Lady Somm (Carmal Wine School and Wine Salon), Martha’s Hopyard, Morgan Winery, Sammich’d, Scheid Vineyards, Sea Root at Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa, Sierra Mar, Solstice Big Sur, Talbott, The Big Sur Lodge, The Pocket, Ventana, Wild Plum, and Wrath.
Find out more about the annual Foragers Festival at www.bigsurforagersfestival.org/
Hofsas House Hotel
While planning your weekend getaway on Monterey Peninsula, you won’t find a better place to stay than Hofsas House Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, a hospitality institution since 1947! As if transported from Bavarian countryside, the pink-walled one-story building half-hidden by the blooming hydrangeas, surprises its guests with four floors on its backside with views of the Pacific Ocean and distant cypress trees, and a heated swimming pool in the backyard, underneath the open terraces wrapped around the hotel building.
Terraces and balconies serve as open air breakfast nooks, and a delicious breakfast of fruit, yogurt, orange juice, coffee and pastries from a local bakery is included with your stay–just watch out for seagulls, eager to share your fresh croissants!
Every room in Hofsas House has its own unique décor and exudes undeniable European charm with floral bedding designs, fireplaces, cozy little kitchenettes, and period furniture pieces.
The Bavarian-themed entrance mural, created by Maxine Albro, Diego Rivera’s apprentice, is a historic signature artwork of this hotel, with other paintings by the same artist placed in the lobby, while more recent decorative pieces—a poolside mural and an ornamental headboard in one of the rooms were created by Marie-Clare Treseder Gorham, a contemporary folk artist during her tenure at the Artist-in-Residence program, implemented by the hotel.
Founded by Donna Hofsas, a business-savvy, proactive woman who moved from Los Angeles to Carmel by the Sea along with her husband, Fred, more than 75 years ago, Hofsas House Hotel is currently managed by the founders’ granddaughter, Carrie Theis, who’s tirelessly working at the hotel, accommodating guests from all over the world, and actively supporting all kinds of community events, charity fundraisers, and other local happenings, being deeply involved in the day-to-day life of the beautiful seaside town.
Staying at Hofsas House, you’re a walking distance away from a gorgeous sandy beach, casual cafes and bakeries, upscale restaurants, stylish wineries’ tasting rooms, gift shops, boutiques, and art galleries that constitute the unique charm of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Learn more about Hofsas House Hotel, and make a reservation for an unforgettable stay at https://www.hofsashouse.com/.
Hand-made pasta, fresh mozzarella, and housemade gelato are the staples at the well-loved by the locals, and popular with out-of-towners Mezzaluna Pasteria & Mozzarella Bar in Pacific Grove. Theowners, Amy Stouffer and Soerke Peters (Executive Chef)created an outstanding Italian restaurant on the Pacific Coast, with a casually sounding menu, on which every single dish turns out to be exquisitely delicious!
In winter, foraged wild mushrooms make frequent appearance in the restaurant kitchen to show up as Burrata con Funghi appetizer from the Mozzarella Bar (soft burrata, wild mushrooms, Tuscan kale, black truffle oil, country toast), and Linguine ai Funghi (porcini and trumpet mushrooms, fresh herbs, garlic, white wine) from the Paste menu.
Of all the tempting Antipasti, Pâté di Anatra usually comes up as an absolute winner. The silky tender duck liver pâté, served in a small Mason jar, is garnished with Italian mustard fruits, house-made crostini, and chef’s whole-grain mustard.
Another crowd pleaser is Linguine con Aragosta, made with Maine lobster, fresh basil, leeks, and white wine garlic sauce.
For Dolce, stick with the housemade gelato and sorbetto. A seasonal taste right now—candy cap mushrooms! Other amazing choices include pistachio and an intriguingly tasting saffron and pine nuts. Learn more and make a reservation here: https://www.mezzalunapasteria.com/.
Café Carmel
Craving more mushroom fare? Have a satisfying breakfast at Café Carmel in Carmel-by-the-Sea! There are quite a few dishes on the menu now that include wild mushrooms alongside farm fresh eggs, green salads, and freshly-baked breads. Specialty coffee and pastries are made in-house, and you can enjoy yet another mural by the Hofsas House artist, Marie-Clare Treseder Gorham, that adorns one of the café walls.
Café Carmel’s website introduces the chef/owner as follows, “Growing up on the South Coast of England in a quaint village similar to Carmel-by-the-Sea, Sarah Cook developed a passion for cooking, baking and celebrations. Her dream? To open a cozy, warm and welcoming tea or coffee shop where friends and neighbors could gather — a respite from the real world. Sarah imagined a place where she could personally greet guests and serve fresh, from-scratch food made from the heart,” and every word rings true with this reporter!
Find out more and see if you should order indoor dining, carryout or delivery at Café Carmel here: https://cafecarmel.com/.
Real Travel Adventures 