New-to-Me Breweries, Monterey & Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

I hosted some visitors in the last month or so, and, for me, one of the best parts of the trip was that they brought me to new places. Usually I'm the one bringing folks to all new spots on their trips here, but this time, friends knew what they liked and sought out those kinds of places before arriving. We all got to try some new places together, which was an awesome way to host and travel.

One of the types of places we all happen to like is a good brewery or some type of beer establishment. They found a number of them I hadn't yet been to, and we tried two of them: Fieldwork Brewing (Monterey location) and Yeast of Eden (Carmel-by-the-Sea). Both are different and both are delightful. 

Fieldwork is a CA chain of tasting patios/rooms. The afternoon we went it was sunny and warm out, so their patio was hopping (get it?!). We enjoyed all of the beers to some degree, and not being one for IPAs, I tried four "normal" beers. My favorites were Vanillaberry (technically a sour, but this was very drinkable) and their stout, which is named Admiral Snackbar. I'll totally be back to this place anytime I'm in Monterey.

Yeast of Eden is a natural fermenting brewery. They have some of their own beers on offer as well as other brewers available. Great location, restaurant, and beers. I tried four, liked three. One just didn't taste right to me, and the waitress commented that it is a bit hit-or-miss among patrons. I would also easily go back to this place when in town. I'd also very much like to eat a full meal there too as everything we saw go by looked tasty.

Ranch Milk Mexican Grill & Craft Beer House, Watsonville, CA

I don't know how I feel about this place, but here's some viewpoints.

Positives:
- For starters, at about 5:30PM on a Sunday, it was not busy at all. I got in just before the dinner rush and I was eating shortly after. They definitely had a good to-go crowd come in too. It was getting busy once I was eating.
- The food and drinks are cheap. No matter how you slice it, the Mexican offerings are all reasonably priced (in comparison to all options in the region) and the beers are very modestly priced too.
- The food and drinks are very good quality and value. I liked everything I put in my mouth and felt it was worth the prices I paid, if not more.
- They have a good number of local and not-so-local beers on tap. Gotta be something for everyone, right? They had all the beers scrolling on a LCD screen, with prices and IBUs. I believe it was two full screens with about 24-30 beers in all.
- They have a patio. Even in Northern CA, sitting outside can be a boon to your night.
- They have ice cream! I mean, if that doesn't seal it.

Not so Positives:
- A restaurant with lots of art, stuffed animal heads, etc on the walls can be perfectly kitsch really easily (like the Wooden Nickel already posted here). The same kind of stuff, not done as well, looks like a hot mess and clutter at best. This place is the latter, IMO. They have stuff all over the walls (lights, posters, artwork, merchadise for sale, etc.), but without much sense to it all. I thought it was just someone trying to use free brewery give-a-ways or literally trying to hide holes or wires in the walls. Even the name seems like they tried to cram everything in it... why not mention the gas pumps too?
- Oddly laid out. Perhaps this is the vibe they're going for, but there's an old "market" and gas station in front of the restaurant as you walk in. I get this is part of their history, but again, it simply feels cluttered for no reason.
- Weird bar. The bar itself is about 5-feet wide, which is ok, but when the bartender can't place a drink in front of you, it might be too wide. There are also two levels to the bar, it steps down slightly nearest the patrons. How about one solid bar top, in a normal width? While you're upgrading the bar area, I'd also love a foot rest down by my feet in front of the bar too.
- The rest of the decor is just as uninspiring. I think some of the old things can be cleaned, updated or upgraded to make this place really good. I don't think it would take much.

Having said all of the above, I'd still go back for it's lowkey vibe, cheap prices and solid service. They all seemed like nice people working there.

Luna Mexican Kitchen, San Jose, CA

If you're going to be in San Jose for an evening, I would highly recommend this little neighborhood spot for dinner (or brunch). On SJ's "Alameda", it seems to be ideally situated for this neighborhood, and others as well.

We decided to hit up this new spot before a San Jose Earthquakes match, and boy were we glad we did. I'm not sure there was a better way to kick of the night. Ole!

To start, it's a great little building with a to-go window ("para llavar") out front. Seating out there for waiting on the tables too. An indoor seating area, plus full bar... and a lovely outdoor patio, with shade and cooling to accommodate the outside temps on most any night.

We decided to get some drinks, and instead of the 20-30 minute seating wait, we were shwon a table before our first sips could start working. Fine by us.

We went all in for their guacamole to start... and then something never seen before by yours truly for the main course...

Who doesn't enjoy food served in a molcajete?!

For dinner, we were drawn to the backside, 2nd page of their menu, filled with an item listed as "Parradillas". These appeared to be large, multi-person serving vessels for all kinds of meats or veggies. They had me at "meat vessel".

We went for the moderately-priced fajita-style version - which came with both chicken and steak, guac, sides, and rice+beans too.  Hay ca-rumba, I'm gonna be full.

I think this big box on the bottom keeps the food hot... or just keeps it at the right height to kep grabbing more cooked meats. Either way, I'm good.

If you don't like what you eat off the parradilla, it's pretty much your own fault. I mean, you ordered the proteins, and you put it all together yourself. So, get after it! Get in their and make yourself a little taco. In this case, I don't mind doing the work for my dinner, it's fun.

Should you go? Well, I'd say - Venga! Venga! Venga!!! I haven't found a place like this one yet in my time in San Jose. They seem to have their formula down and it's a good one. Food, drinks, service, atmosphere, and a little Latin flare... plus the parradillas.

Now, I don't link websites too often, but theirs includes much better everything than this blog post - pics, menus, etc. Check it out - https://www.lunamexicankitchen.com/