Carmel’s Tasty Grill on Ocean Avenue
Why We Went: My daughter, Taylor, and I were visiting Carmel, California and were hosted for dinner by the lovely Grill on Ocean Avenue. We loved how convenient it was to where we were staying and the choice of tasty menu options.
What We Had: I started my meal with the Bibb Lettuce & Gorgonzola Salad. For dinner, I chose the 8 oz. Center-Cut Filet Mignon, which was perfectly prepared and really juicy. Taylor opted for the Parmigiano-Crusted Chicken Breast, which was served with vegetables and french fries.
Something Special: For starters, Taylor and I splurged and ordered cocktails. She chose a Mango Margarita and I went with a Peach Bellini. They were both extremely tasty and picture perfect!
Noteworthy: The Bibb Salad was definitely a good choice. Using my favorite kind of lettuce (Bibb), The Grill on Ocean Avenue added creamy gorgonzola, golden raisins, and spiced pecans with a blue cheese vinaigrette. Perfecto!
Best Part of the Meal: The Yukon potatoes gratinée was wonderful. I usually find the starch portion of the meal to be the least impressive, but these potatoes had some thought put into them. They were flavorful, creamy, and sheer heaven. The seasoned sweet onion strings that topped my steak were also a nice touch. A rich port wine reduction with glace de viande was inventive and tasty.
Bonus: The Grill on Ocean Avenue has an upscale look but a very relaxed atmosphere. It is not one bit pretentious and anyone would feel comfortable dining here. The staff was overly friendly and we had excellent service. We really enjoyed the warm fireplace ambiance.
What Needs Improvement: Taylor was not fond of the saffron flavored fettuccine that accompanied the chicken and even though I ordered my steak medium, it was more on the rare side. I did not send it back as I like it that way, too.
My Rating Scale 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)= 8
The Grill on Ocean Avenue
Ocean Avenue between Dolores and Lincoln
(831) 624-2569
Open Daily 11:30 AM-4:30 PM (lunch) and 5 PM-10 PM (dinner)
Check out our other related posts:
Indulging in Santa Monica
Pebble Beach
An Invitation to the Holman Ranch
I would like to thank the SLO Chamber of Commerce for our hosted trip. This included meals, attractions, lodging, and activities. We were not otherwise compensated for this post. As always, all opinions and suggestions are uniquely mine.
Is every restaurant in Carmel amazing? We ate in Andre’s Bouchee, I also wanted to try La Bicyclette and your place, The Grill, sounds outstanding too.
Probably. 😉 I don’t think they accept any substitutes. Tell me about your meal at Andre’s Bouchee, I saw it and wondered how it was.
Looks great, glad you had a good time!
Thanks Danielle!
Nice to hear that it’s not pretentious. We never worried about that until we started dining in nice restaurants with kids… and now we get nervous. This may be great on our upcoming coastal excursion!
Been there, done that, with kids. One of mine was extremely picky so vacation dining was more a hassle than a luxury. Chicago seemed to be the worst city for dining with kids at stuffy restaurants. Can’t wait to hear about your coastal trip.
You always eat at the best places. Those potatoes sound amazing.
Thanks Shelly! 😉
Looks like a great place to have a quite dinner, the ambience looks good too.
Lovely food shots. And the Potato dish sounds interesting.
Thanks Ami!