56 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: CARMELCALIFORNIA.COM foot space. I was enchanted by its lamb chile relleno, a pepper filled with apples, pears, raisins and ground lamb, in a sauce composed of white chocolate, pomegranate arils, macadamia nuts and spices—apparently an inspired riff on my all-time favorite Mexican dish, chiles en nogada, a specialty of Puebla state. Another surprise: superb Korean food at Jeju Kitchen, which opened in 2024. My jajangmyeon, chewy buckwheat noodles with fermented black bean sauce, sliced zucchini, diced carrots and pork belly, were sheer delight. “Korean kids grew up with this the way American kids do with mac and cheese,” notes owner Ashley Wolff, who uses her Korean mother’s recipes. Her take on the beloved American comfort food adds kimchi and scallions. “The acidic taste cuts into the cheese and cream (and adds a satisfying crunch),” she adds. Both restaurants are in Carmel Plaza, a shopping center packed with eateries. Toro, opened in late 2020, offers top-quality sushi, including specialty rolls lightlyseared to meld the flavors and others topped by unagi (eel) sauce as well as sake cocktails, flights and a global wine list (thanks to its sommelier co-owner) that I didn’t expect. Called the town’s “grande dame,” La Playa Hotel, the 1905 mansion of chocolate heiress Angela Ghirardelli and her painter husband, emerged from a stylish seasoned 70% dark chocolate from Jamaica or the shop’s own Choquiero brand, spiced with chipotle, cayenne and coconut sugar), for just $5. In contrast, Dawn’s Dream Winery is known mostly for chardonnay and pinot noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands and for its philanthropy. “My dream was to tie this brand to nonprofits to keep women and children reaching for the stars,” says Dawn Galante, Jack’s wife, who partners with a local nonprofit each year, like a women’s shelter or Jacob’s Heart for children with cancer, and also donates money and wine to nonprofits. “I grew up with a single mother in Detroit who was always giving back.” Another winery, Caraccioli Cellars, has gold medals to show for its sparkling methode champenoise wines. Nicolas Cocina de Herencia, the grandest-looking new restaurant that opened in 2023, offers high-end Mexican food with creative twists amid a dozen chandeliers in a cavernous 5,000-square-
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