I decided to make my inaugural entry about Stokes because it honestly was the kind of restaurant that I created this website for. Newspaper reviews had given this California cuisine venture in an 1830's adobe in old town Monterey good but not stellar reviews seemingly based on vague "service" complaints. The space sounded awesome, the menu looked stellar, and it really was the only fine-dining establishment in Monterey (other than the uber-pricey Pacific's Edge) that featured cuisine that sounded interesting.
Who:
Me & girlfriend Charlie.
The Space:
CitySearch reviews had described the restaurant as "hard to find" but we had no problem spotting the enormous lit-up restored adobe. Street parking was easy and there's also a large lot. We walked up a path through a garden area to the left-most of several large wooden doors.
The restaurant is in the historic Stokes Adobe, named for its most prominent owner, English sailor-turned-physician James Stokes who took up residence in 1837. It has been impeccably restored, almost to the point where it looks like a custom Mission-style home or seriously bourgie Chevy's. Not that that's a bad thing.
Entering through the door, we entered a bright foyer with a large long bar on the right-hand side. We were greeted warmly, led down a hall into the largest of Stokes' several dining rooms, and seated in large cushioned wicker chairs at a spacious linen-set table.
The Wine:
Wine Spectator gave Stokes' wine list some attention and accolades and I found it to be quite good. It did suffer from Cal-Med wine list syndrome where virtually every option (particularly on the whites) is Californian or French. And then of those 90% are Chardonnays or Sauvignon Blancs. We opted for a bottle of the 2004 Au Bon Climat Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc blend. Wine arrived promptly. Though very very light-bodied when first poured, as the bottle warmed through the meal it developed a nice complexity and a lingering finish.
First Course:Stokes features small plates (the bar serves these late) and more traditional appetizers. We opted for one of each.
The house-cured prosciutto with blood orange and chevre was excellent with beautiful deep red blood oranges and only slightly pungent goat cheese, however we both agreed that the prosciutto was good but unremarkable--it had a waxy texture and didn't melt apart in the mouth the way some prosciuttos do. Its flavor was fatty, salty, porky, and delicious, however.
Our second appetizer was the duck confit leg (pictured behind the wine) with warm spinach, bacon, and soft-boiled egg. This was my personal favorite savory dish of the night. The duck had a thick layer of fat, crisp skin, and melt-away tender meat. Spinach was very fresh, wilted just barely and tossed with thick chunks of bacon. The dish let the strong duck flavors speak without trying to mellow it out with a sweet sauce or hefty starch. Soft-boiled egg was served halved and (surprisingly) cold, but the yolk was cooked to a perfect soft but not runny consistency.
First (minor) service/food timing complaint--why did our cold prosciutto dish arrive at the same time as our hot duck dish? I've always understood that the point of tapas and small plates in general was to get something salty and delicious for patrons to enjoy as soon as possible--thus making them more likely to order more food or drinks sooner. Oh well. Common problem.
Entrees:
The entree list was an impressive array of pork, beef, chicken, pizza with homemade sausage, calzone, (suddenly trendy) arctic char, mahi, and vegetarian crepes. All were served with fresh California produce as starches or veggies. Charlie ordered the crispy pork shoulder with swiss chard and rosemary polenta. Though I usually don't seafood out (because I'm usually disappointed) I opted for the crusted mahi with artichokes and onions.
Charlie's pork was fabulous. A thick, meaty chunk with crispy flavorful skin and tender, moderately fatty flesh. The swiss chard was cooked just enough, bright, and not bitter. It still had enough character to hold its own with the pork. The polenta, served in a fried wedge, was strong with fresh rosemary, lending its own tones to the strong mix of flavors on the plate. We did both think that this was way too much food to put on one plate, which proved to be a theme here.
Before I ordered my mahi, I asked the server how it was cooked and she said "about medium." This was good for me because, well, I don't like overcooked fish (mahi in particular turns into a dry brick when overdone). The thick piece of mahi I got was, however, well-done (though not overcooked) but still moist. I would guess that it was cooked on the grill to about medium/medium-well and then cooked through on the plate. This is why I don't think fish should be served in thick cuts. The mahi was very fresh with a clean taste that only had hints of that meaty taste that lesser cuts of this fish get. The crust was nice and crisp. The veggies, while not overcooked, were not firm enough for my tastes and their flavors blended together in a fresh-tasting but indistinguishable mass.This dish exhibited for me one of my dislikes in a lot of California cooking--really great ingredients impeccably prepared but without any real character. The thick mass of mahi was quite good, but there was so much of it in every bite that I found it tiresome. The crisp crust of breadcrumbs and parmesan was a great textural addition, but a millimeter-thick crust on an inch and a half-thick chunk of fish doesn't hold its own very well. I also would have liked more spice in the crust or a small amount of a lightly spicy sauce or broth to add a stronger flavor dimension that would brighten up the delicate fish and vegetable flavors.
Desserts:I'm a big dessert fan, but rarely do I find desserts out that are exceptional--especially chocolate desserts. Too often they're caught up in that same Cal cuisine trap of offering quality and nuance at the expense of big flavor sensations. It's fucking dessert--it should be big, bold, and inspiring. What do people do after dessert out at a nice restaurant? Probably have sex. All pastry chefs should keep this fact in mind.
That being said, Stokes presented the best desserts that I've had out at a restaurant in recent (and not so recent) memory.
We were only going to order one, but couldn't decide so we got two. The first, "Pumpkin Trifle," came at the recommendation of the manager, Dino, who came by and chatted with us for a few minutes. Two thick slices of house-made ginger cake with pumpkin mousse, ginger creme fraiche, and candied pistachios. The ginger cake was thick, moist, and molasses-y with a lot of ginger flavor. The pumpkin mousse was not overly sweet, creamy, with a lot of pumpkin (not just cinnamon and allspice) flavor. The creme fraiche added a welcome tartness, contrasting nicely with the crunchy sweet pistachios mixed generously throughout. All the flavors were strong, they all worked together, and each bite was a mid-90's style massive in my mouth, complete with glowsticks.
Second dessert was a little more straightforward, but no less delicious: a Scharffen-Berger dark chocolate torte. I've had similar dishes in the past, and they often end up just being dark chocolate melted into a pie crust--having virtually the same finished consistency as a bar of Scharffen-Berger chocolate. In this case, the chocolate was mixed with cream just enough to be soft (without being mousse-y). There wasn't much (if any) added sugar in the torte, so the strong bitter (though still sweet) flavors of the chocolate shone nicely. A dollop of creme fraiche on the top was an unnecessary but unobtrusive addition to the dish. I appreciated that it didn't come with an overly sweet whipped cream on top. It was just a straight-forward, simple, dark chocolate punch in the face.
In Conclusion:Stokes was great. Very very good food in a beautiful room. Food was prepared well, ingredients sourced wonderfully. Service was unobtrusive, fairly accessible, though a touch distant (but who cares?). The only complaints I had were not unique to Stokes. Simply your best bet for dining in Monterey, I think. Though our dinner was not cheap because we like to actually have fun when we go out to eat, a more "value-minded" diner (gag) could get out of there full on great food for less than $40 a person.
As a side note, as I waited for Charlie to get out of the restroom, I ordered a shot of Fernet-Branca (split) at the bar on the way out. As I said, we were incredibly full. We ended up not being charged, which was a thoughtful (and business-savvy) way to end the evening. We'll hit up Stokes on every overnight trip to Monterey for as long as it's open, I'd imagine.
Stokes Restaurant
Cuisine: Cal-Med
Entree Price Range: $15-$26
HFF's Cost for 2 people (2 starters, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, bottle of wine, coffee, tax, generous tip): $150
Reservations: OpenTable.com or 831-373-1110
www.stokesrestaurant.com
500 Hartnell St.
Monterey, Ca 93940
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