On a beautiful, sunny day in January I decided to spend some well-deserved R&R in Half Moon Bay and Pescadero with my miniature schnauzer Pinot Noir. The plan was an afternoon of hiking on the beach, enjoying the sunset on the links of the Ritz Carlton, and then having an early dinner at Duarte’s Tavern. I have been enormous fan of this historic restaurant in the sleepy town of Pescadero since a good friend of mine first introduced me to it almost ten years ago. Located between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, its specialties are of course artichokes and the freshest seafood, as well as Harley Farms goat cheese, (made by Dee Harley, Tim Duarte’s wife.)
The sourdough is always served piping; in fact if you sit at the counter, you may even catch a glimpse of Ron, the fourth-generation Duarte to be working at this landmark establishment, pulling the rounds right out of the oven! Tim, his son, can also be spotted in the kitchen nine times out of ten.
Depending on the season, and of course my mood, my top picks for a main course are as follows:
Dungeness Crab: as a native Californian, it is imperative to partake of the crab whenever it is in season. When it is this sweet and melts in your mouth, how could you say no?
Crab Cioppino: a true San Francisco tradition, though not even in the City have I had one better.
Abalone Sandwich: very lightly breaded and served on true San Francisco sourdough with lemon; it is just steps from heaven. They also have a Mexican coleslaw with cabbage from their own garden, cilantro, jalepeno peppers, and lime juice, and not a drop of mayonnaise in sight. After a long afternoon with Pinot, it was just the right amount of crisp, nutritious veggies to balance out the half cream of artichoke and half cream of green chili soup (another Duarte’s must-have) and the abalone sandwich. Of course being a “quasi-regular” for a few years, I knew to order my slice of olallieberry pie in advance. If you have no room after the generous portions, they are more than willing to pack it up to go. A little hint, even if you do have room for pie, order a second slice, as it makes for a fantastic breakfast the next morning!
This being Pescadero, the wine list is pretty Santa Cruz Mountain-centric, but includes selections from Santa Barbara Coast, and some Napa, Sonoma and French. I started with a 2005 Navarro Sauvignon Blanc. Its acidity cut through the two different soups perfectly, and the herbaceous and green apple quality married nicely as well. This was followed by the 2004 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis “Réserve Sainte Victoire”. A classic ‘04 with lovely minerality, and a hint of lime pithe and green fruit; it made a perfect foil for the abalone and cole-slaw. Multiple layers of white blossoms, pear, and a hint of honey combined with elegance and length to make this a lovely pairing. After such a wonderful meal, I decided not to push my luck, so I took my pie to-go.
Duart’s Tavern, a James Beard Award winner for Classic American cuisine, is the quintessential small-town tavern with seasonal decorations from the ‘50s covering the walls for all of the major holidays, an inviting staff, and truly some of the freshest seafood (selected every morning by Ron) I have ever experienced. Whether you are a regular or a first-timer, this warm and inviting family-owned and operated tavern will have you trying to find more reasons to drive down Highway 1 just to stop by for a quick bite.
