Category Archives: Pacific Grove

More Online P.G. Restaurant Reviews

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From Yelp.com

Passionfish

At the very least, have a snack before you leave home. The crowd seemed sort of old-money, country club, tennis snobbish.

Fishwife:

The Boston clam chowder wasn’t piping hot, however it was thick, the way I like it, but I didn’t get much ‘clam’.

Peppers:

great before. These were, alas, bad. Tasteless goo. I’m sure the tourists will LOVE it, like they love Fisherman’s Wharf and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Like morons do. Ga-hilk.

Latttitudes:

Lovers Point deserves sparkly windows. The floor in the restaurant was also filthy and the air inside was not as fresh as it could be-

Tillie Gorts

I’d never had a bad tuna sandwich…til I ate here. C’mon, crack open the can, throw in some mayo, how hard can it be?

Favaloro’s Big Night Bistro:

This place has all the ambiance and romance you want, with a nice fat side of pretentious, mostly the clientèle of course. I came here with my boyfriend to celebrate our one year anniversary and left unimpressed with the service and accommodations. We felt discriminated and really, the food wasn’t that great for me. I’ve had better clams! Anyhow, the experience left me disappointed and hurt, so I wrote a letter to the owners. I explained my experience in detail and got a call a few days later. Maria, one of the owners understandably defended her family business and yet was very accommodating and offered me a gift certificate. If only in response to my uncomfortable experience did I in turn offend her. So 3 stars on the account of Maria’s efforts and the fact that they are a family business. I don’t intend on returning with the gift certificate. What am I supposed to say “Hey I’m the girl who totally dissed your business with a big fatty letter and now I’m back, so feed me for free?” nah, I don’t think so

Toasties:

WHACK!!! lots of old people. Overpriced breakfast with bad coffee. $8 for two pieces of “french toast”, are you serious?
The waitress hurries and let’s the hostess know she does not want us in her section because she already has one table…..Well……I’m tall and dark, and came in with a beanie on. It was blatant racism by one person

Red House:

Sometimes you get somebody sweet and helpful, but thrice I have dealt with this snotty, rude college-age girl with blond hair. had the crab cakes and almost gagged upon the first bite–fishy in that BAD fishy way, bits of crunchy i-don’t-know-what.

The waiter suggested a basket of fries for the table and assured us that they were worth the price of $3.50 a basket. Shoestrings with a smidge of garlic. Wow! Cutting edge. A girlfriend ordered extra cheese on her sandwich and was charged an additional $3.50 for that as well. I guess that is there way of telling you You’re in PG now.

Lighthouse Cafe:

made a big mistake in ordering the salmon benedict though. I paid dearly for ordering that–it was too salty and I had extra servings… errrr, shavings of pubes. Not the way to start your day!

More Online P.G. Restaurant Reviews

Candy Cane Lane – Tradition Of Over 50 Years

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Toy Soldier? Always thought he was the Nutcracker. His jaw opens and closes when his arms move

Ccl Soldier

“The whole idea is to do it for the kids,” Jones said, “and see their faces light up.

“There’s nowhere else in the city to go and see something like this.”

A fixture in the neighborhood has been a giant robot constructed by retired Pacific Grove Fire Capt. Howard Cowen that used to grace the city fire station’s front lawn. The robot wore a firefighter’s hat and turnout gear when it was displayed at the fire station. Now it greets visitors on Cowen’s front lawn at Beaumont and McFarland avenues, reincarnated as a giant toy soldier.

Candy Cane Lane – Tradition Of Over 50 Years.

Two Possible Revenue Enhancements For P.G.

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Op Ed article by David R. Henderson.

Do you really think that P.G.’s library, street repair, tree trimming, and landscaping are run as efficiently as they could be? What are the odds of that given that they have not had to face competition for decades? According to the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank in southern California, contracting tree trimming and landscaping creates savings of 16 to 35 percent. So, let’s put it to a test, a market test, in Pacific Grove and see what kind of savings the city government can reap. And if it works for those services, let’s extend it to other government services.

“not had to face competition” is right – but also have not had to face discipline for poor work habits.

There’s another option to consider: expand the tax base. I’m not advocating a tax increase. Rather, the city government should liberalize its rules to allow peaceful activities that are not now allowed. The city does not allow bars, even though bars generate substantial tax revenues. How about allowing one or two and see what happens?

And how about allowing fast-food restaurants so we don’t have to go elsewhere? The only fast-food restaurants the city government has allowed in Pacific Grove are McDonald’s and Subway. Those who don’t like such food don’t have to buy it.

Now that’s what I’ve been waiting for. Common sense hospitality that can bring back the families that don’t have the need for snooty bistros or $30 bottles of wine.

Two Possible Revenue Enhancements For P.G.

Seals Taking Over The P.G. Shorelines

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The city’s Beautification and Natural Resources Committee submitted a report to the Pacific Grove City Council on Wednesday noting that Pacific harbor seals are crowding the west beach of Hopkins Marine Station and, in 2006, some mother seals used the beach west of Fifth Street to bear pups.

All recommended that the city establish a plan to keep the seals off the beach. Once ashore and pupping, the experts said, the seals own it.

The policy, they said, should discourage “haul-outs” by seals by chasing them back to sea if they come out of the water, by banging on pots and pans, using other noisemakers, scarecrows and human presence.

Be careful when you ask for radical conservation and nature preservation, you just might find yourself banned from your own public beaches.

Here’s a suggestion:
Seals And Bag Pipes

Seals Taking Over The P.G. Shorelines

Aquarium Employees To Help Staff Mvsevm

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What could go wrong?

The Mvsevm

 

Workers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium will help staff the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History until the city can develop a long-term plan to hire employees and become profitable.
The staffing is necessary because the city, as part of a reorganization to save money, laid off the museum’s assistant curator and eliminated the museum director job, effective with the retirement of Paul Finnegan, who is leaving his post in January. “Some of the aquarium’s guest services people will be working the main floor of the museum,” city manager Jim Colangelo told The Pine Cone.

Aquarium Employees To Help Staff Mvsevm

Thank Apollo, Solar Permit Fee Hike Rejected

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The Pacific Grove City Council Wednesday rejected a bid to increase development permit fees by 15 percent and voted unanimously to cut drastically the fees homeowners pay for going solar. City manager Jim Colangelo recommended tacking on a 15 percent long-range planning fee on all development permits, something the council said needed more public input.

Only a “handful” of P.G. residents each year apply for a solar permits, Colangelo said.

Solar in P.G? That makes about as much sense as drawing heat from the bay or milking raccoons for sustainable protein sources.

Over in Santa Clara, there is a war between two neighbors. Get this, the Earth loving ones with the solar panels are suing to get the next door neighbor to CUT DOWN their redwood trees because they block the panels . .

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_7865116

A judge ordered Carolynn Bissett Treanor and her husband Richard Treanor, who live on the 1500 block of Benton Street in Sunnyvale, to trim or move two redwood trees on the north side of their property because they shade Mark Vargas’ solar panel installation, which is over the fence on the 3700 block of Benton Street in Santa Clara.

Thank Apollo, Solar Permit Fee Hike Rejected

Squeezing Rent From Aquarium Not An Option?

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No matter what the tidepool nazis say..

12/19
http://www.montereyherald.com/ci_7760224

City Attorney David Laredo said the aquarium contends that the city’s ability to set rental rates for the property it occupies is restricted and that it will contest any rental fee increase. The aquarium has proposed an extension of the lease for another 25 years, until Dec. 2, 2030.

All of the property is submerged land to which the city holds title, Laredo said.

12/20
http://www.montereyherald.com/ci_7769449

The tidelands were deeded to the city by the state in the public trust, said Councilman Daniel Davis, not to be used for commercial purposes, and any revenues from piers, docks or similar leases would have to go to trust purposes and possibly to the state, not into the city general fund.

“The city,” said resident Lee Willoughby, “has some responsibility to charge a reasonable and equitable rent.” He said the aquarium “has also used our tidelands for collecting specimens.”

Squeezing Rent From Aquarium Not An Option

Time To Start Charging For Events?

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Some events are mostly for-profit operations, like the Good Old Days on Lighthouse Avenue. Charge them but anything involving kids and family should  be exempt.

The council is expected to review the 24 special events proposed for the period March 2008 through February 2009 with an eye to seeking reimbursement for city costs from some of them.

Traditional events that have been exempt from paying city service fees have included Good Old Days, the Fourth of July Celebration, Feast of Lanterns, the Concours Auto Rally, the Butterfly Parade, Pacific Grove High School Homecoming Parade, the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony, Downtown Holiday Parade of Lights, and Stilwell’s Snow in the Park. The council could consider seeking reimbursement during the coming year from some or all of these events.

Time To Start Charging For Events?

P.G. Motels To Pony Up For Chamber Promotions

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The Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce has announced the formation of the Pacific Grove Hospitality Improvement District which was authorized by the City Council at its Dec. 5 meeting.

The district funds promotions, marketing activities and physical improvements related to the city’s hospitality industry, and is funded by the assessment of $1.50 per occupied room night for full-service accommodation establishments and $1 for limited service establishments. Funds will be governed by a five-member advisory board.

Maybe get them some bigger trash cans in the quest to beautify.

P.G. Motels To Pony Up For Chamber Promotions