monterey
Follow your bliss—and don’t be surprised if it leads you to Monterey. If you long for salty ocean breezes and the wind in your hair, explore the Big Sur coastline along Highway 1. And if you’re craving just-picked fruits and vegetables and ocean-fresh seafood, make your way to the lively restaurant scene along Monterey Bay. Here, chef Tony Barker welcomes you to Montrio Bistro with a menu that’s chock full of California’s freshest and finest produce—much of it from lifelong Monterey resident Troy Boutonnet’s Ocean Mist Farms.
ocean mist farms
Troy’s official title is vice president of production, but “he’s a boots-on-the-ground farmer,” says Tony. “He gets out and he’s in the field and checking on the plants and really part of the day-to-day running of the company, starting with the plants in the ground.”
It’s a job that takes Troy, a fourth-generation farmer, up and down the state of California, and keeps him busy 12 months a year. “Because of the north-south length of the state, we get a year-round production of the best vegetables in the entire United States,” he says. Artichokes, the farm’s signature crop, account for more than 3,000 acres.
And no one is more passionate about those artichokes than chef Tony: “Some people say that they’re a little too much work, but it’s not like a plate of food where you just scarf it down,” says Tony. “It takes time, it takes effort. And that makes them all the more enjoyable.”
Learn more about Ocean Mist Farms »
Check out California Artichokes »
montrio bistro
Located minutes from Pacific Grove, Carmel and Pebble Beach, Montrio Bistro has been encouraging guests to “feel good about what you eat” for almost 20 years.
That’s easy to do amid the dining room’s easy elegance, where beautifully plated dishes take advantage of fish, meat and produce that are all sourced from just moments away. “We like to buy locally and support small local vendors whenever possible,” says Tony. “In turn, I see a lot of familiar faces in these seats every night of the week.” The wine list is homegrown, as well, built around bottles that are produced along California’s Central Coast
Though he’s not a native son, chef Tony is vocal about his love of his adopted state. “His vivaciousness comes across the first time you meet him,” says Troy. “When he starts talking about his recipes and his restaurant, that passion comes out. And you know when someone has that passion, there’s a sense of excellence it everything they do.”
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