MUNDAKA
WINE & DINE IN CARMEL

The sensational Mundaka is a Spanish style tapas restaurant in downtown Carmel. It is the ideal place in town for a spirited evening filled with great food and wine and music. It is born out of a romance with Spain and its culture. Open in March 2009, Mundaka continues to evolve daily with the creations of Chef Brandon Miller. In fact, Mundaka aspires to be the hub for all that is tasty, fun, artistic, creative, and cultural in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

During our visit, we feasted on savory tapas and delicious entrees and trusted the kitchen to pair the ideal wine for every course. Chef Brandon Miller’s kitchen tends to come out with various special off-menu dishes that they send out for a small price. They all look so good that it’s hard to ever say no to any of them.

We started with the …del mar (from the sea) portion of the menu and went with the Huevos Rotos—delicious warm scallop and potato salad with bacon on a poached egg. Another must-have are the Datiles, bacon-wrapped dates, goat cheese and almonds; as well as the Albondigas—chorizo meatballs, clams, and saffron couscous. One order of the Datiles hardly seemed enough.

Looking for something a little adventurous, order the Orejas—pig ears with grilled asparagus and fried farm egg. It’s crunchy and different and ever-so tasty; very nice with a fine glass of red wine.

Great traditional plates to share include the Spanish Tortilla, potato egg, onion and sea salt; Bravas, fried potatoes served with brava sauce and aioli; and Bomba, house-made sausage, served with mashed potatoes and mojo rojo.

For our entrée (from the Platos Fuertes section “for two”), we went with and loved the Paella, although the Chuleton (24oz ribeye, sidreria style, served rare) was extremely tempting.

According to Chef Miller, “We believe in serving ‘real’ food only—fresh, local, organic, biodynamic, free-range, line-caught, sustainable, fair-trade, home-made, from scratch. No antibiotics; hormones; pesticides; high fructose corn syrup; or artificial anything.”

Mundaka is located on San Carlos Street between Ocean and 7th Ave. Open for dinner and cocktails daily at 5:30pm. Call 831-624-7400.