Summer 2024

home. They are certified “pizzaioli,” having grad- uated from theVPN Pizza School in Napoli. Gian has a passion for improvement, always tinkering with the recipes and menu. Christian is a master mixologist, owns a distillery in Marina and has created all the signature cock- tails for the two restaurants. Q: How have the local ingre- dients influenced your menus? A: Incorporating local ingre- dients into our menus creates a unique dining experience for our guests, allowing them to connect with our local culture and environment through food. Seasonality and sustainability are paramount, and our local fishermen and farmers make that easy and exciting to implement. Q: What keeps you enthusiastic about your different endeavors? A: It has always been my passion and dream to pass along and share my family lifestyle and traditions through my restaurants, bakery, wine and spirit, and hospitality ventures. My entire family is hyper-creative and energetic, always trying to be in the forefront of new ideas and ventures. Q: What is your favorite part of running all the businesses? A: Carmel Bakery has been a community affair for many generations. Carmel High School is just up the street, and every year we have dozens of kids coming in for jobs, often their “first job ever.” My own sons, Christian and Gian, had their first jobs at the bakery and learned not only baking but working the front counter and catering to the guests’ needs. Q: What are some of your customers’ favorite dishes? A: Many of our guests appre- ciate dishes they do not make at home, such as our lasagna, sea- sonal variety of ravioli, and our cannelloni tricolore. Q: What is your favorite thing to cook for your family? A: Cooking at home was always a family affair. My wife Sandra’s family was from Scotland, and we’ve often enjoyed making Shepherd’s Pie. For more information and reservations, visit www.chefpepe.com. 182 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 “THE CAPITOL OF EGGS BENEDICT” Our 42nd Year! Katy’s Place A Carmel Tradition Mission Between 5th and 6th (831)624-0199 www.katysplacecarmel.com Breakfast & Lunch 7:30AM to 1:00PM Tuesdays 7:30AM to 9:30AM Closed on Wednesdays one of the Largest Breakfast Menus on the West Coast ® ® ® Above all, our guests get a sense that our businesses are family run with a family member in the kitchen and at the front of the house.