Spring-2023

54 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 3 Photo: Kelli Uldall T he Phinnys are proprietors of two of the Monterey Peninsula’s most popular and enduring restaurants, Baja Cantina in Carmel Valley and downtown Monterey’s Turn 12. Both automotive- themed establishments reflect their family’s love of motorsports. Pat was a USC film student when he invested in his first restaurant group. Later, while working as a cameraman at KTLA, he decided he pre- ferred hospitality to TV and opened his own place, Baja Cantina in Marina Del Rey. “I married into the business,” Gina says. While attending college, she worked at the original Baja, and the couple eventually married. “I had been traveling to the peninsula since the 1970s to race at Laguna Seca,” Pat recalls. “I bought a home here in 1981.” The Phinnys opened the Carmel Baja Cantina in the early 1990s and it quickly earned a dedicated local following due to its friendly, laid-back vibe, excellent Mexican food, award-winning margaritas and outdoor live music in the summer months. Turn 12 debuted in 2008 and has gained an equally loyal clientele. “We’re deeply grateful to our staff and customers who kept coming during the tough last couple of years,” Gina says. “We’re hopeful that things will be fully back to normal this year,” Pat adds. For more information, visit www.carmelcantina.com or call 831/625-2252 and www.turn12barandgrill.com or call 831/372-8876. — Michael Chatfield HOS P I TAL I TY PROF I L E Pat and Gina Phinny