Summer 2023

200 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 3 The Opulence of an Earlier Era 55 Year s of Distinctive Dining in Monterey B Y AME L I A WARD C ertain places demand a certain level of formality, nothing pretentious or unattainable, just an expectation to put your best foot forward. In times past, there were more places in society that required such a heightened level of formal- ity—be it a weekly trip to a place of worship or just working as a sales girl at Saks 5th Avenue in the Carmel Plaza, where a strict dress code prevailed. Perhaps the most enjoyable opportunity to put your best foot forward was at a fine- dining establishment where, not so long ago, men were required to wear a jacket and tie. Over the years, that requisite level of for- mality has all but disappeared— but to what end? Getting dressed up elevates any occasion and can add to the special nature of an activity. So many of us dine out so regularly nowadays that we forget to stop and consider where we are going and what we are about to experience. Hidden in plain sight, just above Cannery Row, the Sardine Factory—more than a restaurant, a fine-dining institution—has always merited that level of formality and, since its opening day on October 2, 1968, has continued to provide an atmosphere unparalleled on the Monterey Peninsula. It is known as “The World-Famous Sardine Factory” for good reason, receiving acclaim and world-wide renown even in its early days. As an important piece of Monterey history and of U.S. culinary history, it continues to deserve our attention today. An excerpt from The Holiday Magazine Distinctive Dining Award Review in 1975 captures it best: “It’s not by accident that one gets the feeling that ladies should be wearing lace and satins and gentle- men appear in high collars and cut- aways atThe Sardine Factory. Dining here is a return to the graciousness of an earlier time, when dining was an experience to be relished and prolonged.” It is a landmark, a place of cherished memories and— though you’ll be welcome in what- ever you wear—it is the perfect spot to don your best and bask in the ambiance. The Sardine Factory’s history is a story of Cannery Row and of two young men with incredible entrepreneurial spirit: Ted Bale- streri, a transplant from Brooklyn, and Bert Cutino, one of Mon- terey’s own, the son of a fisher- man. Despite growing up on opposite coasts, the two men have a lot in common. Both are second generation Italian-Americans from working-class families, both were extremely successful paperboys, both started their careers in the restaurant industry at a tender age, and both dreamed of having fine-dining establishments of their own. In 1953, Cutino had his first professional foray into the kitchen at the age of 13. Against his parents’ wishes, he took a summer job at Holman’s Guest Ranch, a working dude ranch in Carmel Valley, where he lived and worked as a dishwasher and busboy. It wasn’t long before his innate cook- ing abilities were discovered by the resort’s German chef. Cutino was unimpressed with the chef ’s pasta, choosing not to eat it. When asked if Cutino and Balestreri have used their success for the greater good, becoming some of the peninsula’s top philanthropists. Photo: Courtesy of The Sardine Factory