Winter-2022

62 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 Photo: Kelli Uldall W hen Ted and Cindy Walter opened Pacific Grove’s Passionfish Restaurant in 1996, Cindy was still working a full-time job, but it wasn’t long before she came on board as well. “Ted loves to cook fish,” she says. “My father was a Monterey Bay fisherman andTed asked me to go down to the wharf and find some local fish.” That was the beginning of her crusade to support sustainable seafood practices. “This was when farmed salmon was starting to flood the market. Most local fishing families were struggling because they couldn’t compete with the lower priced farmed fish.”TheWalters signed on with East Coast chefs that were beginning to boycott endangered fish such as Atlantic swordfish and Chilean sea bass.That led to Passionfish’s commitment to sustainability. “As long as people continue to buy endangered seafood, they will contin- ue to harvest it,” says Cindy. Cindy worked in fast food places as a teen but didn’t get serious about the hospitality business until meeting Ted. The pair worked together in restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula, in Tahoe and in Bear Valley, before returning home to open this highly-regarded and popular restaurant. Passionfish is aptly named: Cindy and Ted are passionate about serving their guests the finest meals in the most ethical manner possible. For more information about Passionfish, visit www.passionfish.net . — Michael Chatfield HOS P I TAL I TY PROF I L E Cindy Walter