Two Small California Towns
With an Oversized Appetite
Carmel-by-the-Sea reminds me that abundance isn't measured in size but in care, craft, and community gathered around a good table.
When I was a young man, I thought a town needed to be large to matter. Big cities, big plans, big noise. At 91, I have learned the opposite is often true. Some of the most memorable places in California are barely larger than a neighborhood and yet they feed the world.
1. A Village That Ignores Logic
Carmel-by-the-Sea sits on the Monterey Peninsula like a well-kept secret, even though everyone seems to know it. The official population is about 3,200 souls, smaller than many apartment complexes I have visited. And yet, this one-square-mile village holds more than 60 restaurants.
It defies logic until you walk it. No streetlights. No chain stores by ordinance. Cottages that look lifted from a storybook, galleries on every corner, and the smell of fresh bread and pine drifting down Ocean Avenue toward the sea. Tourism sustains it, yes, but hospitality is its true economy. People come for the beach and stay for dinner.
Why Food Lovers Find Their Way There
You do not need to be a critic to feel it. You turn a corner on Dolores Street and there is a wood-fired oven going. On Mission, a courtyard is already full at 5 p.m. The village invites you to linger, which in Carmel means to eat well.
For friends planning a visit, these are the tables I keep hearing about and a few I hope to return to:
- Chez Noir - 5th Ave between Dolores and San Carlos, Carmel - One Michelin Star. Intimate, modern coastal tasting menu, seasonal and precise.
- Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel - Monte Verde at Seventh Two Michelin Stars. Chef Justin Cogley's refined California cuisine inside a Relais & Châteaux inn.
- La Bicyclette - 29 Dolores St , Wood oven, rustic French-Italian, beloved for its pizzas and bistro comfort. Line forms early.
- Dametra Cafe - Ocean Ave & Lincoln, Mediterranean warmth, family recipes, live music some evenings, and generous spirit.
- Little Napoli = Dolores & 7th , Classic Italian, old-Carmel charm, perfect for a long lunch with friends.
- Anton & Michel - Mission St, Court of the Fountains, Elegant courtyard dining, Continental-California, a favorite for celebrations.
“A town of 3,200 feeding the world is not an accident. It is devotion repeated daily.”
2. What Yountville Teaches Us Too
Carmel is not alone in this quiet miracle. A few hours north, in Napa Valley, lies Yountville, only about 3,000 people, yet home to the highest per capita concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in North America.
At 91, I find that comforting. It tells me that America still makes room for small places that choose excellence over expansion. Both towns teach the same lesson: you do not have to be big to be great. You have to be faithful to what you do well, every day, for years.
The Larger Lesson for All of Us
When I was a young man raising a family, I measured success in milestones. Promotions. Properties. Numbers that could be counted. At 91, I have learned to measure it in mornings.
Here at Chateau De La Mer ( also THD) in Walnut Creek, our mornings are not unlike Carmel's. Small community, big heart. We gather for coffee, we remember names, we share stories we have told before and we listen as if hearing them for the first time. That is hospitality, too.
A village with 60 restaurants is not really about restaurants. It is about the decision, made again and again, to welcome strangers and feed them as if they were family. That is faith in practice. That is friendship made edible. That is why a place with fewer than 4,000 residents can feel larger than a city.
“We are all small towns, really. Our job is to have an oversized appetite for kindness.”
If You Visit
Park once and walk. Start at Ocean Avenue, drift down to the beach, then back up through the side streets. Dolores, San Carlos, and Mission hold most of the treasures.
Best time is spring and fall fewer crowds, softer light, easier reservations. In summer, book two weeks ahead for the starred rooms.
PRACTICAL NOTES
- • Stroll Ocean Avenue before dinner
- • Reservations essential — Chez Noir & Aubergine
- • Best seasons: April–June, Sept–Nov
- • Parking: public lots at Sunset Center
- • No street addresses on many cottages — look for courtyards
Chez Noir - Michelin Star
5th Ave between Dolores and San Carlos
Aubergine - 2 Michelin Stars
Monte Verde at Seventh, L'Auberge Carmel
La Bicyclette
29 Dolores St, Carmel
Dametra Cafe
Ocean Ave & Lincoln St
Carmel-by-the-Sea Village
Heart of the Village
Little Napoli & Anton & Michel
Dolores & 7th / Mission St Court of Fountains — Classic courtyard favorites
So tell me, dear readers what is your small town with an oversized appetite? What place, perhaps no larger than a few blocks, has fed you more than its size should allow?
I would love to hear from you. Your letters from over 150 countries remind me daily that we are all, in some way, neighbors at the same table.
David B. Katague
Chateau De La Mer(also THD) | Walnut Creek, California
Retired educator/Federal employee, writer, and grateful resident. Writing about aging, faith, friendship, and the small joys that become large when shared.
I have been to the two towns in my younger years. Writing this blog today, reminds me of the many pleasant memories of my younger years.
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