WHAT"S NEW!

Passionfish Located In One Of America’s Best Little Beach Towns
As Noted in Travel & Leisure Magazine, August 2010

Passionfish is pleased to announce that Travel & Leisure Magazine has recognized our charming little communtiy as one of “America’s Best Little Beach Towns.” It also recommends Passionfish as the place to
“enjoy your sustainable seafood and organic vegetables—such as Monterey Bay calamari or asparagus fries—while watching downtown life walk by outside.”
Read More-Click Here

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Ted & Cindy Walter of Passionfish Restaurant Nominated For
Oceana’s The 2nd Annual Ocean Hero Award

Chef Ted Walter and his wife, Cindy Walter are among six finalists for the 2nd Annual Ocean Heros Award presented by the international non-profit orgnization, Oceana. On World Oceans Day, Oceana honors those who have made a significant, ongoing contribution to ocean conservation. This year, hundreds of ocean advocates were nominated, and a panel of experts selected six adult and 5 youth finalists.

Chef Walter and his wife, Cindy are co-owners of Passionfish restaurant, in Pacific Grove, California. Their work for the cause includes public presentations, cooking demonstrations, non-profit contributions and legislative advocacy. The Walters use their restaurant, Passionfish, as a forum for discussion, education, and exploration of the issue as it pertains to protecting our oceans, our lands, and our food sources from further decline. As Monterey County’s first “green” restaurant, Passionfish sets out to prove that sustainable living can be good living. The Walters have strict policies for sustainable purchasing and an on-going training program for their staff.

Chef Ted Walter incorporates local, sustainable seafood and fresh, local, organic produce into simply inspired meals that are healthy for you and the planet. Walter trained as a classic French chef in restaurants across the country before perfecting his own unique, California culinary style. The chef returned to his native Monterey County to open Passionfish in 1997. He shops the rich valley farms and the local farmers’ markets and buys direct from local fishermen whenever possible. The chef’s recipes highlight the fresh flavors of the seasons often enhanced with one of his signature sauces. Chef Walter’s “sustainable living” philosophy is one that was acquired out of necessity. When he began having difficulty finding ingredients that had been readily available in the past he knew he had to change the way he cooked, the way he shopped, and the way he presented his menu. That transition has led the chef on a twelve-year culinary adventure that has tested and perfected his skills.

Cindy Walter, the daughter of a local fisherman, has made it her mission to take the message of sustainability to the public. Her enthusiastic and positive approach to advocacy has made waves, both locally and nationally. She was chosen 2008 California Woman of the Year, by Assemblyman Laird, in recognition of her advocacy efforts.

If you would like to find out more about the finalists and place your votes for your favorite Ocean Heroes visit: Ocean Hero Award Link

Oceana, founded in 2001, is the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation. With offices in North America, Central America, South America and Europe, Oceana works to help return our oceans to former levels of abundance.

Passionfish is located at 701 Lighthouse Avenue, in Pacific Grove, California. The restaurant is open for dinner from 5pm seven nights a week. The Walters may be reached by calling the restaurant at 831-655-3311.

For further information about Oceana visit www.oceana.org. For further information about Passionfish visit www.passionfish.net.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4/22/10

Ted Walter of Passionfish Restaurant Hosts Cooking Demonstration
at Sunset Magazine’s 13th Annual Sunset Celebration Weekend
June 5 and 6, 2010

Menlo Park, CA— Ted Walter is among a dozen chefs from throughout the Western United States to host cooking demonstrations during Sunset Magazine’s annual “Sunset Celebration Weekend.” The pages of Sunset Magazine come to life at their Menlo Park headquarters during Celebration Weekend, Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6, 2010. This themed celebration will highlight the West on-the-go. with cuisine inspired by the streets and Glam-Camping- the glamorous side of camping. View outdoor living trends and sample the fruit of some of the West’s best wine regions.

Ted Walter’s Dinner on the River—Salmon with Ponzu
In keeping with the Celebration Weekend theme, Chef Ted Walter will demonstrate his outdoor cooking techniques.. Walter does a lot of outdoor cooking and will prepare a menu he served last summer while on a river rafting weekend with friends. The entree recipe, Salmon with Ponzu. is available on the magazine’s website,
www.sunset.com.

Chef Ted Walter incorporates sustainable seafood and fresh, local, organic produce into simply inspired meals that are healthy for you and the planet. Walter trained as a classic French chef in restaurants across the country before perfecting his own unique, California culinary style. The chef returned to his native Monterey County to open Passionfish in 1997. Chef Walter’s “sustainable living” philosophy is one that was acquired out of necessity. When having difficulty finding ingredients that had been readily available in the past he had to change the way he cooked, shopped, and the way he presented his menu. That transition has led to a twelve-year culinary adventure that has tested and perfected his skills. Advocating through example, his restaurant was the first in Monterey County to be certified as a “Green” Restaurant. Chef Walter’s signature recipes have been published in Bon Appétit and a number of nationally distributed cookbooks, including: Ocean Friendly Cuisine: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the World’s Finest Chefs (Willow Creek Press) and THE FOOD OF FISHERMAN’S WHARF: Cooking and Eating from San Francisco to Monterey. (TBC Publishing). Passionfish has been featured on KRON TV’s Bay Cafe, Rachel Ray’s Tasty Travels, the Discovery Channel’s healthy lifestyles program, Fresh, the History Channel’s Modern Marvels, and ABC’s Live Well HD series, Save My Planet. Chef Walter was inducted into the California Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame in 2006.

The event will take place from 10am to 5pm, Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June 6, at Sunset Magazine headquarters, 80 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, California. General admission is $16, seniors $12, and children age 12 and under are admitted free.

Chef Walter’s restaurant, Pasionfish, is located at 701 Lighthouse Ave., in Pacific Grove California. Passionfish is open for dinner from 5pm seven nights a week. For more information contact Ted Walter at 831-655-3311, visit www.passionfish.net, or sunset.com/cw.

3/20/10

Passionfish’s Cindy Walter Appointed As An Advisor to the California Oceans Protection Council”s
California Sustainable Seafood Initiative (AB1217)

Sacramento, CA— Cindy Walter of Passionfish restaurant in Pacific Grove, California is among the panelists approved to begin their advisory role for the California Sustainable Seafood Initiative, pursuant Assembly Bill 1217.

Assembly Bill 1217 (Monning, 2009) requires the Ocean Protection Council to develop and implement a voluntary seafood
promotion program that encourages California fisheries to seek certification in accordance with internationally accepted standards for sustainability and to promote the purchase and consumption of certified sustainable California seafood.

The statute directs the Council to: 1) develop a protocol to guide entities on how to be independently certified to internationally accepted standards for sustainable seafood; 2) implement a marketing program in cooperation with the Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA); 3) develop a grant and loan program to help fisheries become certified as sustainable; and 4) design a label or labels that may be used exclusively to identify seafood caught in California. In addition, the Council will need to identify standards to meet or exceed the Guidelines for the Eco-labelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries promulgated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It is not envisioned that the OPC or staff will certify fisheries in California; rather the purpose will be to guide entities on how to become certified as sustainable through existing organizations.

Walter’s role as a sustainable seafood advocate and successful restaurateur made her an ideal choice for the panel. She looks forward to this volunteer commitment, “I have been anxiously awaiting the types of programs and certification that this panel will be instrumental in establishing. I couldn’t be more excited,” confirms Walter.

The need for sustainable fisheries and the conservation of marine biodiversity are widely recognized. California’s growing population, the increasing worldwide demand for seafood, and the accumulating stresses on marine and coastal habitats create a challenge to sustaining our living marine resources and activities associated with them. Over the past century, the increasing demand for seafood has had huge implications for marine species and ocean ecosystems. The adoption of increasingly powerful technologies has led to a massive increase in global fishing capabilities. The demand for seafood in the U.S. is large. Annually, the U.S. consumes about 16 pounds of seafood per capita, which represents about $69.8 billion in revenue ($46.8 billion at food service and $22.7 at retail, with industrial seafood products accounting for the remaining $389.4 million). Californians consume even more, due to a higher degree of health-consciousness, and proximity to the coast. This has both national and international implications for California’s economy, since a portion of California’s fisheries is exported to foreign nations, and because the national and California markets are growing. The more California can effectively manage its fisheries for optimal sustainable productivity, the greater the opportunity for an increase in foreign trade, thus reducing the seafood trading deficit while simultaneously providing incentives for Californians.

Cindy Walter is the co-owner of the award winning Passionfish restaurant in Pacific Grove and an activist for sustainable oceans. Passionfish holds the designation of Monterey County’s 1st Green Certified restaurant and boasts a sustainable menu. As a restauranteur, Cindy is responsible for all operational aspects outside the kitchen and directs all marketing efforts. She also serves on the Advisory Council for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and is a member of the Seafood Choices Alliance. During the past few years, Walter has been inducted into the California Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame, been named a “California Woman of the Year” by State Assemblyman John Laird, and been among 10 finalists for the International Seafood Champion’s Award.

For further information contact Cindy Walter at 831-655-3311 or email to cindy@passionfish.net

Love that Yelp!

Every once in a while someone posts something about the restaurant that just makes me all warm and fuzzy, so heres the most recent one........ I love this guy! Cindy Walter

11/22/2009, Five Star Yelp!
Were there no Yelp, I would write a song so that the memory of last night's deliciousness could be passed down from generation to generation around tribal campfires. The dishes were thoughtfully prepared and just innovative enough to be interesting without being inaccessible. The pear bread pudding was absolutely perfect. Yum.

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19th Annual Feast for AIDS—Sunday, November 15th, 2009

Passionfish’s Chef Ted Walter scheduled to participate in The 19th Annual Feast for AIDS, which will be held at the Beach Club at Pebble Beach on Sunday, November 15th, 2009.

The Feast for AIDS has historically been the premier fund-raising event for The Monterey County AIDS Project (MCAP). Hundreds of guests support the cause while wining and dining with friends and associates. Past proceeds have gone to the Children’s Program, Continuing Education and to provide ongoing services to clients living with HIV/AIDS in Monterey County. This year the Feast is happening again, though there’s been a significant, positive development.John XXIII HIV/AIDS Services and MCAP have consolidated their respective operations into one agency, with the new name ofCentral Coast HIV/AIDS Services. This consolidated agency will help ensure continued education and services to schools and clients now and into the future.

For further information Kathleen Banks at 394-4747 x18 or kat@mcap.org.

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October 25, 2009- Los Angeles Times

Passionfish recently mentioned in the LA Times along with Fandango Restaurant as one of the places to dine (Where to Eat" when visiting Monterey County,

WHERE TO EAT

Fandango, 223 17th St., Pacific Grove; 831-372-3456, www.fandangorestaurant.com. A longtime local favorite. Open daily for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Seafood, steak, paella and Basque accents. Entrees $17.50 to $35.

Passionfish, 701 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove; 831-655-3311; www.passionfish.net. Top-notch seafood...Link

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Passionfish Included in Bay Area Guidebook "The Best Waterfront Dining"
Surrounded on three sides by water, San Francisco boasts a wealth of great places to eat that are either on the water or inspired by it. This handy guide showcases some of the best waterfront dining in each of San Francisco's neighborhoods, as well as in other Northern California towns such as San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Tiburon, and Sausalito. These restaurants feature not only fresh seafood dishes from around the world, but also great vegetarian, meat, and other menus. Included are detailed profiles of more than 40 restaurants on Ocean Beach, the Embarcadero, the Marina District, Fisherman's Wharf, and beyond — all the way from Tiburon in Marin to Monterey Bay.

Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: TCB Cafe Publishing; 1st edition (February 18, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0979864089
ISBN-13: 978-0979864087

Link to book on Amazon

RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT Sommelier Journal
Passionfish, Pacific Grove, California
By Ben Narasin

Sustainable fishing practices, environmentally friendly products, and retail wine pricing are all part of the formula at Monterey’s Passionfish restaurant.
In her youth, Cindy Walter used to dive into the Monterey Bay surf to tackle fish that her father had caught. “I imagined I was helping,” she remembers. “The halibut were much bigger than me. They flung me aside.”

Today, Cindy and her husband, Ted, run Passionfish, a restaurant built around catch-of-the-day (or, perhaps, tackle-of-the-day) thinking. They’re dedicated to sustainable seafood, farmer’s-market fare, and a wine list with a catch: it’s priced at retail.

Just outside Monterey, en route to Carmel, this unassuming corner café is surrounded by wine country and the homes of wine-knowledgeable consumers. Ted Walter came up with the retail pricing concept to build traffic, and after some uncertainty, the restaurant’s approach has become a hallmark. “Take a look around,” says Cindy; “almost all the tables are drinking a bottle of wine as opposed to a glass.”

The menu changes daily, the wine list weekly. Looseleaf sheets in the list are updated as items sell out. With the wines priced at retail, “things move pretty fast,” says Jannae Lizza, Passionfish’s “wine muse.” Combined with the seasonality of the menu, that creates some pairing challenges. Staff members taste new wines with every sauce on the menu and chart their impressions, rating the pairings on “three levels of food and wine happiness,” according to Lizza: “Bad,” “RailRd” (“railroad tracks,” meaning parallel flavors that don’t converge), and “1 + 1 = 3” (indicating synergy).

Sturgeon with a red-curry vinaigrette is currently “our problem child,” says Lizza. While the curry kills a Riesling, the recommended non-vintage Broadbent Vinho Verde from Portugal offers a fresh citrus note and a slight effervescence that cut cleanly through the sauce and complement the meaty, mild fish.

The wine list currently includes more than 400 selections, ranging from local producers to allocated wines (Bond at $300, Araujo at $105) and eccentric international varietals (are Txakoli and Blaufränkisch-Zweigelt on your list yet?). Although Lizza admits an “infatuation with Northern Italian whites” as outstanding matches for seafood, local wines still make up a healthy share of the list. Asked if she stocks the local Morgan Winery’s Nero d’Avola, Lizza says no, but she’ll look into it. “One of the staff’s husbands works there, and the owner was at Cindy and Ted’s wedding,” she reports. “It’s a small community.”

The list is sprinkled with commentary: “Super-Tuscan Sassicaia. Yes, the best price on the planet. $220.” “Zierfandler. Never heard of it? Think nose and fruit of a Gewürztraminer and the finish of a Pinot Gris!” Lizza says “things with stories tend to work well here; that’s what our customers are used to.”

Only six by-the-glass choices are offered, at a standard markup, but the half-bottle selection is extensive—a recent version contained 34 half-bottles, including an Amarone, a Charbono, and a Grüner Veltliner. The “dessert-in-a-glass” list is also compelling, since few patrons are likely to buy an entire bottle of dessert wine, regardless of price. There are a dozen possibilities, from Port and Madeira to Sherry and Passito, each with a suggested pairing. For example, the lemon-pudding cake with crushed strawberries harmonizes well with the recommended Sanct Valentin Passito.

Cindy Walter explains the pricing concept in a simple introductory letter prefacing the menu: “We primarily price at retail,” she writes. “Truthfully, we also add a few dollars for breakage of glassware.” Ted Walter believes the 50% cost model works because “we are owner-operated. Cindy is the general manager, and I am the chef. Our managerial expenses are much less than a corporately run establishment. We have no partners or shareholders and watch our costs passionately. I have seen two local restaurants pick up on our theme, and both have abandoned the concept.”

Still, he says, “it took a year for the retail wine pricing to catch on. Wine lovers and frequent diners understood the advantage immediately, but the public just could not make the connection on what a great deal they were receiving. We often would have to amend our spiel at the table with ‘our bottles are priced at half what it would be at another restaurant.’ The interesting phenomenon is that because of the pricing and selection, customers buy a lot of wines they have never tried. We average about one bottle sold per every four people, sometimes one to three at certain times of the year. That means a bottle on every table.”
With such a robust and fluid list, however, servers need to stay current. Lizza serves as wine muse not only to the patrons, but to the staff as well. Although she joined the restaurant with a minimal wine background, she researched all the Passionfish offerings online to create a set of tasting notes that she has posted next to the list at the servers’ station. Later, she began adding wine questions she had fielded from customers. Her whimsical approach has evolved into wine quizzes, crossword puzzles, and other “homework,” which is graded (gold stars and all).

Like the Monterey Bay Aquarium a short drive away, the 145-seat Passionfish has standards for sustainable fishing and for ecologically friendly products in general. The white tablecloths are shielded by brown Kraft paper. Simple, matted black-and-white photographs of sea life adorn the minimalist, plaster walls. The produce is all organic. When you ask for water, you hear them run the tap. Natural substances such as vinegar and baking soda are used for cleaning. Even the wine list gets in on the act, using a special symbol for wines produced sustainably. Half of the $20 corkage fees go to sea-life charities; turtles were the beneficiaries for some time, and bluefin tuna are the current cause. The Walters and their staff work with the aquarium to organize educational forums for restaurants and chefs, and they are frequent speakers at trade seminars.

Passionfish is certified by the Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program, but it makes no mention of these credentials anywhere in the restaurant. The family’s commitment to sustainable practices is part of its ethos—perhaps simply an extension of the sensibilities of a fisherman’s daughter.

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