Passionfish offers serious food in a fun and causal atmosphere. The combination of Chef Ted Walter’s uniquely flavorful culinary creations and an award winning wine list have earned Passionfish a place among California’s finest restaurants. Yet, prices remain quite reasonable, enabling locals to frequent this family friendly establishment.

Once inside, you will immediately come to realize why the owners, Ted and Cindy Walter, coined the name Passionfish. There is a certain jubilance that permeates the restaurant, confirming you’re welcome and setting the mood for a fun and relaxing dining experience. The fresh and simple decor underscores Chef Ted Walter’s talents. The four interconnected dining rooms offer intimacy, while the staff’s pampering reminds you that you’re not at home. While the atmosphere is casual, Passionfish is hardly frivolous. The Walters are committed to the philosophy of serving healthy, flavorful, and ecologically sound meal choices. They shop the farmer’s markets to select organic produce and serve exclusively, sustainable seafood. Chef Walter specializes in simple, inspired meals emphasizing the natural flavors of these quality ingredients at their peak of freshness.

Passionfish’s ever-changing menu makes each visit a new adventure. Although the name Passionfish naturally conjures up visions of fresh seafood, the menu always offers many tantalizing alternatives, including steaks, fowl, and vegetarian dishes. And the wine flows freely at Passionfish, from a list as diverse as any in the world. Their award winning wine list offers selections sure to please both the connoisseur and novice alike. Over 400 selections, ranging from local California varietals to rare and desirable wines from around the world, believe it or not, are all are priced at retail! Chef Walter tastes every wine on the list to ensure it meets the pairing standards of his menu. Passionfish was recently selected by the National Restaurant Association to receive the prestigious title of “Best Wine List in America.”

Dining at Passionfish is sure to bring out the passion in you.

Ted Walter, a Classic French-trained chef, worked in restaurants across the country before perfecting his own unique style and opening Passionfish Restaurant in Pacific Grove, California. Over the past decade, Walter has earned a national reputation for his simple, inspired cuisine, incorporating fresh, organic produce and sustainable seafood. He is also an active advocate for the sustainable seafood movement, using his talent for cooking and his restaurant as platforms for delivering sustainable seafood education. Advocating through example, his restaurant was the first in Monterey County to be certified as a “Green ” Restaurant. Walter makes over a dozen presentations each year to benefit the cause.

The chef believes in serving food that is healthy for his guests and the environment. Chef Walter’s signature recipes have been published in “Bon Appetit” Magazine and a number of nationally distributed cookbooks, including: “Ocean Friendly Cuisine: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the World’s Finest Chefs,” from Willow Creek Press and TBC Publishing’s “THE FOOD OF FISHERMAN’S WHARF: Cooking and Eating from San Francisco to Monterey. Passionfish has been featured on KRON TV’s “Bay Cafe,” Rachel Ray’s “Tasty Travels,” the Discovery Channel’s new healthy lifestyles program, “Fresh.” Chef Walter was inducted into the California Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame in 2006.

In 2007, Cindy Walter was presented with the “Sanctuary Reflections” Award, by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments for outstanding green business practices. In January of 2008, The Seafood Choices Alliance named Cindy Walter one of 10 finalists for the annual International Seafood Champion Awards.
In March of 2008, Cindy Walter was named a “California Woman of the Year” by State Assemblyman John Laird.

Cindy Walter serves as a boardmember of the National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and is also a member of the Women’s Chefs and Restaurateurs, and the Seafood Choice Alliance. She is a founding member of The Pacific Grove Young Entrepreneur Awards Program, a sponsor of the Animal Friends Rescue program, and a contributor to dozens of local, national, and regional social and ecological non-profit organizations..

Cindy's Story...A Fisherman's Daughter

Today, Passionfish’s wine list is over 400 wines long and Jannae’s official title is Manager/Wine Director. But she prefers to be called “The Wine Muse.” She feels the heart of her job is inspiring those around her with the love of good food, good wine, and good service. Jannae is passionate about her work and will share her passion with anyone who asks.

Breath of The Wine Muse