• Home
  • About PubClub.com Nightlife Pubs And Clubs Website
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

PubClub

Where The World Goes To Party!

A Hot Time At The Haute Enchilada In Monterey Bay’s Moss Landing

May 15, 2013 by kevinwilkerson Leave a Comment

A Blog About Good Food, Dynamic Drinks and One Lively Owner

Haute Enchilada Moss Landing Monterey Bay Owner Kim
The spicy Kim makes a fun place even more entertaining.


Sometimes, you just never know where you’ll find a good time.

I found one recently and it was in one of the most unusual locations, unusual because I didn’t even know there was a good time to be had in it. But you never go until you go, right!?

The location was Moss Landing, CA, a commercial fishing harbor with a small patch of restaurants off the side of U.S. Highway 1 between Monterey and Santa Cruz. I have passed by it dozens of times over the years, and only once had I bothered to stop.

And that was just for fairly quick lunch at the most prominent spot off the highway, The Whole Enchilada.

Well as it turns out there’s also a place called The Haunt Enchilada, which is behind The Whole Enchilada.  Haute is defined as meaning fashionable, and that’s a good way to describe The Haute Enchilada.

It has bright colors in the dining room and a large outside area that includes so many buildings it takes a while to figure out which one is the actual restaurant.

To define the personality of the owner, picante comes immediately to mind. That means nutty, peppery, spiciness and, more to the point, spicy.

And spicy describes Kim perfectly.

The truly entertaining thing about Kim is that she is entertaining without trying to be entertaining. She joined myself and two friends whom she knows well at our table, and with little introduction, started talking with me as if I had known her our entire lives.

She talked about a spat she had with her husband one second, about how her mom just kind of went along with her dad to start The Whole Enchilada the next, and then about an upcoming tequila tasting the restaurant’s club members (anyone can join and if you live in the area, I recommend you do it), all without breaking verbal stride. I could not help but smile.

She also started describing all the drinks they make at the bar and encouraged me to try them all: “You’re having the house margarita. You should have the Haut Rita (basically a Cadillac margarita). Oh, and our sangria. You must have some sangria. Katie, bring us some sangria (Katie was our waitress)….”

The margarita was good – “it’s made with fresh lime juice,” Kim reported as if that’s the only way to make them, and that alone should tell you about the quality of the cocktails here – and the sangria came in not a glass, but a schooner. It, too, was very good.

I was only halfway through it when Kim said, “you should get the Haut Rita. Oh, and we have Spanish brandy.”

She was speaking my language, but I still had to drive about 15 miles to where I was staying in Monterey. And while we eating like Spanish royalty – everything they put down in front of us was fantastic, especially the shrimp dishes – it still seemed prudent to save my taste test of the full bar for another time when I did not have to drive.

And we agreed to do that, by the way. There’s a Bed & Breakfast in Moss Landing, about a minute’s walk from The Haute Enchilada. It’s called Captain’s Inn and she’s already put me in touch with the owner, Donna, who has offered to put me up for a night so I can fully enjoy the dynamic drinking pleasures of The Haute. And there are a couple of other bars in Moss Landing worthy of my attention, too.

Of course, Kim will always have the last laugh. When discussing when I will return, I asked Kim if they have June Gloom in Moss Landing like we do where I live in Southern California. For those of you not in the know, June Gloom is when the ocean begins to warm up and it clashes with the air temperature, causing the sky to overcast by the shore for the entire month.

“Yes we do have June Gloom here,” Kim replied, “but you’ll be too drunk to care!”

Ahh, can’t wait to get back to The Haut Enchilada and to be entertained by Kim.

 

 

Filed Under: Bars & Food Tagged With: bars and food, Margaritas, Monterey, Monterey Bay, Monterey restaurants, Moss Landing, sangria

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Unfinished Man

Search

Today On PubClub.com

EVENTS CALENDAR:
• June 18 – Father’s Day

LET’S BE SOCIAL!
 
PubClub.com is a member of the Travel & Tourism Marketing Association, Inc.​, and the Travel Massive chapters in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County (CA).

Instagram

Follow on Instagram

PubClub (@pubclub) • Instagram photos and videos

Destinations

  • 72 Hours (5)
  • Destinations (2,197)
    • Africa (1)
    • Asia (18)
      • Japan (5)
        • Tokyo (3)
      • Taiwan (1)
      • Thailand (7)
    • Australia (19)
      • Surfer's Paradise (3)
      • Sydney (5)
    • Brazil (7)
      • Rio (2)
    • Camping (1)
    • Canada (21)
      • Montreal (2)
      • Niagara Falls (5)
      • Toronto (2)
    • Caribbean (57)
      • Cuba (1)
      • San Juan (5)
      • Virgin Islands (21)
    • Central America (1)
      • Costa Rica (1)
    • Europe (104)
      • Amsterdam (15)
      • France (3)
      • Germany (6)
      • Ibiza (2)
      • Kiev (1)
      • London (6)
      • Malta (1)
      • Monaco (1)
      • Moscow (1)
      • Munich (5)
      • Paris (5)
      • Poland (3)
        • Krakow (2)
      • Prague (6)
      • Switzerland (35)
        • Basel (5)
        • Bern (3)
        • Swiss Alps (1)
        • Zermatt (3)
        • Zurich (4)
    • Greek Islands (26)
      • Corfu (3)
      • Ios (2)
      • Mykonos (6)
      • Santorini (5)
    • Mexico (11)
      • Baja (1)
      • Cabo San Lucas (1)
      • Puerto Vallarta (1)
      • Tijuana (1)
    • Ski Resorts (71)
      • Aspen (1)
      • Austria (5)
      • Big Bear (14)
      • Big Sky (6)
      • Mammoth (17)
      • Squaw Valley (4)
      • Whistler (3)
    • Tokyo (1)
    • USA (1,850)
      • Alabama (3)
      • Alaska (1)
      • Arizona (8)
        • Lake Havasu (1)
        • Scottsdale (3)
        • Sedona (1)
      • Boston (5)
      • California (1,383)
        • Carmel (24)
        • Central Coast (9)
        • Lancaster (16)
        • Los Angeles (826)
          • Catalina Island (12)
          • Culver City (1)
          • El Segundo (4)
          • Hermosa Beach (177)
            • Fourth Of July (12)
            • Smackfest Events (23)
          • Hollywood (16)
          • Huntington Beach (2)
          • Lake Arrowhead (2)
          • Long Beach (43)
            • Grand Prix (12)
          • Manhattan Beach (77)
          • Marina del Rey (6)
          • Newport Beach (44)
          • Orange County (29)
          • Party Report (16)
          • Redondo Beach (83)
          • Santa Monica (4)
          • South Bay (93)
          • Sunset Strip (5)
          • Temecula (13)
          • Venice Beach (5)
        • Mendocino (13)
        • Monterey (30)
          • Restaurant Reviews (10)
        • Napa (5)
        • Oakland (7)
        • Palm Springs (9)
        • Paso Robles (9)
        • San Clemente (1)
        • San Diego (310)
          • Balboa Park (1)
          • Del Mar (12)
          • Events (74)
          • Gaslamp (50)
          • Imperial Beach (6)
          • La Jolla (1)
          • Lifestyle (4)
          • Music (1)
          • Ocean Beach (5)
          • Oceanside (1)
          • Pacific Beach (5)
        • San Francisco (74)
          • Events (15)
        • Santa Barbara (1)
      • Chicago (10)
      • College Towns (1)
      • Colorado (4)
        • Denver (4)
      • Florida (86)
        • Daytona Beach (1)
        • Ft. Lauderdale (3)
        • Jacksonville (1)
        • Key West (25)
        • Keys (8)
        • Miami (10)
        • Panama City Beach (3)
      • Hawaii (25)
        • Waikiki Beach (15)
      • Indianapolis (3)
      • Las Vegas (173)
      • Michigan (2)
        • Traverse City (2)
      • Nevada (2)
      • New Jersey (1)
      • New Orleans (42)
      • New York City (15)
      • Newport, R.I. (1)
      • North Carolina (1)
      • Oregon (9)
        • Portland (8)
      • Seattle (2)
      • South Carolina (3)
        • Charleston (3)
      • St. Louis (1)
      • Tennessee (48)
        • Franklin (4)
        • Gatlinburg (5)
        • Knoxville (12)
        • Nashville (5)
        • Smoky Mountains (3)
      • Texas (6)
        • Austin (6)
      • Utah (2)
      • Virginia (1)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (5)
  • Hong Kong (1)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Events

  • 72 Hours (5)
  • Events (521)
    • BVI Interline Regatta (5)
    • Carnival (5)
    • Cinco de Mayo (2)
    • Exercise and Socalize (2)
    • Fourth of July (8)
    • Halloween (9)
    • Holidays (19)
      • Thanksgiving (7)
    • Indy 500 (10)
    • Kentucky Derby (12)
    • Memorial Day Weekend (5)
    • New Year's Eve (43)
    • Oktoberfest (11)
    • Party Report (46)
    • Running Of The Bulls (5)
    • Spring Break (7)
    • St. Patricks Day (8)
    • Sundance Film Festival (8)
    • Super Bowl (16)
    • Valentine's Day (10)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (5)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Sports

  • 72 Hours (5)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (5)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Sports (516)
    • Baseball (9)
    • Beach Volleyball (3)
    • College Football (291)
    • Golf (12)
    • NFL (45)
    • Olympics (13)
    • Racing (26)
    • Soccer (8)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Lifestyle

  • 72 Hours (5)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (5)
  • Lifestyle (1,640)
    • Beach Reads (1)
    • Cannabis (4)
    • Celebrity Sightings (6)
    • Entertainment (22)
    • Mr. Sorehead (3)
    • Music (287)
      • Bands (2)
      • Festivals (59)
      • Jimmy Buffett (42)
      • Trop Rock (13)
    • Party Stories (2)
    • People Profiles (10)
    • Singles Life (7)
      • Men Vs Women (2)
      • Relationships (2)
    • Social Media (2)
    • Spirits (27)
    • Travel (666)
      • Airlines (32)
      • Airports (1)
      • Blogger (368)
      • Cruise Ships (28)
      • Hotels (16)
      • Product Reviews (3)
      • RV (1)
      • Singles Travelers (1)
      • Solo Travel (2)
      • Touring Blog (12)
      • Weather (17)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

From the Bar Stool

  • 72 Hours (5)
  • From The Bar Stool (314)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (5)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Bars

  • 72 Hours (5)
  • Bars (271)
    • Bars & Food (26)
    • Bars & Nightlife (202)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (5)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

News

  • 72 Hours (5)
  • Business News (4,520)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (5)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • News (57)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Colleges

  • 72 Hours (5)
  • Colleges (29)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (5)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Food and Drinks

  • 72 Hours (5)
  • Food and Drinks (415)
    • Beer (99)
    • Bourbon (2)
    • Cocktails (55)
    • Foddie Blog (27)
    • Restaurants (1)
    • Rum (8)
    • Singles Cooking (1)
    • spirits (8)
    • Spirits & Beer Industry (79)
    • Tequila (19)
    • Vodka (3)
    • Wine (82)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (5)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Subscribe To The Party Report

About PubClub.com

PubClub.com is a content-oriented nightlife tourist guide dedicated to social-minded travelers with articles on worldwide destinations such as Amsterdam, the Greek Islands, Prague, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Canada, and more. Top keywords for search are pubclub, pub club, party pubs, club pub, travel pub, pub club night, pubs and clubs and the pub club.
Read More...
Our Terms | Privacy

Legal

Ads

Powered by imFORZA