HAVE YOU HEARD
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING?

"If modern classic isn't an oxymoron, then it's how we would describe the newly introduced bistro menu at Bouchée in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Executive chef, Jason Balestrieri, has maintained the classic sense of French dining by holding true to the time-proven dishes found in bistros throughout the countryside. He has made it modern by incorporating regional ingredients and cooking techniques that reflect today's foodie. Balestrieri developed the menu as executive chef for sister restaurant, Cantinetta Luca, a venue immediately popular when it opened less than two years ago. Chef Balestrieri does not try to be Italian at Cantinetta Luca or French at Bouchée.

Instead, he provides an authentic experience with time-honored dishes that translate beautifully into modern sensibilities. We especially liked the charcuterie plate with pate and cornichon pickles, the moules frites—steamed mussels with real French fries—and the steak tartare, all classic French bistro hors d'oeuvres. But our Monterey red abalone, served with pomme forchette Noily Prat and black truffles, made use of the delicious abalone that's only available on the Monterey Peninsula. Other classic menu items include steak frites, poulet roti—rotisserie roasted chicken with local chanterelle mushrooms, boeuf bourgignon, and a cepe stroganoff made with local bolete mushrooms. Credit the idea of a true bistro menu at Bouchée to owner David Fink, who also is the genius behind Cantinetta Luca and the fine L'Auberge Carmel Hotel & Restaurant. The newly redesigned restaurant by Kathleen Fink, includes more space and stools at the bar, and an open kitchen with seating to watch the team at work. The Bouchée Wine Shop adjacent to the restaurant offers a wide selection of highest quality wines from around the world, with a special emphasis on California regional pinot noir. A Rarities Cellar holds some of the most sought after wines, including older vintages and large format bottles. The shop also serves as the setting for private dinners at night where guests are surrounded by eclectic bottles..."
Entree newsletter, April 2008

"Here's to David Fink for reincarnating Bouchée from its former formal self to rustic with a French pastoral-pedigree. The simplified menu, has in fact, elevated the dining experience; it's more relaxed and enjoyable. So has the remodel, with more space and stools at the bar, and an open kitchen with seating to watch young chef Jesse Kloskey at work. He takes over where Walter Manzke left off. The redo did not alter the wine shop. It still retails an impressive and affordable selection by day, the charming store setting surrounded by eclectic bottles plays host to private dinners by night. On the menu, classic bistro dishes take a contemporary turn, peppered with regional area influences. The menu's most luxurious dish is its preparation of Monterey Bay red abalone. The abalone are sliced thin and mixed with velvety crushed potatoes, its flavored heightened by dry vermouth and a few black truffles. The dish is first rate, though for the appetizer price, diners might grumble at so little abalone. Kloskey's interpretation of Coquilles St. Jacques is a composed salad. There's no sauce cloaking translucent sea scallops, segments of bright blood orange and crunchy, slightly sweet slices of fennel. The assertive flavor usually associated with arctic char is non existent. The fleshy fish with just-crisped skin balances on a mound of smooth and subtle parsnip puree, dabs of robust red wine sauce surround. Take a trip to the French countryside with three petite rosemary-crusted tenderloins. Large white beans and olives add authenticity to the excursion. The pastry chef, Ron Mendoza, a French Laundry grad, makes a spot-on chocolate mousse that would do Thomas Keller proud. It's lightly whipped, yet manages to retain a lush chocolate flavor. Allow wine director, Thomas Perrez to lead the way with wine flights or bottle selection."
Gayot.com - January 2008



“Cute Carmel, which cherishes its whimsical houses and ways (no house numbers; no residential streetlights or sidewalks), now boasts two wonderful tables for those reluctant to live on tea and sconces alone. First was the wine shop and bistro Boucheé, with Walter Manzke’s exceptional handmade pastas and cleverly tweaked bistro classics. Then Bouchée’s owners, remodeled a 1929 lodge of architectural and sentimental significance into L’Auberge Carmel. Here, drawing on Asian and Latin flavors, solid French technique, and local produce, Manzke’s exquisite, worldly tasting menus are never dull or too rich. Three hours pass swiftly before I slip into our room and a cloud of down; I dream of “salsa water” with none of the substance but all the tastes of a lobster taco, and of a curried Dungeness crab soup based on a fresh cilantro broth that a waiter presses and pours from a French press pot. We wake to coddled eggs and Straus Family Creamery yogurt and peach confiture.”
Gourmet - October 2006



“Chef Walter Manzke, who also runs the kitchen at L’Auberge Carmel, seeks out local ingredients to craft intensely flavored continental-inspired dishes at Bouchée, a 49-seat restaurant in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. Prices range from $4 - $17 for the 20 wines poured by the glass. More than 400 are available by the bottle, with the emphasis on France and California.”
Wine Spectator, June 2006

“Bouchée Restaurant & Wine Bar offers excellent bistro cuisine. My wife and I particularly remember the chestnut soup, abalone and short ribs—as well as a wonderful wine list with very fair markups. Adjacent to the restaurant is a wine ship with hard-to-find bottles from both California and France.”
Diversion magazine, April 2006

This ‘innovative’ sophomore, with a small ‘adjoining wine shop’, may just be the ‘best thing to happen to Carmel since Clint’; expect Cal fare that’s ‘different without being contrived’ and served in ‘beautiful copper accented digs’; yes, the food arrives so very slow’, but an order of the ‘homemade breadsticks with butter and artisanal olive oils will keep you munching away until dinner arrives’; N.B. at press time, an offshoot in the new L’Auberge Carmel was due to open nearby.”
Zagat 2005, Food: 27 rating

"At Carmel restaurants, menus take advantage of the day's catch and harvest as well as the region's vintage wines. Young wunderchef Walter Manzke presides over the two best restaurants in town—and on the Northern California Coast: the Restaurant at L'Auberge Carmel, featuring a gourmet tasting menu, and Bouchée, an intimate bistro with beamed ceilings and hammered-copper accents. At Bouchée, the California-Mediterranean menu offers dishes such as abalone infused with black-truffle sauce and the best beef short ribs you'll ever encounter."

"Physicians’ Travel, Sidetrip San Franciso: Monterey - Miles of seacoast celebrate the California dream with stunning vistas and outdoor living - February 2005“...

Bouchée is out of this world, a fine dining establishment that manages to be both casual and a showcase for world-class cooking. Executive chef Walter Manzke loves the region’s abundance and variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, fish and game and he makes the most of them.

Figs, pumpkins, passion fruit, scallops, mushrooms, king salmon, abalone—you’ll find all in Chef Manzke’s kitchen at the moment. Yellowfin tuna with golden gazpacho and wild fennel, Sonoma duck with black rice and port wine glazed figs—fresher, more creative cooking you will not find anywhere. A superb tasting menu is offered every day, an extravaganza of dizzying creativity.

Bouchée is the brainchild of David Fink, who earned his stripes and following at the Highlands Inn and Lodge at Pebble Beach. He is a perfectionist and with his wife created Bouchée as a wine bar and wine store as well, with a simple elegant atmosphere that can’t be beat—wood-burning fireplace, hammered copper accents and soft warm amber, tortoise and bronze colors. The staff attitude is welcoming and professional. Bouchée’s wine list offers 17 wines by the glass and the cellar has all you’ll need from California plus Burgundy, Italy, Germany, Austria, South Africa and Lebanon.

Bouchée is unparalleled, the best restaurant between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Entree, Bill Tomicki, November 2004

“End the day at Bouchée Restaurant and Wine Bar. An evening here becomes a work of art; unforgettable fine dining, impeccable service, intimate ambiance, and extraordinary cuisine. Chef Walter Manzke describes his food as contemporary California with Mediterranean influences, all designed to be compatible with wine.”
Coastal Living, Creme de la Carmel, Dori DeCamillis, January/February 2004

“For inventive contemporary dining...Bouchée is the labor of love of former Highlands Inn general manager, David Fink; his wife, Kathleen; and star chef Walter Manzke of L.A.’s noted Patina restaurant. There is a nice wine list and an adjacent wine shop, where you can select a bottle to go with Manzke’s delicious food.”
Bon Appetit, Best of the Year, Weekend Getaways, Barbara Fairchild, January 2004

“Though this restaurant only opened in 2002, owner David Fink brings two decades worth of experience to bear. We’re impressed with the results thus far. The food is excellent, the service superb. Chef Walter Manzke, formerly of Patina in Los Angeles, explores the nuances of regional cuisine without forgetting all the things he learned in Joachim Splichal’s very high profile kitchen. He serves Monterey Bay abalone, Sonoma duck breast, locally caught fish and other local favorites as well as some indisputably French dishes like calves’ brains and pig feet. A four-course tasting menu is available with or without wine pairings. Since Bouchée is a wine shop by day, it’s never difficult to find a good wine to enjoy by the glass or bottle. On weekend afternoons, a selection of traditional tapas is served at the bar.”
Gayot.com December 2003

“The vivid flavors on the continental-inspired menu at Bouchée make for exciting wine pairings. And the 420-selection list presents diners with a range of wines from around the world. There is depth in Bordeaux, breadth in Pinot Noir (including selections from Monterey, the Willamette Valley and Burgundy) and, for added flexibility, more than 30 half-bottles. Wine director Chris Bradford offers 3-wine tasting flights grouped by theme. A Chenin Blanc flight has pours from the Loire Valley, South Africa and India, for example. Another flight, designed specifically for a foie gras pairing, includes a Tokaji from Hungary, an Australian Riesling and a Rhone Muscat.”
Wine Spectator, Best Award of Excellence issue, August 31, 2003

“Bouchée...this superb restaurant would justify a lengthy commute. Executive chef Walter Manzke achieves remarkably vivid flavors in his continental-inspired dishes, and the ambiance melds understated refinement with unpretentious charm. A four-course tasting menu is a bargain at $44. Enticing wine prices complete the experience. Attached to Bouchée is a small wine shop, and the selections on the 450-bottle list carry a nominal markup above retail.”
Wine Spectator, Daniel Sogg, June 15, 2003

"The hooks: big-city chef in a coastal village, restaurant wines at near-retail prices. The Concept: wine shop by day, restaurant and wine bar by night. Contemporary cuisine and beverage bargains are the drawing cards for Bouchée Restaurant and Wine Bar in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, a 49-seat dinner house operating in tandem with a retail fruit-of-the-vine store. Walter Manzke, who most recently was executive chef of highly regarded Patina in Los Angeles, oversees the Bouchée kitchen...Manzke says he was attracted to Carmel by the beauty and lifestyle of the region as well as by its bounty of produce and the opportunities to help develop a startup and possibly shape the culinary reputation of the area...The approach seems to be working. Owner David Fink reports that the restaurant is ahead of business-plan projections.”
Nation’s Restaurant News, On the Menu, Alan Liddle, March 14, 2003

“...the stylish understated Bouchée showcases the food of Walter Manzke, formerly of Patina in Los Angeles. He wraps black trumpet mushrooms, sweetbreads and foie gras in strudel and pours warm roasted chestnut and celery root soup around the package. Entrees are crafted from many local ingredients, like Monterey Bay red abalone or Liberty Farms Sonoma duck. Desserts include tangerine soup poured around vanilla panna cotta, and a traditional, hand-pulled apple strudel. The
cheese tray on a recent night featured a perfectly ripe vacherin, and the extensive wine list featured some hard-to-find bottles and lots of Monterey County selections. All of it is served in an intimate Craftsman interior.”
San Francisco Chronicle, Kim Severson, February 19, 2003

“...For wine lovers, a big draw is the reasonable pricing on the wine list. Wine director Chris Bradford...has put together a comprehensive wine list that includes a good selection of half bottles and wines by the glass. Wines that retail for $20 or less are priced at $5 over retail; for wines retailing for $21 to $50, add $10; over $50, add $15. The list includes the 1999 Burgundies from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, some first growth Bordeaux, various bottlings from Williams Selyem and a few Napa cult Cabernet Sauvignons. ...when the dining rooms is full, the atmosphere is more bustling than noisy. There’s also a small wine bar, where walk-ins can order anything on the menu.”
Wine Country Living, Laurie Daniel, December 2002

"...a restaurant which is not only serving food of world class (think Michelin two-star), but is also pouring wine at bargain prices...Notice the reference to the fine wine shop. This holds the secret to the bargains to be drunk here. For Mr. Fink has decided upon a pricing policy for his restaurant which must be regarded as a good deed in a naughty world. And, given that the wines here are selected by people of real expertise, the bonus is doubled. A four course tasting menu is available. I sampled a number of dishes from this and from the carte. A tomato and cheese salad was delightful to both the tongue and the eye, tiny cubes of watermelon adding a lovely sense of fresh lusciousness. Seared scallops were precisely cooked and well partnered with a bean puree. Halibut with chanterelle mushrooms, spinach and grapes and a lemon butter sauce was ethereal in its perfect balance - the equal of many three star dishes I have eaten in France...Chef Walter Manzke has worked with some of the great chefs, including Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo, and has arrived here straight from the highly rated Patina in Los Angeles. My meal clearly came from a kitchen in which ingredients of the finest quality are being prepared by a chef of intelligence and remarkable talent. Since its opening Bouchée has, deservedly, been packed...it is too good to miss."
Rueters News Service London, Francis Bown, November 2002

“Chef Manzke’s cuisine is influenced as much by the freshness and availability of our local organic produce and fruits, line-caught seafood and other northern California products as it is by a Mediterranean approach to flavor and preparation. The menu changes almost daily, according to what Chef Manzke finds the most appealing when he goes to farmers’ markets, or when his vendors come calling each morning....The chicken is billed as “free range” and it’s the closest I’ve come in a long time to tasting chicken meat that had that farm-fresh flavor I remember from childhood when my grandmother raised chickens...It would seem that David, Kathleen and Walter have a winner.”
Central Coast Adventures, At the Table, Restaurants in Review, V.J. King, Holiday issue 2002

“Pink from Bolivia. Black from Hawaii. Smooth alkali from Korea. Foodies’ newest craving? Designer sodium. ...all-natural salts—like the pink lava salt that chef Walter Manzke throws on raw tuna at Bouchée, in Carmel, California—pack a mineral-rich wallop, unadulterated by iodine or anti caking ingredients...Salt snobs especially prize the mild, mineral flavor that sea salt conveys.”
Forbes, Salt Chic, Dirk Smillie, October 28, 2002

“Delight your senses. On thing you can say about this charming coastal “village” is that its character has remained, for the most part, changeless over the years. But things have changed significantly in the realm of food, with the addition of Bouchée Restaurant and Wine Bar, and Bouchée Wine Merchants...The new 49-seat combination of restaurant and wine shop offers a unique opportunity to enhance your dining experience with an extraordinary selection of wines at reasonable prices, including some esoteric labels not ordinarily found on a restaurant wine list.”
Davis-Enterprise, Travel Postcard, George Medovoy, October 10, 2002

“I do want to report to you on my dinner at Bouchée...David Fink and I are friends...but the bottom line is that David Fink is the kind of gentleman, restaurateur, manager, operator, of whom one could comfortably say whatever he puts his hand and effort to, will succeed. So I expected Bouchée, his new restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea to be perfect. And I wasn’t disappointed. We asked David and chef Walter Manzke if they would put together a tasting menu...Well it was a triumph. I don’t think there was a single thing on the entire tasting menu that could have been done better... A lot of you who live in Monterey, Carmel, Watsonville, Salinas, San Jose, are a lot closer than I am, but even 2.5 hours away, I consider myself to be really lucky to have access to Walter’s menu...Because the restaurant is combined with the wine store they are able to give you great value on the price of the wine. You may surprised at that. Bouchée is a terrific addition to the dining scene here in northern California. Congratulations.”
KGO, Gene Burns, September 21, 2002

“The Concours weekend had come and gone, and the Monterey Jazz Festival was still two weeks away. It was just an ordinary Saturday night in Carmel-by-the-Sea, but Bouchée, the elegant, small new restaurant that opened here in July—the inspiration of David and Kathleen Fink—was packed for both seatings. The uniqueness of the restaurant is centered around its menu created by executive chef Walter Manzke...This is a chef with a difference. He dreams up dishes other restaurants haven’t heard of...”
Carmel Pine Cone, a la carte by Morgan, September 13, 2002

“Bouchée’s a new star on Ocean Avenue. My first visit was a reconnaissance mission...I suppose that what I encountered here was simply excellent service. It felt like something more. This was genuine hospitality—what my colleague... often refers to as ‘love.’ In the midst of all this friendly, seemingly impromptu visiting, I also encountered the culinary sublime. My first dish was Dungeness Crab Agnolotti. The pasta was tender but I was at first a little disappointed to discover the agnolotti are not stuffed fat like ravioli. My disappointment vanished the second I tasted the sauce. It was preternaturally sweet. It was too light to be a cream sauce. I finally asked. White corn and hazelnuts, pureed... It is simple inventions like this that earned Walter Manzke his status as culinary genius.”
Coast Weekly, Alex Gilrane, August 29, 2002

“Touché Bouchée. Voulez-vous ‘Bouchée ce soir? New Carmel eatery lives up to its hype. It’s a conspiracy. They’re all in on it—the gracious hosts in their custom-tailored suites, the expert waiters, proprietors Kathleen and David Fink and that chef. Oh, that chef has a lot to answer for...Manzke is a chef with a highly considered approach to technique. For example, Pacific halibut is wonderful cooked many different ways, and you may feel that you’ve tried them all until you taste what Manzke does with it. His poaching makes use of very hot oil, and mimics the effect ofcooking meat in parchment—all the natural juices are sealed within. The result looks as pristine as new fallen snow, with a taste that’s light yet complex.”
Go, Monterey County Herald, Joyce McGreevy, August 8, 2002