Executive Chef Alfonso Martinez
ew Year's Day often signifies new beginnings. It certainly did for Greg Profeta, who started 2013
with a sense of hope as he walked into a quintessential Carmel restaurant as the new owner.
Profeta turned his back on a lucrative career in banking to follow his passion for food as owner/manager
of Forge in the Forest, known for its lively bar and outdoor dining.
Profeta's first order of business (after shortening the name to The Forge) was to change the culture
inside a restaurant in decline. Then he hired chef Alfonso Martinez (Mustard's Grill, Ventana Inn) to ele-
vate the food.
The Forge still offers its familiar American cuisine—from burgers to ribs, tacos to pizza—but now stamps a
diner's passport through a globetrotting experience (Indian curry, Valencia paella, black truffle gnocchi).
The rustic décor remains, but new tables, chairs, stools and fresh paint have livened up the space, especial-
ly in the bar, where a new craft cocktail program sets the stage for a revitalized dining experience.
—Larry Harland
N
Photos:
Kelli
Uldall
162 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 4
good
taste
The Forge
Junipero Street at Fifth Avenue
Carmel • 831/624-2233
www.forgeintheforest.com
Cedar Plank Wild
Caught Halibut
With cucumber raita, grilled
pita bread, spicy fragrant
tomatoes and a house-made
spinach chutney
