Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1047605
row. They enjoyed it so much because we personalize the experience… We have Veal Cardinal with lobster tail…that is a signature dish uniquely done. Our heritage is also involved. We have an Italian style white bean dip with tomato and garlic and Sicilian olives…We cook to order so noth- ing is cooking too long and gets tough. The lobster ravioli with truffle sauce and prime beef aged properly are some of the favorite dishes. And the abalone bisque we have had from day one. Balestreri: You know the price of abalone is $100 a pound, so when you have that soup, it's like Chanel…We served it at the reception for President Reagan… Cutino: We've lost a little civility…for the Sardine Factory, the dress code used to be a shirt and tie and jacket, then no tie, then just a collared shirt—now, if you're breathing, you can come in!...We are a special occasion restaurant and have served every major politician, actor and celebrity. It's a who's-who from around the world so we try to keep a certain decorum. Balestreri: In 2002, we made the lounge casual and added entertain- ment and it became enormously successful…Bert and myself have always loved fine dining. For us to make it more casual was painful—we added sliders at the bar, and people loved them—but it was understandable that was what people wanted. We were not less sophisticated with the quality of the food or the service, but more casual in the appearance. The Wine Cellar is the opposite. There are private wine lockers for famous people like Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger and 150 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 8 0 150 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 8 The luxurious Wine Cellar has private wine lockers for customers such as wine lockers for customers such as Clint Eastwood. "All the famous golfers Clint Eastwood. "All the famous golfers dine here every year," Balestreri says. dine here every year," Balestreri says. "We call it [sportscaster] Jim Nantz's "We call it [sportscaster] Jim Nantz's wine cellar. He always brings such an wine cellar. He always brings such an eclectic group of celebrities." eclectic group of celebrities."