Marrow bone at Restaurant 1833, Monterey CA (photo by Brad A Johnson)

Restaurant 1833 seemed unlikely to become a standard-bearer for today’s savvy yet casual approach to fine dining. It was beset by long delays, and two chefs came and went before it finally opened last summer in the Stokes Adobe, a historic landmark amid the curio shops on California’s Monterey Peninsula.

But when it did, it had a stunning interior design and chef Levi Mezick (a veteran of Per Se and Daniel) in the kitchen. It soon came into its own as a true destination restaurant—a temple not to hoity-toity gastronomy but to the deep pleasures of eating and drinking with good friends, and the more the merrier. Whole lobes of foie gras are roasted in a wood oven and served family style. Truffled chickens and massive bone-in ribeye steaks are roasted whole and carved for the table to share. The bar barrel-ages its own craft beers and signature cocktails. Ted Glennon, already gaining accolades as one of the nation’s top sommeliers, delves deep into the nearby Santa Lucia Highlands, and rounds out the wine list with European selections from private cellars.

The lounge at 1833 (photo by Brad A Johnson)

Beet salad (photo by Brad A Johnson)

Scallops and cauliflower (photo by Brad A Johnson)

Mushroom and egg pizza (photo by Brad A Johnson)

Chocolate tart (photo by Brad A Johnson)

The downstairs dining room (photo by Brad A Johnson)

Upstairs dining room (photo by Brad A Johnson)

Dining room detail (photo by Brad A Johnson)

This article was originally published in Robb Report’s June 2012 “Best of the Best” issue, now available at newsstands nationwide. 

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