Every once in a while it’s good to get out of San Diego to see what the rest of the world is eating.  Recently, Buzz tripped up to the Monterey Peninsula.

In the Monterey/Pacific Grove area…great, fabulous coffee at Acme, in Seaside, two minutes north of Monterey.  Owner Larry Thurman opened this tiny place four years ago in a garage with the motto “Resist Corporate Coffee”.  Here you won’t find those over-the-top concoctions that mask the taste of good coffee.  You will find small batches of beans from small growers, roasted in-house, ground to order and made into espresso–properly, as shots–or as regular coffee made in a simple contraption called a drip bar that allows for the coffee to made fresh in the cup–with the coffee of your choice. No stale canister coffee here.  Thurman cleverly names his blends:  Motor City Espresso, Valve Job Blend, Road Dog Blend, you get the picture.  Try the natural Ethiopian as espresso, it’s rich, not burned and almost sweet but very satisfying.  Barista Chris and Larry both know how to make very good coffee.  Located just off Broadway on Contra Costa and Palm, Seaside, 831-393-9113, Monday-Friday 6:30am to 5pm, Saturday 7am to 3pm, closed Sunday.

Down in Pacific Grove, two minutes south of Monterey, you’ll find a walkable town with many historic Victorian homes and friendly people who acknowledge you with a smile or a good morning as you wander the streets to the ocean.  At the corner of Lighthouse and 18th you”ll find Fournier’s Bakery Café. Owner/chef Kevin Fournier turns out featherlight focaccia for sandwiches and panini, not too sweet dense cocoa brownies, almond paste bear claws and lots more including custom wedding and specialty cakes.  650 Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, 831-655-1447.  Open daily 8am to 5pm.

Just a few blocks away on Lighthouse, is Mélange, one of the very few places with small bar–if you don’t want to sit at a table.  Open for dinner only, the small menu changes with the whim of chef/owner David Frappiea and the seasons.  David describes his menu as world fusion (and I would add, without, thankfully any confusion).  He resists overdoing flavors but isn’t afraid to tempt the palate with an offbeat take on a dish.  Always great is the house-made fettuccine with wild mushrooms, simple and very flavorful with a mélange of seasonal ‘shrooms in a light butter sauce with tomato and fresh basil.  A lovely shrimp risotto and even veal sweetbreads and braised rabbit starters appear on this small and well-priced (mostly mid $20′s) menu.  A thoughtful and interesting wine list pairs with the food and  David’s fiancée Dorothy has a terrific palate for wine/food pairings.  For my taste, however, I prefer to have my reds not at room temp (usually 65 or 70 degrees), but slightly cooler, as if they came directly from the cellar, to enhance the wine’s flavors.  Dinner only from 5:30pm to 10:00pm, Closed Sunday, 542 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove, 831-333-0301.

If you’ve got cash, have we got a deal for you: Invest in a Beltran restaurant. According to information sent to their mailing list, owners Philippe Beltran and Jacqueline Delaney are offering investment opportunities for their neighborhood restaurant concepts. He owns Blue Boheme in Kensington and Papa Nanou in Mission Hills, due to open late this year. For information: 619-823-6510.

We hear that Maria Hunt, ex food critic for the UT is freelancing for north county magazines including Riviera where she’s authoring a piece on Roseville in Point Loma.

Maureen Clancy who spent many years writing about food at the UT, now has her own blog,

Chef Jason Seibert has landed in Los Angeles. His time in San Diego included Cafe Cerise (chef/owner) and when it closed he consulted for the opening of downtown’s Jade Theater. He recently spent eight months catering with Wolfgang Puck for LA’s mayor, Billy Crystal and others.

Buzz loves unusual restaurant locations particularly places with views beyond four walls and food that makes the trip worthwhile. Whether it’s the ocean, mountains or sky-high city/bay panorama, San Diego’s varied terrain affords many dining choices. These are a few of my favorites.

BY THE SEA: You might think of the Hotel Del Coronado as a spot reserved only for vacationers, but think again. It’s a place with many choices depending on your mood. There’s Eno, the wine bar under the direction of the very knowledgeable Ted Glennon. The Del sits almost on the sand of the Pacific so you can sit outside, sip a glass, flight or bottle of wine, nibble on cheese, charcouterie or chocolate paired (if you wish) to the wine and watch the sunset or stargaze. Glennon offers Saturday “Eno-Versity” classes with winemakers for $35: Sake on August 16; German wines on August 23 and Rosés on September 6. Open from 4pm. For information 619-522-8546.

Finish your wine, take a short walk on the promenade and head down to 1500 Ocean where Chef Brian Sinnott does wonders with homemade featherlight papparadelle in sauces that change with the season, including the current ethereal one with morels, pea tendrils and pancetta in a light mushroom butter fondue. September 17 features a special lobster and sparkling wine dinner and November 12, a four-course celebration of truffles, both are $135 per person. Dinner from 5:30pm. Reservations: 619-522-8490.

Further up the coast in Del Mar, Sbicca invited a few media to celebrate their tenth anniversary with a dinner held in their upstairs wine room. The restaurant sits a few blocks from the ocean so the view of the ocean with the rooftops is a bit like being in a quaint, coastal Mediterranean restaurant–relaxed. There’s a lovely outdoor patio just off that wine room with the same textural view.

A block away is , Epazote that sits on the hill in the shopping complex at 15th and Camino del Mar. The views from their Ocean Terrace room (all glass) take in the rooftops and a large expanse of the ocean. Executive chef Justin Hoehn adds his touches to the menu with lemon linquinini wild arugula pesto and veggies, Niman Ranch pork osso bucco with gnocchi and lots more. Happy hour runs daily from 3 to 7pm.

THE MOUNTAINS: Cavaillon, is up the 56 and off Camino del Sur, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Nowhere is now somewhere if you live in Santa Luz or that neck of the woods…or if you travel between the 15 and the 5. And now chef/owner Philippe Verpriand has a lovely small plate summer menu. A recent media event there featured wines from Paris Drigger (a distributor) and tasting plates of such things as really good pommes frites with truffle oil and Parmesan (yes, everyone does the dish; not everyone does it well), mushroom ravioli, steak salad and more. The venue allows you to watch the sunset from the hills rather than the ocean and a relaxing atmosphere pervades the patio dining area. Along with the food and location, the service is top-notch. If I lived in that corridor of Rancho Santa Fe, Escondido and Carmel Valley, it would be on my favorites list. Prices range from $4.50 to $14 and the menu is available Sunday to Thursday from 5pm to 7pm. For information: 858-433-0483.

SKY HIGH:

Watch the planes, have a drink, lunch or dinner, Bertrand at Mister A’s has the spectacular city, bay and airport view…Though I haven’t been there for awhile, the vista hasn’t changed! For reservations: 619-239-1377.