Vesuvio Restaurant — Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Wow! I can't figure out any other word to describe our experience. We arrived at 4pm without a reservation and were fortunate to snag the last four seats at the bar. My husband and I have been to Vesuvios on several occasions but it has always been at a gathering where food is already ordered. This was our first time ordering off the menu and we were excited. We are especially excited because our nephew was paying! I didn't feel bad because he chose the place even after I told him to check the prices. So, we ordered and indulged. Why not? It was December 30th after all and just a day and a wake up to a new year, new us.

We all ordered a round of adult beverages, including my son who doesn't normally drink. He opted for the lemon drop, which was AMAZING. I asked for an old fashioned with just a bit of the cherry juice added in. It hit me in just the right spot. I don't remember what my husband ordered, probably some basic drink like Jack and coke. Then we ordered our food. My nephew ordered steak frites, my son a burger, and my husband and I both ordered the risotto. And then the appetizers came. Which was surprising because I don't remember mentioning anything about ordering appetizers. Well, my nephew thought someone had ordered them and promptly took one of the artichoke balls and placed it on his plate before I could tell him that I think they are someone else's appetizers. By then, it was too late, so my son and I both dived in and took an artichoke ball. Oh my goodness, that was such a delicious morsel. I wanted to gobble up more, but I held back. Next was a nice plate of meatballs that arrived. Again, I don't remember mentioning anything about ordering meatballs. This time I was able to intervene and the waiter delivered them to their rightful place. I had suggested that they go ahead and put the artichokes on our tab as we had promptly consumed them.

A short while later the food arrived and it was like heaven opened up and God came and kissed me right on the smacker. The risotto was so creamy and full of seafood. We all became consumed in our meals and very little was said except this is the best meal I've had in quite some time and I want to come back for more.

The place was lively and even though we were at the bar we could still communicate with each other easily as well as chat with the bar tenders. I am looking forward to going back for a proper dinner. Maybe for President's day? I'll get the hubbs to make a...

UPDATE 7.23.22: My wife and I decided to enjoy a "proper" meal at Vesuvio's during our latest stay in Carmel. We made reservations the day before and when we arrived for our reservation, we were warmly greeted and seated quickly. I noticed throughout our meal that there was a long line of folks waiting to be seated, so it's probably a good idea to make reservations to avoid a long wait.

We started off with a glass each of Vesuvio's branded wine, the Pepe Vesuvio. And as we really enjoyed the Truffled Gnocchi appetizer during our previous visit to their Starlight Rooftop Terrace Lounge, we had to order this delight again. We also added an order of 4 Meatball Lollipops; this dish is basically Vesuvio's meatballs on a skewer in marinara. Both the gnocchi and meatballs were delicious. My wife ordered the Pacific Northwest Salmon which the waiter had mentioned was caught locally. The salmon came with couscous and grilled asparagus and had a lovely lemon-caper sauce. I had a nibble and it was tender and flavorful. I ordered the Sgt. Pepe's 1944 meat lasagna which is a family recipe. It was a nicely-sized chunk of lasagna, a la carte. It was "heavy" as I expected but very good. It was large enough that I only at about half and saved the rest for later.

Finally, we ordered and shared a Creme Brulee. Just a lovely visit with good service. Prices are moderate.

We sat up top on the open-air deck for appetizers and wine. It was quite a lively scene for a Monday night. The upper deck has a number of firepits and heaters to keep everyone warm. We enjoyed a glass of house Cab each and ordered a couple of appetizers: Truffled Gnocchi and Calamari Fritti. The Gnocchi was baked in a flavorful sauce with truffle oil and parmigiano. The calamari consisted of tubes and tentacles and came with flavorful chipotle aioli dip. My wife ordered the crab bisque soup which we also shared. Service was a bit spotty but the food...

This is a very special place and I mean that most sincerely. Yes the architecture is great the food was great the staff is great the environment is absolutely gorgeous, yes yes yes. Two things I must mention . I realized a day later that I left a purchase behind. I called they had it and were already trying to locate me. Sarah in the Phoenix gift shop was a delight to talk to and even though I offered to pay for shipping she cheerly declined as she wanted it sent out to me at no charge. I was a first-time customer not even a regular and I was so taken aback that she would do this for me. But the very very most special thing about this place is it's ambience number one, no forced piped-in outside music, one was allowed to enjoy the simple experience, The Wonder of being there in peace. Number two, they are very smart and they respect their place, there is no internet for customers to use. Can you imagine what it felt like to look around during a glorious lunch time and not one single person was on a phone? The simple joy of conversation took over. Do you remember what this was like before smartphones? I don't know if I will be back here again as I live in Orange County in Southern California, but I promise that I will never forget this very special...