Winter 2024

NEW OWNERS FOR BELOVED P.G. RESTAURANT IL VECCHIO When a beloved institution—especially one that has long produced some of the best and most reverential Italian food in the Bay Area—changes hands, there are naturally ques- tions. Will the service still be good? Will the atmosphere still be as welcoming and relaxing? Will the food still be excellent? -n the case of 4acific +rove’s -l :ecchio, which founder Carl Alasko sold in May, the answers are yes, yes and oh hell yes. New owners Kelly and Stefen Shatto, a mother-and-son team, have made a seamless transition, and that’s little surprise, because 7tefen was -l :ecchio’s founding chef, at the age of , when -l :ecchio opened in . 2ow he’s back in the kitchen, while /elly runs the front of the house. 8he menu hasn’t been radically changed, with old favorites like the osso bucco, grilled octopus and pasta carbonara still there, but it has been updated to include seasonal offerings (think mushroom pumpkin risotto and a pumpkin spice cocktail, because,‘tis the season of all things pumpkin), plus expanded catering and, for the first time in the restaurant’s history, an online ordering system. “I think this is my destiny,” Kelly says.“Several of my children work in the industry and this came as a nice decision on 'arl’s part to help us do this. Carl was so excited for us, and we are too.” Il :ecchio is located at 110 Central AZe. in 4acific Grove. For more information, call 831/324-4282 or visit www.ilvecchiorestaurant.com MONTEREY’S FISH HOUSE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF SUCCESS (avid (i+irolamo knows a lot about two things the restaurant business and fishing. *or years, his family ran %ngelo’s on *isherman’s Wharf and, for much of that time, his father was also a commercial fisherman. %nd when you’re the son of an -talian restaurateur and fisherman, you grow up in both worlds. “-t’s kind of like being the son of a mechanic. 168 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 The new co-owners of Il Vecchio, Chef Stefen Shatto (who was also the restaurant’s first chef), and his mother, Kelly Shatto, who runs the front of house. The pair are excited to continue the operations of the beloved eatery. Photo: Kelli Uldall food for thought 2ew 3wners for - l :ecchio Monterey’ s *i sh House 'elebrates =ears and 4aper Wing 8heatre -ntroduces :egan 7ushi & = 6 )2) ) M - + - ) L