Chef Tony Baker At Montrio

November 2006

Executive Chef Tony Baker of downtown Monterey’s famed Montrio Bistro loves combining the local bounty with fresh seafood and meat to create rustic meals with an American-European flair.

You sense when you walk into the front door of Montrio Bistro in downtown Monterey that this is not your ordinary restaurant. From the sweeping staircase that recalls the fire pole and spiral stairway of its origins to intriguing cloud-shaped ceiling hangings, the décor and the ambiance combine to create a special kind of reception.

That Montrio Bistro uniqueness carries over to the menu, which features intriguing dishes you’re not likely to encounter anywhere else. From such tantalizing appetizers as Fire-Roasted Artichoke with apple-balsamic vinaigrette and Mediterranean relish to the sassy Braised Veal Cheeks with mustard-whipped potatoes and braised red cabbage on the main-dish portion of the menu, very few of Montrio’s offerings can be characterized as ordinary or expected.

Executive Chef, Tony Baker, who has served in his position for more than nine of the 11 years the restaurant has been open for business, brings his penchant for slow-cooked “comfort food” to the fore in choosing not only the daily menu, but also the special dishes he adds every day as well.Read the full story here.