October 2026 Reviews |
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September 2026 Reviews
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Vote for the music that you think best fits the Monterey Cookhouse at the end of its review.
August 2026 Reviews
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About the Reviewers
The Friday Night Trailblazers |
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There was a time when going out to dinner meant simply deciding what sounded good and finding a place that served it.
For our little group of senior diners, Friday-night dinner has become something more because as the price of dining out continues to climb, we expect more from our dining experience and we can be more accepting of the cost if we consider the entire outing as entertainment. That requires more effort on the part of restaurant owners.
About the Reviewers
Two senior couples and one remarkable 101-year-old mother have made Friday evening our weekly escape from the kitchen. After a week of preparing meals, cleaning up and tending to the ordinary routines of life, we look forward to someone else doing the cooking—and, just as importantly, someone else doing the dishes.
But we have discovered something else along the way. Dinner gives us time to tell stories about where we've been, share the week's adventures and laugh about the things that happened along the way. And after enough Friday nights in enough restaurants, we've also developed a few standards of our own.
We notice the parking. We notice whether a wheelchair can get through the door comfortably. We notice whether the bathrooms are clean. We notice whether the server makes an older diner feel welcome or makes her feel like an inconvenience.
We notice the little things, and, naturally, we notice the food. So consider us your trailblazers. We are walking the restaurant trail first and inviting you to follow.
But we have discovered something else along the way. Dinner gives us time to tell stories about where we've been, share the week's adventures and laugh about the things that happened along the way. And after enough Friday nights in enough restaurants, we've also developed a few standards of our own.
We notice the parking. We notice whether a wheelchair can get through the door comfortably. We notice whether the bathrooms are clean. We notice whether the server makes an older diner feel welcome or makes her feel like an inconvenience.
We notice the little things, and, naturally, we notice the food. So consider us your trailblazers. We are walking the restaurant trail first and inviting you to follow.
About the Reviews
We deliberately keep the reviews positive without making it promotional. The criticisms are still there, but they are presented as observations from experienced diners rather than attacks. That gives the column a trustworthy voice and leaves readers with the feeling that they're being invited along on our next Friday-night adventure.
For future installments, this could become a recurring series with a consistent closing line and a recognizable “Friday Night Trailblazers” identity, making readers look forward to the next restaurant adventure.
For future installments, this could become a recurring series with a consistent closing line and a recognizable “Friday Night Trailblazers” identity, making readers look forward to the next restaurant adventure.