About Grasing’s
Since 1998
In March of 1998 Kurt opened the door to his namesake restaurant: Grasing’s.
Kurt revamped Grasing’s in 2010 by constructing a new bar and lounge along with completing a restaurant make-over. The warm hues and contemporary décor in the restaurant and bar give Grasing’s an even more inviting atmosphere, giving it a new look with the same great food and first-rate service to which guests are accustomed. As a restaurant with an impressive contemporary menu, Grasing’s offers the finest coastal cuisine paired with a ‘Wine Spectator’ awarding winning wine list featuring the best California wines. For a true Carmel experience, enjoy dinner on the dog-friendly patio.
Award-Winning Menu
In an impressive first year Grasing’s received enthusiastic reviews and was voted Best New Restaurant and Best Chef by the readers of Adventures in Dining Magazine. 2000 was the first year Grasing’s won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and has received that award from 2000 through 2004. In 2004, Grasing’s was featured in Bon Appétit Magazine’s Best of the Year issue, was awarded Carmel Business Association’s Business of the Year award, and Carmel Magazine proclaimed Grasing’s the Critic’s Choice. In 2005, Grasing’s won its first Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and has won that double goblet every year since. In 2007, Grasing’s was awarded Carmel Business Association’s Restaurant of the Year as well as a Celebrated Chef of the Year Award from the American Culinary Federation – Monterey Chapter. The culmination of this dedication to food and wine came in 2024 when Grasing’s was given the Wine Spectator Grand Award, and again in 2025.
Dedicated to Sustainable, Organic and Local Food Sources
With the good fortune of having the Monterey Bay, Salinas and Carmel Valleys within twenty minutes, Grasing’s takes full advantage of the incredible fresh produce and seafood available to bring to your table. By supporting exceptional generational farms and community food sources, Grasing’s is able to create an unmatched culinary experience while highlighting a small part of what makes the Central Coast so unique and desirable.
Meet the Team
Chef Proprietor Kurt Grasing
Growing up in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, Kurt’s love of food began from an early age. While other children may have hosted lemonade stands on the corner of their neighborhood, Kurt saved up to buy raspberry bushes, so he could harvest the berries to sell to neighbors. He began to experiment with culinary techniques by cooking apples from the family apple trees, testing out different cooking methods (four to be exact) to study the results. Kurt has always gravitated to great tasting food, with his love for food and entrepreneurial mind Kurt set out on what would be a career that has spanned almost four decades.
Kurt has had the opportunity to work in some of the finest restaurants in the world. His apprenticeship began at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco. After his apprenticeship he refined his craft at Narsai’s in Berkeley, first as a saucier and then as chef. Kurt then had the chance to move to the east coast to work at the Pierre Hotel in New York as the Executive Sous Chef. In the years that followed he was at the three-star La Gavroche in London and Four Seasons in Boston. He returned to the west coast in 1986 to open 231 Ellsworth in San Mateo, which was soon considered one of the top restaurants in California during his time. One highlight of Kurt’s career was to do a cooking show with Julia Child, an icon in American cooking history and early role model for him. She was an inspiration to millions and helped shape Kurt’s lifelong love of food. It was a once in a lifetime experience and one he will always treasure.
In March of 1998 Kurt opened the door to his namesake restaurant: Grasing’s in Carmel. A Carmel classic for over two decades, Grasing’s restaurant has provided Kurt the opportunity to allow his love for food and entrepreneurial mind continue to develop. Grasing’s has expanded over the years to include additional dining space and the popular bar/lounge space. If you’d like your culinary experience out on the water, click here to see when you could go cruising with Kurt! Kurt has also extended his love for food to include jet catering for private planes coming in and out of Monterey and now you may see Kurt around town in the Grasing’s van as he adds additional catering services available to the Monterey Peninsula!
Executive Chef Mario Garcia
Executive Chef Mario Garcia’s culinary passion was ignited in his Grandmother’s kitchen when he was just a boy. Inspired by her respect for quality ingredients and love of traditional methods, Chef Garcia ambitiously pursued his culinary dream.
Throughout his 18 years of culinary experience, Chef Garcia honed his craft, worked to develop close relationships with local sources to utilize the finest and freshest ingredients, and led culinary operations to provide unbeatable customer service. Now at Grasing’s Restaurant, Chef Garcia pays homage to fresh local coastal cuisine and stays true to the lessons learned at his Grandmother’s side.
Before taking the helm at Grasing’s Restaurant, Chef Garcia was at Esteban Restaurant where his farm to table style and passion for fresh ingredients turned Esteban into a premiere restaurant in downtown Monterey. He was also the Executive Chef of the renowned Sardine Factory. His culinary achievements flourished under the tutelage of renowned Chef Bert Cutino. Prior to that, he worked at Sanderlings at Seascape Beach Resort with Chef Karl Staub and Roy’s Restaurant at Pebble Beach Resorts and where he was mentored by Chef Roy Yamaguchi and Chef Pablo Mellin.
A California native of Mexican descent, Garcia grew up in Watsonville, surrounded by bountiful farms and ranches. He began in the restaurant business as a dishwasher, where he kept a keen eye on the chefs. His curiosity paid off, he landed a job as a line cook, and his career took off.
“My first job taught me that it’s good to start at the bottom and work your way up, so you understand the entire operation” says Chef Garcia.
“I have great respect for everyone in the kitchen.”
Chef Garcia lives in Carmel Valley with his longtime partner Santana Rodriguez and their dogs Kona, Xolo, and Raya. Even in his spare time, Chef Garcia is thinking and learning about food. He loves visiting local farmer markets and collaborating with local producers of all things culinary.
Wine Director Eric Ewers
Eric’s experience spans 38 years in the hospitality industry with the last 23 years in the role of sommelier or wine director. Certified through the Court of Masters, he has developed and directed two prior wine lists that achieved Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence – most recently at the Broadmoor’s Penrose Room, the longest-running Forbes Five Star, AAA Five Diamond restaurant in the world, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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Nicole Cabantac
Director of Events
Nicole Cabantac is an accomplished Director of Events and planner extraordinaire, known for her passion for food, wine, and curating unforgettable experiences. With a deep appreciation for hospitality, she takes pride in bringing her clients’ visions to life through the culinary excellence and signature service of the Grasing’s team.
With over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Nicole began her journey in wedding planning, successfully executing more than 600 weddings to date. Her career has spanned some of the most prestigious properties on the Central Coast, including Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, Carmel Valley Ranch, InterContinental, and Bernardus Lodge & Spa—where she spent over 13 years honing her expertise. These award-winning properties have earned distinctions such as the Forbes Four-Star Award, AAA Four Diamond designation, and Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence, reflecting Nicole’s deep-rooted experience with luxury service and world-class hospitality standards.
Nicole’s portfolio includes planning and executing high-level social and corporate events for distinguished clients—from Fortune 500 companies and heads of state to the Vice President of the United States. She has collaborated with talented, award-winning chefs, including James Beard Award nominees.
Recognized multiple times as Manager of the Year and the recipient of numerous awards for excellence, Nicole is known for her attention to detail, leadership, and warm, professional approach. She thrives on building long-term relationships with clients and vendors, turning professional connections into lasting friendships.
Outside of work, Nicole cherishes time with her beautiful family and is dedicated to living a healthy, active lifestyle. She enjoys training for races, setting new challenges, and being a strong role model for her children.
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Santana Rodriguez
Pastry Chef
Chef Santana Rodriguez came from humble beginning, raised in Soledad, CA to working-class parents. In her childhood, she enjoyed baking pastries in her easy-bake oven and selling candies to her brothers from a small doll house in their backyard.
Given the opportunity to mentor under Chef Anna Marie Bayonito at Spanish Bay, she absorbed the information from the savory perspective of food and was introduced to the magic that is culinary artistry. After Spanish Bay, she began learning under Chef Cal Stamenov at Bernardus Lodge and Spa, and transitioned from savory to pastry under his guidance.
By happenstance, she walked into Alta Bakery one evening asking about a chocolate clock in the window, and so began the mentorship under Chefs Ben Spungen, Matt Sommerville, & Ron Mendoza. She has also spent time learning from Chef Antonio Bachour in New Your, staging at Bouchon Bakery, and learning business strategies from Chef Bert Cutino.
Chef Santana joined Grasing’s in 2022. She also has a small chocolate business by the name of Qouign and is pursuing knowledge of pastries and chocolatiering while actively finding ways to assist in the community like participating in Meals on Wheels, the annual Rancho Cielo Roundup, Big Sur Food and Wine, local fundraisers and Pebble Beach Food and Wine.