Since then, the tiny town – whose population now measures around 12,000 people – has become a destination for travelers who appreciate down-home hospitality packaged with luxurious accommodations.
Perhaps the most significant example of Half Moon Bay’s appeal to the well-heeled jetsetter is the Ritz-Carlton. Perched atop a coastal bluff that overlooks miles of foamy blue Pacific, the hotel was built in 2001 to resemble European coastal lodges of the 19th century – hulking, ornate and stunning. Although the resort’s exterior is the true draw, its interior is typical of the Ritz-Carlton brand – elegant and regionally inspired.
Each of the hotel’s 261 guest rooms are inspired by the Spanish and Portuguese ship builders who settled in the area in the 1800s, complete with oil paintings, sepia etchings and watercolors. What’s more, many of the rooms offer panoramic views of the water, although only a handful of guest rooms include balconies.
The true testament to the Ritz-Carlton’s dedication to service, however, is the great care each of the hotel’s staff takes to ensure the quality of your stay, going so far as retrieving a book left in your rental car or sending up a few haircare essentials that you left at home.
In addition to offering access to an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course that consistently ranks among the 100 best in the country, the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay also pays homage to the region’s natural resources with menu items at both the spa and the resort’s signature restaurant, Navio. The self-proclaimed “Pumpkin Capital of the World,” Half Moon Bay is known for pumpkins and all of the good things related thereto (pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, toasted pumpkin seeds, et al) in much the same way it’s known for its charming lunar name. In fact, the town often boasts a bumper crop of 4,000 tons of the sweet squash and hosts an annual pumpkin festival, which features a pumpkin weigh-off, plenty of games and rides, and, of course, a pick-your-own-pumpkin patch.
It’s no wonder the Ritz-Carlton Spa features gourd-based treatments to salve both body and spirit. For total skin rejuvenation, try the spa’s “Pumpkin Body Peel.” What begins as a calming massage with pumpkin-based exfoliant evolves into a euphoric experience as warm water from a vichy shower rinses it all away, leaving your skin feeling soft and smelling of your grandmother’s kitchen at Thanksgiving – sweet and faintly spicy.
If you prefer your pumpkin sliced, diced and served on fine china, visit Navio. Resembling a Portuguese fishing ship, Navio is helmed by Chef de Cuisine Aaron Zimmer, whose menus combine the best of local produce, cheese and meats with innovative global ingredients to create modern California Coastal Cuisine that tastes as good as it looks.
Entrées take the best of fresh fish and produce from nearby Princeton Harbor and countless roadside fruit and vegetable stands. Try the striped bass on Lacinato kale, baby calamari with anchovy rillettes and caper sauce, roasted pheasant with braised romaine, or Yukon Gold potatoes and black truffles. Chef Zimmer also offers frequent tasting menus, enabling gourmands to try a little bit of everything.
Throughout the year, the resort also sponsors “Inside the Kitchen” seminars, bringing renowned chefs from across the country to Half Moon Bay to teach cooking aficionados how to prepare their restaurant’s menu items in the comfort of their own homes. And if you’re into wine, you won’t be disappointed. Navio’s wine list features hundreds of bottles from California and around the world, including some from nearby Thomas Fogarty Winery, located on Skyline Boulevard (Highway 35), which winds along the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Just a short drive from the Ritz-Carlton, the winery is owned by heart surgeon Thomas Fogarty and produces a number of varietals at reasonable prices. For just $6, visitors to the 325-acre winery can sample five of the good doctor’s heart-healthy blends, from Chardonnay to his signature Gewurztraminer. For an extra adventure, continue north along Skyline Boulevard to El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve, where an 1,800-year-old redwood known as “Methuselah” watches protectively over wildflowers and rare honeycomb sandstone formations. It’s a romantic little walk you won’t soon forget.
For more casual dining experiences, Pillar Point Harbor and downtown Half Moon Bay offer a number of charming nooks that are perfect for both couples and families.
To enjoy cool ocean breezes and some of the best seafood in the area, head to Pillar Point Harbor, home to Sam’s Chowder House. Although it’s a place where jeans and T-shirts are appropriate dinner attire, Sam’s entrées are as impressive as any jacket-required establishment in the area. Even the gigantic and thickly breaded coconut shrimp are impressive – you can taste their freshness as intensely as the sweet coconut flakes. These aren’t your ordinary, Red Lobster crustaceans.
And although fried options appeal to most travelers’ devil-may-care vacation mentality, there are plenty of options that appeal to the health-conscious, as well, from delicate flakes of yellowfin tuna to Omega-3-enriched, fresh-caught salmon. Pair any entrée with a slice of key lime pie, and you’ll find nirvana in no time.
Located on Main Street in downtown Half Moon Bay, Pasta Moon resembles the type of bistro that romantics envision when they dream of the “perfect” date place. Softly-lit and overlooking a garden that belongs in England more than it does in Northern California, this ethereal establishment offers some of the best homemade pasta this side of Naples – carbs be damned – along with fresh meat, fabulous desserts and a wine list that features only the best Italian bottles.
Don’t be surprised if you start to notice a trend on many of the menus in Half Moon Bay. Local restaurateurs seem to have at least one thing in common – their love of Dee Harley and the gourmet cheese that her 200 goats produce. Step onto Harley Farms and you’ll be struck by two things almost immediately – first, the warm hospitality with which Dee will greet you, and second, just how cute goats really are. Who knew?
After moving from rural England several years ago, Dee decided to buy a farm and see what unfolded. Now, with more than 200 goats in her care, as well as a pack of llamas to guard against coyotes, Dee is a chef-favorite for the quality goat cheese that she handcrafts each day, lovingly incorporating fresh herbs and vibrant edible flowers to create rounds that are as artful as they are delicious. It’s no wonder so many chefs incorporate her products into their salads, main courses, soups and even desserts.
Harley Farms – and all the charm, kindness and creativity that characterize both Dee and the property – is synonymous with Half Moon Bay itself. It’s a place where you’re excited to arrive and sad to leave, thanks to the kindness of strangers and the care they take to make sure your experience is one of the best you’ll ever have.
PM— Kelly Kramer can be reached at
phxmag@citieswestpub.com.