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Passionfish Ted & Cynthia Walter Ted and Cynthia Walter are the kind of couple that gives marriage a good name. Their restaurant, Passionfish, is a reflection of that successful partnership, showcasing their passion for each others’ natural talents and for delicious, environmentally friendly food. When you walk into this Pacific Grove corner dining house, you can feel the warmth and care that has gone into every aspect of the restaurant, from Ted’s recent decor makeover to Cindy’s careful training of the staff. What makes their partnership successful? “I think it’s because the things I’m passionate about are not the things he is,” says Cindy. “All aspects are getting covered and we’re always talking. ” The Walters’ romance, and their restaurant life together, began over two decades ago, when Cindy Dommer worked at a computer store adjacent to the restaurant where Ted was a cook. Each day, she would walk down the path near the open kitchen door, past Ted’s rusty 1965 Dodge Dart, and see him inside working. She thought he was cute and decided that, in order to get to know him better, she would dine at the restaurant. Thinking he was just a prep cook, was she surprised when he came out to her table as the head chef and sweet-talked her in front of her male companion. Cindy applied for a part-time job, they each dumped their significant others, and the rest is history. After two years of dating, they were married. Although they already knew how challenging opening a restaurant was, Ted and Cindy had the business in their blood. A self-trained chef since he was 17, Ted always knew he would own his own place, even keeping a running list of possible restaurant names since he was a young man. But just because you can cook doesn’t mean you know anything about running a restaurant. After making huge mistakes at his first restaurant, he was determined to make it the second time. Before opening a restaurant at their current location, they observed it for months before buying, watching the numbers of guests each night. When they realized the numbers were good, they decided to purchase. Those first two years, business was a slow steady climb, but the real change took place when Ted convinced Cindy to change their name from Crocodile Grill to Passionfish. After polling their guests from a list of five names, Passionfish was overwhelmingly chosen. The name lends itself well to menu items like fresh Tuna Ceviche with mango and tamarind sauce, Kauai Shrimp with lemongrass salad, Asparagus Fries and Chamomile Crème Brulee. Soon after the restaurant became Passionfish, the media discovered it (Delta Airlines put them on the cover of their in-flight magazine), and it became a both a special-occasion place, and a comfy, slightly upscale neighborhood restaurant where the locals could dine several nights a week. But what sets Passionfish apart from other restaurants is Ted and Cindy’s commitment to using only sustainable seafood, and their wine-pricing policy. Cindy’s father was a Monterey fisherman, and as a child she would spend her days on the wharf with the colorful characters that made up Monterey’s booming fishing industry of the time. But when the industry changed from line catching, what her father called “the proper way to fish,” to drag-netting, he quit fishing commercially. He could see what the drag boats were doing to the health of the bay. Care for the ocean environment was always part of Cindy’s awareness. When the restaurant first opened, she would drive her little red Kia down to the docks and use her connections to fill the trunk with fresh fish. Today, the Walters have set an example for their peers in the restaurant business with their strict policy of buying only sustainable seafood. “We are very involved in environmental issues,” says Cindy. “Even though we never planned for it, the restaurant has given us a vehicle for that...70 percent of seafood eaten in the United States is served in restaurants, so they have a lot of power…we can literally change the health of the ocean.” The wine list at Passionfish is not only award winning, but every bottle is also priced at retail. Customers can drink the same bottle of wine at the restaurant as they would at home, for the same price. Because of this program, Passionfish averages almost one bottle per table, their wine sales are up, and customers leave happy. Chef Ted shops the organic farmers’ market on Thursdays at Monterey Peninsula College. “We have customers who have a standing reservation every Thursday night to see what Ted will do with the farmers’ market produce,” says Cindy. “I feel really very blessed that we’re doing as well as we are,” says Ted. “Hopefully we’ve exceeded expectations…sustainable seafood, great wine prices, and a great neighborhood following.” |
