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The Sardine Factory Ted Balestreri & Bert Cutino The Sardine Factory’s own Bert Cutino and Ted Balestreri are the grand maestros of the Monterey restaurant business. Their rags-to-riches story has inspired countless people of several generations to follow in their footsteps and open restaurants of their own. Their baby, The Sardine Factory, is a 37-year success story that has attracted dignitaries, presidential candidates, and celebrities like Bing Crosby, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Ray Romano and Michael Bolton, among many others. And their vision has transformed a rundown seaside area called Cannery Row into a thriving upscale destination. They began as poor young men with a lot of drive and the ability to work well with people. Cutino was washing dishes at 13 years old in Carmel Valley at Holman Ranch while Balestreri was delivering sandwiches in New York City for a dime apiece. They each worked their way up in the hospitality industry, until, on October 2, 1968, together they opened The Sardine Factory by the waterfront in Monterey—a place that shaped the future of the young men’s lives. The Sardine Factory, an innovative restaurant on the wrong side of the tracks, soon became the hottest new dining experience in town. Today the gentlemen continue what their restaurant does best: staying one step ahead of the trends and “treating every customer like they’re the most important person on earth.” The Sardine Factory not only taught them 90% of what they know, but it became the training ground for countless busboys turned restaurant owners, waiters turned sommeliers, and dishwashers turned businessmen. Balestreri and Cutino’s continued presence at the restaurant is larger than life. They dress well, speak well, and exude success. And yet they are two of the most humble gentlemen you will ever meet. “Often, I come into the restaurant and the first person I talk to is the dishwasher,” says Cutino, who has always run the kitchen and “back of the house.” They hired the first woman sommelier in the United States, Andrea Fulton, as well as one of the first female managers—not because they had affirmative action, but because the women were qualified, good people. In the early years, Balestreri and Cutino were successful because they were willing to take chances. “I had the good fortune of learning a lot of lessons,” maintains Balestreri. “I had no safety net…which gave me the courage and character to make the right decisions.” Today, both men look to the young generation to steer the future of their restaurant. Although they laugh that young people today will pay $100 for a pair of “distressed” jeans that they wouldn’t have been caught dead in when they were young, they have created a lounge in the front of the restaurant to attract the youthful crowd. At small tables, soft chairs, and couches surrounding a fireplace and antique bar, they now have live music and serve wine, cocktails, and a fun menu of Kobe-style burgers, short ribs, sand dab poppers, and other casual bites. The restaurant’s main menu has also evolved to excite the palates of a generation of adventurous diners. Their abalone bisque, which has been on the menu since day one, quickly became famous and was served at President Reagan’s inauguration. They serve sustainable seafood—some of the best salmon in the world, fresh local Dungeness crab, local halibut, Monterey calamari, and excellent steaks. “The food here is more exciting than ever,” maintain both gentlemen. “The great restaurants of yesterday must change with the times to reflect the demographics of California.” Even the dining rooms have transformed over the years—each new elegant space a testament to the restaurant’s success. But the piece de resistance lies at the base of a curved staircase: the private Wine Cellar is world renowned for its opulent Gothic ambiance and personalized service known for the perfect choreography of food, wine, and music. As they talk about the days when they had nothing but plenty of spunk and a few dollars to their names, the gentlemen light up. “It’s a small part of our income, but a big part of our hearts,” says Balestreri. “The restaurant becomes such a part of you,” Cutino agrees. “I can remember young people coming in here, having graduation parties and proms…over 35 years. We’ve spent most of our lives here.” Although they now own 23 companies, these friends of almost half a century are still regular guys who reminisce about the past and are excited about the future. Of how far they’ve come, Balestreri says, “We were never poor; we just never had any money. But we had a lot of character…and a motivator called survival.” |
