Published January 12, 2006

All it takes is a flick of a switch to light the fireplaces in the suites at Quail Lodge. Be sure to retrieve a glass of wine or a package of delicious treats from the complimentary refreshment center before you settle down for an afternoon rest. Then you can pull a cozy throw over your knees and curl up in a window seat to read, daydream or watch the rain fall on the golf greens that lie only a short putt away..

At the Quail Lodge and elsewhere in the Carmel Valley, it doesn’t matter much whether it’s raining or not. The average rainfall in January and February is only about three inches, while temperatures usually range from 40 at night to the mid-60s during the day. If you’re planning on a little golf during a weekend, chances are the resort’s tree-lined, par-71 championship golf course will be dry at least one day.

If not, there are other things to do in Carmel Valley, even if you never leave the confines of this 850-acre resort located at the western end of the valley. The Quail Lodge is, for many, like a favorite old aunt who’s easy to take for granted. But it definitely merits renewed attention since a $25-million makeover in 2003 upgraded the accommodations and added new facilities, including a spa, a wellness center and a second restaurant.
The full-service spa has treatment rooms inside as well as in four freestanding super-cabanas with high ceilings and enormous French doors that afford views of the gardens and pool. Among the specialties here are an aloe and lavender wrap and orange blossom or rapeseed scrubs as well as massages designed to alleviate muscle strain from golfing or hiking, biking or horseback riding on the lodge’s trails. There is also a full roster of salon services.

Next door to the spa is the Wellness Center, which offers nutritional counseling, metabolic testing and acupuncture, neuromuscular and craniosacral therapy. Guests can also take classes in yoga, weight training, Pilates and aquacise.

For something even more challenging, the resort hosts the Land Rover Experience Driving School, which offers customized lessons on an obstacle course.

Dining at Quail Lodge
Guests needn’t be golfers to dine at Edgar’s, which boasts a dozen large-screen TVs, outdoor dining beside fireplaces and a walk-up patio bar overlooking the fairway. The lunch menu leans to sandwiches (vegetarian, French dip, ahi tuna) and salads, while dinner options are a little heartier – pan-seared beef tenderloin, filet of salmon and “Porterhouse” pork chops with polenta, for example.

But for fine cuisine, you can’t beat the Covey Restaurant, where tables have views of the pretty little Mallard Lake. Start your dinner with the signature Yellowfin Ahi Tuna Tartar “Cosmo”, a dazzling presentation in an oversized martini glass stuffed with tuna topped with a scarlet chili sauce and an adorable little quail egg. (Unless you really have to try some foie gras or other appetizing indulgences.)

The list of entrees is short, but plenty long enough for dishes such as a Colorado rack of lamb with gnocchi and morels; oven-roasted halibut with a fennel brandade, crab salad and lobster cream; and grilled New York steak with twice-baked black truffle potato, haricots verts and sauce Bordelaise. (Most main course are in the $30-$34 range.)

For all this fantastic food, it’s surprising that the Covey is the one place left out of the Lodge’s recent upgrading. It looks like it did 20 years ago, which is nothing special. The bar area, though, has been totally remodeled and looks positively futuristic by comparison.

The east end of Carmel Valley
The other truly upscale restaurant in Carmel Valley is Marinus, located at the Bernardus Lodge up the road. It’s a bit stuffy, but a second dining spot there, Wickets, is a fun, moderately priced bistro.

Bernardus is Quail Lodge’s sister property but you won’t see any family resemblance at the French country-style resort about five miles to the east. While guests there have golfing privileges at Quail, there’s nothing like having 18 holes practically at your doorstep.

Bernardus is just a couple of miles from Carmel Valley Village, which manages to appear quaint even though there seems to be one shop for every one of the valley’s 4700 residents. Worth checking out: Casa del Soul (global chic), Homescapes (outlet for unusual, upscale home décor), Avant Garden and Home (statuary and other accessories) and Jan de Luze (French imports for bed, bath and pantry).

The town is also home to several wine tasting rooms, including Talbott Vineyards, Bernardus, Chateau Sinnet, but the most charming is Heller Estate, which makes a dozen white and red wines, including a 100-percent merlot port. Expect to pay a tasting fee at these as well as at Chateau Julien, one of few actual wineries in the heart of the valley (most of them are in barely-accessible places further east). You can sample many more Monterey County wines at next month’s Wine Passport Weekend. (Please see sidebar.)

The Quail Lodge is only 3.5 miles east of Highway 1, so it’s a short drive to attractions in Carmel, Carmel Highlands and Pebble Beach. On the other hand, you could just order something from room service.