Ahead In The Distance… It is a fascinating feeling, facing the future. With each change of our constraining calendaric device there is a sense of looking forward, of projecting our proposals upon an unsuspecting yet all-powerful universe. Perhaps it is our way of presuming influence on the forces that control our puny beings daily, yearly, lifely.

What is a life after all but a progression of individual moments, leading from some inexplicable moment (debate possibilities here) through a final such moment (equally inexplicable) – at least if we reflect upon it within the conceptual parameters of the nebulous creation we call “time” (well Martha, it’s good to know the new year hasn’t changed our boy… he’s as batty as ever).

Is it our continuing belief in and adherence to this time phenomenon that Pavlovianizes our behavior into measurable redundant intervals? Do we somehow miss opportunities to gyrate to a greater, more intuitively rhythmic tempo for fear of stepping away from the droning beat of externally imposed normalcy? I’d like to continue exploring this concept but I have a deadline to meet and don’t want to violate the implicated contract therein… perhaps some other time.

Big League Eats… Was sitting around talking to Rob Weakley, David Bernahl and Gary Obligacion, or as I like to call them, Crosby, Frills and Cash, about the upcoming Pebble Beach Food & Wine at the end of March. This is shaping up to be one of the most prestigious food/wine events in the country, both in size and scope. If you log on to pebblebeachfoodandwine.com and check out the roster of chefs – from Charlie Trotter to Jacques Pepin to Todd English to Jean Joho to Hubert Keller to Gary Danko to… to… to – it reads like a Who’s Who of culinary masters from this country and around the world. I believe there are 51 chefs scheduled, 200 wineries – it’s kind of surreal really to think that this much power from the culinary and wine world could be assembled in any one place at one time.

This whole affair is a testament to the drawing power of the Peninsula (and has to do with the hope on the part of some of these struggling chefs that their name might make it into Food Chain), the Pebble Beach name and the Herculean efforts of Rob and David, who conceptualized and pressed forth in a focused and amazingly efficient manner to make it a reality. They were telling me how wonderful the folks at Pebble have been, with the whole company pulling together to see this thing through. I believe that as soon as this inaugural event has put away its last wine glass and all the respective participants and attendees have arrived back home, the Pebble Beach Food & Wine will emerge as this country’s most exciting culinary event, setting the standard to which all others will aspire. Jump on this bandwagon immediately, it will be full in no time and you ain’t gonna want to try to explain to your loved ones why they’re not going, 866-907-FOOD.

Four Front… A few upcoming restaurants are about to roll into being in the coming weeks. John and Kimm Stidham are taking the old Pasta Mia, inserting Alan Constant as the chef and creating Primo, a wine bar and small plates idea in what is easily one of the more comfortably cool settings around. The menu will be Californian with an Italian slant with a large assortment of wines by the taste, glass and bottle.

Over in Salinas, where Spado’s reigned for a long time, Salotto’s is getting ready to open soon. It is a beautifully decorated indoor and out homage to the Veneto with Venetian scenes on the walls, a hip looking black-and-red and-white color scheme and a hope to become a hangout for locals looking for fun times and good food and drink. It should have a thriving bar scene, live music, all the things people want.

In Carmel Valley, Bill and Theresa Lee’s latest new and interesting casual eating and drinking establishment will be the Volcano Grill. Right in the heart of Carmel Valley Village, it will enjoy a big patio to take advantage of the warm valley weather.

The most ambitious new project is up on the hill at Carmel Valley Ranch with a newly created scene anchored by an incoming Michel Richard Citronelle restaurant. Richard, who will also be at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine, is a well-known D.C. restaurateur whose Citronelle (I believe he has two there) restaurant is at the top of the list of great eats in the nation’s capital.

To go along with a magnificently redesigned and totally new space where the former Oaks was, Chef Richard will launch easily the biggest-name concept to hit this area since Roy’s (when Roy Yamaguchi was an independent). I was talking to Joseph Violi, GM of Carmel Valley Ranch and overseer of the entire property’s renovations, and he was excited about the prospects of having such a high-powered culinary destination to go along with what could potentially be the best bar in the area and the closest thing we have to a big-city restaurant bar and lounge.

Putting The "Rad" In "Grad"… OK, I promised to list the names of the latest victims – er – graduates of Pebble Beach Co’s Wine Seminar Series: Danny Fancher, David Kristianson, Debra Lombardi, Jenna Smothers, Josh Loeb, Kathy Duron, Katie Ramirez, Kelly Savukinas, Kevin Appleby, Lisa Dunn, Michael Hayes, Michael Murray, Pete Grissim, Phil Jones, Rick Frye, Roland Abanico, Sonny Petersson, Sue Hoppe, Susan Christie, Tim Yan, Brandon Ferch, Charis Minkoff, Chloe Carter, Chloe LaFortune (back-to-back Chloes), Christen Jones, Ciney Gois, Crystal Petersson, Earl Worthy, Elias Lopez, Elizabeth Elders, Jeremiah Beale, Jessica Tufte, Kerri Kober, Kimberley Kalin, Kyle Wareham, Laurel Alexanian, Natalie Hussey, Nicole Taylor, Nicole Woodson, Patty Lyons, Raul Valdez, Sarah Simms, Tiffany Delgado. Congrats to all, and a big cheers to you.