Mark Ayers has more than a decorated resume, the respect of chefs – and anyone with functional tastebuds – across the county (and country), and the best burger on the Peninsula (just try his California Market treatment with Gruyere). He’s got a new job. To spell it out for those still seated at the kids’ table, that is huge epicurean news here.

Ayers has earned and honored one of the better chef gigs between San Francisco and L.A. for years, helming the two area Hyatt properties, which each boast multiple venues and include longtime lavish landmark Pacific’s Edge in the Highlands (622-5445) and newer sleek sibling TusCA (372-1234).

Now he’ll steer the kitchen at the month-away-from-opening Cannery Row Brewing Company in the historic brick building that housed Willy’s Smokehouse, a venue which Coastal Luxury Management hopes will redefine Northern California brewhouses and casual dining.

And there’s more big news where that came from: CLM named Tim Mosblech executive chef for Restaurant 1833. Mosblech has everything they want for their flagship spot in the former Stokes, including killer credentials (multiple three-Michelin-star restaurant experience in three different European countries, time spent with Laurent Gras of L20 in Chicago), county ties and a nose for wine (after working with Walter Manzke at L’Auberge in Carmel, he later took time off from the kitchen to make wine with Joullian Wine’s Ridge Watson) and a work ethic combined with character. “He likes to have fun,” says CLM’s David Bernahl, “but at the end of day is serious about what he does, which fits in with our culture.”

That culture is live. As CLM keeps cooking, expect more stir-the-pot news from the Weekly soon.

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Someone say namaste? A new spot has landed on Alvarado in Monterey. Karma Cafe (920-1310), from the folks at Indian Summer (372-4744) between the Portola Hotel and Benihana near Fisherman’s Wharf, opened this week next to the Mucky Duck.

Local artist Amanda Burkman is working on magnetic murals for the walls. Owner Rocky Rana is fashioning a menu like Indian Summer’s, where tandooris and tikka, kebabs and papads decorate a sizeable lineup of subcontinental grub. No word on hookahs here, but there are plenty of treats like masala lassis, darjeeling tea and “quick bites.”

“There’s nothing more than $10,” Rana says. “You can get rice, curry and naan for that.” That should attact the younger crowd, among others. So will some surprising hours: Rana says the joint will be open till midnight during the week and 4am on weekends. He adds that beer and wine is on the way in as little as two weeks.

Indian Summer neighbor Peter B’s (649-2966) has got game: good sports fans, a plaza-adjacent patio with a waterfall, its own worthy IPAs, ambers and stouts, and a wide 4-7pm happy hour that doesn’t close on weekends.

Now there’s another reason to believe in this brewpub. As part of an admirable effort to green its operations in sync with a LEED certification application, they approached Surfrider to see if they could help out with Earth Day.

To help rally folks to Asilomar to scour the beach last Sunday, Peter B’s parent Portola Hotel threw a post-cleaning party at the pub with snacks and pitchers. They also granted volunteers mug memberships, normally $50, which includes a 25-ounce stein to hang on the wall/ceiling that gets filled for just $4. Most impressive, the Portola team, including Peter B’s Manager Alvin Olis and Jacks Chef Jason Giles, joined the clean-up, dragging palettes and old metal buoys off the beach and plucking plastics and Styrofoam from tide pools.

(In a related note, anyone late to the game on banning Styrofoam in restaurants only need participate in a clean up to see how insidious the stuff is, breaking down into tiny specks that ever-so-ironically end up back in our bellies after sea critters and their predators pass it back up the food chain.)

Over at the recently reinvented Jacks (649-2698), where they use Bio-Pak to-go containers, Giles is making some great sustainable plays in adhering to the Seafood Watch Program and seeking out Salinas Valley and Central Cali sources for his produce and meats. And the green restaurant in-roads are just one of 16 advances happening at the hotel, including everything from chemical-free cleaning to a cogeneration hot water machine that creates electricity.

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China Delight (625-3367) in the Crossroads celebrates its 20th (!) anniversary this Mother’s Day with a comped app, dessert and a rose for mama. Two sweet reasons to celebrate… Starting Friday, April 30, Chuy Lopez says Lopez Restaurante y Cantina in Monterey, having scored a city permit, will be doing live DJs and bands after normal dinner hours. Night one it’s Hanif Wondir and Aaron McGilloway and two Cabo Wabo girls from 10pm to midnight, plus drink specials… Del Monte Shopping Center Farmers Market (373-2705) is back Sundays 8am-noon by Whole Foods and Petco… As Marilu Henner put it, “Centered food equals centered behavior.”