The Giant Dinner Party in One of Americas Most Charming Towns

Step inside a Nancy Meyers fantasy during this quaint California getaways most delicious week.Carmel-by-the-Sea is the kind of place that has you planning a return visit before you’ve even left. The storybook cottages, art galleries, white sand beaches, and some of the U.S.’s most idyllic streets are reason enough to look at real estate listings while meandering downtown, because maybe there’s a way to relocate and live your best Nancy Meyers life. And somehow, during Carmel Culinary Week, the town gets even better. (Surprising, I know.)Watch the video to see how Carmel-by-the-Sea turns into one giant dinner party during Culinary Week.For a few delicious days, Carmel transforms into one giant dinner party. Restaurants spill into the streets, local wineries pour some of their favorite vintages, and long tables fill with hundreds of your new best friends, while chefs from beloved spots Aubergine, Jeju Kitchen, Stationæry, Cultura, Little Napoli, La Bicyclette, and Chez Noir come together to showcase what makes this quaint village such a standout epicurean destination.What I loved most is how the festival naturally spills into the rest of town. Between long-table dinners like La Dolce Vita on Dolores Street and Soirée by the Sea at La Playa Hotel, there’s plenty of time to wander into tasting rooms like Galante Vineyards, Domaine Messier, and Scheid Vineyards or browse a gallery you hadn’t planned on visiting. It’s easy to lose track of time over “just one more” glass of wine or by walking down to Carmel Beach to dip your feet in the Pacific before dinner.The only real mistake I made was assuming a weekend would be enough. Hot tip: Definitely add another day to your itinerary.