By Michael Bauer

In Carmel-by-the-Sea, where dozens of restaurants and cafes echo the town's quaint charm, Emanuele and Anna Bartolini seem to go a different direction by channeling the rugged California coastline.

Whereas most restaurants offer a safe Western menu, the couple, who opened La Balena three years ago, concentrate on the rustic. Earlier this summer they opened a second restaurant, Il Grillo. Both serve a type of earthy Italian food you won't find anywhere else on the Monterey Peninsula.

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Source: http://www.sfgate.com/