40 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} position offered the chance to put his personal stamp on a Relais & Châteaux property known for its old-world charm. In 2011, Chef Justin migrated west and set about transforming L’Auberge Carmel’s onsite fine-dining experience. “I was named Food and Wine’s Best New Chef in 2013, which was huge,” he reflects. “That really changed the direction of the whole restaurant.” As the buzz grew, so did Aubergine’s impassioned pursuit of a Michelin star—an honor bestowed in 2019 and retained ever since. In this intimate setting—only nine tables in the main dining room, along with alfresco courtyard and private wine room seating—Chef Justin changes the tasting menu daily to reflect ultra-seasonal dishes and locallysourced ingredients. Aubergine’s dramatic amuse-bouche opening tray, “Gifts from the Ocean,” features Monterey Abalone Farm’s slow-growing (and hand-fed) marine delicacy. “Years go into a single bite,” marvels Chef Justin. With Aubergine anchoring Carmel-by-the-Sea’s culinary culture, Chef Justin is shooting for a second Michelin star, a designation currently held by only 12 California restaurants. “We’ll see what happens this year,” he says. “We’re all hopeful.” CHEZ NOIR TAKES A STAR Less than a 10-minute walk from Aubergine, Chez Noir followed a very different path to Michelin recognition. “What Monique and I wanted to have is the restaurant that we always want to go to,” explains Chef Jonny Black. “It’s a really fun room, there’s good music playing, and the food is very serious but we’re not taking ourselves too seriously.” With a pedigree from top restaurants, the husband-and-wife team assumed they’d open their own spot in a major market. But after falling under the enchantment of Carmel-by-the-Sea, they opted for a “romantic chef’s life” in this coastal hamlet abundant with fresh produce and seafood. “The most beautiful product, I think, in the world is within our fingertips,” observes Chef Jonny. “We’re creating a home for our family, and we’re creating a home for these incredible ingredients.” That’s home in a literal sense, given that the Blacks live on the second floor of the Craftsmanstyle residence with Chez Noir’s intimate dining, bar and courtyard spaces below. Emphasizing hyperlocal coastal California cuisine, the four-course tasting menu evolves with the seasons, spotlighting dishes like Monterey Bay abalone skewers, vermillion rockfish and Dungeness crab tortelloni. After opening Chez Noir in October 2022, the couple received an unexpected invitation to California’s PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF ERIN NG / COURTESY OF JOSEPH WEAVER ABOVE: Husband-and-wife team Monique and Jonny Black work in Chez Noir’s kitchen; Chez Noir’s colorful crudite plate, called the Fantasme de Legumes.
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