General Manager Sean Fyock, at the helm of Aptos gem Mentone for the last two years, had an upbringing that was geographically and culturally eclectic. Born in Mountain View but raised in Japan from age three, Japanese was his first language. Fyock then lived in Arizona as a teenager, where he started his restaurant career as a dishwasher. From there he went to Los Angeles to attend music school before moving to Santa Cruz and ascending from food runner to manager at an iconic fine dining spot.
Wanting a change, he saw that Mentone was looking for a general manager and applied, clicking with world-renowned chef/owner David Kinch over a cup of coffee before being hired.
Fyock says Mentone has modern high-ceiling energy with collage-style décor on the walls featuring pictures, paintings, posters and menus from Kinch’s world travels.
The cuisine is decidedly French/Italian, well-exemplified by the fried eggplant appetizer tossed in Calabrian pesto and topped with fromage blanc, mint and lemon zest. Fyock says the menu changes often, the dessert favorite is housemade gelato, and they also feature a full bar with specialty cocktails and European wines.
Tell me about working with such an accomplished chef.
SEAN FYOCK: David Kinch is a three-Michelin-star chef who also has an Emmy from the show Mind of a Chef, so his reputation is unparalleled locally. His style is to encourage his chefs to taste the food constantly throughout the shift and he feels like every plate is a culinary lesson. He also encourages frequent trips to the farmer’s markets to locate not only quality ingredients, but also great farms and farmers. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work for chef Kinch and be a part of what we do here.
Tell me about Mentone’s private functions.
Periodically, we offer unique events inspired by the creative mind of chef Kinch, where he will personally cook a coursed off-menu meal for guests. We’ve had wine-driven tasting course menus, meals accompanied by special guests—like a fourth-generation Italian tailor, as well as flying in an Italian chef to teach pesto making. These are a good way to provide an experience that locals cannot find elsewhere, curated and cooked by a world-class chef.
174 Aptos Village Way, Aptos, 831-708-4040; mentonerestaurant.com
