While the Pacific Grove destination Passionfish has a new owner, there are no plans for dramatic change. But looking long term, Berk Guvenc hopes for a Michelin star.
DANIEL DREIFUSS
From his ready smile it is evident that Berk Guvenc still can’t believe his good fortune. Although he is a first-time restaurant owner only a month into the adventure, the 38-year-old seems at home. In the lull before the Friday dinner service storm, he leans back in his seat casually, giving credit for his ease to the team of cooks, servers and managers he inherited.
“This place didn’t become Passionfish with only Ted and Cindy,” he observes.
Ted and Cindy Walter, the restaurant’s previous owners, put together a stellar team that over almost three decades earned consistent accolades. Guvenc had no idea the couple were looking to retire. All he saw was a listing for an available restaurant in the community, with no name or address provided. So Guvenc simply asked his real estate agent to check.
“When he said Passionfish, I said ‘Are you kidding me? Whatever they are asking, we’ll do it,’” Guvenc recalls. “This restaurant is an icon in many ways.”
The new owner has a particular reverence for Passionfish. Guvenc grew up in the restaurant world. By high school he was bussing tables. Later he became a server. Eventually his dream turned toward operating a restaurant.
From the beginning, Guvenc made it clear that there was no intention of crossing out – or even tampering with – the favorite dishes introduced by Ted Walter. “If I wanted to change things, I wouldn’t have bought this restaurant,” he insists.
He began visiting farmers markets, just as Walter had done. He reached out to the regular suppliers. Bream is a favorite of Guvenc’s, but he learned the fish was not on the 100-percent sustainable list.
“If there’s a question mark, that’s a definite no,” he explains.
But Guvenc’s family is from Turkey, and he is interested in adding some Mediterranean flair. The idea is to keep what Passionfish has become and make little improvements.
It’s not such a stretch from a kitchen that dresses rainbow trout in cardamom syrup and slowly cooks lamb breast so tender that it falls to the tip of a spoon. Indeed, while known for its seafood and wine list, some of the restaurant’s popular plates include duck confit and fritters of black bean and goat cheese.
Guvenc had a family trip to Turkey planned when the opportunity to take over Passionfish presented itself. At that moment, everything changed.
Anyone taking ownership of a restaurant faces a few challenges. But Guvenc could not have anticipated what occurred once people learned that the Walters had sold Passionfish.
Rumors swirled. Some feared the menu of sustainably-sourced seafood would change, and the new owner’s company name – Char-Bar – seemed to suggest as much. (Char-Bar is drawn from Charlotte and Baran, Guvenc’s children). Others believed the restaurant was shuttering for good.
“People wanted to come for their last meal,” Guvenc says, with astonishment still evident in his voice.
The most persistent story linked another Pacific Grove restaurant, Fishwife, to the sale. Google’s AI generated overview announced that “As of June 2024, the owners of Passionfish Restaurant in Pacific Grove, California are Celal and Meral Alpay. The Alpays also own Fishwife.”
“Fishwife is my parents, I just happen to be their son,” Guvenc explains. Other than the couple’s investment in their son and Guvenc’s mother’s help understanding the details of running a restaurant, he adds, “There is no attachment to Fishwife.”
Despite his ease, Guvenc admits the first month of ownership was a bit stressful. With a kitchen of such stature, regulars can be protective. But he understands the concern.
“My only answer is just that nobody really knows me.” A lot of his time in the foodservice industry came at the family restaurant in Redwood City. “I would just like to finish what Ted and Cindy started. This restaurant is my future and my kids’ future.”
Fortunately, the talk has quieted. Only one point of confusion remains.
“I thought the restaurant had a Michelin star, because it’s so good,” Guvenc says. “Maybe not right away, but that’s my goal.”
PASSIONFISH, 701 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. 655-3311, passionfish.net