Nepenthe (restaurant)

Last updated
Nepenthe
Company type Private
Industry
  • Restaurant
  • Gift shop
FoundedApril 24, 1949;74 years ago (1949-04-24) in Big Sur, California, United States
FounderBill and Lolly Fassett
Area served
Big Sur
Key people
Willie Nelson, Hunter S. Thompson
OwnerKirk Gafill, grandson of founders
Number of employees
135 [1]  (2017)
Website nepenthe.com

Nepenthe is a restaurant in Big Sur, California, built by Bill and Madelaine "Lolly" Fassett and first opened in 1949. It was built around a cabin first constructed in 1925. It is known for the miles-long panoramic view of the south coast of Big Sur from the outdoor terrace [2] [3] and its California/Greek Mediterranean menu featuring locally and California-grown food.

Contents

Orson Welles and his wife Rita Hayworth bought the cabin around which the restaurant is built from the Trail Club of Jolon on a whim as a romantic getaway. The couple measured the windows for curtains, but never returned. [4] [5] The Fassetts bought the cabin and surrounding land from Welles and Hayworth in 1947 for $22,000. They named the restaurant after a potion used by the ancient gods to induce forgetfulness from pain or sorrow. [6] [7]

The restaurant is located 29 miles (47 km) south of Carmel, California and about 800 feet (240 m) above the coast. The business has had to endure multiple closures of Highway 1 since its founding due to fire, floods, and mudslides.

The restaurant employs 105 people and maintains about 20 workforce housing units. [8]

History

In 1925, a group of Christian Scientists from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois came to California. They hired local master carpenter Sam Trotter to build a three-story log house on the edge of a cliff in Big Sur, which they planned to use as a private resort during horseback riding trips. They named the group the Coastland Trails Club (also known as the Trail Club of Jolon). By the early 1940s, they were no longer using the cabin and had rented it to a writer named Lynda Sargent. She invited author Henry Miller, who had arrived in Monterey penniless, to stay with her until he found his own place to rent. [9] [10]

View from the terrace of the Nepenthe restaurant. NEPENTHE - BIG SUR COAST OF CALIFORNIA.jpg
View from the terrace of the Nepenthe restaurant.

In May, 1944, during World War II, actor Orson Welles, chairman of the Fifth War Bond Drive, and his wife Rita Hayworth were in San Francisco to sell U.S. government War Bonds. Gas was rationed, and they were paid for their appearance with gas coupons. Traveling with their good friend and actor Joseph Cotten, they decided to use the coupons to drive back to Los Angeles along the scenic Highway 1. During their drive, they stopped to picnic and drove up an unmarked dirt road where they found a cabin on a hill perched above the south coast. They loved the view and found a realtor and learned they could buy it that day. Between the two of them, they produced a cash down payment of slightly more than $156.00 (another story says $167.00) to close the deal on the cabin and land. Hayworth measured the windows for curtains and a new stove and Welles considered laying gas pipe for use in the kitchen, but they were divorced in 1947 and never returned. [9] [11] [12]

The Fassetts bought the cabin and the surrounding 12 acres (4.9 ha) from Welles and Hayworth after their divorce in 1947 for $22,000. [2] The Fassetts moved into the three room cabin with their five children. [13] They hired architect Rowan Maiden, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, to design the restaurant. They chose two sons of the original builder, Frank and Walter Trotter, to construct the restaurant using local materials including redwood and adobe bricks made by Lolly Fassett. [2]

The modern restaurant kitchen is adjacent to the cabin's own kitchen. Nepenthe is well known for its Ambrosiaburger, a ground steak sandwich served on a French roll with a custom "Ambrosia Sauce." [6] The menu features locally and California-grown products. The terrace dining tables have a long view over the coast to the south. The restaurant is known for its Bohemian look and feel, belly dancing, and poetry readings. [14]

View of the coast and Santa Lucia Range from the Nepenthe restaurant terrace. BIG SUR COASTLINE FROM NEPENTHE, MONTEREY COUNTY.jpg
View of the coast and Santa Lucia Range from the Nepenthe restaurant terrace.

The restaurant became a favorite of Henry Miller. He later lived on Partington Ridge but returned often to the restaurant and became close friends with owner Bill Fassett. [15] [16] The restaurant became a social hub for artists, poets, actors and other creative individuals on the coast. [17] [16]

Ownership

Lolly Fassett, who had lived in Europe as a teenager with her grandmother and artist Jane Gallatin Powers, hired architect Rowan Maiden to design a large terrace for dancing and dining, a big fire-pit, and built-in bleachers. The restaurant design was featured in architectural magazines. The opening on April 24, 1949 was attended by around 500 people. Lolly entertained guests in the small cabin's living room. [18] [19] [20] As of 2017, the restaurant is owned and operated by the grandson of the founders, Kirk Gafill. His sister Erin Lee Gafill and her family live in the original log cabin. [16]

In 1964, Lolly Fassett added the Phoenix Shop featuring gifts and local artist's wares, and in 1992, they opened the walk-up, casual Café Kevah. [21] The owners donate 10 percent of the restaurant's net profit to community activities and organizations, including the Big Sur Health Center and the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade. [4] [22]

Edmund Kara's sculpture "Phoenix Bird" with wings extended on the terrace of the Nepenthe restaurant. Phoenix sculpture at Nepenthe.jpg
Edmund Kara's sculpture "Phoenix Bird" with wings extended on the terrace of the Nepenthe restaurant.

The terrace was formerly dominated by a large coastal live oak that died in the 1970s. After it died, sculptor Edmund Kara resurrected the trunk of the tree with a sculpture of the rising Phoenix, a standard symbol for Nepenthe. The bird is one piece with legs made of bronze. [23]

Closures

The Fassett family was forced to close the restaurant during fires in 1983 and again for three months in 1998. In 2008, the Basin Complex Fire closed Highway 1, costing the restaurant about $600,000 in revenue during peak season. [4] [24]

During the 2016–2017 winter, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park received more than 60 inches of rain, [25] and in early February 2017, several mudslides blocked the road in more than half a dozen locations. At Pfeiffer Canyon 1.7 miles (2.7 km) north of the restaurant, shifting earth damaged a pier supporting the bridge over the 320 feet (98 m) high canyon. CalTrans immediately closed the bridge and announced the next day that the bridge was damaged beyond repair and would have to be replaced. [26] [27]

During the same storm, a slide at a perennial problem point named Paul's Slide 22 miles (35 km) to the south, near Cone Peak, closed the road. For more than two weeks, the only way in and out of the area between the two closures was on foot or by helicopter. Farther south at Mud Creek, 35 miles (56 km) another slide blocked visitors from Southern California. The only remaining road out, Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, was a few days later temporarily closed due to slides. All of the businesses between the two closures, such as Nepenthe, Post Ranch Inn and Esalen Institute, and residents were isolated. Food and other essential items such as school supplies were ferried in by helicopter. [28] The closure at Mud Creek was reopened to one-way traffic until May 22, 2017, when an extremely large slide covered Highway 1 for more than a quarter-mile. Trapped between the two breaks in the highway, Nepenthe and the other businesses were isolated with about 400 residents, about half of their regular customers. [29]

The Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge re-opened on October 13, 2017 at a cost of $24 million. [30] On August 2, 2017, CalTrans announced it would rebuild the highway over the slide at Mud Creek and planned to reopen the road in 2018 at a cost of $40 million. [31] [32] [33]

A dance scene from the 1965 film The Sandpiper starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton featured a set replicating the restaurant's terrace. [34]




Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 1</span> State highway in California, United States

State Route 1 (SR 1) is a major north–south state highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U.S. state of California. At 656 miles (1,056 km), it is the longest state route in California, and the second-longest in the US after Montana Highway 200. SR 1 has several portions designated as either Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Cabrillo Highway, Shoreline Highway, or Coast Highway. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 5 (I-5) near Dana Point in Orange County and its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 101 (US 101) near Leggett in Mendocino County. SR 1 also at times runs concurrently with US 101, most notably through a 54-mile (87 km) stretch in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and across the Golden Gate Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sur</span> Coastal region of California, United States

Big Sur is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur has been called the "longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States", a sublime "national treasure that demands extraordinary procedures to protect it from development", and "one of the most beautiful coastlines anywhere in the world, an isolated stretch of road, mythic in reputation". The views, redwood forests, hiking, beaches, and other recreational opportunities have made Big Sur a popular destination for visitors from across the world. With 4.5 to 7 million visitors annually, it is among the top tourist destinations in the United States, comparable to Yosemite National Park, but with considerably fewer services, and less parking, roads, and related infrastructure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bixby Bridge</span> Highway bridge on the Big Sur Coast of California

Bixby Bridge, also known as Bixby Creek Bridge, on the Big Sur coast of California, is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design, "graceful architecture and magnificent setting". It is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge. The bridge is 120 miles (190 km) south of San Francisco and 13 miles (21 km) south of Carmel in Monterey County on State Route 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park</span> State park in California, United States

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is a state park in Monterey County, California, near the area of Big Sur on the state's Central Coast. It covers approximately 1,006 acres (4.07 km2) of land. The park is centered on the Big Sur River. It has been nicknamed a "mini Yosemite." A Redwood tree in the park nicknamed the Colonial Tree is estimated to be between 1,100 and 1,200 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sur River</span> River in California, United States

The Big Sur River is a 15.7-mile-long (25.3 km) river on the Central Coast of California. The river drains a portion of the Big Sur area, a thinly settled region of the Central California coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The upper river and watershed lies within the Ventana Wilderness and encompasses the headwaters downstream to the area known as the Gorge. The lower river flows roughly northwest through Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, the Big Sur village, several private camp grounds and Andrew Molera State Park where it flows through a lagoon and sandbar into the Pacific Ocean at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Major Tributaries of the river include, in order: Redwood Creek, Lion Creek, Logwood Creek, Terrace Creek, Ventana Creek, Post Creek, Pfeiffer-Redwood Creek, Juan Higuera Creek, and Pheneger Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Sur River</span> River in California, United States

The Little Sur River is a 25.4-mile (40.9 km) long river on the Central Coast of California. The river and its main tributary, the South Fork, drain a watershed of about 40 square miles (100 km2) of the Big Sur area, a thinly settled region of the Central California coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The South Fork and the North Fork both have their headwaters in the Ventana Wilderness, straddling Mount Pico Blanco. Portions west of the national forest and Old Coast Road lie within the El Sur Ranch. Some portions of the North Fork are on land owned by Granite Rock Company of Watsonville, California, which has owned the mineral rights to 2,800 acres (1,100 ha) on Mount Pico Blanco since 1963. The North and South forks converge about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the coast where the river enters the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorda, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Gorda is a hamlet in Monterey County, California. It is located 3 mi (4.8 km) south of Cape San Martin, at an elevation of 148 ft (45 m). It is one of the three small settlements of filling stations, restaurants, and motels located along State Route 1 on the Big Sur coast. The ZIP Code is 93920, but mail must be addressed to Big Sur, and the community is inside area code 805.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park</span> State park in California, United States

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a state park in California, 12 miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on California's Pacific coast. A main feature of the park is McWay Falls, which drops over a cliff of 80 feet (24 m) into the Pacific Ocean. The park is also home to 300-foot (90 m) redwoods which are over 2,500 years old. The park is named after Julia Pfeiffer Burns, a respected resident and rancher in the Big Sur region in the early 20th century, who lived in the area for much of her life until her death in 1928. The 3,762-acre (1,522 ha) park was established in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deetjen's Big Sur Inn</span> United States historic place

Deetjen's Big Sur Inn, a collection of single wall buildings, cabins, and a restaurant in Castro Canyon, was one of the first visitor accommodation to offer overnight lodging and meals in Big Sur for California visitors and travelers after the opening of Highway 1 in 1937. Helmuth Deetjen initially built cottages for others in Carmel, and was attracted to the Big Sur coast that reminded him of Norway. In 1926, he bought 6 acres (2.4 ha) and began construction of a home. He met Helen Haight and when Highway 1 was completed in 1937, they opened an inn. Helmuth managed the Inn until his death in October 1972, when its operation passed to a non-profit foundation. The Inn was closed for a short time after the Soberanes Fire and subsequent winter floods damaged several structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McWay Falls</span> Tidefall in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, California, United States

McWay Falls is an 80-foot-tall (24 m) waterfall on the coast of Big Sur in central California that flows year-round from McWay Creek in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, about 37 miles (60 km) south of Carmel, into the Pacific Ocean. During high tide, it is a tidefall, a waterfall that empties directly into the ocean. The only other tidefall in California is Alamere Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Posts, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Posts is an unincorporated community in the Big Sur region of Monterey County, California. It is located on the Big Sur Coast Highway, 4.8 miles (7.7 km) south of the Big Sur Village at an elevation of 945 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anderson Canyon</span> Place in California, United States

Anderson Canyon in the Big Sur region of California was named after pioneering homesteaders James and Peter Andersen who were the first European settlers of the area. The canyon, Anderson Creek, and Anderson Peak are south of McWay Falls and within the boundaries of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palo Colorado Canyon, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Palo Colorado Canyon is an unincorporated community in the Big Sur region of Monterey County, California. The canyon entrance is located 11.3 miles (18.2 km) south of the Carmel River at the former settlement of Notley's Landing, 6.5 miles (10 km) north of Point Sur, and at an elevation of 112 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sur Coast Highway</span> Scenic section of California State Route 1

Big Sur Coast Highway is a section of California State Route 1 through the Big Sur region of California that is widely considered to be one of the most scenic driving routes in the United States, if not the world. It is both a National Scenic Highway and a California Scenic Highway, and was described by Australian painter Francis McComas as the "greatest meeting of land and water in the world". Condé Nast Traveler named State Route 1 through Big Sur one of the top ten world-famous streets, comparable to Broadway in New York City and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The road itself is a destination for visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sur Village, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Big Sur Village is an unincorporated community in the Big Sur region, in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located along a 1-mile-long (1.6 km) stretch of Big Sur Coast Highway in the Big Sur Valley 24 miles (39 km) south of Carmel, California. The village contains the largest collection of shops and visitor services along the entire 71-mile (114 km) segment of California State Route 1 between Malpaso Creek near Carmel Highlands in the north and San Carpóforo Creek near San Simeon in the south. The population of the entire coastal region is about 1,463. The collection of small roadside businesses and homes is often confused with the larger region, also known as Big Sur. On March 6, 1915, United States Post Office granted the English-speaking residents' request to change the name of their post office from Arbolado to Big Sur. Caltrans also refers to the village as Big Sur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pfeiffer Beach</span> Beach in California, United States

Pfeiffer Beach is located in the Big Sur region of California. It is one of the most popular beaches on the Central Coast and is well known for Keyhole Rock, a popular photography subject. On a limited number of days in December and January each year, photographers crowd the beach to obtain pictures of the setting sun visible through the arch. Due to the steep terrain prevalent along the Big Sur coast, it is one of the few ocean access points within Big Sur

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bottchers Gap</span> Campground and trailhead in California, US

Bottchers Gap is a day-use area, campground, and trailhead in Monterey County, California. It is located 7.6 miles (12.2 km) from the Big Sur Coast Highway at the end of Palo Colorado Road on the northern border of the Los Padres National Forest and Ventana Wilderness. It is located between Mescal Ridge and Skinner Ridge. From Bottchers Gap, there is an 3.3-mile-long (5.3 km) private access road that leads to Camp Pico Blanco. Beginning at Bottchers Gap, it is a difficult 14.7-mile (23.7 km) hike via the Skinner Ridge and Ventana Double Cone trails to the Ventana Double Cone, making it one of the more remote locations in the wilderness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Coast Road (Big Sur)</span> Pre-1920 dirt road in Monterey County, California

The Old Coast Road is a dirt road that still exists in part and preceded the current Big Sur Coast Highway along the northern coast of Big Sur, California. It was initially a trail created by Rumsen and Esselen Native Americans to travel along the coast in present-day Monterey County, California. Soon after the Spanish arrived, Governor Teodoro Gonzalez granted land that included portions of the trail as Rancho San Jose y Sur Chiquito to Marcelino Escobar in 1835. Governor Juan Alvarado re-granted the land to Escobar the same year. The Rancho included land from Carmel to near Palo Colorado Canyon. José Castro gained possession of the land in about 1848. He improved the trail from Monterey to Palo Colorado Canyon as early as 1853. A hand-drawn map created c. 1853 accompanying the grant indicated a road or trail was already present along the coast.

References

  1. ↑ Big Sur: Exploring California's Tourist Hot Spot Turned Ghost Town
  2. 1 2 3 "Nepenthe Big Sur Stories and Folktales". 2005-02-26. Archived from the original on February 26, 2005. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  3. ↑ "California Bucket List". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035. Archived from the original on 2017-12-24. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  4. 1 2 3 Anderson, Mark C. "Nepenthe still swinging as it turns 60". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  5. ↑ "The Nepenthe cabin where it all began 60 years ago". The Mercury News. 24 April 2009. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Nepenthe Restaurant – Big Sur, California – Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog". Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog. 2012-07-18. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  7. ↑ "Granddaughter writes history of Nepenthe". San Francisco Chronicle. November 13, 2009. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  8. ↑ "The Long Road to Work" . Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Rita and Orson". Archived from the original on 2017-12-24. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  10. ↑ Norman, Jeff (2004). Big Sur. Big Sur Historical Society. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Pub. ISBN   9780738529134. OCLC   58788953.
  11. ↑ Romney., Steele (2009). My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family, and Big Sur. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Pub. p. 33. ISBN   9780740779145. OCLC   316831962. Archived from the original on 2018-01-08.
  12. ↑ Chambers, Andrea; Powell, Lee (November 13, 1989). "A Candid New Biography Tells of the Shocking Childhood That Destroyed Rita Hayworth". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  13. ↑ "Granddaughter writes history of Nepenthe". SFGate. 2009-11-13. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  14. ↑ "The Nepenthe cabin where it all began 60 years ago". The Mercury News. 2009-04-24. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  15. ↑ "Tales from Nepenthe: Ping Pong with Henry Miller". 2005-02-26. Archived from the original on February 26, 2005. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  16. 1 2 3 Thurman, Chuck. "Nepenthe celebrates its 50th anniversary as a cultural landmark". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  17. ↑ <When The Going Gets Weird the twisted life and times of Hunter S. Thompson, Peter O. Whitmer, Hyperion, 1993>
  18. ↑ "Introduction to Big Sur". jrabold.net. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  19. ↑ "Nepenthe". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  20. ↑ "Nepenthe Big Sur". Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  21. ↑ "Nepenthe Big Sur". 2013-07-27. Archived from the original on July 27, 2013. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  22. ↑ "Nepenthe cares for the community". 2013-07-27. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  23. ↑ "The Phoenix Bird". Nepenthe. Archived from the original on 2017-12-24. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  24. ↑ "Kirk Gafill, owner of Nepenthe, poses in front of his restau". Getty Images. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  25. ↑ CNRFC, NOAA's National Weather Service -. "California Nevada River Forecast Center". www.cnrfc.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-02-06.
  26. ↑ "News, Breaking News and More: Monterey County Herald". www.montereyherald.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  27. ↑ Marino, Pam. "UPDATE: Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge on Highway 1 closed to traffic until further notice".
  28. ↑ Wright, Tommy (February 22, 2017). "Highway 1: Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge condemned". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  29. ↑ "Isolated Big Sur Businesses Stay Open with Helicopter Access and 'Island' Luaus". Eater SF. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  30. ↑ "Big Sur: Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge to open Oct. 13". 4 October 2017. Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 2017-10-04.
  31. ↑ Schmalz, David Caltrans announces plan to reopen Highway 1 at Mud Creek
  32. ↑ Caltrans, State of California. "SR1 Road Information – California Highway Information". www.dot.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  33. ↑ Forgione, Mary (September 12, 2017). "Highway 1 south of Big Sur now won't be completely reopened until late summer 2018". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  34. ↑ "A Celebration of Elizabeth Taylor: Her Big Sur Film "The Sandpiper"". The Central Coast Traveler. 2012-03-24. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-20.

36°13′19″N121°45′41″W / 36.2218173°N 121.761517°W / 36.2218173; -121.761517

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.