Originally Posted by
Gberg
Other things that were different - the picnic is $100 now but is not the standard food that it was before (nicer option). Lunch is not included on your day of departure. So, if you have a one night stay, you receive dinner and breakfast. If you have a two night stay, you receive dinner, breakfast, lunch (by pool), dinner, breakfast. That was not the case before, and there were people getting bills for food by the pool on their day of departure.
In terms of the new menu - would highly recommend the shrimp tacos on the pool menu (those were great). For dinner, the pasta is rich but delicious. Fish dishes were great too - especially the char. The amazing Flannery steak that was on the menu is gone and replaced with a short rib, which was really disappointing. Breakfast menu is the same. Verve coffee and Rishi tea has now been replaced by La Colombe.
Lunch was the least interesting meal there. I wouldn't mind its complete deletion to save my appetite for two superb restaurant meals. I will miss the Flannery steak, though.
Somewhat off topic, I went hiking on top of the bluff south of the Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay last weekend. The view over the ocean is similar to the coast at Big Sur. It's one way to enjoy that scenery closer to home without spending 30k points a night. Edit: or spending 60k Marriott points a night at the Ritz-Carlton.