OUR TEAM
& mission
Walking locals and visitors from one food stop to another in beautiful Monterey, we at Monterey Bay Food Tours strive to share the best of our city’s culture, history, and food, while helping other locally owned and operated businesses sustain and grow.
CASEY
OWNER & FOUNDER
foodie@montereybayfoodtours.com
FAVORITE DRINK:
Bold red wines are my favorite, but Negroni’s are quickly becoming my favorite cocktail
FAVORITE FOOD:
Too many to pick just one - anything Indian (an Indian restaurant catered my wedding), pizza, my husband’s grandmother’s mole, and anything with eggplant or okra
FUN FACTS:
Welcome to Monterey Bay Food Tours! My name is Casey. I am a lover of great food, wine, and culture and am the proud owner and founder of Monterey Bay Food Tours. I was born and raised in Georgia, but dreamed of moving to California since high school. When my husband was given the opportunity to move to Monterey for work in the summer of 2016, we jumped at the opportunity. I’d first visited the area 7 years prior to moving and immediately fell in love with the food and cultural diversity the California Central Coast has to offer. Having worked in industries as varied as medical research, education (I was a Spanish teacher), and hospitality, as well as spending time as a stay-at-home mom, I finally feel that I am fulfilling my dream of working for myself and doing what I love. We have always enjoyed cooking for and trying new foods with friends and family, but now I am excited to share this passion with you. I love traveling, exploring new places, hiking, running, biking, and trying new things.
When the pandemic turned everyone’s world turned upside down, it brought big changes for my family. My husband was offered an amazing job in Abu Dhabi, and with tourism on hold, we took a flight halfway across the world to our new home and next adventure. I am so fortunate to have such an amazing team on the ground in Monterey that allows me to continue to run my dream business from afar.
AUBRIANNE
TOUR LEADER
FAVORITE DRINK:
What I like to call a Paloma-rita! Its your basic margarita with grapefruit juice added in!
FAVORITE FOOD:
Jambalaya! It’s a favorite dish of mine to cook and enjoy.
FUN FACTS:
If I’m not at work you can most certainly find me in the great outdoors. I love hiking, biking, camping, rock climbing and really any outdoor activity. Being in nature is where I feel most at home. I also love to do art in my free time and while I dabble in many different mediums charcoal portraits are some of my favorites. I have even commissioned pieces in my free time and actually painted the John Steinbeck quote above the beer fridges at Dust Bowl which you may see on our tour!
When I’m not leading food tours I actually work full time as a technician for a land surveying company. I very much enjoy the technical nature of this work and love that I get the opportunity to work outdoors.
LUYEN
TOUR LEADER
FAVORITE DRINK:
Watermelon and mint smoothies.
FAVORITE FOOD:
Spring rolls, gimbap, and tacos because all can be filled with almost anything to make a delicious meal. I also love any comfort food my mom makes.
FUN FACTS:
I love hot springs, traveling, and exploring new cuisines and cultural festivals. I've hiked Machu Picchu, bathed in onsens all over Japan, marveled at Las Fallas pyrotechnics, visited Lenin at Red Square, snorkeled with Galapagos sea lions, and chased northern lights all over Iceland. I'm always excited for my next adventure.
I'm a pharmacist and diabetes educator who is passionate about preventative care. I also love volunteering with hospice and the second harvest foodbank.
MARTY
MANAGER/FOOD TOUR LEADER
foodie@montereybayfoodtours.com
FAVORITE DRINK:
My very own "Martyrita!" It is my secret concoction...let's just say you only need one:)
FAVORITE FOOD:
Mexican food, hands down! Now the Martyrita makes sense, right! I lived many years in Phoenix, AZ, taking full advantage of the cornucopia of the amazing Mexican food in the Southwest.
FUN FACTS:
I was born and raised in the South, blessed with grandmothers who could cook chicken and dumplings and homemade breads like no one else!! I spent my professional years in toasty Arizona, having several careers in the legal field. Along the way I was also a professional dancer with a touring company, having the good fortune to perform in Hawaii, and in a few TV commercials. I do love to travel! I especially treasure my experience skiing the Alps and exploring western Europe. My most exotic destination has to have been Morocco, exploring ancient Marrakech and hiking in the Berber mountains with my daughter when she was studying abroad in Spain. My sweet labradoodle, Scout, lives for playing ball at the beach! Best beach time ever is when my two precious grandbabies come to visit their "Mimi," and we all enjoy the good life this amazing peninsula provides to us!
MANDY (she + they)
TOUR LEADER
FAVORITE DRINK:
Anything Katie and team are whipping up over at Pearl Hour.
FAVORITE FOOD:
Here in the Monterey Bay area, we have access to a lot of really good stuff, and I find myself leaning into Mexican fare again and again. Ask me about my favorites!
FUN FACTS:
The first time I had sushi was in Japan when I was 17 years old. My small Virginia hometown partnered with the Japanese car manufacturing plant in our county to sponsor an exchange between our high school and a high school in the same prefecture as their headquarters in Hokkaido. My taste buds (and travel bug) were never the same after that. Now, when I’m not hiking or biking around, my favorite way to travel is to book a food tour to dive right into the history and cuisine of a place, and I can’t wait to do the same with you.
Other fun facts: I’ve ridden my bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles w AIDS/Lifecycle; I used to be a bus driver; and I’ve helped coordinate a few Monterey Peninsula Pride Parades.
FELIPE
CONSULTANT
FAVORITE DRINK:
Bold Cabs
FAVORITE FOOD:
Anything my wife cooks
FUN FACTS:
I grew up living and traveling all over the world. Because of this, I was exposed to foods from many different cultures, and I also learned how to speak several different languages.
After high school, I returned to the states and joined the Navy, which was how I came to love Monterey as a student at the Defense Language Institute. My time in Monterey was temporary before I was assigned to Augusta, GA, where I eventually met my wife, Casey. Eager to return to beautiful Monterey, I accepted a job at the Presidio in 2016 and couldn't be happier.
I have many hobbies, including wood work, brewing beer, gardening and, of course, anything to do with food and wine.