'Big Little Lies' draws fans to Monterey from around the world
MONTEREY, Calif. (KGO) -- The creators of HBO's "Big Little Lies" set out to find a location that looked like an ideal vacation destination as a backdrop for their new show.
This brought them to Monterey County.
Now, it's bringing fans of the show around the world to the California coast to tour some of the iconic locations.
"I'm from Brazil and I really wanted to come here to Monterey because I knew they had the spots from 'Big Little Lies'," Dan Pielli said.
"My poor kids have been dragged here because I want to go to the 'Big Little Lies' cafe," Scotland native, Julie Joyce, said.
While some of the locations depicted in "Big Little Lies" are re-created on Hollywood sets, most of the scenes you see actresses like Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Meryl Streep in are actually in Monterey, Calif. and the surrounding areas.
This includes the famous coffee shop the ladies visit regularly.
In reality, it's actually an Italian restaurant called Paluca Trattoria and it's located on Fisherman's Wharf.
"People from all over the world are really excited about this show and series," Paluca Trattoria Owner Salvatore Tedesco said. "It has brought a lot of fans from the show. A lot of people come to the area period. It's been a phenomenon. Then when they tie 'Big Little Lies' to the Monterey Peninsula, they're ecstatic."
Tedesco said that daily he has a different group of people visiting his restaurant to see the famous table the show visits often.
"They picked quite a location," Tedesco said. "Monterey is a beautiful place. It's been fun and great for business. People flock here and have their coffee pretending like they're the stars."
One of those people is Julie Joyce who specifically visited Monterey from Scotland just to sit where her favorite stars once did.
"It feels pretty cool," Joyce said. "I just need Reese Witherspoon's gorgeous wardrobe to feel a little bit part of it. I love 'Big Little Lies'. When I saw the scenery, I was desperate to come. So when we came to California for a holiday, this was a vital stop off for me."
The show's creators selected Monterey County due to the iconic scenes around the area such as the Bixby Bridge in Big Sur, Lovers Point in Pacific Grove and even the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
For Monterey residents, it's an amazing experience to be able to see their home on screens around the world.
"We just live in a beautiful place," Monterey resident Karen Rodriguez said. "It's hard to describe, but you can see it on TV. I love the show. I like watching it anyway, but I love seeing the different scenes, especially around the wharf. My office is on the wharf and, of course, Big Sur. It's just wonderful that, even though we have a lot of tourists here anyway, a lot of people can now see what a beautiful place we live in."
