"Because these are are best. Plain and simple." - Mark C. Anderson
Join me on my quest to eat, drink, visit, browse, and shop at the BEST OF Monterey County!
1. Best Antique Shop - Cannery Row Antique Mall
2. Best Architectural Treasure - San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission
3. Best Art Gallery - Carmel Art Association
4. Best BBQ - Smalley's Roundup Restaurant
5. Best Backyard - Helaine Tregenza The Raised Bed
6. Best Bakery - Parker Lusseau Pastries
7. Best Bank - Wells Fargo
8. Best Bar for Folks over 50 - Mission Ranch
9. Best Bartender - Hassan Zamani
10. Best Beach - Carmel Beach
Candy, Kerry, & Sand
Sweets with my sweetie (sappy)
Bring your dog
11. Best Bike Store - Joselyn's Bicycles
12. Best BookStore - new - Borders Books and Music
13. Best Bookstore - used - Book Haven
14. Best Breakfast - First Awakenings
15. Best Breakfast Art - The Murals at Little Swiss Café
16. Best Burger - r.g. Burgers
17. Best Burrito - Chipotle Mexican Grill
18. Best Butcher Shop - Grove Market
19. Best Cakes - Layers
20. Best Calamari - Abalonetti Seafood
21. Best Cappucino/Latte - Starbucks
22. Best Car Dealership - new - Sam Linder
23. Best Car Dealership - used - Cardinale Automotive Group
24. Best Car Repair Shop - Tom's Monterey Auto Repair
25. Best Car Wash - El Estero Hand Car Wash
26. Best Cheap Eats - Chipotle Mexican Grill
27. Best Cheese Selection - The Cheese Shop
28. Best Chinese - Tommy's Wok
29. Best Clam Chowder - Old Fisherman's Grotto
30. Best Cliché in Play - MyCaregiver, Inc.
31. Best Club DJ - DJ A.J. Bee
32. Best Club for Blues - Sly McFly's
33. Best Club for Jazz - Cibo Ristorante Italiano
34. Best Club for Rock - Jose's Underground Lounge
35. Best Coffeehouse - East Village Coffee Lounge
36. Best Computer Store - The Apple Store
37. Best Condiment Offerings - Phat Burger
38. Best Cup of Coffee - Acme Coffee Roasting Co.
39. Best Cure for Vast Wasteland TV Syndrome - AMP – Public Access Channel 24
40. Best Dance Club - Hippodrome
41. Best Deli sandwich - Compagno's Market and Deli
42. Best Desserts - Rosine's
43. Best Dirty Boy - Mark Lesnick, Mark Concrete
44. Best Dive Shop - Bamboo Reef
45. Best Dry Cleaners - Vapor Sudden Services Cleaners
46. Best Easy Getaway - Frog Pond Wetland Reserve
47. Best Election Gamble - Coin Toss for Pacific Grove Mayor
48. Best Environmentally Friendly Business - Dress For Change
49. Best Ethnic Market - Mi Tierra
50. Best Example of Democracy at Work - Carmel Valley residents
51. Best Family Restaurant - Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
52. Best Farmers' market - Old Monterey Farmers Market
53. Best Florist - Swenson and Silacci
54. Best French - Fifi's Café & Bistro
55. Best Furniture Store - Mum's Place
56. Best Gift Shop - Never on Sunday
57. Best Golf Shop - Golf Mart
58. Best Golf hole - 18th at Pebble Beach
59. Best Gourmet/Kitchen Shop - Clementine's Kitchen
60. Best Green Egg - Carmel Belle
61. Best Grocery Store - Whole Foods Market
Not open late
62. Best Hangout After the Movie - Lalla Grill
Manu's goodbye dinner
63. Best Hangout for Seniors - Carmel Foundation
64. Best Hangout for Teens - Del Monte Center
Tyler's birthday at Yama
65. Best Happy Hour - Montrio Bistro
66. Best Hardware Store - Pacific Grove Hardware and Forest Hill Ace Hardware
67. Best Health Club - Carmel Valley Athletic Club
68. Best Hotel - Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
69. Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt - Myo Yogurt
ABC Family night
70. Best Internet Provider - Red Shift
71. Best Italian - Little Napoli
72. Best Japanese/Sushi - Crystal Fish
73. Best Jewelry Store - Gasper's Jewelers
74. Best Juice/Smoothies - Jamba Juice
75. Best Korean - Orient Express
76. Best Local Beer/Brewery - English Ales
77. Best Local DoÐgooder - Nancy Costello
78. Best Local Musician - John Sherry
79. Best Local Pet Store - Stone's Pet Shop
80. Best Local Politician - Congressman Sam Farr
81. Best Local Red Wine - Pisoni Pinot Noir
82. Best Local White Wine - Talbott Chardonnay
83. Best Local artist - Lesley Ann Spowart
84. Best Local band - Cheeky Spanks
85. Best Local event - AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Awful timing
86. Best Local theater company - Pacific Repertory Theatre
87. Best Managerial Move - Dare to Dream
88. Best Margarita - Baja Cantina
89. Best Martini - Sardine Factory
90. Best Massage Therapist - Amy Rogers
91. Best Mediterranean - Petra
92. Best Men's Clothing Store - J. Lawrence Khaki's
93. Best Mexican - Peppers Mexicali Café
94. Best Middle eastern - Amir's Kabob House
95. Best Movie Theater - Osio Cinemas
96. Best Neighborhood Bar - English Ales
97. Best Neighborhood Market - Grove Market
98. Best New Business of 2009 - Monterey Mirror Maze
99. Best New Restaurant of 2009 - Mundaka
100. Best Nursery - McShane's Nursery
101. Best Organic Produce market - Whole Foods Market
Not open late
102. Best Outdoor Dining - Forge in the Forrest
103. Best Outdoor Gear Store - REI
104. Best Park - Dennis the Menace Playground
105. Best Pharmacy - CVS
106. Best Photo/Camera Store - Green's Camera World
107. Best Pizza - Gianni's Pizza
108. Best Place For Intelligent Conversation - East Village Coffee Lounge
109. Best Place To Eavesdrop - Starbucks
110. Best Place To Escape Reality - Pro Top Nails Seaside
111. Best Place To Get Hard - Rock Boxing Gym
112. Best Place To Sip With Your Pinkies Raised - Eddison & Melrose Bookstore
113. Best Place You Cannot Take Your Parents - Nu-Art Theater and Adult Bookstore
114. Best Place for Karaoke - Britannia Arms
115. Best Place for Skin Care - Spa on the Plaza
116. Best Place for a Business Lunch - Tarpy's Roadhouse
117. Best Place to Buy Art/Craft Supplies - Beverly's Fabrics and Crafts
118. Best Place to Buy a Motorcycle - Monterey County Harley Davidson
119. Best Place to Buy music - Do Re Mi Music & Video
120. Best Place to Eat Like the Recession Never Happened - AA Buffet
121. Best Place to Feel Prehistoric - Elkhorn Slough and Bird Sanctuary
122. Best Place to Flirt with Fishermen - Royal Seafood
123. Best Place to Get Spirited Away - Nielsen Brothers Market
124. Best Place to Hookah Up - Hookah-ntina
125. Best Place to Rent Videos/DVDs - Blockbuster Video
126. Best Place to Shoot Pool - Blue Fin
End of season Kickball party
127. Best Place to Taste Tea, Sniff Herbs - Gold Leaf Spice & Teas
128. Best Place to Watch the Sunset - Carmel Beach
Candy, Kerry, & Sand
Sweets with my sweetie (sappy)
Bring your dog
129. Best Place to bike/Mountain bike - Fort Ord Public Lands
130. Best Plumber - A&R Plumbing
131. Best Proof of a Higher Power - Big Sur Wildflowers
132. Best Psychedelic Episode, sans Acid - Paper Wing Theatre’s The Wall: A Live Tribute
133. Best Pub - The Crown and Anchor Pub
134. Best Rabbit Food - Spinach Salad, Allegro Gourmet Pizzeria
135. Best Radio DJ - Sam Diggedy
136. Best Radio Station - KPIG 107.5 FM
137. Best Real Estate Office - Coldwell Banker
138. Best Reason to Roam Your Hood After Dark - CHAMP Seaside Farmers Market
139. Best Redwood-ringed Spot to Rock - Henry Miller Library
140. Best Restaurant More than 10 Years Old - Rio Grill
141. Best Restaurant for Romantic Dining - Pacific's Edge at Highland's Inn
142. Best Restaurant in Monterey County - Marinus
143. Best Restaurant to Splurge - Ventana
144. Best Restaurant/Big Sur - Nepenthe
145. Best Restaurant/Carmel - Cantinetta Luca
146. Best Restaurant/Carmel Valley - Café Rustica
147. Best Restaurant/Marina - Kula Ranch Island Steakhouse
148. Best Restaurant/Monterey - Montrio Bistro
149. Best Restaurant/North County - Phil's Fish Market & Eatery
150. Best Restaurant/Pacific Grove - Passionfish
151. Best Restaurant/Pebble Beach - Roy's
152. Best Restaurant/Salinas - Gino's
153. Best Restaurant/Sand City - Sweet Elena's Bakery
154. Best Restaurant/Seaside - Fishwife
155. Best Restaurant/South county - La Fuente
156. Best Rock-and-Roll Education - Vinyl Revolution
157. Best Salads - The Salad Shoppe
158. Best Salon - Oya
159. Best Seafood Restaurant - Monterey Fish House
160. Best Seafood market - Sea Harvest Fish Market & Restaurants
161. Best Secondhand Clothing Store - Plato's Closet
162. Best Selection of Beers - The Crown and Anchor Pub
163. Best Selection of Liquor - BevMo!
164. Best Selection of Wines by the Glass - Sardine Factory
165. Best Shoe Repair Shop - Federico's
166. Best Shoe Store - Hedi's
167. Best Shopping District/Center - Del Monte Shopping Center
168. Best Singles Bar - Mucky Duck
During Kerry's visit
169. Best Spa - Aquablue Skin & Body Spa
170. Best Sports Bar - Knuckles Historic Sports Bar
171. Best Steak house - John Pisto's Whaling Station
172. Best Store for Musical Instruments - Wise Music
173. Best Surf Shop - On the Beach Surf Shop
174. Best TV Anchor - Dan Green
175. Best TV News - KSBW
176. Best Take-Out Food - Whole Foods Market
177. Best Tattoo Parlor - Gold Coast Tattoo
178. Best Thai - Thai Bistro II
Second time, 50% off all
179. Best Three-Hour Vacation - Fandango
180. Best Thrift Store - Goodwill
181. Best Tire Shop - Sullivan's Tire Pros
182. Best Toy Store - Thinker Toys
183. Best Vegetarian menu - Tillie Gort's
184. Best Venue for Just About Anything - Monterey County Fairgrounds
185. Best Volunteer Organization - Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula
186. Best Wine List - Sardine Factory
187. Best Wine market - Surf n' Sand
188. Best Women's Clothing Boutique - Bliss Boutique
189. Best Yoga Studio - Carmel Valley Athletic Club
190. Best appetizers/small plates - Esteban
191. Best bar for darts - Bulldog
192. Best bloody mary - Sand Bar and Grill
193. Best day dream - Santa Cruz-Monterey Ferry
194. Best drink with a view - Schooners Bistro
195. Best green/eco trend - No Styrofoam
196. Best hiking trail - Garland Ranch Regional Park
197. Best library - Monterey Public Library
198. Best local place to work - Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula
199. Best local web site - Monterey County Weekly
200. Best performing arts venue - Susnet Cultural Center
201. Best photo gallery - Weston Gallery
202. Best place to get married - Lovers Point
203. Best place to see and be seen - Old Monterey Farmers Market
204. Best place to take visitors - Monterey Bay Aquarium
Kerry and the aquarium
205. Best place to walk the dog - Carmel Beach
206. Best professor - Bill Martin, CSUMB
207. Best public golf course - Pebble Beach Golf Links
208. Best scandal of 2009 - Tiger Woods
209. Best surf spot - Asilomar
210. Best way to work up a breakfast appetite - Hike from Monastery Beach to Carmel
