Cibo Ristorante Italiano
301 Alvarado St., Monterey | (831) 649-8151, cibo.com
Costoletta di vitello aren’t the only chops on display at this downtown institution. There’s also considerable musical chops of the local jazzbos who riff there, like Lee Durley, Scotty Wright, songstress Andrea Carter, ace reedman Ben Herod and his trio and many others. While the kitchen pumps out Italian culinary standards like cozze e vongole and pomodoro Caprese, the front of the house churns live jazz standards four nights a week and Sunday afternoons, danceable R&B and funk on Friday and Saturday, and a wicked $3 well, wine and beer happy hour from 4-7pm every day.