1275 S. Main St., Salinas
(831) 422-3961, starmkt.com
Sometimes you wanna go where everyone knows your name. For some, that’s a great local bar. For others, it’s a great local grocery store. At Star, the super-friendly, uber-efficient staff greet shoppers like old friends, directing them toward the quinoa or organic peanut butter or fresh vegetables or whatever else they have in mind. And in a county where wine rules—both as a beverage and an industry—Star managing partner and Wine & Liquor Department manager Victor Kong can hook up the most discriminating oenophile from his extensive department, featuring more than 90-percent Monterey County wines as well as selections from around the globe. Hit the cheese counter (run by a veteran of Berkeley’s famed Cheeseboard Collective) after making your selection, because wine + cheese from Star = otherworldly bliss.