Crown and Anchor
150 W. Franklin St., Monterey (831) 649-6496, crownandanchor.net
Maybe you’re a British ex-pat commiserating about the implementation of Brexit and the frazzled head of blond hair that is Boris Johnson, or maybe you’re just Brit-curious and/or wandering out on Alvarado Street after 9pm. Crown & Anchor has consistently provided a place to hang your hat and chill with a warm beer and a slice of cottage pie or plate of chicken curry in a comfy red vinyl booth or on their outdoor patio. The naval décor inside is perhaps a reminder of British imperialism, but the buzzing crowds after midnight are a reminder of something very American: give me your tired, your poor and slightly tipsy. Keep calm and grab a beer.
Best Bar For Baby Boomers
Terry’s Lounge at Cypress Inn
Lincoln and Seventh, Carmel (831) 620-7454, carmelterrys.com
It’s not that Terry’s Lounge is a time capsule. The decor is clubby, not mid-century modern. The place is comfortable and classy. Yes, it was owned by the late Doris Day, an icon during the Baby Boom era, but if there’s a sense of nostalgia here it’s in the cocktail menu. The bartenders at Terry’s can create stingers, zombies, whiskey sours and other favorites of a bygone era. Mention gin and juice here and you get Ronald Reagan’s favorite, the orange blossom. And if it’s morning in America, the restaurant has a brunch menu.
Best Bar For Gen X-ers Best Selection Of Craft Beers
Alvarado Street Brewery
426 Alvarado St., Monterey, (831) 655-2337 1315 Dayton St., Suite E, Salinas, (831) 800-3332 alvaradostreetbrewery.com
Gen Xers are hitting their midlife crises, and there’s no better way to wash it all down than with some good quality beer. Alvarado Street Brewery has so much to choose from, whether in need of a heady IPA, a glass of wine or even a strong cocktail. And forget dancing, this bar is all about good conversation in the outdoor beer garden, or cozying up with your sweetie in a (voting) booth with a flight.
Best Bar for Millennials
Dust Bowl Brewing
290 Figueroa St., Monterey (831) 641-7002, dustbowlbrewing.com
The slogan “great beer born of hard times” could easily be adapted to millennials: great people who came of age in tough economic times. People who really just need a good, refreshing beer. It turns out there are a lot of those people; ever since Turlock-based Dust Bowl opened its doors in Monterey at the base of Fisherman’s Wharf in June 2019, it’s been packed, both indoors and out. Maybe there’s a lesson in voter turnout here: Bring along a variety of beers – they pour everything from the Hops of Wrath IPA to the easy-drinking Taco Truck lager – and the millennials will show up in large numbers.
Best Drink With A View
Rocky Point Restaurant
36700 Highway 1, Big Sur (831) 624-2933, rockypointrestaurant.com
Bartender Richard Field Levine has one of the best views in the county when he is working at Rocky Point. He’s seen all sorts of wildlife from the bar including gray whales, dolphins and killer whales needling the water offshore. The other day, he spotted a squirrel standing upright on a rock for the better part of an hour. “It looked like he smoked a reefer,” Levine says, “and was taking in the view.” Sounds like even the squirrels are pro-marijuana legalization in 2020.
Best Neighborhood Bar
Other Brother Beer Co.
877 Broadway Ave., Seaside (831) 747-1106, otherbrotherbeer.com
How important are carbs? Very. The French Revolution (that’s the one in 1780s, not the one that followed when the 1 Percent bourgeoisie wanted their money and power back) was catapulted into the annals of history by violent bread revolts, when the average 18th-century worker was spending half of their wages on bread so they decided to take names and create pain d’égalité, or equality bread. Luckily, Seaside’s Other Brother Beer Co. has learned from history that carbs are the great equalizer and provides carbs in liquid form. They also provide a place for the masses – not the angry, pitchfork-toting, head-chopping kind – to gather. The people, especially in Seaside, are pleased. Plus, they up the carb factor by also housing Ad Astra Bread Co., which, incidentally, makes crowd-pleasing bread. And their interior is such that everyone must rub elbows at communal-style picnic tables, booths and multiple bar tops. Feed the people, and they will come.
Best Place for Day Drinking
Folktale Winery
8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel (831) 293-7500, folktalewinery.com
Picture this: You’re reading your voter guide, doing your research for November’s election. But you’re not doing it at a musty desk or in a frenzied panic in your car right before you go in to cast your vote. No, you’re doing it in the Carmel Valley sunshine with a glass of Folktale Sparkling Rosé. The breeze brings in the scents of the farms, vineyards, orchards, and gardens nearby. Your breath is a little easier, a little richer. You might even discuss the topics on your mind with your neighbors in the garden outskirts of this storybook castle. With your second glass, order a snack from the seasonal menu that is very accommodating to vegan or gluten-free diners.
Best Bar For Darts
Bulldog Pub
611 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey (831) 658-0686, bulldogpubmonterey.com
The race for best darts is always tight, with ballots often taking days to count. And this year did not disappoint. But the one-two-three punch of the Bulldog’s good bar and food menu, good local music and good vibes helped catapult them to the top. Whether you are looking for a one-and-done game or the most competitive darts in the 831, this is your place.
Best Bartender Best Happy Hour
Madeline Malmo
Hula’s Island Grill
622 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey (831) 655-4852, hulastiki.com
There are lots of reasons to be extra-happy at this happy hour, including $6 tiki drinks and $6 pupus like seared ahi and crispy coconut shrimp rolls. But the real reason is the master behind some of those decadent drinks (which, by the way, are in happy hour mode until closing time on Tiki Tuesdays). That master is Madeline Malmo, who’s known by her colleagues as “the octopus” because she’s so efficient. “She’s fast as lightning,” says Lynnette Griffin Ting, Hula’s owner/creative director. “She can be making so many complicated drinks at any one time, we’re like, ‘How many arms do you have?’” When it comes to reputation, she’s not only the octopus, but the singing bartender as well, known for belting out a lyric or quoting movie lines with ease. After all, it takes a good memory to get all of those tiki drinks right, and Malmo applies the skill to movies too. “It takes a lot to be a good bartender at Hula’s,” Griffin Ting adds. “We have a rigorous training program, and most of them don’t make the cut.”
Best Place to Shoot Pool
Easy Street Billiards
511 Tyler St., Monterey (831) 333-0825, easystreetbilliards.com
Easy Street is hallowed ground for billiards players everywhere. On Memorial Day, 2019, pro pool player John Schmidt broke the world record at the Monterey pool hall by sinking 626 balls in a row in a marathon four-hour game of straight pool. Clearly popular with pool’s elite, Easy Street also secures Monterey’s popular vote with its 13 pool tables, three dartboards, pinball machine, shuffleboard table (a rarity in Monterey County), and an impressive list of 13 craft beers on tap.
Best Club For Rock Best Place To Go Dancing
Sly’s Refueling Station
700 Cannery Row, Monterey (831) 649-8050, slymcflys.com
When it comes to throwing a good party, Sly’s toes the party line. This refueling station/music venue has been providing dancers and rockers alike a place to congregate almost any night of the week for over 40 years. Their stage is constantly being graced by Best Of winners like Dennis Murphy, The Money Band and The Eldorados (see p. 40), as well as other outstanding rockers like Zack Frietas, Minor Williams, Joy Bonner, Ghost Tree and Matt Masih – to name a few. The dance floor is neutral territory for persons of any dance experience. However, there is one policy that is strictly enforced – no planking.
Best Club For Jazz
Fireplace Lounge at Hyatt Regency Monterey
1 Old Golf Course Road, Monterey (831) 372-1234, hyatt.com/monterey
Dr. David Morwood has created a swingin’ program at the Hyatt. Their jazz jam sessions have become legendary in the past 22 years as some of the biggest names in jazz have joined the bandstand, including George Benson and Wynton Marsalis. But it’s the rotating, awe-striking local talent such as Janice Perl, Gary Meek and Lee Durley that has made the place a community. The Hyatt was under renovation in spring 2020 so the weekly jams were on hold as this went to print, but expect the music to crank up again for the Roaring ’20s.
Best Club for blues
Bon Ton L’Roy’s Lighthouse Smokehouse
794 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey (831) 375-6958
Everything from its name to the Creole cuisine give Bon Ton L’Roy’s a laid-back Bourbon Street vibe. That may be why Alligator (who hails from Louisiana) and the Rhythm Outlaws – who play a mix of Zydeco, blues and country – have found their mojo here as staple performers. Bon Ton’s, as the locals call it, also features repeating tour acts such as Sam Pace, a down and dirty blues-influenced rocker from Austin, Texas. And just as the menu throws in tasty surprises like smoked salmon and a killer borscht (but don’t let that influence you), you’ll find a melting pot of local talent gettin’ down with the blues here.
Best Singles Bar
Bull and Bear Whiskey Bar and Taphouse
479 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 655-3031, bullandbearca.com
A century ago, the Prohibition Party, aka the biggest buzzkills of all U.S. history, helped ban alcohol sales. Meanwhile a new wind of women’s liberation swept through the country. Short hemlines and shorter hair were in, and so was having the right to vote. Weird cocktail, right? Because in both that freedom and restriction, the speakeasy culture was born, where the young and beautiful could mingle (and if you’re a woman you could perhaps go unchaperoned – hooray!) and spend their hard-earned wages or inheritance. It’s the ’20s yet again, and Bull & Bear is definitely not an underground social club stirring up bathtub gin. But it is a place where singles – which let’s be honest, are a species of liberated person – can meet their Tinder dates, or just hang around with a new crowd over a round of darts, pints and some reggae music.
Best Sports Bar
Knuckles Sports Bar
1 Old Golf Course Road, Monterey (831) 372-1234, hyatt.com/monterey
A couple dozen or more flat-screen televisions? Check. A menu that includes wings, dogs and burgers? Check. Big Super Bowl parties that spill over into other parts of the Hyatt Regency? You know it. More support for Knuckles comes from fans decked in the jerseys of their favorite team, free popcorn and a full bar (that part’s not free, naturally). Undoubtedly it’s the best choice for watching evening games, though not the full college football schedule. Knuckles opens at 4pm. No matter, college students don’t turn out to vote.
Best Tasting Room
Scheid Vineyards
San Carlos and Seventh, Carmel, (831) 626-9463 1972 Hobson Ave., Greenfield, (831) 386-0316 scheidvineyards.com
In the current political climate, there are few topics as hot as the environment, and Scheid goes a long way for sustainability. The winery is powered by wind, and has several green certifications. They also have two locations, so you can decide if you feel like the bustling downtown vibe or a lazy day in the countryside. Wherever you go, you can feel good about supporting this candidate and, of course, drinking delicious wine.
Best Winery To Visit
Hahn
37700 Foothill Road, Soledad, (831) 678-4555 Carmel Plaza, Ocean and Mission, Carmel, (831) 250-7937 hahnwines.com
There are few better ways to enjoy Hahn’s award-winning wine than with a view of clear skies, gentle mountains and rolling vineyards. The winery offers a tasting room in downtown Carmel, but the scenery can’t be beat at their tasting room in Soledad. Hahn is all about the people: Whichever location you visit, there are fun events to partake in, like release parties, new tastings, plus pop-ups at many local events.
Best Place For Karaoke
Britannia Arms
444 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 656-9543, britanniaarmsofmonterey.com
Guests aren’t singing to win, but the Brit comes first in the running for a night of karaoke. Whether crooning weeknight blues or maybe anticipating them on a Sunday evening, visit this downtown Monterey gem to escape the news and belt your heart out. You could also just sit back with a Guinness, some fish and chips, and enjoy the free show that plays four nights a week. Win, win!
Best Selection Of Wines By The Glass
Sovino Wine Bar
241 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 641-9463, sovinowinebar.com
If you enjoy drinking skillfully selected wines while people watching in the heart of Monterey, you’ll understand why Sovino takes first place. Or maybe you’d prefer sipping one of their many options while curled up in the cozy window seat. Either way, there are so many tempting options that you won’t know which to pick. From Le P’tit Paysan and Vollendet to De Tierra and Folktale, Sovino has more than the average pinot and chards. They even have their own Cab.
Best Bloody Mary
Baja Cantina
7166 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel (831) 625-2252, carmelcantina.com
Anyone can throw some obnoxious garnish on a drink and entice folks with the visuals, but if it doesn’t taste good you’re just putting lipstick on a pig. The folks at Baja Cantina know how to do it right without the dog and pony show. Salty olives, crisp celery and the perfect booze-to-tomato ratio make this one a favorite. Finished off with a generous hit of heat and your taste buds will be chanting “Feel The Burn!”
Best Margarita
Peppers
170 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove (831) 373-6892, pepperspg.com
When it comes to honoring what the Founding Fathers wanted, Peppers has it dialed in. Here’s the origin story of their margarita recipe: It was about 15 years ago that they were moving on up and applying for a liquor license. The whole staff developed and tasted a homemade margarita mix, and settled on one that emphasizes freshness and simplicity: 50/50 lemon/lime juice, with just a dash of orange juice. “And we put a lot of tequila into our margaritas,” owner Lisa Weiman adds. “We don’t skimp.” Make that 100-percent agave tequila, hand-shaken, and voila – a recipe that’s as timeless as, say, the Declaration of Independence.
Best Martini
Seventh & Dolores
Seventh and Dolores, Carmel (831) 293-7600, 7dsteakhouse.com
The martini is a perfect cocktail, shimmering like crystal and unafraid to show off its alcoholic wealth. For decades, the three-martini lunch was a sacred American business ritual – and as Coolidge said, “the business of America is business.” Believe it or not, however, presidential candidates have long railed against the cocktail on the campaign trail. McGovern and Carter condemned it, defending the working class. Reagan pushed through legislation targeting the three-martini lunch. And Clinton put further limits on tax deductions for a liquid lunch. So no more free ride. But have a few at Seventh & Dolores in the evening and everything is good.
Best Club/Party DJ
DNA Entertainment (Anthony Karabetyan)
Ain’t no party like a DJ Anto party, cause a DJ Anto party don’t stop. Even being without electricity doesn’t stop the party. One of Anthony Karabetyan’s (DJ Anto) fave memories as a DJ is when the power went out, but thanks to his backup generator, DJ Anto shook ’em all night long and his party was the only noise for miles. Karabetyan has built his company, DNA Entertainment, into an all-in-one shop for event needs, making them convenient and reliable. DJ Anto’s ability to read the room keeps dance floors full. A DJ revolution is coming!
Best Local Band
The Eldorados
(512) 470-3807, theeldoradosband.com
Adding to the top ranks of locally elected rockers and groovers are wildcard independents, The Eldorados. Over the course of 2019, this music militia’s campaign tour took them through and beyond Monterey County nearly every weekend. They even saw live combat in July, performing the day of the tragic Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting. This didn’t stop them as they charged on, raising money for the victims’ families through a special live CD release and benefit show. Fronted by lead guitarist Will Beson, their high-energy blues rock keeps heads turning and dance floors packed from Cannery Row to Hollister and beyond.
Best Local Musician
Dennis Murphy
171 Webster St., Monterey (831) 920-1310, dennismurphyschoolofmusic.com
The incumbent Best Musician Dennis Murphy will retain his title for the sixth year in a row. No term limits here. Murphy does not campaign for the coveted award, choosing instead to wield his influence on the next generation of up-and-coming talent by teaching them his winning ways. Whether it’s at the Dennis Murphy School of Music or at 15 schools around Monterey County, if a student is learning music, it’s likely they are being taught by Murphy or his team. Additionally, the three-time Grammy Award nominee gives over 150 workshops/sessions annually. Now, that’s leadership for a new millennium.
Best Coffee Shop
Captain + Stoker
398 E. Franklin St., Monterey (831) 901-3776, captainandstoker.com
There are two people in this world: Those who don’t ritualize morning routines and those who do. Captain + Stoker wants to make coffee and morning routines great again, and they have a good setup for it. Conveniently located an earshot away from the 5:30am morning spin class at the Monterey Sports Center, this cafe roasts their own coffee (in-house, of course) and have breakfast ready in minutes with a solid menu of different kinds of toast, breakfast sandwiches and pastries. It’s like they thought of everything so your foggy morning brains don’t have to. It may take a little longer to grab your latte and toast than popping a Pop Tart in the toaster, but hey, #CoffeeFirst!
Best Local Theater Company
Pacific Repertory Theatre
Monte Verde and Casanova between Eighth and Ninth, Carmel (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org
At the end of the 2020 season, PacRep will have produced 499 different productions, reports founder and Executive Director Stephen Moorer. That includes stuff that appeals to different, shall we say, constituent groups? Like children, Shakespeare fans, serious theater-goers, casual theater-goers, the musicals demographic. Their fundraising has been very successful, raising $2.7 million in a capital campaign to renovate the Golden Bough Theatre in 2021. It’s good fortune to be in a town with a donor base that has varied tastes, leisure time and an appreciation for theater. It’s a winning ticket.
Best Theater Production of 2019
Evita
The Western Stage Hartnell College, 411 Central Ave., Salinas (831) 755-6816, westernstage.com
“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” is the signature swan song, but “Oh What a Circus” captures the chaos of political ascendancy. Eva Peron was the First Lady of Argentina for a brief moment, but made such an impact that Argentines adore her to this day. And thanks to Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice’s 1978 musical Evita, that adoration has spread worldwide. Western Stage artistic director Jon Selover says that their season-ending production of this Broadway hit musical translated to a Salinas hit musical on the strength of its lead performances, especially that of Malinda DeRouen as the title character. “It was totally the cast that moved the audience,” Selover says. “Every performance.”
Best Movie Theater
Osio Theater
350 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 901-3119, osiotheater.com
At its widest release, Fantastic Fungi was screening at only 37 movie theaters across the country. Now, six months after its premiere and after disappearing from IMDB’s exhaustive box office chart, the documentary about mushrooms is still playing at Osio Theater. Such is the dedication of Osio to film. The only theater of its kind in Monterey County, Osio is never afraid to screen limited-run docs or foreign, art and indie films, in addition to the marquee titles of Hollywood.
Best Museum
Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row, Monterey (831) 648-4800, montereybayaquarium.org
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a bit of a dark (sea)horse in the race for best museum, although it is the incumbent, holding the office since 2017. Is it still a good candidate? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a museum as “an institution devoted to the procurement, care, study and display of objects of lasting interest or value.” The Aquarium is indeed devoted to the procurement, care, study and display of the creatures of the sea, and those creatures are certainly of lasting interest and value. It is one of the finest collections in the world of sea life and a true advocate for protection of these precious resources. Here’s to another term!
Best Performing Arts Venue
Sunset Center
San Carlos and Ninth, Carmel (831) 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org
Sunset Center provides the community with quality performances from living legends such as Lindsey Buckingham, Boz Scaggs and Bobby McFerrin. They also host a number of local, nonprofit partners, like the Monterey Symphony, Carmel Music Society, Chamber Music Monterey Bay and the Carmel Bach Festival. If that’s not enough performing arts super-packed into one venue they are also home to the Center for Photographic Art (established in part by Ansel Adams) and this year launched an edgy stand-up comedy series, dubbed XYZ. What started as a school in 1926 is now home to a state-of-the-art, 718-seat theater with gothic architecture and some of the best acoustics around.
Best Dance Studio
The Dance Center
6135 Carmel Rancho Blvd., #B6, Carmel (831) 625-3262, dancecarmel.com
In a state-of-the-art studio, students range from Tiny Dancers (starting at 16 months) through competition teams for advanced older students. The styles of dance include ballet (on and off pointe), tap, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and a musical theater program. Beyond creating a second-to-none dance studio, the team at the Dance Center has also created a community of students, mentors and teachers where everyone is supportive beyond the springy floors of the facility. Directors Tia Brown and Laura Jeselnick have danced their way to the top.
Best Photo Gallery
Center for Photographic Art
Located inside Sunset Center, Ninth and San Carlos, Carmel (831) 625-5181, photography.org
For a while now, this photo gallery and collective has been firing on all cylinders, with lectures and presentations by leading artists, gorgeous shows curated and hung with meticulous care and catalogs and print sales that put the work into the reach of many. Since Ann Jastrab has taken over the executive director seat vacated by Brian Taylor, she sees her mandate as doing more of the same, continuing and expanding on that legacy. Case in point: the gorgeous, elemental environment-focused Here on Earth exhibition, and the 25th-anniversary celebration of Linda Connor and her book Luminance. Is CPA even better than it’s been in the past? Yes? Then carry on.
Best Art Gallery
Carmel Art Association
Dolores between Fifth and Sixth, Carmel (831) 624-6176, carmelart.org
Carmel’s oldest art gallery is an institution that’s thrived since its inception in 1927 on the strength of its member artists, their rigorous standards, and the consistent diversity. That last phrase is not an oxymoron, but a formula that’s carried them for 93 years, according to General Manager Nicki Ehrlich: “We change our shows every month, so there is always something new for both locals and visitors to see.” Their artist membership reaches nearly 100 at times, so they can draw from the axiom “strength in numbers.” But here it’s more “creativity in numbers.”
Best Gallery For Contemporary Art
Monterey Museum of Art
559 Pacific St., Monterey; 720 Via Mirada, Monterey (831) 372-5477, montereyart.org
Monterey’s museum of record continues to change shape and defy expectations with a residency program at their La Mirada location, a van to expand free family programs, and bilingual labels on their exhibitions. Their contemporary Currents + FLUX gallery gives emerging artists a spotlight while retaining the option to share profits from the work. And the past year saw three significant shows of contemporary work: David Hockney’s Yosemite, Michael Bevilacqua: Homegrown, and Blake Little: Photographs from the Gay Rodeo.
Best Local Artist
Richard MacDonald
16 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Monterey (studio) (831) 655-0424, richardmacdonald.com
Richard MacDonald is a sculptor who does figurative works of idealized athletes, dancers and nymphs exerting their bodies fully in a display of power and grace. He’s worked with dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre to Cirque du Soleil, and his sculptures have been featured in hundreds of solo and group exhibitions and in collections all over the world. He also is involved in various philanthropic efforts to share his talents and give back. In short, a winning formula.