Pearl Hour
214 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey (831) 657-9447, pearlhour.com
If there’s a band playing at Pearl Hour, you might have to read owner and mixologist Katie Blandin’s lips. And she’s not saying “no new cocktails.” In fact, she made a promise to deliver seasonal cocktails worthy of a destination lounge and she kept it. But a cool bar with fantastic drinks – including non-alcoholic options – might not have been enough for the Best New Business ballot had it not been for the introduction of live music. And not just live music, but innovative acts, performers on the way up, people you want to see if you’re in the know, like Free Creatures and Remy Le Boeuf. It’s a real pearl.