Gusto
1901 Fremont Blvd., Seaside (831) 899-5825, gusto1901.com
It’s easy to point to the food here as the reason Weekly readers regularly choose Gusto as the best, and that starts with ingredients. There’s the uniquely thin yet toothy pizza crust, thanks to the imported flour from Il Mulino Sobrino Farine in northern Italy. There’s the pasta made fresh daily by Bigoli. There’s the seasonal and ever-changing menu of salads using fresh, local ingredients. But more than the menu, it’s the ambiance that makes Gusto Seaside’s best. You can take a date here, you can get a big table for a family reunion here, you dine comfortably alone—or just get a drink and feel perfectly at home. Indeed, Gusto feels like an extension of many Seasiders’ homes.