Best Restaurant - Pacific Grove
Passionfish
701 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove
(831) 655-3311, passionfish.net
Circus food typically consists of fun items like cotton candy or popcorn. At Passionfish, the “fun” is tied to the restaurant’s three main principles: sustainable seafood, realistic wine prices and a favorite spot to eat. Opened in 1997 by Ted and Cindy Walter, the team wanted ingredients to take the center stage; owner Berk Guvenç has allowed that performance to live on. Start with the smoked trout ceviche tostadas, followed by the dungeness crab salad and the rainbow trout – or whatever is fresh that day.