EDIBLE: Beach volleyball and three new spots arrive all at once.

Snacking is more than a skill. It’s a collection of skills. It’s a science and an art. For some it can be a lifestyle. But not everybody knows how to do it well, let alone in all its various substyles – quickly, stealthily, healthily, at work, on-the-run and out-of-necessity.

They’re all worth practicing, because it helps to know how to snack when the moment demands it. Same goes for the snacking equivalent of journalism, the listicle. To quote The Guardian: “FromThe Sunday Times ‘100 Best Companies’ to Buzzfeed’s ‘31 Things You Can Make Out of Cereal Boxes,’ listicles are equally beloved for their condensed information format and online virility and decried as lazy journalism for the perennial lunchtime ‘news snacker.’”

Sometimes the sheer volume of newsworthy food-and-drink storylines means out-of-necessity news snacking is the only sane way to play it. So here appear some compelling developments of recent moments squished to fit this snack pack. (For more petite snacks, there’s always Quick Bites, at right.)

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The Tides keeps turning.

Wednesday, March 22, the up-market Joie De Vivre hotel group makes its latest upgrade to the former Best Western on Seaside Beach, now Monterey Tides (800-738-7477), at the west end of Canyon Del Rey. After reimagining the lounge/bar as Bar Sebastián last year with a sleek design makeover and a flurry of tapas (tuna tartare tacos, molé chicken wings) and drinks (pomegranate mojitos, Barcelona nights), now it’s time for the restaurant up top to find new life.

Vizcaíno Waterfront Food + Drink, also named for the Spanish explorer who “discovered” Monterey Bay, will give the fourth floor more Spanish-Latin fusion fare for brunch/lunch (7am-2pm daily) and dinner (5-10pm). Jalisco-born Exec Chef Jose Velasquez, who started at the property 30 years ago as a dishwasher, has a knack for snappy items like the enchilada-style grande breakfast burrito ($16), Spanish-style cioppino (or chilpachole, $25), fiery queso fundido ($11) and spice-“dredged” seared scallops ($16). He’s got a grilled watermelon and hydroponic watercress salad ($13) and 12-hour braised pork belly ($18) on the menu too.

They all come elevated by the view of dolphins and waves unlike any in the area. The days of this being an under-the-radar, on-top-of-the-ocean spot may be bye-bye.

Mid-Valley gets a burger joint.

The Valley Grille (624-3056) is sizzling along in the former Athena Cafe in the Mid-Valley Shopping Center. A quiet opening came in January and the grand opening remains unscheduled, but word’s starting to circulate, a strong sign things are going well. It’s family-owned and -operated by longtime locals Mykel and Maria Donaghy and their daughters Megan and Madison and, according to Mykel, it’s “really about” building your own burgers.

They grind their own bison, venison, lamb and Angus beef (and also offer salmon, vegetarian and turkey burgers) for around $11.95 plus extras like a fried egg ($1 more). They do sandwiches like the top-selling sloppy Joe and Philly cheesesteak too ($11.95 each), plus salads including versions featuring everything from tri-tip and prawns ($10.95-$19.95). Hours are 11am-8pm Monday-Saturday.

“It felt like Mid-Valley needed a good burger spot,” Mykel says.

Carmel Valley has a new bar.

Covey Bar & Deck at Quail Lodge & Golf Course (624-2888) has softly opened with a short-and-smart bar menu from Exec Chef Brian Kearns, who took over late last year after a run at LaBicyclette in Carmel.

From 5-10pm Wednesday through Sunday he’s plating craft cheeses from the likes of Humboldt Fog and Bayley Hazen ($5 each), duck fat fries ($8), crispy bacon and Brussels sprouts ($9) and the playful “bubbles and birds” with buttermilk fried chicken and a glass of Perrier Jouët Champagne ($35).

Cocktails like the cranberry-spiked “harvest mule,” CV negroni with toasted orange peel or the Sparkling Ruby Mandarin with elderflower liqueur ($12 each) are best enjoyed looking out over the lagoon from the adjacent deck. Same goes to any of the 21 bottled beers, or a pick from a range of local wines like Joyce, Bernardus and Caraccioli available by the bottle ($40-80), glass ($10-$28) or flight ($15-$26).

Over at big brother restaurant Edgar’s (620-8910), old-fashioned prime rib nights continue 4-9pm Thursdays ($27-$38) and St. Patrick’s Day specials like Guinness beef stew ($24) hit Friday, March 17.

Monterey offers a great excuse to picnic.

Picnicking, like snacking, is an art form. Properly done, it can be its own motivation. It can also be a glorious enhancement to an existing experience.

Some novel inspiration to do it now, beyond the beautiful weather: A Division I women’s volleyball tournament at Window on the Bay on the edge of Del Monte Beach. Schools like UCLA (!), SanJose State, Portland State, University of San Francisco, Grand Canyon University and Saint Mary’s all get to digging and bumping 9am-6pm Friday-Saturday, March 17-18.

If they’re smart they’ll pack snacks.

~ QUICKBITES ~

• The restaurant community continues to mourn the passing of ebullient Andre Lengacher to cancer at age 69. More on his legacy – and how to honor it – appear on the blog, www.mcweekly.com/edible.
• The melting pot that is Marina has a new spot for fun pan-Asian items befitting the name, Pho Fusian. The options include soups like the roasted tri-tip pho ($8.95/regular; $10.50/large), Vietnamese bahn mi sandwiches like the ham and pâté ($4), rice plates including salmon curry ($13.95), and even Vietnamese savory crepes ($17.50). Hours are 11am-8pm daily, except Tuesday.
• Oldtown Salinas community institution Yangtse’s Taste of Thai closed temporarily when its chef had triple bypass surgery. It was scheduled to reopen March 10, but it remains shuttered – and a new sign on the door indicates it will be closed indefinitely.
• St. Patrick’s Day hits on a Friday for the first time in years (March 17). Brace yourself.
• Far West Fungi at 1186 Trafton Road in Moss Landing hosts an open house noon-4pm Sunday, March 19, providing a peek into California’s largest family-run mushroom farm – including a look at compost prep, incubation chambers and growing rooms – complete with a grilled mushroom tasting and potluck.
• It’s official: Tanja Roos of MEarth is a badass. Disclosure: I’ve known that, and her, for years, but fortunately now Organic Authority is catching on, including Roos in its recent listicle “These 61 Badass Disruptors Are Changing Your Food System.”
• Carmel Public Library hosts Community Night at the Library – only at Carpenter Hall in the Sunset Center – 7pm Wednesday, March 29, with The History of Winemaking in Monterey County. Speakers includeMarta Kaftzeck, wine-maker and wine educator, Dan Lee of Morgan Winery, Kurt Gollnick of Scheid Vineyards and Steve McIntyre of McIntyre Vineyards.
• Follow @MontereyMCA on Instagram and Twitter.
• Albert Einstein, whose birthday was Pi day (March 14, along with Steph Curry and Sasha Spadoni): “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”