EDIBLE: Ranking the best new Monterey County restaurants of 2016, part I.

Many outstanding restaurants will not appear here. The reinvention of California Market at Pacific’s Edge is impressive, but not exactly new. Same for Crepes of Brittany, which got a new home and added menu items but retained its core character. Lovers Point Beach House Cafe and Ambrosia India Cafe could make this list, but they’re extensions of existing restaurant operations, so that freed up space for more novel introductions. The list also excludes chain shops, so no dice for In-N-Out and popular new Marina Dunes eateries like BlazePizza.

Nominees – or other input – are welcome via edible@mcweekly.com. Readers can look for the top five next week.

10 • Revival Ice + Cream

It’s not exactly a restaurant. But Revival earns a spot on the list for sheer creativity and quality. A giant painting of an ice-cream-eating octopus overlooks decision-making crises created by chef-driven choices like “kelp and caramel” with olive oil shortbread crumbs and “burnt orange” with charred fruit slices, toasted cloves and tangy buttermilk. Then there are all the housemade toppings that come into play, from peanut butter powder to honeycomb candy, and the over-the-top milkshakes. More good news: The organic creations, based on seasonal produce secured by Colleen Logan of Savor the Local, will enjoy an increasing off-site presence, as Revival designs exclusive flavors for partner restaurants.

11am-9pm Sun-Thu and 11am-10pm Fri-Sat; 463 Alvarado St., Monterey; (831) 747-2113, revivalicecream.

9 • Alvarado Ramen

The 11 long hours the broth spends simmering pork and chicken bones in massive pots, along with ginger, garlic and jalapeño, onion, ginger, seaweed and katsuobushi, or fish flakes, summons a deep and complex umami. The 11-seat bar (to go with a half dozen two tops) allows diners to look in on the open kitchen and better appreciate all the from-scratch soup. Co-owner/operator Hank Kim (also of Sushi Moto) and company often sell more than 400 ramen orders a day. Kim also curates a clever sake selection that’s wall mounted at the counter, plus Japanese beers, macaroon ice cream sandwiches and gluten-free options. If this place offered a little more consistency and a lot less single-use plastic, it would appear higher on the list.

11am-11pm daily; 487 Alvarado St., Monterey; 643-9566.

8 • Mulligan Public House

Mulligan may have been more highly anticipated than Alvarado Ramen, which is saying something. Two contributors there: the popularity of its team when it manned the former Brophy’s Tavern, and the fact Carmel hasn’t opened a new bar and grill in more than a decade. Response has been enthusiastic, and the sizable patio area isn’t yet open. A full bar, plenty of draft beers, a solid whiskey selection and warm service are all key ingredients, as is a fun and flavorful menu. Highlights include kobe sliders, “luau” salads, salmon tacos, fried-chicken Benedicts and a bacon tasting flight paired with craft beers. While owner-operator Erin Reimer didn’t want to lose Brophy’s (which continues under new ownership), it’s been a blessing, as the new space in the former Le St. Tropez is 50 percent bigger (not counting the patio), the hip lighting and long bar are custom jobs and the Dolores Street location is much more central-by-the-sea.

11am-close Mon-Fri, 9am-close Sat-Sun; Dolores between Ocean and Seventh, Carmel; 626-7822.

7 • Billy Quon’s Sur

Bill and Teresa Lee’s 10th restaurant works as a nice summary of the formula that has drawn hundreds of thousands over decades. That recipe: festive and welcoming ambiance, a lively bar area, chic design, tropical cocktails like the Clockwork cosmo and T’s painkiller and dramatic desserts like the “famous” Arctic bon bons with smoking dry ice. In the big Barnyard space that once held Thunderbird Books, frequent Lee collaborator and chef Herman Hernandez deepens his love affair with California-leaning comfort food including glazed bacon with cheese bread, crab wonton “puffs,” honeyed fried chicken and waffles, slow-cooked prime rib, excellent bacon cheeseburgers and the Big Sur fish fry with soft-shell crab, prawns, sand dabs and calamari.

11:30am-9pm Tue-Sun; 3601 The Barnyard, Carmel; 250-7188, www.surcarmel.com.

6 • Fin + Field

The Monterey Marriott is full of surprises, including the fact it’s partially locally owned. The newly renovated lobby and restaurant/bar wins with flavor, value and style. Menu highlights include baby bella mushroom flatbreads with garlic cream sauce, white cheddar grilled cheese with tomato-cheddar soup, salt-roasted beet salads, beer-battered cod and chips, carnitas-and-fried-egg sandwich and (from the bar) drinks like the Watson-tini with local strawberries or el viejo with Don Julio añejo tequila, agave nectar, orange bitters and an ice ball. The bang-for-the-buck is steady – a tasty lunch or dinner can be had under $13 – and gets really good on the weekend, when the all-you-can-eat buffet is $11 for locals and football shows on 14 TVs. Plus the glowing wraparound bar is uniquely beautiful.

6:30am-11pm Sun-Thu; 6:30am-midnight Fri-Sat; 350 Calle Principal, Monterey; 649-4234 x1115.

~ QUICKBITES ~

• After the biggest renovation in the hotel’s 100-year history, the California Market at Pacific’s Edge (622-5445) is ready to welcome diners for breakfast, lunch and dinner on its expansive new 870-square-foot deck, featuring a louvered roof and glass-panel walls with dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Big Sur coast.
• Bon Ton L’Roy’s Lighthouse Smokehouse (375-6958) now does brunch from 10am Friday-Sunday,and all day every day – think smoked salmon frittata, brioche French toast, house cured lox, $5 mimosas and house smoked bacon. For the holidays they’re also smoking prime rib, ham and fat Deistel turkeys.
• The new owners of the former Kula Ranch Steakhouse and its parent hotel have big plans for the space. Sounds like they’ve completely redone the bar area and outside decks. They’re also taking aim at developing a big brunch menu.
• Nielsen Bros. is selling Royal Osetra caviar throughout the remainder of the year; to keep the celebratory spirit vigorous it also hosts a Champagne tasting 4-6 pm Friday, Dec. 30. Bubbly is poured by the ambassador of the Moet-Hennessy Group.
• Chesebro Wines (659-2125) has introduced two different single vineyard Grenaches. Which reminds me: Local wine makes for great stocking stuffing. Same for restaurant gift certificates.
• The 43rd annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair takes place 1-5pm Friday and 10am-5pm Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 13-15, at the Louden Nelson Community Center.
• Britannia Arms in downtown Monterey (656-9543) perpetuates a cool little holiday tradition noon-6pm on Christmas with complimentary mince-fruit pies and a unique holiday atmosphere. See p. 34 for more.
• The updated Pacific Seaweeds covers some of the myriad new uses of seaweed in everyday life. Beyond dried seaweeds and use in snacks and sushi rolls, gelatinous seaweed extracts are used to stabilize ingredients in ice cream, toothpaste, lotions and shampoos. More about the locally sown book on the blog.
• Virginia Woolf: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”