Best Of 2019 - Arts, Entertainment and Nightlife

Best Late-Night Hangout  | Best Pub

Crown & Anchor

150 W. Franklin St., Monterey, (831) 649-6496, crownandanchor.net

To say that the Crown & Anchor has a loyal following is an understatement. The best pub in town draws on its location, vibe, food and drink to become the go-to spot for a thirsty downtown business contingent and military crowd looking to let its hair down. Its late-night menu, served both indoors and on a large back patio, makes the Crown a favorite of MIIS students and visiting conventioneers as the day bends to tomorrow. Bangers and mash, meat pies, Irish and Scotch whiskies and pints of Harp served in hospitable old-world charm raise the question that The Clash, another great British import, asked us all to ponder back in the ’80s: Should I stay or should I go?

Best Bar for Baby Boomers | Best Club for Rock Best Club for Blues Best Place to Go Dancing

Sly McFly’s

700 Cannery Row, Monterey, (831) 649-8050, slymcflys.com

In the Weekly’s three-decade run, no venue has won as many Best of Monterey County stars. That’s a product of the timeless setting, the relentless live music schedule and supreme versatility of the bands – not to mention underrated food and drink and live sports specials. On any given night, there aren’t many area clubs boogieing down like it’s the ’80s and Prince is on stage. At Sly’s it happens every night.

Best Bar for Gen-Xers

Barmel

San Carlos and Seventh, Carmel, (831) 626-3400

While there are many dive bars in Monterey County, there are none that turn into a dance party quite like Barmel does. This locals’ favorite has been the go-to spot for a good time for years. Unlike other neighborhoods, you’ll find in the crowd a wide variety of ages, from hipsters to middle-aged to the 90-year-old sailor dude who frequently smokes cigars outside. It’s kinda like that bar in Northern Exposure. With timeless drinks and occasionally timeless songs, you’ll fit right in – as long as you’re young at heart.

Best Bar For Millennials Best Selection of Craft Beers

Alvarado Street Brewery

426 Alvarado St., Monterey, (831) 655-2337 | 1315E Dayton St., Salinas, (831) 800-3332, alvaradostreetbrewery.com

Perhaps no demographic loves craft beer more than millennials, those folks born in the ’80s but too young to remember when MTV played music – or when craft beer was a cool new thing, for that matter. So it only makes sense that Alvarado Street Brewery is the top choice for both. Any night of the week you can find the restaurant/beer garden in Monterey and the hip tasting room in Salinas packed with skinny jeans and oversized glasses, everyone sipping on sours like “Naughty by Nectar” and IPAs like “Dude, Where’s My Haze?”

Best Drink With a View

Hyatt Carmel Highlands

120 Highlands Drive, Carmel Highlands, (831) 622-5445, hyatt.com

The views in Big Sur are perhaps the most beautiful on the entire Pacific coast, and nowhere are they are more easily accessible than at the elegantly appointed Sunset Lounge at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands. The wine and beer selections are top-notch, and the cocktail list is both creative and classic. Oh, don’t space out and miss the weekday happy hour from 4-6pm; the prices are like a blast from the past.

Best Neighborhood Bar

Post No Bills

600 Ortiz Ave, Sand City (831) 324-4667, postnobills.net

Something about Post No Bills just feels different than other neighborhood bars. Perhaps it’s the sleek, horseshoe-shaped bar that’s the color of a silver DeLorean, or maybe it’s the airy atmosphere and eye-catching decor plastered or painted on every wall. Maybe, too, it’s the sense of PNB being a place where friends or co-workers of all ages come to toast a special occasion or just the end of a workday. They may shout out a greeting – “Norm!” perhaps, if your name is Norm. And it’s definitely the beer selection.

Best Place for Day-Drinking Best Winery to Visit

Folktale Winery

8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel (831) 293-7500, folktalewinery.com

Folktale really knows how to create atmosphere. It’s no wonder their incredibly beautiful venue wins the top place for a boozy day and best winery to visit – the very sort of place you would have found Alexis Colby or Blake Carrington, but without the soap opera drama, because waves of relaxation wash over you as you sip Folktale’s delicious wine while sitting in the castle-like patio. The good times continue inside with delectable food and live music in a grandiose barrel room. Folktale is building a Best Of Monterey County dynasty.

Best Bar for Darts

Bulldog British Pub

611 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey, (831) 658-0686, bulldogpubmonterey.com

One could make the argument that the 1980s was the very best decade for sports movies. Think about it. Hoosiers, Bull Durham, Chariots of Fire, Raging Bull, The Natural, Field of Dreams and, yes, Over the Top. At the Bulldog, the combination of great pub fare, draft beers and flat screens make this a standout place to take in the game, but it’s the dartboard where the Academy Award-quality action happens.

Best Happy Hour

Hula’s Island Grill

622 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey (831) 655-4852, hulastiki.com

Need we say more than Tiki Tuesday? Hula’s does happy hour daily until 6pm, and until close on Tuesdays, meaning $6 buys you all kinds of fruity cocktails, wines by the glass and a variety of pupus – delicious and shareable bites like jalapeño-bacon mac-n-cheese, ceviche or coconut shrimp rolls. If it’s nice out (or even if it’s not – they have blankets!) you can snack and sip from a lovely back patio and outdoor bar. If you can’t get to Hawaii at 5pm, you can at least sample island-flavored eats and drinks. One too many Dr. Funks – that’s coconut rum, vodka, crème de banana, pineapple and OJ – and you might forget you’re not in Hawaii.

Best Place to Shoot Pool

Easy Street Billiards

511 Tyler St., Monterey (831) 333-0825, easystreetbilliards.com

Billiards (or pool, as we called it in the ’80s) is quite possibly the quintessential game to play when winding down at the end of the day. Whether it’s a casual game with a date or a more competitive match with a team, there’s a reason why this easy-to-learn game of skill is considered a classic. Test your luck and potentially become a local-pool legend with 8 Ball tournaments every Monday or form your own billiards brigade and play a league game Tuesdays and Thursdays. Whatever level you bring to the game, Easy Street brings good vibes and plentiful tables.

Best Club For Jazz

Cibo Ristorante Italiano

317 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 649-8151, cibo.com

Being founded in 1990 makes this downtown hotspot just a year younger than this newspaper. But you won’t find ’80s-era big hair, spandex and glam rock here; the musical menu is jazz, jazz and more jazz. The cuisine is notable as well, but the Italian classic Costoletta di vitello(veal chop) aren’t the only chops on display given the considerable musical chops of local jazz luminaries like Roger Eddy, Lee Durley, Joe Indence, songstress Andrea Carter, and ace reedman Ben Herod and his trio who riff there. The house churns out live jazz six nights a week (and on two Sunday afternoons a month) with a $3 well, and a wine and beer happy hour from 4-7pm daily.

Best Singles Bar

Bull and Bear Whiskey Bar & Taphouse

479 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 655-3031, bullandbearca.com

A top choice for a solo outing and the best spot to grab some friends and scope the singles scene of downtown Monterey sits on Alvarado Street at the Bull & Bear Whiskey Bar and Taphouse. They’ve got a full bar, a robust gastropub menu, live entertainment, and different spaces – the dining room, the patio, the bar and a nook for darts. Ask the bartender to throw on some ’80s music for a throwback Thursday. City officials and the adjacent property owner have tried to quiet this place down, but happy vibes and a loyal clientele keep it lively for mingling and dancing even with music curfews.

Best Sports Bar

Knuckles Sports Bar

Hyatt Regency Monterey 1 Golf Course Road, Monterey (831) 372-1234, hyatt.com

You lose count of the screens surrounding you at Knuckles. They vary in size, from the personal ones tableside to larger sets suited to the entire space. The place has become Super Bowl party central, with the addition of theater seating in an adjacent space. It’s the sort of place that never could have existed back when it took three linebacker-size men to heft just one television into place. Knuckles is sleek, with plenty of beer, wings and the other foods we now associate with sports – which is to say, pretty much everything, from tacos to foot-long hot dogs and burgers to lobster-crab rolls.

Best Tasting Room

Scheid Vineyards

San Carlos and Seventh, Carmel, (831) 626-9463 1972 Hobson Ave., Greenfield, (831) 386-0316 scheidvineyards.com

Want two reasons why Scheid’s tasting room garners Best Of appeal? Simple: There are two distinct Scheid tasting rooms. One – in downtown Carmel – is a simple space dedicated to wine and pairings that takes on an informal, friendly gathering vibe when it fills up. No retro paisley tie necessary. The other is located in an even more laid-back location, where the wine comes from. The Greenfield tasting room features a deck, bocce and views. Either way, they take care of you with plenty of red, red wine. Or white. Rosé, too. And they have a sparkling wine. You may never leave.

Best Place for Karaoke

Britannia Arms

444 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 656-9543, britanniaarmsofmonterey.com

Four nights a week, amateur crooners and rockers are encouraged to sign up and belt out their favorite hits at Monterey’s iconic pub know as The Brit. And guess what: The ’80s never left the building. You feeling “Hungry Like the Wolf?” Go ahead and channel your inner Duran Duran. “Jack and Diane” from John Cougar is yours for the taking; the lyrics scroll while the power chords churn from the speakers. And naturally as the night rolls on, Tone Loc might inspire you to step up to the mic and do the “Wild Thing.” The Brit reigns supreme in timeless tribute to good times and good tunes.

Best Selection of Wines by the Glass

A Taste of Monterey

700 Cannery Row, Monterey (831) 646-5446, atasteofmonterey.com

Thank god the decade of wine coolers is long gone! From the start of the 1980s to 1987, about 50 million cases of the cheap wine mixed with artificial fruit flavorings were sold, representing 22 percent of the U.S. wine market, according to the International Wine & Food Society. Meanwhile, California Chardonnay burst on the scene at the same time, growing in popularity over the decades. It’s the number-one varietal in Monterey County. County vineyards produced 55,300 tons of it in 2017, 10 times what they turned out in Pinot Gris. Riesling and Gewurztraminer did only slightly better than Pinot, with Sauvignon Blanc not far behind. Year after year, Weekly readers say the best place to sample each of the county’s wines by the glass is at A Taste of Monterey. Nothing artificial here: The place boasts 95 different local wines for tasting, along with an outstanding bar menu and one of the best views of Monterey Bay along Cannery Row.

Best Bloody Mary

Crema

481 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove (831) 324-0347, cremapg.com

The Bloody Mary has a history that goes way back to before you were born. The story, roughly, goes like this: During the Russian Revolution, Russians fled in large numbers, many of them to France. Naturally, they brought vodka. Circa 1921, Fernand Petiot, a bartender in Paris, was trying to do something interesting with the relatively tasteless new spirit. He started muddling it with tomato juice, a blend Petiot brought with him to the St. Regis Hotel in New York in 1934. Its big mainstream breakout was in Cocktail Guide and Ladies’ Companion by Crosby Gaige in 1941. Crema is still honoring that classic and sacred combination of vodka and tomato – with the addition of pickled veggies, olives and bacon. It’s spicy, it’s meaty and it’s perfection.

Best Margarita

Baja Cantina

7166 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel (831) 625-2252, carmelcantina.com

As one legend has it, the margarita was invented in a border town bar in 1938 for a particularly picky customer who could only drink tequila but didn’t want it straight. That same legend probably applied to that ’80s favorite, the tequila sunrise. No matter. Today Baja Cantina serves several renditions on the classic thirst-quenching margarita. Choices include the indulgent Cadillac margarita finished with a float of Grand Marnier, the organic partida with agave nectar and the pleasingly sweet and simple strawberry margarita.

Best Martini

Jacks Monterey

Portola Hotel & Spa 2 Portola Plaza, Monterey (831) 649-7830, portolahotel.com

Jacks is a good spot to order a martini, and you know that just by looking at the place. This is no Long Island iced tea dive. No, it’s a swanky yet casual space that spills out into the Portola’s lobby and seems to suggest three-martini lunches, or maybe a martini-laden happy hour. On the other hand, there are signature cocktails that also rank among the region’s best. And it’s OK to be distracted by these. But when you take a look at that shimmering, crystal clear concoction – there’s a reason it’s the best.

Best Bartender

Anthony Vitacca

Montrio Bistro 414 Calle Principal, Monterey (831) 648-8880, montrio.com

Beer might have been good enough for Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin, but Montrio isn’t just any neighborhood joint. And no one better sets the upscale casual vibe than Anthony Vitacca. For one cocktail, he may hover over a smoker for days just to gather enough water to make smoked ice. For another, he may go through the alchemy necessary to produce chartreuse dust. The effort is not for vanity’s sake. Vitacca’s cocktails are evocative, capable of sending your mind to a distant place or another time. Once there were bartenders like Sam at Cheers. Then came mixologists. Vitacca prefers “spiritsmith,” as a smith creates with beauty and craftsmanship in mind. “Now the pressure is on to push the cocktail envelope even further,” he says. “Game on.”

Best Club DJ

DJ Hanif Wondir

(831) 320-8745, hanifwondir.com

For nearly 20 years, Wondir has been mixing it up and scratching behind the turntables. In addition to recording with notables, including Talib Kweli, KRS-One and DJ Rob Swift, he’s shared stages with the likes of De La Soul, Common and Mos Def – what, no DJ Jazzy Jeff? But it all comes down to Wondir’s original delivery of music, whether it’s obscure contemporary stuff or throwback material you haven’t heard. “I find my particular style circulates around being different from the cookie cutter and keeping people on their toes with unexpected, highly curated, fresh music that they’ve never heard, but love,” he says. “When you spend the time to really formulate your own voice in your music selection and style, there’s no limit to what you can do.”

Best Local Band

The Money Band

(858) 752-3590, moneyband.org

The Money Band’s Steve Moseley (guitar, vocals), Zoe Alexander (lead vocals, harmonica, percussion), Luke Little (bass) and Shane Tyler (drums, vocals) have been one of the most prolific and consistent local bands for more than 20 years. Aside from their infectious charisma, they boast astonishing versatility: During the same show, you can expect to hear everything from Sublime and the Rolling Stones to Maroon 5 and Johnny Cash. The Money Band has also given back: A few years ago, they performed with members from Journey to raise more than $1 million for the Make A Wish Foundation.

Best Local Musician

Dennis Murphy

Dennis Murphy School of Music 171 Webster St., Monterey (831) 920-1310, dennismurphyschoolofmusic.com

Dennis Murphy’s name seems to come up when you’re just waiting in line at the supermarket. Two parents realize both their children have taken ukulele lessons, or maybe guitar or bass lessons, from the three-time Grammy Award nominee. For three decades, any youngster learning a musical instrument on the Monterey Peninsula most likely has been through the Dennis Murphy School of Music. In addition to leading several local combos, Murphy’s recorded, produced, arranged and/or performed on over 100 records. Additionally, Murphy has taught music in 15 schools around Monterey County and gives over 150 workshops/sessions annually.

Best Coffee Shop

Carmel Valley Coffee Roasting Company

Various locations carmelcoffeeroasters.com

The history of the coffee house is somewhat unclear, but it might’ve originated as early as the 16th century – how’s that for a throwback? With seven coffee shops around the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Valley Coffee Roasting Company feels like it’s everywhere. The only certified organic coffee roaster in the area, they do their roasting in Carmel Valley, then deliver the beans all over town. Most locations have a turntable and small record collection, truly a throwback feature – and part of the reason for making it a good place to sit and sip for hours. Be prepared to hear oldies but goldies, including Adam Ant.

Best Theater Company Best Theater Production of 2018

Pacific Repertory Theatre Mamma Mia!

Monte Verde and Casanova streets between Eighth and Ninth, Carmel (831) 622-0100, pacrep.org

It wasn’t a latchkey kid with an obsession with Pac-Man, but PacRep was a child of the ’80s. It was founded in ’83, launched its first play series in ’84, got a lease in a New Monterey theater in ’86 and, according to founder Stephen Moorer, “erected a 300-seat tent at the top of Fisherman’s Wharf” for musical theater in ’88. It was, like, a totally awesome time. But things haven’t been too gnarly lately. They opened a charity resale shop, received a $2.3 million gift, and broke box office records with The Little Mermaid. PacRep urged fans to vote for The Little Mermaid as the Best Local Theater Production of 2018, but audiences can be fickle, and the people chose another PacRep show, Mamma Mia!… again. It won readers’ love in 2018, too. Can’t win ’em all. Or can you?

Best Movie Theater

Osio Theater

350 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 901-3119, osiotheater.com

When you think of ’80s movies, the big references will be E.T., Ghostbusters, The Breakfast Club, Back to the Future, Beverly Hills Cop. Awesome. But if the Osio were to do the ’80s, it would be the underground stuff, like Jim Jarmusch’s quirky Stranger Than Paradise, David Lynch’s dark Blue Velvet, Penelope Spheeris’ disturbing Suburbia, Michael Moore’s bittersweetRoger & Me, Spike Lee’s refreshing She’s Gotta Have It. It’s gone through a few permutations in its 15 or so years. The latest: They’ve been granted nonprofit status. Interim Executive Director Brandi Lamb says that gives the theater more revenue sources to keep those awesome indie films coming, as well as beginning a youth filmmaking program and doing film series in underserved parts of Monterey County. Word up.

Best Museum

Monterey Bay Aquarium

886 Cannery Row, Monterey (831) 648-4800, montereybayaquarium.org

Oct. 20, 1984. That’s the day 10,681 people visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium on opening day, forever changing the landscape of Monterey County as a world-class tourist destination and a world leader in ocean research and conservation. An average of 2 million people a year from all over the world come to visit, more than 62 million total since 1984. Its ongoing status as Best Museum is well deserved: It’s the first and only aquarium in the world to build a living kelp forest exhibit; successfully exhibit and release great white sharks; and exhibit deep-sea cephalopods, including two species of squid, vampire and strawberry.

Best Performing Arts Center

Sunset Center

San Carlos between Eighth and Ninth, Carmel (831) 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org

Stately architecture, innovative acoustics, beautiful interior design, comfy seats, solid programming. Myriad restaurants, bars and cafes just up the street. Home to two art galleries and smaller rooms for community events. What more could you ask for in a performing arts venue? And some of the big, longstanding acts that have come through first broke big in the ’80s, including the B-52s, Olivia Newton-John, Styx and Kenny Loggins. Some of the upcoming acts include Anoushka Shankar, Buddy Guy, the Monterey Symphony and Louie Anderson.

Best Dance Studio

The Dance Center

26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd., Carmel (831) 625-3262, dancecarmel.com

Moonwalk to Carmel’s all-encompassing dance school to learn styles like jazz, ballet, tap and hip-hop. How about the Electric Slide? Not! Their 7,000-square-foot studio gives seasoned dancers room to move and newbies the space to fall – and then, of course, get right back up. They offer group classes for kids, adults and private instruction, and their schedule is so extensive they post months’ worth at a time on their website. Fun fact: They still have a fax machine, so maybe it’s no surprise they’ve been helping the community hone dance moves for over 30 years.

Best Photo Gallery

Center for Photographic Art

San Carlos and Ninth, Carmel (831) 625-5181, photography.org

The focus of this sleek and compact gallery space is West Coast fine art photography, but in the periphery are educational lectures and workshops, fun art receptions, and gatherings of creative people. It was founded by friends Ansel Adams, Cole Weston and Wynn Bullock in 1967. They moved operations to San Francisco in 1987, but Executive Director Brian Taylor says that the space continues to merge camaraderie and craft in engaging exhibitions and events. And membership unlocks even more goodies, including critiques, film screenings and print exchanges.

Best Art Gallery Best Gallery for Contemporary Art

Monterey Museum of Art

559 Pacific St., Monterey 720 Via Mirada, Monterey (831) 372-5477, montereyart.org

So this is an art museum with multiple galleries within it, not simply an art gallery. And a lot of its collection is not contemporary in the newer iterations. But never mind the semantics – locals adore the Monterey Museum of Art. Some new developments include the newish Currents and FLUX galleries that tout one local artist each month; a resurrected La Mirada (which was bequeathed by Frank Work in 1983) hosting music and talks; and this year’s 60th anniversary events, culminating this summer with David Hockney’s digital sketches of Yosemite.

Best Local Artist

Richard McDonald

Dawson Cole Fine Art Lincoln and Sixth, Carmel (831) 655-0424, richardmacdonald.com

Like the Weekly, 2018 was also a milestone 30th anniversary year for sculptor Richard McDonald. He was classically trained as a painter and illustrator before switching, under his own self-taught tutelage, to sculpture in 1988. He’s since achieved great success with his taut, twisty, moody figurative bronzes of dancers, athletes and performers – works in which you can see lines scraped across the contours of their bodies like cross hatch marks. It’s captivating stuff.