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The Monterey Bay area is a culinary paradise. The surrounding waters are full of fish, wild game roams the foothills, and the inland valleys are some of the most fertile in the country—local chefs draw on this bounty for their fresh, truly Californian cuisine. Except at beachside stands and inexpensive eateries, where anything goes, casual but neat dress is the norm.
Exotic Mediterranean flavors with an Afghan twist take center stage at this artsy, stylish space with soaring ceilings. In the evening, locals come to relax over wine and soft jazz at the blue-concrete bar, on the seasonal heated patio with twinkly lights, or at a communal table near the open kitchen.
This spacious restaurant with soaring ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows serves dishes featuring the authentic flavors of the French/Italian Riviera, from Nice to Genoa. The menu changes often, depending on ingredients acquired from local purveyors, but, in addition to house-made pizzas and traditional pastas, it might offer black-truffle cappellini in an Armagnac and truffle butter sauce, Dungeness crab gnocchi, or pork belly with squash and fennel in a scallop sauce.
A stylish Mexican eatery in the heart of downtown, Alejandro’s is designed to feel like a Yucatán holiday getaway. Options, many of them cooked in the wood-fired oven, include seafood tostadas and ceviches, birria (meat stew), bone-marrow tacos, and roast chicken wrapped in banana leaves.
By day, Bad Animal mostly sells rare and used books, but, at 5 pm, it morphs into a wine bar and restaurant, where you're encouraged to order a glass of wine while browsing the stacks. The menu depends on who is the current Culinary Artist in residence, a position that rotates every year or so. Previous artists, local up-and-coming chefs who typically plan to open their own restaurants when they move on, have showcased Italian and Thai cuisine.
Farm-fresh food is the specialty of this casual, Old Monterey–style bistro, where the herbs and seasonal produce come from its own organic gardens, the catch of the day comes from local waters, and the meats are hormone-free. Don't miss the collection of corkscrews dating from the 17th century to the present.
Vintage surfboards and local surf photography line the walls, and nearly every table overlooks sand and surf at this restaurant on the Santa Cruz Harbor. For sweeping ocean views and fish tacos, burgers, and other casual fare, head upstairs to the Breakwater Bar & Grill.
Fresh fish with a Latin accent makes this a favorite of locals for lunch or a casual dinner. Standard dishes include the sea garden salads—topped with your choice of fish—and the fried seafood plates.
Simple in appearance yet bold with its flavors, this Japanese–California seafood restaurant is one of Carmel's most inventive eateries. The warm, wood-lined dining room is broken up into very private booths.
Whether you're in the mood for an orange-olallieberry muffin, a wild rice and chicken salad, or tri-tip on garlic toast, this bakery-deli's varied menu is likely to satisfy. Munch on your lemon meringue tartlet or chocolate brownie on the shady patio, or dig into the daily blue-plate dinner—teriyaki grilled skirt steak with edamame-shiitake sticky rice, perhaps, or roast turkey breast with Chardonnay gravy—amid the whirl of activity inside.
Part of a complex that includes art galleries and an events venue, the Haute adds bohemian character to the seafaring village of Moss Landing. The inventive Latin American–inspired dishes include shrimp and black corn enchiladas topped with a citrus cilantro cream sauce, and roasted pasilla chilies stuffed with mashed plantains and caramelized onions.
Authentic Italian fare made with fresh local produce lures diners into this cozy, modern-rustic restaurant. Nearly everything is made in-house, from the pizzas and breads baked in the brick oven to the pasta and the vanilla-bean gelato.
Casual yet stylish and always packed, this seafood restaurant is removed from the hubbub of the wharf. The bartenders and waitstaff will gladly advise you on the perfect wine to go with your poached, blackened, or oak-grilled seafood.
This cheerful, white-walled storefront serves traditional dishes from Mexico and Latin America, with an emphasis on fresh seafood. Excellent red and green salsas are made throughout the day, and there's a large selection of beers, along with fresh lime margaritas.
When it's nice out, sun pours through the big windows of this cozy restaurant and across tables on the porch; when fog rolls in, the fireplace is lit. The American menu changes with the seasons, but grilled lamb chops atop mashed potatoes are often on offer for dinner, and a grilled calamari steak might be served for lunch, either in a salad or as part of a sandwich.
This cozy neighborhood restaurant serves one of Carmel’s most popular brunches every day, plus dinner several nights a week. The eclectic seasonal menu focuses on elegant comfort food with an international flair—options vary, but might include caviar with crème fraiche and kettle chips, shakshuka, chilaquiles, or poke bowls for brunch and soft-shell crab with fava bean puree for dinner.
