Top 10 Foodie Frolics in Monterey County
Monterey County is a foodie paradise with a bounty of local agriculture, viticulture and sustainable seafood. Visitors can explore this Mecca via fork and knife, and also tour farm and field to experience the roots (literally) of Monterey County’s epicurean delights. From acclaimed restaurants to haute events, farm stands to agricultural tours, foodies can sink their teeth into Monterey County in a variety of ways.
1. Sierra Mar Restaurant (Big Sur)
Dine where the views are as delicious as the food. The award winning Sierra Mar Restaurant at the luxurious Post Ranch Inn
sports breathtaking vistas of the Big Sur coastline that have earned it the number one ranking for decor in the 2010 Zagat Survey. The stunning scenery perfectly complements the ever-changing four-course prix-fixe menu and extensive wine list. It's no surprise that it's been featured on Food Network's America's Best and received the Forbes Travel Guide 4-Star Award two years in a row!
2. Passionfish (Pacific Grove)
Passionfish combines sustainable and organic food with a Wine Specatator Award of Excellence-winning wine list. Chef Ted Walter and his wife Cindy prove that "sustainable" and "scrumptious" can be synonymous. The couple have made it their mission to educate and advocate for sustainable seafood — and after dining here, you'll want to evangelize, too. As if that weren't alluring enough, their award-winning wine list is especially notable for its shockingly reasonable prices; most wines are priced at retail.
3. Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival (Pebble Beach)
The Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival puts the “epic” in epicurean. Over the course of four days, over 70 star chefs and 250 wineries offer lunches, dinners, wine tastings and cooking demonstrations in every corner of Pebble Beach Resorts. In the past years, the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival has made a splash as one of the top foodie events in the country! Mark those calendars for the April event to experience a top notch food and wine event in a top drawer location.
4. Casanova (Carmel-by-the-Sea)
You bet your napkin it’s romantic. Casanova Restaurant melds the heavenly cuisines of the south of France and northern Italy in an enchanting setting that has been the site of many a marriage proposal. The restuarant's hand-dug, award-winning wine cellar adds to its charm. If you're seeking to impress a group of guests, reserve the Van Gogh Room. Four to eight diners can eat at the very table Van Gogh used at his final home, Auberge Ravoux.
5. Ag Venture Tours (Salinas Valley and Carmel Valley)
Get to the source of what makes Monterey County a culinary hot spot with Ag Venture Tours. Specializing in wine tasting and agricultural education tours, this is a great way to get up close and personal with the area’s bounty. The knowledgeable guides, with backgrounds in both the agriculture and wine industries, will give you the inside scoop on the area's bounty. Cruise "California's Salad Bowl" from the organic gardens of Earthbound Farms to Castroville's exotic-looking artichoke fields to cherished vineyards of Carmel Valley and Salinas Valley.
6. Phil’s Fish Market (Moss Landing)
Where can you enjoy the legendary cioppino that beat celeb chef Bobby Flay’s recipe on the Food Network's "Throwdown" and pick up fruits of the sea to bring home? Phil’s Fish Market in Moss Landing is the spot. Not only do they host an expansive menu, including items to please the most finicky kids and vegetarians, they also have the freshest of seafood for purchase. Enjoy Monterey Bay as you dine; Phil's backyard is a public beach.
7. Marinus (Carmel Valley)
Nestled in beautiful hills of Carmel Valley is the luxury resort and spa, Bernardus Lodge. Nestled in Bernardus is Marinus, a culinary haven for locals and visitors alike. Just say “oui!” to acclaimed chef Cal Stamenov’s distinct Cal-French cuisine focused on local produce and seafood. How local is it? Many of the dishes are graced by herbs and vegetables that have traveled just a few yards from the chef's on-site garden to the diner's plate, via a quick stop in the kitchen for a simple but ambrosial preparation. Marinus is one of only two restaurants in Monterey County to repeatedly win the Forbes (formerly Mobil) Four-Star Restaurant award, most recently in 2010. It was also rated one of the top 100 restaurants in the country by Zagat.
8. Farmers' Markets (Throughout Monterey County)
The Salinas Valley is known as "California's Salad Bowl" and is fittingly home to many farmers' markets of varying sizes and specialties. There's one on almost every day of the week, and no matter where you are, there's a farmers' market near you. See our Monterey County farmers market schedule for more information. Several of these markets have both fresh produce and food booths from local chefs and restaurants serving up Monterey County's finest specialties. The largest is the Tuesday market in downtown Monterey, which during most months runs the entire length of the neighborhood's main drag, Alvarado Street.
9. The Farm (Salinas)
The Farm is designed to tell the story of contemporary farming amidst the majestic surroundings of the lush Salinas countryside. Tour, taste and discover the connection between Monterey County’s haute dining scene and nearby farmland. With an amazing produce stand featuring items picked that day and fun, informative farm tours, education can truly be delicious.
10. Pacific’s Edge (Carmel Highlands)
If the sumptuous menu at Pacific's Edge doesn’t take your breath away, its spectacular views of the ocean and rugged coastline surely will. This glass-walled restaurant located at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands serves the bounty of Monterey County’s seasonal offerings and was rated one of the Top 100 Restaurants in the United States by Zagat and one of the Top 10 Restaurants With a View by USA Today.
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