I've never really been a big fish taco kind of guy, but Dave's Oyster Shak changed that really…read morequick. There Fish tacos are, literally, to die for. The portion of fish is enormous, the tortilla is made fresh to order and their combination of sauces is really out of this world. Dave really knows what he's doing. Would recommend them to anyone and everyone.

This is by far the best fish tacos you will have in your lifetime. The rajin cajin shrim will make…read moreyou come back for more. The food is the best sea food i have tasted.

We stayed here for the SLH Sun Wind & Wine festival at Mer Soleil Vineyards and it was a good and…read moreconvenient choice. We were pleased with our 2nd floor room. It was spacious and comfortable. As others have noted, the stairs are a bit steep but we had no issues with it. The downside of the property is that it feels quite impersonal. You check in like you would at an AirBnB rental. There is ostensibly an innkeeper on site but we never met (nor needed) them. There were also some difficulties getting our reservation payment process finalized. Even though we reserved via Booking.com, the property uses their own system and the information did not coordinate well. It took multiple messages back and forth with a remote service center before things got squared away. Knowing what i know now, I would just book direct if the rates aligned. BOTTOM LINE: A nice choice at a memorable but slightly quirky property. We would stay here again.

We came back again! This is our favorite place for Laguna Seca races: 8 minutes away from the race…read moretrack entrance, very quiet (!) and remote, nestled into green park surroundings of a private gated community, but only 5-8 minute drive to downtown Salinas. We stayed two nights (FRI to SUN). The rooms are gorgeous and we always love the lush surroundings and serene vibe. The inn keepers are there to help, and after all the race noise and engine sounds it was fantastic to snuggle into bed at night with (free) popcorn and watch a movie after relaxing in the bubble bath. We will be back, for sure.

Pretty hall! Great kitchen, sound system…read more Hall mgr is great to work with. Price is super!

If you are considering Holly Farm as the venue for your wedding, and you just want the tl;dr, then…read morehere are my three most important suggestions for you: 1) You should absolutely go with Holly Farm. 2) You should accept every piece of advice Erin, Ryan, and the rest of the incredible team have for you along the way. 3) You should start getting excited right now about La Creme because their food is out of this world. Picking Holly Farm as our venue was the first choice we made in our wedding planning process, and trust me when I say that it was by far the best one. The pictures speak for themselves, and yes, it's as amazing as it looks (though if you haven't visited, you should take the excuse - it's truly stunning in person), but the real game changer is the team. The Holly Farm fam has been at this for decades, and it SHOWS. They cater to your needs and your vision, whether you want to be super hands on and into the nitty gritty on everything, or whether you want somebody to completely take the reins for you. We were so so appreciative for Erin's help during the planning process; any time we were stuck on something, she had a recommendation ready that was never just "off the shelf". We didn't want to be totally consumed by wedding planning all the time, and even though Erin had a big list of vendors ready to go, we were more than happy to listen every time she said "here's the 2 who I think you guys would love". It's really really telling to me that every single vendor we spoke to - without exception, including the ones we didn't end up choosing - all said some version of the same thing: "oh man I LOVE doing weddings at Holly Farm". Here's what I'll say about the weekend itself - it truly feels like you are staying at a luxury resort where you and your friends are the only guests. The entire staff is so attentive, so friendly, and they take care of all the details and logistics so that your only job really is to just enjoy the weekend and stay relaxed. We cooked a huge friends and family dinner in the Adobe and they cleaned the entire kitchen for us! Anytime we were hanging out in the evenings they rolled the portable heaters up without us asking! They moved our rental equipment around to make cool outdoor spaces for us so that we could get more use out of it than just the wedding itself! And nothing felt so satisfying as passing by Ryan on a path and hearing "hey I just lit your fireplace for you!". Of everything we loved about our wedding, the thing we loved most was getting to have this full weekend experience with our closest friends and family in one place, made truly special by the care the entire Holly Farm team put into making us feel at ease and at home. And one final thing - lest I leave you with the impression that this is only about good vibes - the operations for the wedding itself were incredible. Every vendor knows the team and knows the venue, everything works like clockwork without you having to supervise anything, and Erin, Ryan, and their staff have things so tightly coordinated that we didn't have to stress about logistics at all once the weekend got started. I can't emphasize enough how big a difference that made to us compared to some horror stories we'd heard from other weddings. Here are some final quick hits on other things you might be wondering about - but seriously, pick Holly Farm: - I didn't write an entire review for Tamie and La Creme, because it would be just as long, but they do amazing work. This is straight up excellent food, not excellent "wedding" food. - The rooms and buildings are very cool and very comfortable. - Yes, the Paraiso suite is "open air". Yes, it really does stay warm. Having a roaring fire in there, plus a heated blanket on the bed....A+. - The optional River House for extra space is definitely walkable (~3 mins), but it's nice to have flashlights at night. - Having the flexibility to use the space however you want for the entire weekend is a highly highly underrated perk. We had people hanging out on Thursday and Friday and it was a ton of fun. Highly recommend making plans that utilize the space every day. - We were nervous about the higher cost at first, but asking friends and family who stayed on site to pay for rooms turned out to not be a very big deal, and what we charged them was still way less than area hotels. - The music has to switch from DJ's speakers to house speakers at 9:30pm, but the house speakers can stay on all night if you want. We had just as much fun after the switchover. - No curfew is also a huge perk not to overlook. Erin and Ryan if you're reading this THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN YOU GUYS ARE ROCK STARS!!

As my husband and I drive up the central coast to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary, we…read morethought this was the perfect time to share a little bit about our insanely incredible experience getting married at Holly Farm. Our wedding was an absolute dream come true. The love we had for each other and for our family and friends that traveled from across the country to celebrate with us was reflected in the beauty and spirit of Holly Farm and all of the wonderful folks that work there. From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by the warmth and charm of the space. It was as if every inch of the venue was designed to make us and our guests feel at home, while still capturing an elevated, magical atmosphere that was simply unforgettable. Everyone at Holly Farm went above and beyond to ensure each detail of our wedding weekend was flawless. Their attention to detail was extraordinary, and it was clear they genuinely cared about making our day perfect. Ryan and Erin were so caring and attentive, and they made us feel like family. They were there for every little detail and made us feel completely at ease. The food, catered by La Creme, was nothing short of five star restaurant quality. We've received countless compliments from our guests about how delicious everything was! This was a big deal, especially coming from our families who are used to extravagant New Jersey weddings with an abundance of food. They all told us it was the best wedding food they'd ever had, which is about the highest praise you can get from a family who knows food! Everything about The Holly Farm was perfect--from the gorgeous, tropical setting that felt like a hidden paradise against the coastal backdrop of Carmel to the impeccable service and food. We couldn't have imagined a more beautiful, heartfelt, and memorable experience, and our friends and family STILL haven't stopped raving about it! Our wedding weekend was made even more special thanks to the onsite haciendas where we, along with some of our close friends, stayed. The houses were cozy yet luxurious, and perfectly appointed with a level of service that truly felt five-star. Each detail was perfect, from the unbelievably comfortable beds to the wood burning fires that were lit by hand each night and the wonderful house staff that made everyone feel at home the moment they arrived. Getting to spend the whole weekend in such an enchanting space made the whole wedding feel so much more special, a truly immersive experience vs a single-day event. We loved discovering the countless nooks and crannies throughout the property where our friends and family could relax, chat, and soak in the surroundings. It created a sense of intimacy and closeness that made the entire experience feel so special. When the weekend was over, we genuinely didn't want to leave. Heck, we may even crash the wedding that's probably getting ready to kick off this weekend! The Holly Farm made every moment magical, and we will forever cherish our time spent there with the people we love most.

"A Slice of Monterey" is a cut above…read more Brad (proprietor) gets personally involved with wedding-quality event and catering details. He and his entire crew are professional, timely, economical, festive, tasteful, flexible, and experienced. The quality of the wood-oven pizza is fabulous, and impossible to otherwise obtain locally since it'd just be soggy mess by the time you drove it home or had it delivered. The pizzas are delivered hot and fresh from your driveway (where he pulls up his van and towed-oven). We enjoyed the food (and the reasonable costs!) so much for my wife's backyard birthday party, that we asked them back for a second event later this summer for Car Week. I would definitely do it again. Don't be fooled by the unpretentiousness of their pizza-value-proposition: This isn't a haughty Pebble Beach caterer for which you'd blow $10K+ for a soirée. It's better. It's elegant and authentic, sophisticated in its simplicity, and economical-enough to make any family or business event a cut above.

I highly recommend A Slice of Monterey for your next gathering. We had a great experience with Brad…read moreand his team. The service was excellent and the pizza was outstanding. We will be doing this again!

A beautiful open air venue to host your next event. If you appreciate a unique natural setting…read morewithout big fuss this is the place. 'Staged" on a lush terraced hillside with natural Oak trees and a Meyer Lemon Orchard. The views are both beautiful and serene. Located in Aromas , Ca which is a short drive from the Bay Area (under 2 hrs) and a 30 mins from most surrounding areas..Hollister, Monterey, Santa Cruz. Be sure to check out their website for all details and more photos.

First of all I want to commend the owner and staff of Ardent for taking a leap of faith and opening…read moreat Point Pinos during He COVID 19 pandemic. Takes muchos "Huevos" to do that. My review will be about the food, staff, and unfortunate situation regarding their end of tenure at Point Pinos. My first experience with Ardent was their $10 special during the initial COVID lock down. The special was a cheeseburger, fries, and a bottled soft drink for $10. My neighbors and I tried it and were all impressed and it became our treat during lockdown. Flash forward to the relaxation of strict COVID regulations and outdoor dinning allowed. Ardent was now offering outdoor seating and full menu. My favorites included the clam chowder, point Pinos burger, chicken sandwich, and flautas. All are homemade and large enough to share. The staff has always been attentive and non-intrusive. They always asked if we were playing through, just to make sure we didn't wait long for an order. It is a shame that Ardent wasn't allowed to continue their lease and forced out by the political machine of PG. Many feel that circumstances by which Ardent was forced out is shady, to say the least, and not keeping with the spirit of supporting risk takers, minority owned businesses, and decency. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to enjoy Ardent Culinaire and they have earned my loyalty.

Got to try their tacos at the Salinas Air Show this past weekend. All the ingredients were fresh…read moreand full of flavor. They had these little yellow things on top that I thought was cheese, but it turns out they were habanero shavings!! I got scared and picked mine off, but my boyfriend and his coworkers ate it and said they were SPICYYYY!! (in a good way)

Holman Ranch is truly one of the most breathtaking wedding venues in Carmel, and it's always a joy…read moreto photograph weddings there. With sweeping views of the Carmel Valley, a stunning ceremony space, and endless backdrops for portraits, it's a dream location for any couple looking for a timeless and picturesque setting. Every time I work at Holman Ranch, I'm reminded why it's one of my absolute favorite venues--the golden hills, the vineyards, and that iconic tree at the entrance make for the most incredible sunset portraits. Whether capturing intimate moments under the oak trees or heading up the hill for panoramic views, every wedding here feels like pure magic. I can't recommend Holman Ranch enough for couples who want a venue that is as breathtaking as their love story.

My best friend just held her wedding here over the past weekend! Absolutely gorgeous!!! The views…read moreare breathtaking, everybody is so nice, the wine is amazing and it was convenient to park too. She had a wonderful time and was so happy she chose this venue.