It's delicious! If you're in the area, I highly recommend trying it. We stayed in Carmel but came…read morehere specifically to eat and it was fantastic. I recommend the gala yogurt, and pistachio cake.

The new gold standard…read more Alta is the new gold standard by which I will unfortunately be judging every bakery from now on. Get there early or prepare to wait in line--the secret is very much out. And deservedly so. The staff is exceptionally friendly, the setting is wonderful, and somehow the food tastes even better than it looks, which is an accomplishment considering the artistry coming out of the pastry case. Alta occupies part of the historic Cooper-Molera Adobe complex, and its back garden may be one of the loveliest places I've ever eaten breakfast. Passionflowers tumble over walls and trellises, potted plants and mature trees soften the courtyard, and shade sails make it an incredibly pleasant place to linger over coffee and pastry. It feels less like café seating and more like breakfast in a particularly lovely California garden. And then there's the food. I came back two mornings in a row. The first day's quiche was ham and roasted pepper; the second was cheese and mushroom. Both were outstanding. The egg filling had this almost impossibly silky quality, with a beautifully browned top and crisp, buttery crust. I found myself deliberately slowing down because I genuinely wanted to savor every bite. The pistachio-rose swirl was exceptional: delicate, flaky layers with honey, pistachio and rose playing off one another without becoming cloyingly sweet or perfumey. It's the sort of pastry that reminds you what laminated dough is actually supposed to be. The maple-bacon swirl was the only thing that didn't quite reach the same stratospheric level. The flavor was good, but the rendered bacon fat seemed to fuse some of those beautiful layers together during baking. At most bakeries I probably still would have called it very good. Alta had simply set an absurdly high standard for itself. Then a table beside me ordered the smoked-salmon toast, I saw it arrive, and resistance became pointless. Warm, hearty, thick-cut bread topped with crème fraîche, radish, pickled red onion, greens and a genuinely generous amount of smoked salmon. A triumph. Even the pistachio-honey latte was a dream. I can't rave about Alta enough. My only complaint is that I didn't have more mornings in Monterey to work my way through the rest of the menu. It was one of the culinary highlights of the entire trip and is now my benchmark for what an excellent bakery can be. Alta, you have ruined lesser bakeries for me. Five stars. No notes. Except: make more pastries. I have unfinished business.

After a long visit to the aquarium, I searched for a place with gluten free food bc my husband has…read moreCeliac. It was a nice walk to the marina on a beautiful sunny day. We met Raul at the counter. He is by far the most friendly, kind and informed restaurant staff (about gluten sensitivity, gluten allergy and what it is to have Celiac) we've ever met. He explained how he prepares the gluten free dough separate, bakes it separate and plates it separate. Based on Raul's genuine concern and knowledge, my hubby decided to try it. Our family had various different sandwiches. (I had the very delicious Vegetariano.) We all agreed they were THE BEST SANDWICHES WE'VE EVER HAD...EVER...ANYWHERE...(mike drop).The freshly baked bread was incredible, all of the ingredients were fresh, even the side salad was amazing!!! The service was straight out of the old days, when people actually had pride in their work and genuinely cared about how you were treated in their establishment. We wish every restaurant that offers gluten free options could have someone as friendly, kind and knowledgeable as Raul. The ambiance was very cute/quaint inside and out. It was a beautiful sunny day so we sat outside to enjoy the sunshine and listen to the sea lions. Raul came out to check on us and we could not thank him enough for his amazing food and hospitality. When we said how much we enjoyed the gluten free bread, he told us he sold the flour (from Italy) inside. My adult son immediately bought some for us to bake gluten-free bread at home. (We've since baked gluten-free bread and it was just as amazing) I've told everyone I know about this amazing place. It has the trifecta of what makes us want to return frequently: *****Food *****Service *****Ambiance Until next time Piccolo!

Small, cute spot by the water. There are a few tables inside and more tables outside (though it was…read morebreezy when we went). Note that this restaurant is on the ground floor and there is a different restaurant up top. We ordered the Mortadella Pistachio Panini and the Piccolo salad. The panini was absolutely awesome and the meat was sliced so delicately thin. The salad was good, but the panini was way better. Service was quick. Note: The restaurant doesn't have its own bathroom but there is a public restroom across the street. The public restroom was a bit gross when I went in (lots of flies swarming) and did not have a diaper changing table.

Placing the online order was a breeze. Everything was easily customizable through their site and…read morepickup approximation was available to follow. On a Sunday evening, pickup was insane. The streets of Alvarado and surrounding were packed with cars and people. We circled the blocks surrounding a couple of times before double parking a block away from the brewery. My little person was with me on this mission. Upon entering the brewery, the hostess had a line of five groups in front of us being put on a waiting list to be seated. Inside, every seat and stool was occupied. The tables and seating were compact with enough aisle space to allow servers through to deliver orders. When it was our turn, I provided my name for pickup. We were instructed to get our order from the beer garden. Location of the beer garden, in the rear of the overpacked aisles we had to beeline through. The interior of this location spans vastly which is great for customer seating and lessening wait times, yet sucks for those needing to retrieve their pickup. When we finally made it to the rear, our order was ready to go. I signed the receipt and was off. The food itself was prepared exceptionally well, extremely flavorful with high quality ingredients and nothing but compliments from each of us - three in total. Our daughter killed every slice of her pizza minus one, husband devoured his and I had a few slices remaining that I ate for breakfast cold. The cheesy crust was a beautiful crunchy addition texturally and flavor wise; however, cold it was hard to bite through as easy. Would we return, definitely. We will do a one person hop out and grab the food while the other circles. Lucky there were no cops out towing - I was in the red for a minute waiting to pickup.

The beer has always been better than the food but it's a brewery, what do you expect? If you don't…read morelike the pizza, have another beer! Would be 5 stars but inflation hit this place hard lol. I'll be back, but I feel like they could offer a bit more value for the price.

Absolutely the best! Whimsical, fun and amazing food and people!!! I'll surely be back!read more

There were no seats inside when we arrived, but sitting outside under a heat lamp felt delightful…read more A chill in the air but warm food and helpful service. We shared cauliflower and artichokes to start. A pizza for the main dish. A brownie smothered in some kind of unique sauce with coconut ice cream. All of the food was delicious and the atmosphere charming. There was live music and I would definitely go back.

Still great after all these years! Just went yesterday for a #15 hoagie and it was delicious as…read moreever. If you are an Italian dry salami snob like me, this is your spot. I'm 99% sure he still uses Molinari salami because the flavor, texture, and taste are absolutely impeccable. Italian dry salami quality in sandwich delis in the United States has drastically declined in the last couple decades. Not here though thankfully. The selection of uncommon chips and drinks is still top-notch...this has to be the only place I've ever seen Faygo in the Monterey area! The deviled eggs are still great also. I got there too late for broccoli salad. Bennett is still running the register, cracking jokes, and making smiles happen for his old regulars. And it looks like he has a really good crew currently. We will be back again and again. While I do enjoy the more upscale Italian sandwiches of Coniglio Bros on cannery row once in awhile, nothing slaps like a sandwich from an old school neighborhood minimart deli. This is the sandwich of your childhood, your teen years, and your early adulthood. This is how California nostalgia tastes.

Fantastic! My friend…read morerecommended that we pick up sandwiches here before a Big Sur trip. I'm so glad she did - this place is great! If you'd like to order a sandwich, there is a picnic table outside with clipboards and order sheets. You can order off their very extensive menu of sandwiches, or create your own. There is a wide variety of bread, meat, and cheese options so everyone can find something they like. Be very cautious if you order a whole sandwich because saying they are huge is an understatement. When you are ready to order, you bring the sheet to the back left deli counter where they have their display and desserts. While we waited for our sandwiches, we took some time to look around the market. It is fantastic! The decor is lovely. The items they have in stock is also impressive. They have your basic items like chips and soda, but also a large international snack section. There are shelves of foreign chip flavors and drinks which is very neat. They also have a super wide variety of domestic products that you can't typically find everywhere. I was thoroughly impressed with all they have to offer. The sandwich itself was the cherry on the cake. It was the biggest sandwich I have ever seen. I was shocked at how thick and heavy it was. It was incredibly affordable too! It tasted delicious and very fresh. I will definitely be a repeat customer whenever I am in the area.

What a cute place! The falafel wrap was one of the BEST I ever had! So fresh and made with love…read more The SPICY LEMONADE was outstanding, we never had anything like it. A wonderful surprise and a joy for our tastebuds! Small and comfy area to sit. Very casual and awesome! One man show and made with love. THANK YOU!

What an amazing little hidden gem. This place is the real deal. Very authentic, and very…read morethoughtfully cooked. The man who made our food was making it to Order and he had been running this business for over 40 years! The service was excellent and it felt very personal. The food was absolutely delicious! Everyone in our party completely agree agreed that they loved everything they ate. There were two omnivores, one vegan, and one vegetarian. And the vegan baklava! What an incredibly unique and special treat to find baklava vegan! Absolutely delicious! I'm a huge fan of spanakopita, but I haven't been able to eat it for a long time because I'm the vegan in the group and when I said something about that out loud, he said he would make me a special vegan spanakopita! Right there! Made To Order! This man is amazing. Seating is very limited, so several of the people we saw that came behind us got their food to go. I think most people there need to expect there would be a little bit of a weight and that seating is very limited and it's outdoors. Although the outdoor seating does have covering. All the people in line, waiting for food seem to have no problem waiting for it because they knew it would be worth it. And honestly... Considering the line of people we saw behind us (10-11?) and the fact that there were three ahead of us... no one really had to wait very long at all! It was really impressive how much he could get done by himself. The next time you're in Monterey, California, you definitely need to check out Paprika. I only managed to get one photo of my plate of food because I was too distracted by deliciousness to remember to take photos of anyone else's food. And obviously, by the time I remembered to photograph the baklava.... Several pieces seem to be missing.

Do not come to Monterey without going to the Wade Street Cafe for breakfast or lunch! The food…read morechoices are plentiful and the quality of the food is fantastic!! The service is bar none!!

Second time eating at Wave Street Cafe, and it definitely won't be our last!…read more Overall, the food was amazing. My husband wasn't a fan of the grilled chicken, but everyone else's meals were delicious. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, the eggs were great, and the thick-cut toast was fresh and so tasty. But the real star of the meal was the Cinnamon BUN Pancakes... WOW. They were absolutely delicious! Soft, flavorful, and honestly some of the best pancakes I've ever had. I couldn't get enough of them. The prices were also very reasonable, especially for being so close to the beach. Great food, great location, and a place we'll continue coming back to. Highly recommend! My picture does not do it justice

I'm from Los Angeles and eat a bunch of Pho, especially in a market where everyone is trying to…read morecompete for the best foods. All I had was the broth (Hangover Cure) and this might be HANDS DOWN THE BEST PHO BROTH I'VE EVER Had! Sadly I left without having a full Chicken Pho but I'll be back!

Party of 6 on a Saturday night. Expecting a decent dinner at Rice and Roots…read more Ordered a variety of popular menu items and every single dish was un-authentic. Taste was bland. Ordered a Vietnamese coffee and it was served in a plastic cup. Highly doubtful this was a traditional brewed drip drink. Probably powered coffee with 60% ice. Very disappointing. All dishes were lacking taste. And to top it off, a credit card fee was baked into the bill. If you pay with cash, there is a discount. I don't recommend Rice and Roots. There are other similar options with better food and prices out there.

Excellent fries and gyro, amazing service. Love the guy that works here. Can't recommend enoughread more

Well today, May 5, their website says OPEN at 11am, it's…read morenow 11:21 and they're not open. That drives me crazy around here: web says one thing but in reality it's ain't the right thing.

I finally was able to make a trip to Monterey/Pacific Grove, sadly it's been years. That being said…read morewe chose Rosine's because it was always a favorite of ours. Our order consisted of a steak salad/fries and a calamari steak sandwich. I can't comment on my daughter's food because she ate all of it with no complaints. Mine was ok, wasn't bad nor great but I was excited (I'm a fatty) about the slice of key lime pie I took home. Unfortunately I was really disappointed. No key lime "zing" to the filling and the whipped cream only had a small hint of sweetness. The sliced almonds were really unpleasant, they had the old rancid taste/smell. Overall I wasn't thrilled with the food nor the price. Service was below average, I say that because it was not busy at all yet we had to get the servers attention more than once, meaning she didn't check on us. On a positive note I was able to spend the day with my beautiful daughter.

We found Rosine's completely by chance while visiting Monterey. We didn't know the area, didn't…read morehave a reservation, and had been looking for a restaurant with this kind of menu. I'm so glad we walked in. We arrived close to closing, and the first interaction was a little rough. The manager told us, in a loud tone, that we'd better order right away. It caught me off guard and felt rude, though I understand it was the end of a long day and we had come in at the last minute. After that, the experience was amazing. The host and our waiter took great care of us, and the food was superb--honestly, above a 10 for me. Everything we tried, from the main dishes to the desserts, had wonderful flavor. Even the salad impressed someone in our group with its Italian flavors. Despite that first moment, we left happy we'd found Rosine's. If you're in Monterey, I definitely recommend stopping by with family or friends.