Specialty Foods The brisket is best in the county. And the chef creates his own sausages, as well as the best ground beef blend you can take home. But you can’t go wrong with house-cured bacon. Or imported jamón ibérico, for that matter. BEST CUPCAKE BEST CAKE Layers 9 Soledad Drive, Monterey (831) 655-1544, layerscake.com Every small town in the Old West would eventually see a bakery open— single cowboys, ranch hands and miners didn’t cook and they needed someplace to get their daily bread. Many of those bakeries were run by women, and most of those descended from European countries known for their baked goods, so sweet treats like cakes, pies, donuts and pastries became staples. We bet even the toughest of cowboys would have melted at the first bite of a cake or cupcake from Layers. They would have swooned over the pretty decorations carefully applied by Layers’ expert cake decorators. It’s a combination that has Weekly readers voting for Layers year after year. BEST COOKIE Paris Bakery 271 Bonifacio Place, Monterey (831) 646-1620 1232 Braodway Ave., Seaside (831) 394-7798, parisbakery.us When is a cookie more than just a cookie? Perhaps when it is made in the traditional style and with authentic ingredients, just like the tasty treasures at Paris Bakery. Since 1985, locals have enjoyed delicate almond tuiles and authentic Palmier, painstakingly made with Paris’ homemade puff pastry dough. If you’re reading this near a holiday, like Halloween, Christmas or National Mule Day (Oct. 26), Paris Bakery offers adorable and festive cookies for (almost) any occasion. BEST PIE Sweet Elena’s 465 Olympia Ave., Sand City (831) 393-2063, sweetelenas.com Pie was a treat even pioneers could enjoy—fresh-picked berries, dough rolled out, wood ready in the potbelly stove. The wonder of pie is really no different today, especially at Sweet Elena’s. Pies are available not only in their normal pie size, but also in a mini version that you can devour solo, maybe even in your car, if you happen to be a pie monster. Pie flavors come with seasons; their signature olallieberry pie is must-try and the pecan pie is perfect for Thanksgiving season; in summer, go for strawberry-rhubarb. All of them are fresh, not too sweet, filled with real fruit and generously covered with crumbles. BEST ICE CREAM/FROZEN YOGURT MYO Frozen Yogurt 840 Broadway Ave., Seaside (831) 375-3769 1091 S. Main St., Salinas (831) 759-9769 157 Crossroads Blvd., Carmel (831) 574-3228, myofrozenyogurt.com Believe it or not, there was ice cream in the Old West. But like everything back then, it required work—and a lot of ice chipped from the local icehouse. Specifically constant churning. Thankfully, the folks at MYO (and their machines) do the work for us. This chain uses 100 percent frozen yogurt to make its treats. Each store offers at least eight flavors on tap and over a dozen toppings to choose from; for purists, plain tart is always an option. Go wild with the toppings bar if you like, or go healthy and stick to fruit and nuts. BEST MILKSHAKE Fountain Court Café Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, 23625 Highway 68, Monterey (831) 625-4863, montagehealth.org The word “milkshake” first appeared in print in 1885, but it didn’t mean what we think of as a milkshake today. The first milkshakes contained cream, eggs and whiskey—certainly every cowboy would approve of such a concoction. It was considered not just a treat, but a healthful tonic. At Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, the Fountain Court Café team understands the same premise— what better way to boost the spirits of someone at the hospital?—and uses a stand-up drink mixer, just like oldtime soda fountains. They’re thick, rich, creamy—everything you want a perfect milkshake to be. They might not be a health food, but they certainly are a pick-me-up for what ails you. 110 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2024 montereycountynow.com/bestof Layers Sensation Cakes www.layerscake.com 9 Soledad Dr. Monterey 655 1544 ’24 Thank you for voting us BEST CAKES! and BEST CUPCAKES
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