montereycountynow.com/bestof BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2024 115 Editors’ Picks Editors’ {Picks Best view of the Monterey Peninsula Mescal Heights Top of the stairs at the intersection of Mescal Street and Wanda Avenue, Seaside The oft-used term “Monterey Peninsula” rolls off the tongue, though every now and then one might ask: Have I actually seen the Monterey Peninsula? There are plenty of great vantage points in Seaside, but none better than in Mescal Heights, where the Peninsula’s majestic sweep comes into full view, as does the tarmac at the Monterey Regional Airport, which dwarfs the entire city of adjacent Del Rey Oaks. Mescal Heights is the place to take it all in, get one’s bearings, and feel OK about looking down on people. Best proof of concept that you create your own future Rancho Cielo Youth Campus 710 Old Stage Road, Salinas (831) 444-3533, ranchocieloyc.org In June of 2024, Rancho Cielo graduated its largest high school class ever. The Drummond Culinary Academy is a workforce pipeline direct to local restaurants, Construction Academy students beat out college teams to take home five first place awards at last year’s Orange County Sustainability Decathlon, and the Ag Technology and Mechatronics program is helping to lead industry innovation in the fields. Twenty years ago the idea to move young people from troubled paths to rewarding careers was a bit of a dream; today the campus houses nine different programs in a state-of-the-art setting, attracts some of the sharpest minds in education administration and routinely earns awards and grants to cement its future. Rancho Cielo is a living, breathing manifestation of the frontier myth of hard work paying great dividends. Best Farm To Shaker Colleen Kelly Lucia Restaurant & Bar 415 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley (831) 877-1099, bernarduslodge.com Any high-falootin’ bartender could turn to Jerry Thomas’ cocktail guide, published in 1862, for a standup whiskey concoction. But Colleen Kelly can take tradition and make it come alive, thanks to her creative bent and access to the gardens, orchards and apiary of Bernardus Lodge. A simple Old Fashioned dressed with freshly picked rosemary becomes extraordinary. Give her thyme and honey and she will pull together fascination in a glass, with rum, vanilla and pineapple juice. Kelly crafts cocktails with fresh herbs, seasonal fruits and even vegetables— cocktails you cannot find anywhere else in the county. Best Life-Saving Repurpose of a Decommissioned Newspaper Rack Narcan dispensers in Monterey Newspaper racks are tough cookies. They must withstand the elements and everything that gets thrown at them, including graffiti, stickers and seagull poop. After years of service, sometimes repairs become too cost-prohibitive and must be replaced with new ones. Instead of relegating them to the landfill, the Central Coast Overdose Prevention coalition and Monterey Police Department restored a few old racks into dispensers for naloxone. Known by its brand name Narcan, the medication reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. The bright blue dispensers are located at the Monterey Transit Plaza, Monterey Police Department and Monterey Outreach and Navigation Center. When every second counts after an overdose, having this medication easily accessible could save lives. Best Retirement By A Former Professional Athlete Scott Fujita In 1882, Minnesota squared off against Hamline in Minneapolis, probably on the west side of the Mississippi. The result was a 4-0 blowout in what may have been the first top level (college, at the time) football game in the Old West. Cal knocked off a club team in 1886, a year after Colorado College took on Denver. Hell, there was even a game in the Dakota Territory in 1889. Maybe that’s why Teddy Roosevelt became such a fan. Why bring up football? Well, Scott Fujita was a star linebacker in the NFL for 11 years. He helped the New Orleans Saints win the 2010 Super Bowl. After retiring, he joined the staff at All Saints Day School in Carmel Valley, becoming Head of School. Besides keeping the school on a sound financial footing, Fujita led the way in transforming unkempt fields of brush into modern athletic facilities for the students. After five years at the helm, serving young people, Fujita retired again— this time to the chair of the school’s board of directors. Best Business Name That Could Have Been Crafted By Dr. Suess Mix Stix Asian Fusion 751 Front St., Soledad (831) 237-5005, mixstixasianfusion.com The biggest dining decision an Old West cowboy had to make was whether they wanted salt pork or jerked beef. With today’s endless selection of Asian foods, it’s a hard row to hoe Best Blast of Fun in Pacific Grove | Pop & Hiss
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