Readers Poll 2024

Shopping & Services BEST DENTAL PRACTICE Monterey Peninsula Dental Group 333 El Dorado St., Monterey (831) 373-3068, mpdg.com One of the most famous characters of the Old West, Doc Holliday—the same Doc Holliday who was a gambler, legendary gunman at the O.K. Corral and best friend of Wyatt Earp—got started as a dentist. That’s right, John Henry Holliday enrolled at the prestigious Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery at age 19, at the urging of his father, who considered dentistry to be a more honorable profession than medicine. Upon graduation at 21, Holliday opened a dental practice in his home state of Georgia, but tuberculosis prompted him to move west where the air was dryer. He built a thriving practice in Texas, only to have the disease worsen, forcing him to leave dentistry altogether. He switched to gambling and gunslinging and the rest is history. Modern dentistry has evolved well beyond Holliday’s years in the profession, and readers believe the best dentists and hygienists around work at Monterey Peninsula Dental Group, founded in 1972. This is the eighth year in a row the practice has won the Best Of poll. They provide everything from teeth cleanings to cosmetic treatments, fillings, crowns, extractions and solutions for TMJ disorder, making patients feel well cared for. BEST ORTHODONTIST Dr. Matthew Ronconi 780 East Romie Lane, Suite G, Salinas (831) 422-7424, ronconiorthodontics.com Cowboys weren’t much for taking care of their teeth, let alone keeping them aligned. Those who put a little effort into them rubbed salt and charcoal across their choppers and called it good. If one or two of their teeth fell out, oh well, it is what it is. Dr. Matthew Ronconi would’ve had his work cut out for him, but he’s more than capable. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the UCLA School of Dentistry. During a three-year orthodontic residency at Montefiore Medical Center Albert Einstein School of Medicine Teaching Hospital in New York City, he was the chief resident during his final year. BEST ATTORNEY Jeannette Witten 26515 Carmel Rancho Blvd., Suite 200, Carmel (831) 480-6608, hudsonmartin.com In Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption, protagonist and former outlaw John Marston and his family are kidnapped by Pinkerton agents— maybe they are FBI—who force him to hunt down his former gang. Marston probably would have had a good case against his kidnappers if he hired an attorney such as Jeannette Witten, who could have sorted everything out. Witten has more than 20 years of experience in law, with a specialty in business law and estate planning. Marston, however, might have been out of luck with his shady business operations in his former life—no defense attorney would have touched that. BEST LAW FIRM Fenton & Keller 2801 Highway 68, Monterey (831) 373-1241, fentonkeller.com Some things about the Wild West are wrongly glamorized. The good news is we’ve come a long way from vigilante justice, and that’s in no small part thanks to the team of expert attorneys at a firm like Fenton & Keller. They’re ready to dive into even the most complicated legal issues, whether it’s a land use or labor question. They stay up to date on the latest laws out of the Capitol so they can help their clients understand what’s new and how to comply. Like we said, far from the lawlessness of the Old West—meaning clarity, order and fairness prevail, even in the courtroom of Judge Roy Bean. 52 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2024 montereycountynow.com/bestof ’23 ‘‘ ‘‘ Cedric Johnson Certified Massage Practitioner TesTimonial I work in a high-stress job and commute over 140 miles every day. If it weren’t for my regular appointments with Cedric over the years, I probably wouldn’t have been able to excel in my line of work. He is professional, attentive, and genuinely cares about his clients’ wellbeing and health. I am not surprised he has been chosen the best massage therapist in Monterey County for the second year in a row! -Richard alipaz Peak Performance Massage 831-320-4845 or 831-241-2778 peakperformancemassage831.com ’24 Thank you! Best Massage tHeraPIst

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