72 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2024 montereycountynow.com/bestof Shopping & Services by rail to a spa to “take the waters.” It’s good that we live today, where Refuge can help us recover from soreness or the pressures of the world. The menu of services includes different massages and their signature facial treatment. Sauna, pools and relaxation spots are part of the experience. Best Place For Skin Care Spa on the Plaza 201 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 647-9000, spaontheplaza.com Getting some sun on your skin is a good thing—it’s a great way to score some vitamin D. But there’s always the danger of getting too much of a good thing. Being out in the sun for too long will burn your skin and can cause health problems later in life, including skin damage. Treat your skin to a hydrating facial at Spa on the Plaza, or try exfoliating your skin with minerals from the sea. No matter what you choose, you’ll feel rejuvenated, and your body’s largest organ will thank you. Best Nail Salon Top Nails 596 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey (831) 643-0697, topnailsmonterey.com 915 Playa Ave., #C, Sand City (831) 394-3096 26344 Carmel Rancho Lane, #2, Carmel (831) 625-8609 Voted best by you at giving your hands a break, Top Nails Salon gets your nails in tip-top shape. With locations in Monterey, Sand City and Carmel, this family-run salon is always within reach. If you find yourself in Salinas, you’ll also come across a Top Nails, though it’s a separate business. Get ’em manicured, dipped and massaged to add a touch of shine to your daily grind. Best Salon - Women (Tie) Ash + Willow Salon 1261 S. Main St., Salinas (831) 597-0086, ashandwillowsalon.com Euphoria Salon & Spa 499 Pacific St., Monterey (831) 717-4375, euphoriamonterey.com The readers have spoken and it’s a draw. Not a draw in the Old West sense, but a tie. There’s two salons at the top. Ash and Willow specializes in all things related to hair, from haircut to color correction, blonding and more. At Euphoria Salon + Spa the experience goes beyond the hair with additional services including facials, eyelashes and microblading. Best Haircut - Men Phill’s Barber Shop 610 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove (831) 334-0698 If your barber has a mullet, you’re in the right place for a fresh cut. Anybody can do a buzz cut and call it a day, but a mullet takes precision. How long should the back be, and how short the sides? The mullet-rocking Phill Benson and his shop epitomize the saying behind the hairstyle: “business in the front, party in the back.” By day, Phill’s Barber Shop is an old-school Americana shop where the seats are always taken yet customers rotate through quickly. By night (at least once a month), the party begins, where Benson, dubbed the “guitarber,” rocks out with his band. Let Phill’s give you a new ’do. Best Pharmacy Central Avenue Pharmacy 133 15th St., Pacific Grove (831) 373-1225, caprx.com The pharmacy field in the 1800s put the “wild” in “Wild West.” Pharmacies were an open frontier—pretty much anyone could buy a diploma for $50 and begin their practice. As a result, snake oil salesmen were running rampant, claiming that various maladies could be cured with a simple tonic. Thankfully, those days are long gone, and we now have trusted pharmacists such as those at Central Avenue Pharmacy who provide actual medications, as well as a variety of natural vitamins and supplements. In addition to over-the-counter products such as cold and allergy medication, the pharmacy provides immunizations, prescription refills and many other services, and has done so for more than 30 years. Best Car Wash El Estero Car Wash 590 Fremont St., Monterey (831) 373-1801, elesterocarwash.com An old film exists of automobiles chattering down a street in San Francisco, said to date from 1904. It is not true that many of these were given a quick clean and polish at El Estero, because—believe it or not—El Estero did not open until many decades later. Yet the team at the car wash is so thorough and quick that they have been named Best Car Wash for some 30 years. The place has also been recognized by the California Assembly and Senate. There are different packages to choose from, and all are affordable, even at 2024 prices. Best Car Dealership - Used Cardinale Automotive Group 1340 Fremont Blvd., Seaside (831) 717-1740, cardinaleway.com Maybe you just like the feel of an older model. The soft feel of the thoroughbrace suspension, for example, Best Vintage Clothing Store | Yellow Brick Road
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==