100 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2025 montereycountynow.com/bestof RESTAURANTS tri-tip sandwiches, and no one bats an eye. Or at least, certainly not Weekly readers, who’ve voted it the best restaurant in South County. Dying to know? It’s fact. BEST RESTAURANT - MONTEREY COUNTY BEST WINE LIST BEST SOMMELIER Sardine Factory 701 Wave St., Monterey (831) 373-3775, sardinefactory.com Have you ever played three-dimensional chess? Neither have we, but we can imagine victory comes when you checkmate on all levels—food, wine and service. That’s what the Sardine Factory has achieved. Sommelier Dave Sidener’s knowledge of wine and pairing runs deep, and he has put together a masterful wine list, ranging from good, affordable bottles to dusty cellar prizes. And he can guide guests easily through the lengthy list. Really, should it be a surprise that Sardine Factory is a master of culinary chess? The restaurant is renowned for its dishes, from seafood to aged beef to the pioneering abalone bisque and the cheese bread, a part of the menu since it opened in 1968. BEST SERVER Chelsea Dalhamer, Alvarado Street Brewery 426 Alvarado St., Monterey. (831) 655-2337, asb.beer Chelsea Dalhamer is the winner of Diner Dash IRL. Not only is she an incredibly knowledgeable part of the Alvarado Street Brewery team, but she goes above and beyond the basic expectations of the job. She always has a smile on her face, and has a way of putting smiles on the faces of her guests too. She has been a core part of the team, practically since the restaurant opened, and has been bringing her A game ever since. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to experience her impeccable service next time you’re there. BEST CHEF Tim Wood Woody’s at the Airport, 200 Fred Kane Drive, Monterey. (831) 373-1232 500 Del Mesa, Carmel. (831) 624-1854 27300 Rancho San Carlos Road, Carmel. (831) 624-2737 woodysmontereyairport.com In Scrabble, the highest possible score for the simple adjective “Woody” is a whopping 48 points. That’s a double letter score on the letter “Y” (four points), plus a triple word score. Coincidentally, that’s also the name of Tim Wood’s most current project, Woody’s, which has locations at the Monterey Regional Airport, Carmel Valley Athletic Club and Del Mesa retirement community in Carmel Valley. And just like in Scrabble, Wood uses Woody’s to package his years of chefy experience (Bernardus and Carmel Valley Ranch to name a few), to bring diners approachable seasonal and local fare. Think veggies from Swank Farms and Bad Dog Farms, Dungeness crabs and calamari straight from the bay, and salt harvested from Big Sur. Sure, wedge salads, steak frites and roasted chicken don’t scream Rene Rédzepi or Heston Blumenthal. But locals like what they like and it’s not velouté or molecular gastronomy—it’s Chef Wood and his high-scoring simplicity. Best Restaurant - Monterey County, Best Wine List, Best Sommelier | Sardine Factory
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