SPECIALTY FOODS BEST DONUT Red’s Donuts 433 Alvarado St., Monterey. (831) 372-9761 1646 Fremont Blvd., Seaside. (831) 394-3444 redsdonutsinc.com What do you call doughnuts in short pants? Bavarians. Why did the doughnut go to a therapist? He felt empty inside. Well, we could have made a ring toss reference, but you shouldn’t play with food as good as Red’s doughnuts. And clearly Weekly readers love Red’s a hole bunch. Get it? They are fresh and come in all shapes and forms. While waiting in a line to get a dozen doughnuts at Red’s, cursing those in the line before you who can’t decide between jelly and custard, the best game we could come up with was a round of doughnut jokes. BEST BAGEL Bagel Bakery Six locations in Monterey County thebagelbakery.com If you were playing a game of darts and, on the wall, there was a map of the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas, there’s a less-than-zero chance that if you threw a dart at the map, it would land in a location far from The Bagel Bakery, a Monterey County institution with six locations. It’s said that bagels in New York (and the pizza crust) are the best because of the water there. If that’s true, then do the bagels from Salinas taste different than those from the Peninsula because they’re made with different water? It’s something to ponder as you pull your dart from the map. BEST OMELETTE From Scratch 3626 The Barnyard, Carmel (831) 625-2448, fromscratchrestaurant. com Hear us out: making an omelette is like playing Mario Kart. In the game, your chosen character whips through various levels, going as fast as possible without spinning off the road or flying off the tracks. There are all sorts of things you need to pay attention to, random objects in the road and keeping control in the face of obstacles that can derail you from making those sharp turns. Omelette-making is the same—each step is against the clock: don’t let the eggs overcook, don’t spill the runny parts mid-flip and don’t overload it with fillings or you might tear a hole right through it. One wrong move and it’s game over. Everyone has their go-to character in Mario Kart—and for Weekly voters, it’s From Scratch, the omelette master. BEST HUEVOS RANCHEROS Grill at Point Pinos 79 Asilomar Blvd., Pacific Grove (831) 375-1313, grillatpointpinos.com “They’re perfect. Especially the salsa,” says an employee at Grill at Point Pinos restaurant in Pacific Grove, speaking about the classic dish made with fresh corn tortillas. Well, that employee was right, according to Weekly readers—their huevos rancheros were voted best for the seventh year in a row. Their style features two fried eggs cooked in their spicy salsa, served with country potatoes and topped with queso fresco over black beans. Clearly they’re doing something right, or even perfectly. BEST BISCUITS & GRAVY First Awakenings 300 David Ave., Monterey. (831) 372-1125 171 Main St., Salinas. (831) 784-1125 firstawakenings.net If your homemade biscuits are better suited for table hockey rather than consumption, head over to First Awakenings instead. The crew knows biscuits here, so fluffy that it’s like eating a cloud, if clouds were smothered in Italian sausage gravy and served with eggs and potatoes. The best biscuits should be so light that they almost defy gravity, not like most that can be used as doorstops. Thankfully, First Awakenings has the former. BEST SALADS Lalla Grill 1400 Del Monte Center, Monterey. (831) 324-4632 654 Cannery Row, Monterey. (831) 324-0891 lallagrill.com On a menu as varied as that of Lalla Grill, salads could easily be an afterthought, a small corner of the menu 106 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2025 montereycountynow.com/bestof 3626 The Barnyard Shopping Village, Carmel • (831) 625-2448 FromScratchRestaurant.com Join us indoor by the cozy fireplace or on our sun drenched pet friendly patio. Open for Breakfast and Lunch 8am – 2pm. Closed on Wednesday ’24 ’17 ’21 ’18 ’22 ’21 ’25 “Best Omelette” “Best Biscuits & Gravy” As seen on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” ’16 Thank You for voting us ’23 BEST FOOD TRUCK ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 YOU ARE THE BEST! THANK YOU FOR VOTING FOR US! ’25 Thank you for voting us 21 Years in a Row ! 2005- 2025 Compagno’s MARKET AND DELI 2000 PRESCOTT, MONTEREY 831-375-5987 Open Daily. Closed Tues. 9am-4pm [ Serving the beSt SandwicheS to the beSt people for over 50 yearS
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