SPECIALTY FOODS to gain, but fresh, never frozen, a straightforward, minimalistic menu, the efficient drive through lanes and a cheery demeanor tells us why. All the pieces of the puzzle fit. BEST GOURMET BURGER Covey Grill The Quail 8205 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel (831) 624-2888, quaillodge.com This may come as a surprise, but someone saw fit to design a burger simulator. The point of it? Well, there is none, really—not when you can go to Covey Grill. The chef blends the meat from the best cuts, to start with. And why bother with lame American or plain cheddar when there is artisanal cheese like Marin triple creme brie to play with? The burger is topped with bacon marmalade and pickles and… OK, now we’re getting really hungry. BEST FRIED CHICKEN The Butter House 1760 Fremont Blvd., B-1, Seaside (831) 394-2887, thebutterhouse.com Sometime during the 17th-century colonial days of Pennsylvania, someone thought it was a good idea to pair fried chicken with waffles. The spark may have come during a game of draughts while chickens were running around. Who’s to say? The board kind of looks like a waffle. All we know is that it was ingenious. The Butter House carries on the tradition with its favorite fried chicken and waffle dish. The crisp chicken is served with a fluffy waffle topped with powdered sugar and butter (because you’re at a restaurant called The Butter House, after all). Throw on some gravy and you won’t know if it’s breakfast or dinner time. BEST CHICKEN WINGS Woody’s at the Airport 200 Fred Kane Drive, Monterey (831) 373-1232, woodysmontereyairport. com When it comes to playing chicken, Chef Tim Wood doesn’t wing it. See what we did there? Yeah, OK—you wish we didn’t. Besides, when it comes to wings, the popular chef (see Best Chef in the Restaurants section) isn’t playing around. At Woody’s Airport location, diners can order wings in the classic Buffalo preparation or try the version where the chef pushed things a little further, with a honey chile sauce. Either way, the diner comes out on top. And really, so does Woody’s. BEST PIZZA PLACE Gianni’s Pizza 725 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey (831) 649-1500, giannispizzamonterey. com It’s not just about the pizza, you know. For readers to award Best Pizza Place, there has to be more. It would be great, for example, if there was a really cool bar space tucked into the back where parents could chill with a cocktail. Ooh—and a case of colorful gelato for after. And the place would have to be family-friendly, but also have a room people could reserve. Plus, it’s not really a classic pizza place unless there are red and white tablecloths, the kind you could play a game of checkers on. Well, the readers got it right. Gianni’s has all of that. 112 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2025 montereycountynow.com/bestof From Our Family to Yours Thank you for voting Pacific Thai as Celebrating 17 years of shared family recipes and traditions to locals and visitors. Enjoy the authentic taste, texture and aromas of Thai cuisine, inspired by Mom’s home cooking. Providing Lunch & Dinner Specials with a broad selection of wine and beer. Open 7 days a week Monday-Friday • 11am-2:30pm & 4:30pm Daily Sat & Sunday • Open 12:00 pm ’21 ’25 ’19 ’20 Best Thai Restaurant 663 Lighthouse Ave. at 19th St. Across from the Post Office (831) 646-THAI (8424) • www.pacificthaicuisineca.com ’24
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