EDITORS’ PICKS the galaxies. The good news for curious stargazers is that part of MIRA’s work includes free community events. Check their calendar (and the weather—events cancel if visibility is poor) to join astronomers with some sophisticated gear at locations like Garland Ranch Regional Park and Laguna Seca Recreation Area to take a look up at celestial bodies that will amaze viewers of all ages and all levels of scientific know-how. BEST PLACE FOR OTHERS TO ADMIRE WHAT THEY THINK IS YOUR CHILDLIKE INNOCENCE WHILE YOU ARE ACTUALLY DAY DRINKING Turn 12 Bar & Grill 400 Tyler St., Monterey (831) 372-8876, turn12barandgrill.com There is some joy, as an adult, in playing a kid’s game. There is also some joy in a midday buzz. Thanks to Turn 12, you can feel like a kid again, but stumble out into the daylight, slurring your words. The reason? Alcoholic milkshakes. You can get mint chocolate chip, peach, peanut butter or other flavors, each with a shot-and-a-half of liquor. What is more, these are rich, thick shakes that would be just fine on their own. It’s just that the folks at Turn 12 found a way to make milkshakes even better. BEST PLACE FOR QUESABIRRIA ON WHEELS Tacos Mariscos Los Cristaleros Food Truck Locations in North County Quesabirrias have become a must in many different restaurants and food trucks since around the time that Treasure Island was in the top ten of most popular games. While Monterey County residents aren’t Long John Silver, food trucks are very much like a treasure hunt. They can be here one day, there the next. They might be buried in the corner of some hidden parking lot. But there is always a sense of pride when someone finds a gastronomic jewel like Los Cristaleros. BEST NEW WAY TO MAKE FRIENDS AND GET IN YOUR STEPS AT THE SAME TIME Walk Every Street PG instagram.com/walkeverystreetpg Back in the day, kids on the school playground made friends by inviting other kids to play games like hopscotch, four square and tetherball. In Pacific Grove two friends came up with a new way to make friends simply by asking if anyone was interested in walking every street in the small town. Ashley Edge and Amy Burkman launched the weekly walking group Walk Every Street PG in January with around 35 people and six dogs. They continued meeting every Wednesday through July 9, walking about three miles every week, conquering one section of town at a time for a total of about 90 miles. From those weekly walks it was a hop, skip and a jump to the forging of strong friendships. A book club was created and other get-togethers were planned outside of the walks. “It’s been so much more than we could have ever imagined,” Edge told the Weekly. They concluded with a bonus walk in July, ending at P.G. City Hall where they were recognized by Mayor Nick Smith. The walks were so successful, they relaunched in September. Over 60 people showed up, making it the largest group yet. New members are always welcome. BEST WAY TO GET INTO A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND The Oven 720 Broadway Ave., Seaside (831) 899-1762, 2peasdmd.wixsite.com/ theoven In Pizza Game, you play a pizza maker who—what we’re about to say is true, according to Fandom—is “tasked with destroying an interdimensional rift filling the world with evil spirits.” Just guessing that it’s set in the Big Apple, one of the cities that takes pizza seriously. The Oven is the only local parlor that makes a New York-style crust that would have Brooklyn hipsters feeling at home: “Hey, we’re eating here!” It is thin and crackling, yet pliable enough that “Staying Alive” should be The Oven’s theme song. Added bonus: no evil spirits. BEST LOCAL BAND THAT PLAYS ORIGINAL MUSIC BUT YOU HARDLY EVER SEE THEM ON STAGE Pleasure Nature instagram.com/pleasure_nature It’s not that Pleasure Nature is reclusive. The trio of Eli Rogin, Nic Jorgensen and Edward Selph have played individually with local bands for more than a decade. It’s just that they are so good in the studio, recording a kind of indie post-punk that defies description. Last year they released their first full-length album, Nightmare State/Television Choir. It is full of haunting, cryptic lyrics over lush guitar effects, chorus pedals and progressive melodies. But to see them live—well, that’s like challenging someone to a snipe hunt or a game of 52 Pick-Up. You might get your wish, but it’s highly unlikely. BEST COMEBACK FROM FEDERAL FUNDING MAYHEM Continuing Monterey County Preschool Service Corps United Way Monterey County 232 Monterey St., Suite 200, Salinas (831) 372-8026, unitedwaymcca.org/ americorps-psc Someone has to teach little kids how to play all those games—and how to develop the building blocks of letters, numbers and social skills that will make game-playing fun. That someone is quite often a preschool teacher, but there is a well-documented shortage in Monterey County. Enter the Preschool Service Corps, a win-win that gets aspiring teachers into the pipeline for a modest training stipend, and kids matched with those adults as tutors. Then the White House yanked funding for AmeriCorps, where those stipends came from. Instead of capitulating, local program administrator United Way decided to keep it going. They found a state grant in the absence of federal funding, and recruited new teachers for 2025-26. “We are proud of the program, and if there’s any chance to continue it we want to give it our all,” CEO Katy Castagna says. That’s a win for everyone who is playing. 120 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2025 montereycountynow.com/bestof Best Cocktail to Enjoy in a Newly Remodeled Hotel Overlooking The Bay | French 75 at the Monterey Beach Hotel NILS ERIKSON
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