AROUND TOWN weekends. Heaps of stories are evolving around the clock, seven days a week. Things are happening now, you might say. Weekly readers have voted for the here and now. BEST CLERGY Father Peter Crivello St. Angela Merici Catholic Church 157 9th St., Pacific Grove (831) 655-4160, stangelamericipacificgrove.org Father Peter Crivello came to St. Angela Merici parish in mid-2019, shortly before the pandemic closure forced faith communities to adjust drastically. Crivello adapted right away, says Jordan Lewis, St. Angela’s director of faith formation and liturgy, with special attention to members he knew lived alone, checking in by phone or video call to mitigate the feeling of isolation. That is the empathetic philosophy that Crivello applies everywhere, looking to help people who are vulnerable. “He’s kind,” explains parish secretary Lorie Ford. “He’s one of these people who thinks of other people—when people need him he tries to be there for them.” As Lewis puts it, “The church does not live in a building or on a city block, it lives in the hearts and minds of the people.” BEST BUSINESS SIGN Other Brother Beer Co. 877 Broadway Ave., Seaside (831) 747-1106, otherbrotherbeer.com What is the ineffable quality that makes a sign truly great? A sign announces something, sure—the name of a business, street or in the case of Carmel, a home—but a great sign is much more than that. A great sign looks like it belongs where it is, like it may have even grown there itself. A great sign is art. That’s why readers love the sign at Other Brother Beer Co. in Seaside’s downtown, which is painted across the top of the airy, two-story building in beautiful block letters with a small drop shadow—it tells everyone who sees it what type of place it is: Unpretentious, cool and a great place to hang, the type of place that keeps a countertop stacked with board games to borrow. The type of place that’s playing to win. BEST NEON SIGN Dust Bowl Brewing Co. 290 Figueroa St., Monterey (831) 641-7002, dustbowlbrewing.com Set back off the street in a former train depot on Monterey’s waterfront, Dust Bowl Brewing Co. announces itself with understated elegance: A neon sign, not too big, laid across the depot’s shingle roof. Day or night, it’s right there, an illuminated hint of possibility. Dust Bowl is a waterfront gathering place, often splashed in sunshine, and the picnic tables in the patio out back allow for all manner of parlor games to enjoy with a beer— dice, cards, Jenga, you name it. And being just a stone’s throw from the Rec Trail, Dust Bowl is also a great place to invent a people-watching game. The possibilities are endless. BEST HOTEL Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa 400 Cannery Row, Monterey (831) 920-6710, montereyplazahotel.com You passed Go, avoided jail, now it’s time to don your top hat and head straight to the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa on Cannery Row. It’s been top ranked in multiple travel polls, thanks to its hospitable staff, elegant rooms, stunning views of Monterey Bay and outstanding dining options beloved by guests and locals. Choose from the relaxed dining atmosphere of Schooners Monterey or the groundbreaking culinary offerings of Coastal Kitchen, led by Executive Chef Michael Rotondo. There’s no Boardwalk on Cannery Row, but Weekly readers say it loud and clear: The Monterey Plaza Hotel is the best hotel real estate on the board. BEST PLACE TO DRINK NEXT TO A CELEBRITY Mission Ranch 26270 Dolores St., Carmel (831) 624-6436, missionranchcarmel.com Is the person drinking a sangria next to you a former Carmel mayor? Have they ever starred in the acclaimed modern Western film The Good, The Bad and The Ugly? Is your drinking mate Clint Eastwood? No need to break out the Guess Who set-up. If you’re drinking or dining at Mission Ranch, that eerily familiar face proba18 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2025 montereycountynow.com/bestof Thank you to the readers of the Monterey County Weekly! ’25 I am honored to again be voted the Best Local Politician by the readers of the Weekly. I also am very humbled to be chosen by people who are so thoughtful, caring, and committed to Monterey County. I thank you and the Weekly, and, as your United States Representative, look forward to living up to this title and your expectations by continuing my service to you and this place that we call home. With deep appreciation,
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