montereycountynow.com/bestof BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2025 49 SHOPPING & SERVICES BEST NEW BUSINESS OF 2025 Hops and Fog Brewing Co. 511 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove (831) 215-1658, hopsandfog.beer Roll the dice and see where you land. That determines what happens next. We could be talking about Monopoly or the Best New Business of 2025. Mike Durrant was a home brewer who, with co-owner Ximena Waissbluth, rolled the dice and landed a corner property, where they took a chance on opening Pacific Grove’s first brewery, Hops and Fog. The move paid off—for them and local residents, who come not only for the beer, but also for the bites and camaraderie. Hops and Fog was a hit from the day it opened and things haven’t slowed down— except when the building had a small fire in September. But when you draw a card, the result can be a stumbling block. No matter, Hops and Fog rolls again. Well played. BEST DOCTOR Dr. Rebecca Abundis 5 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Suite 100, Monterey (831) 624-7070 Dr. Rebecca Abundis is an internal medicine specialist and has a holistic approach to treating her patients. In other words, she believes that prevention is a big part of the cure. And she is known for her personal approach. Dr. Abundis, in other words, is who you would want to be if you were playing Tizi’s Hospital app. Of course, the rest of us can only play doctor. Monterey County’s Best Doctor, according to our readers, has more than 30 years of real-life experience caring for others. BEST FAMILY PRACTICE Montage Medical Group Various locations, montagehealth.org When the game of life throws you a curve ball, Montage Medical Group is there to put things back together again. With locations around the Monterey Peninsula and specialists to help with nearly every ache and pain—along with general practitioners to keep patients healthy—Montage Medical Group delivers care to all ages in over 200,000 patient visits each year. When they reach for the funny bone in Operation, they never light up the patient’s nose. BEST PLASTIC SURGEON Dr. Douglas Sunde 856 Munras Ave., Monterey (831) 372-0200, drsunde.com The scar on GI Joe’s face was part of his tough guy action figure persona. But what about after his discharge, when he become just Joe, a regular doll? Well, if that were real life, Joe would go to Dr. Sunde. Inside the operating room, the doctor is deft with his skills to ensure his patients have the outcome they are looking for. He specializes in facial rejuvenation and contouring, as well as breast restoration and other procedures. BEST EYE DOCTOR Blink Optometry 217 Crossroads Blvd., Carmel (831) 250-6999, blinkcarmel.com Let’s face it, if you can’t see the moving square dot, you will never win a game of Pong. Simply put, good sight is key to winning—or even playing— almost any game. Scrabble? Try getting away with GTXOGHH. The doctors at Blink Optometry can help you sort out the blurry letters and see the ball clearly. Maybe not as important, but certainly cool, is that they also can help you see in style. Not only is Blink a full-service vision-care office, they are also a boutique shop for eyewear. That’s a win-win. BEST DENTAL PRACTICE Monterey Peninsula Dental Group 333 El Dorado St., Monterey (831) 373-3068, mpdg.com In some games, it matters how quickly you move. Take Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, for example. Too slow to hit the button and your robot will take a blow right on the jaw. No trip to the dentist for the robot, of course. But in real life, the dentist visit is necessary. Monterey Peninsula Dental Group doesn’t play with people’s smiles, but they spot what their patients need to fix to have a bright smile or improve their health. They offer various services, including general or cosmetic dentistry and periodontal services. No wonder they are repeat winners in this category. BEST ORTHODONTIST Matthew Ronconi 780 E. Romie Lane, Suite G, Salinas (831) 422-7424, ronconiorthodontics.com Are there games that aren’t fun? We never really understood the joy of a Slinky. Let’s admit that going to the Best Grocery Store | Elroy’s
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