54 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2025 montereycountynow.com/bestof SHOPPING & SERVICES if we’re being honest, is their way of training us to entertain them. They’ve also got us trained to fetch them toys and treats, and there’s no better place for that than Diggidy Dog, according to Weekly readers. For two decades the boutique has provided some of the best pet-safe toys and all-natural treats anywhere, plus eye-catching collars, leashes and outfits for the most stylish pups. BEST LOCAL PET SHOP Stone’s Pet Shop 1122 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, (831) 375-4471; 13748 Center St., Carmel Valley, (831) 659-5317 stonespetshop.com In the hit video game series Animal Crossing, gamers play a human character living in a village full of anthropomorphic animals. Monterey County might not be quite the same, but since 1957 it’s been home to Stone’s Pet Shop. The beloved local business has just about everything for your pet—be it a lizard with distinctly humanlike characteristics or a cat without. Stone’s has grown over the years and now has locations in Pacific Grove and Carmel Valley, plus a self-service pet wash, also in P.G. BEST NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET Grove Market 242 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove (831) 375-9581, grovemarketgrocery.com Some may fondly remember the TV game show Supermarket Sweep which ran for many years, where contestants had to answer trivia questions before racing through the aisles of a supermarket to gather items before the clock ran out. There’s no need to rush through the aisles of Grove Market— it’s a throwback to the small, neighborhood markets of the past, where you’ll find friendly, personalized service. For a small store it packs a bevy of items, like prepared foods up front, a nice produce section, a wide selection of grocery items and even Gizdich pies, which, come to think of it, just might be worth making a dash for. BEST GROCERY STORE Elroy’s 15 Soledad Drive, Monterey (831) 373-3737, elroysfinefoods.com Game night just isn’t the same without snacks. But why treat a special night with ordinary food when you could serve charcuterie, wine, gluten-free crackers and the freshest carrot sticks from the salad bowl of the world? The place to find all of these (and more) is Elroy’s in Monterey. Head over there and you’ll find everything you need to entertain guests playing anything from Cards Against Humanity to Settlers of Catan. And no matter how inhumanely you want to treat your opponents, you can be rest assured that everything from Elroy’s was selected with care, including local items. Plus they offer monthly take-and-heat feasts with global flavors. BEST INTERNATIONAL MARKET Asian Filipino Market 330 B Reservation Road, Marina (831) 884-0101 In the ancient Asian game of Go, one maneuvers down figurative aisles and play continues until the two participants stop making moves. The metaphor doesn’t work for Asian Filipino Market, a full-service grocery loaded with goods from countries on the other side of the Pacific. It’s the place readers love most to get their Asian and Filipino snacks, and those vegetables you can only find abroad—or at this shop. If you fill your basket one day, you’ll be back again. There is no stopping for fans of this popular shop. BEST SEAFOOD MARKET Sea Harvest 598 Foam St., Monterey (831) 646-0547, sea-harvest.restaurants-world.com Go fish! Actually you don’t have to because Sea Harvest has done all the fishing for you. They have cases and cases full of the freshest fish, oysters, crabs, shrimp, mussels and more to meet all your seafood needs. You can take the fresh catches home to prepare yourself (and fool your loved ones into thinking you actually did go fishing) or enjoy a seafood-centric meal cooked by them on their beautiful outdoor patio. BEST ORGANIC PRODUCE MARKET Earthbound Farm Stand 7250 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel (831) 625-6219, earthboundfarm.com Want to be a pretend farmer? There are dozens of online farming games and apps to download that put you in charge of planting crops and grazing livestock. Child’s play for Earthbound Farm, the G.O.A.T. when it comes to organic farming—they forged a path for all the organic farm companies to follow when they began in 1992 in Best Yoga Instructor | Jordon Rossow
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