hard for even the double smashburger or prime rib sandwich to compete with the view. From the top of the hill, big windows (and generous patio seating) offer sweeping views of the Monterey Bay and the Monterey Peninsula; you can almost imagine watching people golf at Pebble from your perch. (And you can certainly watch people play at Bayonet, but plenty of non-golfing locals frequent this place. In fact, they’ve done an analysis and about 40 percent of customers are locals. Some number of those are students who are encouraged to just hang out and study; students get free soda with lunch and free Wi-Fi.) When Maurizio Torrente joined the team at Bayonet two years ago as director of food and beverage, he saw an opportunity to change the way the general public related to it, starting with a renaming as Bayview Grille. “For so long, it was just an amenity to the golfers and it didn’t have an identity,” Torrente says. “I wanted to give it an identity—we are our own thing. It’s a $3 million business—we are not just an amenity. We have locals who come in every single day, we host weddings. We’ve got to name it something different. We are not just a restaurant at a golf course.” Of course, golf course restaurants are run by restaurant professionals, not golf professionals, and not even necessarily golfers at all. Over in Pajaro, Carmona used to occasionally play golf years back, but says it got too expensive for him. Now that he enjoys a wide landscape view out the restaurant windows of the tree-flanked green—and occasional herds or deer or rafters of turkeys— he’s thinking about picking up a club again. 20 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® EAT + DRINK 2026-2027 A Perfect Spot For Great Food & Drinks With Breathtaking Views of Monterey Bay GREAT Paninis, Soups, Salads, Pinsa Romana, Craft Beer & Wine Vegetarian and gluten free items | Indoor and outdoor seating | Dine in or take out Located on the Coast Guard Pier | www.piccolopaninigrill.com 32 Cannery Row, Suite C, Monterey • (831) 718-8520 Catering and events up to 40 people available Sandwiches - Salads - Craft Beers - WineCoffee Ocean Views From Every Table Offering a wonderful variety of traditional Italian cuisine, prepared by renowned Chef Maurizio Cutrignelli, made with the freshest ingredients available, great handcrafted cocktails plus Italian and California wines. Open Tuesday – Sunday for lunch and dinner. HAPPY HOUR Tuesday – Friday & Sunday 3 – 6pm 32 Cannery Row, Monterey (Coast Guard Pier) 831.920.2833 www.osteriaalmare.com @osteriaalmare HANDCRAFTED COCKTAILS Osteria_1-3s_ED24_gk.indd 1 4/11/24 3:41 PM Live Music on the Patio Every Saturday Starting May 31st Osteria-Piccolo_2-3v_ED25_gk.indd 1 4/24/25 1:54 PM
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