112 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2026 montereycountynow.com/bestof Specialty Foods chip cookies made with extra brown sugar, their snickerdoodles making you nostalgic, their ginger, cherry-chocolate and yes, even sandwich cookies bringing all the sweet tooths to the entrance. Keep coming back for the cookie of the month. BEST PIE Sweet Elena’s 465 Olympia Ave., Sand City (831) 393-2063, sweetelenas.com A pie to the face? Maybe with some ordinary pie, but not one from Sweet Elena’s. These are prepared from scratch (naturally) using organic flour and fruits, the latter from area farms. There are seasonal pies, particularly around the holidays. But you can almost always find pecan, apple, strawberry rhubarb and the prized ollalieberry. Order by the slice, half or the entire thing and enjoy. BEST ICE CREAM / FROZEN YOGURT MYO Pure Frozen Yogurt 1091 S. Main St., Salinas. (831) 759-9769 840 Broadway Ave., Seaside. (831) 375-3769 157 Crossroads Blvd., Carmel. (831) 574-3228 myofrozenyogurt.com The flavor possibilities are endless at MYO. With at least eight yogurt flavors to choose from, the real fun comes with picking a topping. There are more than 50 to contemplate, and with the offerings frequently changing, cotton candy flavor is a strong possibility. Hot dogs, maybe not, but you can always request it. A cup of frozen yogurt is a great way to cool down after sitting in a stuffy big top or walking the circus grounds on a nice summer day. BEST MILKSHAKE Lucy’s on Lighthouse 1120 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove (831) 920-2006, lucyspg.com If circus concessions were milkshake flavors, you could find them at Lucy’s on Lighthouse in Pacific Grove. Indulge in the thick, creamy milkshakes with flavors like Bubble Gum, Cinnamon Chocolate, Butter Brickle, Blueberry Cheesecake and more. Throw in gummy worms, marshmallow fluff or pineapple if you can stave off the sugar crash and avoid falling asleep before the main show: gourmet hot dogs and live comedy shows and bands. BEST DESSERTS Cella 525 Polk St., Monterey (831) 920-1046, cellarestaurant.com When you first think of Cella, your mind may go to the innovative cocktail menu, those decadent baskets of French fries or the lovely interior design and inviting garden seating. But dessert should come first here. It helps, of course, that chef/owner Ben Spungin has a long history as a pastry chef. His creativity is on full display next door in the pastry case at Alta Bakery, and that same elegance is plated at Cella for an even more sophisticated indulgence. From the creme brûlée to the chocolate cake to the strawberry/elderflower pie, the desserts steal the show—and they are, after all, the essence of where the restaurant’s leadership began. BEST CHEESE SELECTION The Cheese Shop Carmel Plaza, 526 Ocean Ave., Carmel (831) 625-2272, thecheeseshopinc.com Who was the greatest circus performer of all time? Sureshot Annie Oakley, perhaps, or Jules Leotard, celebrated in song as “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze”? There is no way to win the argument, just as there is no way to sample just some of The Cheese Shop’s offerings and declare one to be the best. You can shop by country of origin, by style, by type of milk used. Want a young cheese? No problem. Cave aged? Of course. There are hundreds, cut to order. But the little shop is also stuffed with jams, honey, mustard, wine and more. It’s all good. BEST FOOD TREND Comfort Foods They say when economic times are uncertain, people turn to comfort food. But things are not all that bad. In 2026 chefs devoted menu space or entire restaurants to comfort fare, often with the inspired technique and quality ingredients associated with fine dining. So the bologna sandwich at Nora’s is made with ribbon-thin slices of good mortadella. The Tap Room’s potato skins are loaded with prime rib. Potato chips at The Caledonian are fried fresh, and the onion dip starts with slowly caramelizing the onions. This is like Barnum & Bailey’s acts, but performed by artists at Cirque du Soleil. That’s next-level comfort. Best Huevos Rancheros | Hatch
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