montereycountynow.com/bestof BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2026 115 BEST POLITICAL STALEMATE LAFCO public member non-appointment 132 W. Gabilan St., 102, Salinas (831) 754-5838, countyofmonterey.gov We think tie games are a form of torture—let there be winners and losers. The 3-3 deadlock that’s been going on for months at the Local Agency Formation Commission of Monterey County, however, creates its own weird political drama. This influential (if esoteric) government body makes decisions about things like land annexations and draws service area boundaries for water districts. And they are quite political, the current commissioners are split on who to appoint to a seventh seat reserved for a member of the public. The sitting member, Matt Gourley, reapplied for another term, but only got three votes of support in April. So LAFCO opened up another round of applications, with 13 applicants (Gourley included), but come August, was still split 3-3. Until they appoint someone new, Gourley sticks around in the most awkward possible way, knowing half his fellow-commissioners want anyone but him up there. BEST ARTIST WHO DEFINES GOLF COURSE FAIRWAYS AS LANDSCAPES Shelley Cost shelleycost.com Given the scenery provided by Monterey County’s coastline and mountains, it’s hard to blame artists for capturing it on canvas. To not do so would be like painting circus action without its color and action, just an exterior of a tent. But in addition to the area’s natural landscapes, Cost also paints its sculpted outdoors—Pebble Beach Golf Links and other courses, more specifically. Her coursescapes hang in prominent locations at The Lodge at Pebble Beach, as well as other notable facilities and homes— West Point Academy, Los Angeles Country Club, Lexus, football’s Herman Edwards, golf’s Andy North, broadcasting’s Jim Nantz and so on. Cost’s art has appeared on slick magazine covers (and the Weekly, which puts us in rare company). BEST NEW NATURE GIFT SHOP THAT OFFERS ART CLASSES The Poppy Collective 216 Grand Ave., Pacific Grove (831) 242-9911 Christy Porter was always an artist at heart growing up in Salinas, but in high school she thought she would have to choose between art and science. She chose science and went on to become an environmental scientist for the State of California. It was a paint and sip class about 10 years ago that reawakened her love of art. Lucky for us, she’s combined her artsy side with her geeky side in a beautiful store in downtown P.G. called The Poppy Collective, featuring an impressive array of nature-inspired items crafted by local artists, plus books about the region’s natural habitats and tools for observing nature. The back of the store features a wide array of painting supplies and a classroom where Porter and other teachers offer painting classes for anyone, including beginners. BEST WAY TO SETTLE WHETHER NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA IS BETTER THAN OTHER STYLES: The Oven 720 Broadway Ave., Seaside (831) 899-1762, theovenonbroadway.com Pizza comes in many styles and forms, whether it’s Neapolitan, Chicago, Detroit or what is known as “circus pizza,” which was for kids’ birthday parties and cartoonish animatronic performers. But one style rises above the rest—New York style—with its thin, hand-tossed crust and large slices. To determine which style is supreme, place an order at the Oven Pizzeria in Seaside, where you can find crispy, New York-style pies alongside hearty West Coast-style sourdough pizzas, and decide for yourself which region does it best. BEST PERSON WHO PUTS OTHERS IN STITCHES Thread Heron 656 Broadway Ave., Seaside (831) 200-8588, threadheron.com Versatile, artistic, avant-garde—such qualities best describe modern circus innovator James Thierrée, who blended music, theatrics and even acrobatics to build extraordinary and unique performances. Good thing our local embroiderer Thread Heron is good at weaving together such qualities, too. Thread Heron has its own James, the artist, who stitches all kinds of custom work, from rockfish and waves, to statement pieces involving celestial llamas and turkey vultures smoking ciggies. Whatever the piece, the threads somehow always come together seamlessly and spectacularly. Editors , Picks Picks Best phone line to nowhere | Coastal Kids Home Care’s ‘wind phone’ project
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