Monterey, CA
Back for another year of the ATT Pebble Beach ProAm. For the second year I am spending a week in Monterey while working at Pebble Beach.
Alta Bakery and Cafe
A look at some of the amazing pastries in the window at Alta Bakery
This spot caught my eye last year but I never had the time to check it out. Set in a historic building it is a bakery and cafe with a full menu. It has a nice seating area inside as well as a garden patio outside. I got a pastry to go and a coffee and avocado toast for there. I sat inside as it was quite cold out.
Everything was very delicious and worth another visit. The avocado toast was a bit overpriced, though I thought the kumquats to be a nice touch. The presentation was also nice. Definitely a good stop but maybe more of a pastry and coffee stop.
Food 4.5/5
Vibe 4/5
Value 2.5/5
Overall 3.75/5
502 Munras Ave, Monterey, CA 93940
http://www.altamonterey.com/
Avocado toast with kumquats at Alta Bakery. Very tasty, nice helping of avocado, but a bit overpriced
Berry strudel. Forgot to take a photo before I took a bite
The Captain and Stoker
This is a repeat spot for me. I found this spot a few years back while doing a show at the theatre around the corner, since then it has become a go to.
A nice ten minute walk from the hotel I’m staying at, The Captain and Stoker is a great place to have a morning (or afternoon) hang. There is a big communal live edge table and a bunch of other options for comfy sitting.
The coffee is tasty, the food is delicious and reasonable, and the swag is cool. This visit I went with the croissant breakfast sandwich instead of my normal avo toast. It was awesome. Tasty flaky croissant, with egg, ham, and cheese, plus a healthy helping of avocado. My only complaint was the peppers in the egg. They were a bit too crunchy and I found them distracting and not adding much to the overall flavor. Otherwise it was awesome.
Food 4/5
Coffee 4.5/5
Vibe 4.5/5
Value 4/5
Overall 4/5
https://captainandstoker.com/
398 E Franklin St, Monterey, CA 93940
Old Monterey Cafe
Rated as a top breakfast in Monterey. It is a standard greasy spoon type menu. The coffee is flowing, the plates are big and the staff is friendly.
Overall it was a good meal. The plate had wayyy too much food on it, some unnecessary. The ‘salad’ was a pile of greens undressed. It felt a bit like a “let’s put some greens here to make it healthy”.
Food 3/5
Vibe 3.5/5
Value 4/5
Overall 3/5
489 Alvarado St, Monterey, CA 93940
http://oldmontereycafeca.com/
Huevos Rancheros at Old Monterey Cafe. So much extra stuff that you can’t even see the main attraction.
A worn out sturdy mug and a pile of single use creamers is guaranteed sign your are at a quality greasy spoon
Parker-Lusseau Pastries
Approaching the cute little building that holds Parker-Lusseau
A nice little bakery on a quiet street.
The quiche was delicate and tasty.
The coffee was good but nothing to write home about.
The staff was friendly but seemed to lack direction making the whole place feel a bit disorganized and chaotic.
Food 4/5
Vibe 3.75
Value 3.75/5
Overall 3.75/5
539 Hartnell St, Monterey, CA 93940
http://www.parkerlusseau.com/
Wild Plum Cafe
Admittedly I was headed to The Captain and Stoker again, then it was closed due to a power outage. As it turns out it was a sign (if you believe in those) that I needed to try one more place.
This time I went to Wild Plum Cafe which was right across the street from the hotel. Someone had mentioned it to me previously but the reviews were lower than everywhere else I had been, so I never made the time.
I think it may have been a hidden gem. It has a bit of a greasy spoon menu and flair with some California sensibilities. The space was cute and they bake a lot of their own pastries and bread.
My biggest regret was not getting a latte in a bowl. Yes. Coffee in a bowl. A soup bowl. It would have probably been too milk forward for me, but the novelty would have been fun. Instead I got a cup of black coffee and a scramble which was very tasty with bread made in house and some very tasty potatoes.
This place for me was a step up from the Old Monterey Cafe and will be my first choice if I am looking for a classic breakfast.
Food 4/5
Vibe 4/5
Service 3.75/5
Overall 4/5
731 Munras Ave suite b, Monterey, CA 93940
http://thewildplumcafe.com/
There really were no bad choices for food and coffee in the morning in Monterey. I would go back to any one of these spots any day. If there must be, the winners are:
Coffee: The Captain + Stoker
Pastry: Alta Bakery
Breakfast: Wild Plum Cafe