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So you’re going to the Monterey Jazz Festival? You’ll need our music critic’s ultimate guide to the hottest acts and up-and-comers. Don’t forget to take a few water bottles and wear your ironic heavy metal T-shirt, too. (Hey, those tenor saxes are very heavy!) Oh, and you’ll need to eat while you’re there. And we can help with that.
The jazz festival venue has food vendors, of course, but Monterey’s food scene is alive and well, offering up everything from classic diners to swanky oyster spots. Here are four of our favorite places to dine and drink before or after the music.
Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette
Located among the dunes at the Sanctuary Beach Resort in Marina, this chic oyster bar offers three ways to dine within the expansive restaurant: in the full-service dining room, at the bar and lounge, or al fresco on the patio. Whichever you choose, you’ll find that oyster bar and live-fire kitchen is where the action happens, and that Bay Area native and executive chef David Baron has schooled his servers in the art of seafood and oysterphilia, from seasonal selection to the best mignonettes. Did we mention they do a killer weekend brunch?
Details: Open daily at 3295 Dunes Drive, Marina; https://saltwoodkitchenandoysterette.com
Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar
This southern Mediterranean restaurant inside the historic Holman building has become an institution for locals and visitors looking for top-notch ingredients, especially fresh local produce and seafood. The menu changes daily, but hopefully the charred octopus with lemon mermelada is available, as well as any seasonal version of the burrata. When in doubt, go for the char-grilled lamb burger with eggplant fries and a Monterey pinot. You won’t be sorry. Be sure to check out happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. daily (except Wednesdays).
Details: Open Thursday-Tuesday at 542 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. http://jeninni.com
Loulou’s Griddle in the Middle
Looking for award-winning clam chowder or a big pre-show breakfast with loads of cheesy, basil-topped potatoes? Look no further than this Monterey Pier favorite. Breakfast includes massive omelettes, griddle cakes, French toast and oatmeal, while lunch features salads, sandwiches, heaping bowls of chowder, burgers and the best shrimp cocktail around. Ever since Guy Fieri visited this bright yellow bistro a few years ago, it’s been hopping at twice the speed. Lucky for you, hostesses are willing to take your cell number and summon you back from the sand when your table is ready.
Details: Open daily except Tuesdays at Municipal Wharf No. 2, Monterey; www.loulousgriddle.com
A Taste of Monterey Bistro
Take in the glorious sunset over Monterey Bay while nibbling on wine-friendly small plates? Yes, please. The bistro inside this massive tasting room on Cannery Row has a tasty lineup of eats, from Inzana Farms almonds and pistachios spiced up with cayenne and brown sugar to spicy goat nachos with black beans and Oaxacan cheese. Prefer something simpler? There are plenty of flatbread pizzas, soups, salads and paninis to pair with local craft beers, wines by the glass flights, which cost $10-$20. Details: Open daily at 700 Cannery Row, Ste. KK, Monterey; www.atasteofmonterey.com