Based on decades of experience in the agriculture industry, tour guide Evan Oakes says there's one farm product every 蒙特利县 visitor should taste: baby artichokes.
"If a local restaurant has any kind of baby artichokes 在 menu, order them. They're very rare, and they're unique to our area. Chefs sometimes use them in a seafood pasta, or maybe in an omelet,他说. "它们是美味的 any way they're prepared."
If you can't get baby artichokes, go with a classic stuffed artichoke, he says. "An artichoke stuffed with crab or shrimp is a really amazing dish, and of course you save the heart for the end. 这就是压轴戏."
Oakes, an agricultural scientist with a specialty in viticulture, started 农业创业旅游 in 1997. "I was the type of person who went on guided tours when I traveled, and I realized that I had an interesting background because I worked in agriculture,他说. "I wanted to integrate our two biggest economies in 蒙特利县, 哪些是农业和旅游业."
He leads farm tours and wine-tasting tours, and he customizes each trip according to his clients' interests. "I try to make wine tasting really enjoyable for people," Oakes says. "I can take them through the experience in a fun and educational way."
奥克斯的名字 哈恩房地产 in the Santa Lucia Highlands as a top choice for wine tasting. “哈恩总是一次很棒的经历. The views from the tasting room are amazing, and they have a great portfolio of wines."
In 卡梅尔山谷，他建议参观 Bernardus酒厂这里以红酒而闻名 伊恩品牌, which has "a unique selection that focuses more on Rhône varietals." For sparkling wines, he swears by family-run 蜻蜓目酒厂 在 河道葡萄酒径 在萨利纳斯.
Monterey visitors should also put seafood 在ir itineraries, Oakes says. "Anywhere in 蒙特利县, the seafood quality will be excellent,他说. 他的首选之一是 菲尔鱼市 in 莫斯登陆港, a restaurant that's been around for 35 years.
"Phil's is quite the experience,他说. “y have an extensive menu that no one in our area can beat. Their specialty is cioppino—seafood stew with a tomato-based broth—but their seafood salads are also amazing. And it's just a short walk to the ocean behind the restaurant."
Oakes says Monterey's mix of seascape and farmland makes it an eater's paradise, and also a place where people care about the environment. “ 萨利纳斯山谷 is literally right next door to Monterey Bay. Essentially we have a national park right next to the world's largest garden, so everybody wants to keep the environment healthy,他说. "I love the beauty of this place, so I'm glad the community values that and protects it."
五个最爱
To experience Monterey's land-and-sea bounty, Oakes also recommends these spots:
农贸市场: “我最喜欢的一直是 老蒙特利农贸市场 在阿尔瓦拉多街. They block off the street for it every Tuesday starting at 4 p.m. It's a serious farmers' market—the produce is amazing, and there's a really diverse selection of flowers, 工艺品, 珠宝, 服装, and tons of food and bakery vendors. Some of the food stalls have great prepared food—Greek, 墨西哥, 日本, 所有你能想到的菜肴."
沿海自行车骑行: “没有什么能与铺砌的道路相比 Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail 它沿着海岸延伸. It runs for almost 20 miles from Castroville in the north to Pacific Grove in the south, and you can find places to rent bikes all along the path. It's just a beautiful stretch of oceanfront. I especially like the section that runs past 情人点 在太平洋格罗夫."
洋蓟: "I'm very close to the family who runs Pezzini农场卡斯特维尔附近的一个农场. They've been there for almost 100 years. They have a really nice farm stand with the best artichokes. They have a great market and a food truck that sells very good deep-fried artichoke hearts, 可能是这个地区最好的. My tip is to get the lemon-dill sauce to dip them in. The family is Filipino and they also make and sell lumpia, which is like a Filipino version of egg rolls. 它们是美味的."
精品购物: “re are a lot of fun little places to browse in downtown Pacific Grove. 根据书籍的研究 is pretty cool—it's a bookstore, gift store, and coffee shop. 有一家有趣的商店叫 Tessuti动物园. They have a lot of fabric arts, artisan 珠宝, folk art, wall hangings, 服装, and knick-knacks. Everything is really colorful and artistic. 衣柜 is a consignment store for women's 服装 and accessories, and you can often find really nice stuff there."
日落: “每个人都喜欢去 西班牙湾的客栈 在日落时. 你点了一杯鸡尾酒, 听风笛手的演奏, and hope that the fog doesn't roll in so you'll be able to catch a sunset. The skies are clearest in the wintertime, but even if it's foggy, it's a great experience."