Best Bagels

Bagel Bakery

Various locations

Chocolate bagels, sun-dried tomato bagels, omelet bagels--at Bagel Bakery, they even make doggie bagel biscuits to take home to Fido. For 22 years they''ve been on the scene, bringing you the latest in bagel technology, and now with seven stores to serve you (the latest in Sand City, home of Monterey County''s first bagel drive-thru), you''re never too far away from a hole-y encounter.

Runner-up: Marina Bagels, Marina

Best Bakery/Breads

Paris Bakery

271 Bonifacio St., Monterey, 646-1620 1232 Broadway Ave., Seaside, 394-7798

Over the last 15 years, the amount of yeast used to raise Paris'' incomparable breads would, rising all at once, be enough leavening action to blow up New York. (Luckily, this prediction by Junior was off the mark.) From traditional baguettes to francese, brioche, whole wheat, walnut cinnamon, organic 9-grain and much, much more.

Runner-up: Palermo, Seaside

Best Bakery/Cakes

Layers

296 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey, 655-1544

Almost three dozen cakes to choose from is how Layers loves to boggle the minds of cake consumers. From Tuxedo cake, to Black Forest, to Italian Rum or Margarita Cake, until Death by Chocolate do you part, these cakes alone are reason enough to throw a millennium party.

Runner-up: Paris Bakery, Monterey and Seaside

Best Burgers

RG Burgers

470 Alvarado St., Monterey, 647-3100 207 Crossroads Blvd., Carmel, 626-8054

Junior vibed the real deal when he mused on the burger of the future. "It will be a 6-ounce hand-formed beef patty," he divined, "and it won''t just be good. It will be Real Good." Thus was created the namesake of RG burgers, whether of the beef, chicken or falafel varieties. Always served with RG sauce, they come to you in a dozen or more guises--Western barbecue, Mediterranean-style with feta and sundried tomatoes, even dressed in creamy Bernaise sauce with saut‚ed mushrooms--these are patties with passion.

Runner-up: Del Monte Express, Monterey

Best Caesar Salad/Best Gourmet Pizza

Allegro Pizza

3770 The Barnyard, Carmel, 626-5454 1184 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, 373-5656.

This is the uncontested best Caesar salad since the Weekly became the Weekly. Ten years worth of garlic, Parmesan, anchovies, lemon and olive oil have dressed enough heads of Romaine to fill the World Trade Center twice, a rate rivaled only by the untold thousands of pepperoni wheels that tirelessly circumnavigate copious disks of religiously homemade dough.

Runner-up Gourmet Pizza: Gianni''s, Monterey Runner-up Caesar Salad: Tutto Buono, Monterey

Best Calamari

Abalonetti''s

57 Fisherman''s Wharf, 373-1851

With almost a dozen calamari specialties of the house to choose from, Abalonetti''s knows how to cook squid. Marty''s special squid and eggplant Parmesan is one to write home about, a menu favorite that never goes out of style.

Runner-up: Fishwife, Pacific Grove and Seaside

Best Clam Chowder

Vivolo''s Chowder House

127 Central Ave., Pacific Grove, 372-5414

Junior predicted Mark Davis would be seeing stars if he brought his Boston-style clam chowder to Monterey. Vivolo''s has collected a whole constellation of them, as the ongoing chowder-head''s choice for creamy clam goodness.

Runner-up: Old Fisherman''s Grotto, Monterey

Best French Fries

McDonald''s

Various locations

Mickey D''s goes through more spuds a day, just in one location, than the average potato-head will consume in a decade, and Weekly readers give a big thumb''s up toward the Golden Arches.

Runner-up: RG Burgers, Carmel and Monterey

Best Oyster Bar

Monterey''s Fish House

2114 Del Monte Blvd., Monterey, 373-4647

Salinas Valley Fish House

172 Main St., Salinas, 775-0175

Junior predicted it, but then couldn''t believe how thoroughly addictive these beautimous bivalves really are. You''ll say "hubba hubba" for the oak-barbecued hama hamas, the Washington state oysters that the Fish House uses exclusively. On the half shell, fried, stewed or ''cued, this is Oyster Heaven.

Runner-up: Moss Landing Oyster Bar, Moss Landing

Best Pancakes

First Awakenings

125 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove, 372-1125

171 Main St., Salinas, 784-1125

Sure, you can order a full stack of cakes at First Awakenings, but you might get your picture made if you actually get to the finish line. These are made-from-scratch monster cakes that promise to make a lasting impression. Banana-germ, blue-germ, fresh apple cinnamon and oatmeal, raisin walnut: These are the pancakes that legends are made of.

Runner-up: Old Monterey Caf‚, Monterey

Best Local Winery (Red Wine)

Georis

4 Pilot Rd., Carmel Valley, 659-1050

Dionysus himself couldn''t have predicted this kind of lusciousness from the vine. With quality standards that limit current production to only about 1,000 cases of Georis Merlot--all estate-produced--it''s the hand-crafted character that makes Monterey County oenophiles raise a toast and cast their votes for Georis Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Runner-up: Smith & Hook, Soledad

Best Local Winery (White Wine)

Bernardus

5 West Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley, 659-1900

Bernardus (Ben) Pon believes in Carmel Valley''s potential to be the best viticultural appellation in America, and devotees of Bernardus Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are in complete agreement. Look for the opening of the very exclusive Bernardus Lodge this coming June, where guests may expect to be greeted, fˆted and tucked in at turn-down time with a great glass of Bernardus wine.

Runner-up: Talbott, Carmel Valley

Best Traditional Pizza

Gianni''s

725 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey, 649-1500

They toss ''em by hand at Gianni''s and they''re so good at it that they give the sauce a stir before they catch ''em again. "We can make any combination you want," they assure. Gianni''s fun-filled atmosphere and full bar make going out for a pizza delicious and fun.

Runner-up: Round Table, multiple locations

Best Salads

Fresh Choice

300 Del Monte Center, Monterey, 647-8943

Ten--count ''em--10 salads are yours to choose from at Fresh Choice, where they''re always made fresh, never frozen. There''s Mom''s Mac (with elbow macaroni, hard-boiled eggs and relish, just like mama used to make), Caesar''s, Chinese Chicken, Tuna Tarragon and plenty more where these came from.

Runner-up: Chart House, Monterey

Best Sandwiches

Compagno''s

2000 Prescott Ave., Monterey, 375-5987

They''ve been making piled-high deli sandwiches for 36 years at Compagno''s, a family-run neighborhood market where Mom makes the behemoth cakes, and they still roast the beef in the back. Good breads, lotsa condiments to choose from, 20 cold sandwiches and seven hot (meatball, Italian sausage, chicken breast Cordon Bleu), and a nice selection of prepared salads make this the little place where you get a lot more than you bargained for.

Runner-up: Goodie''s, Pacific Grove

Best Smoothies

Jamba Juice

398 Alvarado St., Monterey, 655-9696

Edgewater Shopping Center, Sand City, 583-9696

Junior sez jam on at Jamba, now with two locations to juice you. Get in the groove with a Citrus Grove, Berry Patch, or tropical smoothie, or go for a Power punch--choose from the fatburner, coldbuster, powerbooster or protein with pizzazz. Or choose from five specially formulated blends to juice boost you five separate ways!

Runner-up: Juice & Java, Pacific Grove

Best Steak

Whaling Station Inn

763 Wave St., Monterey, 373-3778

Junior can tell that you want to know what the big deal is about USDA Prime. The deal is, only the top 1 percent of ALL raised beef is given that lofty distinction. Chef John Pisto brings you corn-fed, USDA Prime, aged 28 days to maximize flavor and tenderness, and eight cuts to choose from. And if you''re going for the 22-ounce Porterhouse, bring an appetite as your escort.

Runner-up: Charthouse, Monterey

Best Sushi

Robata Grill

3658 The Barnyard, Carmel, 624-2643

Rock-n-roll, spider roll, Louisiana roll--they know how to keep the sushi rolling at Robata. Along with dozens of sashimi, makizushi, and nigirizushi selections, a huge appetizer list and grill menu are standing by, along with an interesting selection of sakes and a full bar.

Runner-up: Ichi Ricki, Seaside

Best Wine Tasting Room

Taste of Monterey

700 Cannery Row, 646-5446

Find Taste of Monterey at the back side of the 700 building (up from Sly McFly''s) where bay views go on forever and Monterey County wines are poured, seven days a week. With seating alongside floor-to-ceiling windows right over the water, the tasting room provides a great opportunity to taste some of the best local vintages and it''s an escape from the fray on the Row below.

Runner-up: Bernardus, Carmel Valley

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