Villa Del Monte, Monterey, CA

LaSala's BiRite Market has been selling sandwiches in Villa Del Monte since the late 1970s, and the calamari sandwich with homemade tartar sauce is the reason the shop is known well beyond these blocks. The neighborhood sits on the north side of Monterey, inland from Del Monte Beach. The market began as a butcher shop in the 1930s, and John and Debbie LaSala and their daughters have run the counter since 1997. A breaded chicken sandwich from a family recipe is the other one regulars ask about. It is the kind of corner store that gives the area its character, and it sits among compact blocks of small houses and multi-unit buildings. The shoreline is the main outdoor draw. Del Monte Beach is known for surfing and beachcombing, with no charge to park along Del Monte Avenue, and the Monterey Bay Recreation Trail passes close enough to reach quickly on a bike. Closer to home are Montecito Park and Centennial Park, both inside the neighborhood, so a lawn or a swing set is usually nearer than the sand. Seafood is the other local specialty. Monterey's Fish House is a DiGirolamo family restaurant on Del Monte Avenue, and the family comes from a long line of Peninsula fishermen. Local readers voted it the best seafood restaurant in 2024. A Starbucks inside the neighborhood is the nearest place for coffee. Errands are mostly by car, with Del Monte Avenue and Fremont Street the main roads, and Denny's and Monterey Cookhouse sit along the same stretch for a sit-down meal. The Monterey Peninsula College library is next door in Oak Grove. Both of those roads carry plenty of traffic, and the closest things to a walk-everywhere downtown are a drive away. In return, Villa Del Monte puts a sandwich, a surf break and a seafood dinner all close together.