one night in downtown monterey - no car

[tracyk]

any suggestions?
looking for inexpensive (dives encouraged) spot to grab dinner. ethnic (any!) welcome. won't have a car. thank you thank you!

[Ed Dibble]

Ambrosia has good Indian food, but not divey.

Sandbar and Grill is a pretty good value with an interesting view. It is on the commercial wharf, just east of Fisherman's Wharf.

[tracyk]

thanks! any other recs? ambrosia looks a little weird to me. and being one to judge a book by its cover, the fact that the first special menu item that show up on their website is for a sugary cocktail, i'm a little scared.
good mexican (non-burritos), vietnamese? anything?

[Ed Dibble]

Monterey is really a very small town with many visitors. It doesn't have a large non-Anglo population. Seaside and Marina, which surrounded Fort Ord back in the days, have more of the divey, ethnic places. Downtown tends to be very tourist oriented.

It's been a couple of years since I have eaten at Ambrosia, but it was good. You might look at the discussion of its sister restaurant in Aptos, which is currently on this board. India's Clay Oven also has served me good food.

If you are lucky to be in town on Tuesday, you could browse the giant Farmers Market that stretches for blocks on Alvarado and find plenty to eat.

[tracyk]

thank you!
we ended up at the lebanese joint near the old theater. it was actually good! kibbie and falafel hit the spot, for sure.

[susancinsf]

Is this Maha's?

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Maha's
470 Alvarado St, Monterey, CA

[tracyk]

think so, though i didn't really notice a sign. i think the fact that it was lebanese was more prominently displayed.
it was very near that old movie theater (opposite side of the street).