Monterey has a plastic bag ban, so if you're shopping within city limits, make sure to take your own bag, or you'll get charged for a paper bag.
Grocery Stores
SafewayThere are four in the vicinity:
- Crossroads Shopping Center in Carmel
Very nice, spacious, updated store. Extensive wine selection. No pharmacy. Free Wifi, but it's excrutiatingly slow. - Carmel Valley Road
Smaller store, but nice. I've only been to this one once. Unless you live in Carmel Valley, this one is quite a ways out. Pleasant drive though, along Carmel Valley road. - Fremont & Canyon Del Rey Blvd in Del Rey Oaks
Larger inside than you'd expect from the outside. Large deli, with lots of hot food for takeaway. - Pacific Grove
The outside has been remodeled so you think it's a modernized Safeway, but the inside is small and old-style (remember the old Safeways with the arched front?). When I first moved here, I read a lot of reviews complaining about poor customer service and unfriendly staff at this store, but I haven't had that experience at all. Quite the opposite; they've been really helpful when needed.
Love Trader Joe's. If you're not familiar with TJ's, they stock mostly their own brands, trending toward natural, organic, healthy items. They don't have the variety you'd get at a major grocery store, but what they have is really good. Pre-made salads and sandwiches are excellent. Prices are reasonable. In California, they sell liquor, in addition to a fair wine selection. Liquor prices are really good; wine selections tend toward lower-priced wines. Two Buck Chuck anyone?
Two stores--one in downtown Monterey and one in Pacific Grove. The Pacific Grove store was expanded in 2013 to fill the entire building. I've never been in a Trader Joe's with such luxuriously wide aisles!
SaveMart
SaveMart has good prices, and really good sales. A bit more down-market, as far as the items they carry, than Safeway or Nob Hill. Nothing against SaveMart; it's a great store and I shop here quite a bit. Just don't come here looking for high-end, gourmet items. As part of their weekly specials, they always offer one item for free if you spend $25 (last week it was a bag of cotton balls; I've also gotten "free" toothpaste and hand lotion).
Two stores: Sand City and Carmel. The Carmel store is smaller and older, and it's almost impossible to see the sign on the front so you might not notice it's there. The Sand City store is newer and larger, and always freezing cold inside. Take a sweater.
Nob Hill
A bit more up-market, as far as the types of items they carry. Nob Hill is located on Lighthouse Ave in New Monterey, so it's not very convenient for me. I don't shop there much, so don't have much to say about it.
Whole Foods
Located in Del Monte Shopping Center in Monterey. Fairly small store, so it can be challenging to navigate the scrum around the deli and takeaway hot foods areas. The parking lot is a disaster--very difficult to get in and out. Walk there if you can.
Target
Yes, Target has a full-service grocery. The selection is not as good as big stores like Safeway and SaveMart, but the prices are excellent. I do quite a bit of grocery shopping here, especially if I also need other Target items. Two: one in Sand City and one in Marina.
Monte Vista Market
Smaller neighborhood grocery on Soledad Dr. near Pacific. Prices are higher, of course, but it's handy if you live nearby and just need to run in for something. They do a brisk custom-made sandwich business at lunchtime.
Other
There are also numerous convenience stores, smaller markets and ethnic grocers scattered throughout the area.
Discount and Warehouse
Grocery OutletHaven't been yet so I don't know a lot about it. I believe it is a deep discounter, and like most of these types of stores, they don't carry everything, but what they do have is at super bargain prices. It's a chain, but each one is independently owned. One in Seaside and one in Marina.
Smart & Final
Another deep discounter. This is a no-frills warehouse-style store, but does not require membership. A mix of items -- some are sold in Costco-like large sizes or multi-packs, others are "regular" size packaging like you'd see in any other grocery store. Plus an entire aisle of food service containers (styrofoam clamshells, cups, covered foil bowls, etc.) Located in Seaside, near Home Depot.
Costco
Just your typical Costco. Whenever I find some grocery item I like here - something that we use enough of to justify the large quantity you have to buy - they will invariably stop carrying it. Just my luck, I guess. We did buy a mini-fridge and some lawn chairs here, so the membership is still worth the price. Located in Sand City.
Shopping Malls
Del Monte Center, Monterey delmontecenter.comOpen air shopping mall, with most of your usual shopping mall chain stores: Banana Republic, Pottery Barn, Chicos, Mens Wearhouse, Gap, The Body Shop, Hallmark store, Subway, Starbucks, etc....and the "teenage section" at the far end of the mall with Hollister, H&M, Forever 21, Cold Stone Creamery. One anchor tenant: Macy's. A few local boutiques. Don't bother with the rewards card, it gets you absolutely nothing.
Sit-down restaurants are California Pizza Kitchen, PF Changs (food unremarkable, but the bar area is really nice), Islands (sort of like TGI Friday), and Lalla Grill (the best of the bunch -- really good, fresh, tasty food).
Crossroads, Carmel thecrossroadscarmel.com
When you first pull in to the parking lot, it seems to be the standard strip mall--Safeway, CVS drug store, Ace Hardware, Pet Food Express. But follow the pathways between the big guys, or drive around back, and discover all sorts of upscale boutiques, hair/beauty salons, cafes and bistros. The biggest restaurant here is Rio Grill, owned by the same people that do Tarpy's and Montrio Bistro.
Barnyard, Carmel the barnyard.com
Open air "shopping village" with about 45 upscale shops and restaurants in a garden-like setting with tiered courtyards. The concept is a bit pretentious, but it is a relaxing place to stroll around.
Carmel Plaza, Carmel carmelplaza.com
Open air mall on two levels. Medium to higher-end stores including Tommy Bahama, Cole Haan, Anthropologie, Sur La Table, J Jill, Bottega Venetta, and Tiffanys. Parking can be a bit challenging in Carmel.
Northridge Mall, Salinas northridgefashioncenter.com
Indoor mall. They can call it a "fashion center" if they want, but the stores are not up-market. If you're a budget shopper, this is the place for you. Anchor tenants are Sears, JC Penney, and Macy's.
American Tin Cannery, Pacific Grove americantincannery.com
Don't bother. Its own website can't even muster much enthusiasm for it.
For outlet stores, try Gilroy Premium Outlets, about 45 minutes away in Gilroy, CA.
For large scale, indoor shopping malls, you have to go to San Jose, about and hour and 15 minutes north. Valley Fair is probably the easiest to get to. For designer shops, go to Santana Row, and for upscale department stores (Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomies) go to Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto.
Department Stores
Where's my favorite department store?--coming soon---
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