I stayed with a local in Monterey, and when I asked her where I should eat, she said emphatically, "My favorite place to eat is Turtle Bay!" I wondered what provoked such passion, but once I stopped by, I wondered no more.

Turtle Bay is funky, fun, inexpensive, relaxed, and FABULOUS. The food is out of this world yet oh-so-cheap. How they do it, I'll never know. The soft tacos are great; I've had the chicken, grilled shrimp, and veggie. There's also wild salmon, snapper, and more. I had a house salad, organic greens and a tangy mango vinagrette, and couldn't believe how fresh it was. Don't miss their homemade salsas: I went back three times for more of the cranberry salsa. The service is fantastic. In about 10 days, I went to Turtle Bay about four times, and they started to recognize me. When I waited for a pick-up order, the owner came over, talked with me, and gave me a free brownie to boot!

If you can believe it, Turtle Bay also has very healthy choices - they list "points" for their food, and most of their soft tacos are only three to five points each. Without a doubt, if you are in Monterey, you must visit Turtle Bay!