Nicolas Cocina de Herencia

Where to Eat in Monterey

"I found this elegant, 5,000-square-foot restaurant—draped with a dozen chandeliers—serving inventive interpretations of Mexican cuisine; the lamb chile relleno (a chile stuffed with apples, pears, raisins, and ground lamb in a pomegranate seed–studded sauce concocted from white chocolate, macadamia nuts, and spices) is fabulous and feels like an inspired riff on chiles en nogada, and a brownie baked with dark chocolate mole topped with black bean caramel made for a memorable dessert. Opened in November 2023, it's the Alvarez family's second restaurant after the popular Villa Azteca in Salinas." - Sharon McDonnell