"A person can have a good meal for $20," Carl Alasko told Monterey County NOW in October, and he meant a glass of wine was included in that $20. He was describing his new café at the top of Alvarado Street. The line also fits most of what has changed downtown in 2026.
Count the additions from this year. One is a counter-service Italian café where almost nothing costs more than $10.50. One is a free farmers' and makers' market that runs Friday evenings next to the Portola. One is a restaurant in the old Cibo space that opened with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. All three are aimed at an unplanned Tuesday lunch or a Friday after work. None of them needs a reservation made weeks ahead. The rest of this post walks down Alvarado from the top of the street to the Portola plaza, in the order you would reach them on foot.
Pazzo Italian Café puts a ceiling on the check
The café at 482 Alvarado St. sits in the pocket mall beneath Old Capitol Books at the top of the street. It took over the space that used to be the Twisted Roots shop, according to Edible Monterey Bay's opening report. Edible described "a kaleidoscope of color, plus lots of natural light and atrium seating too."
The prices are the reason it belongs in this post. Monterey County NOW reported that apart from a couple of red wines at $12 a glass, no item costs more than $10.50. At the September opening, Edible listed these prices:
Item | Price at opening, September 2026 |
|---|---|
Gelato parfait | $7.50 |
Focaccia flatbreads, pasta, charcuterie, chicken cacciatore, salads | $8.50 to $10.50 |
Craft beer | $5 |
Coffee, cappuccino, latte, Italian soda | $2.50 |
Alasko told Monterey County NOW how the low prices work. Counter service and disposable plates and utensils allow for friendlier pricing, and he is willing to give up some presentation to keep the focus on flavor. The menu covers pastas like three-cheese rigatoni, a four-meat ragu and truffle orecchiette, along with a rock cod basil pesto and a red wine brasato. There are four focaccia options, all baked in olive oil until the crust crackles. The gelato comes in 27 flavors. Edible pointed to combinations like the King Edward, with English toffee, caramel and vanilla, and the Ginger Express, with ginger three ways and fresh basil.
Why the name changed
If the sign looks different from what you remember in September, there's a reason. The café opened as Gelato Pazzo Café. In the same Monterey County NOW piece, Alasko said customers took the name literally and would ask, "Oh, you have food?" It now goes by Pazzo Italian Café, which tells people up front that they can come for lunch or dinner as well as dessert. The Old Monterey Business Association listed a grand opening for Friday, Oct. 16, running from breakfast through dinner, 7am to 8pm.
Pacific Grove regulars may recognize the approach. Alasko ran il vecchio on Central Avenue and sold it to founding chef Stefen Shatto and his mother, Kelly, effective June 1, 2024, as Edible Monterey Bay reported at the time. il vecchio is still open in Pacific Grove. Edible summed up what Alasko is repeating downtown as "strong Italian inspiration, lower-than-market prices, in an easygoing and social setting with an emphasis on design." The tagline on the to-go menu says the same thing in four words: "Italian quality. Italian prices."
Nami keeps the lower block open all day
Farther down the street, Nami took over the former Cibo Ristorante Italiano at 301 Alvarado St. Edible Monterey Bay reported that it started serving its first menu in mid-January, with a grand opening planned for Feb. 4. The opening menu covered sashimi, sushi rolls, tonkatsu ramen, pastas, pizza and seabass, in a room with about 150 seats.
Nami adds to the all-day pattern through its hours more than its prices. In February, the Old Monterey Business Association's announcement listed it as open 8:30am to 8pm daily. On Fridays and Saturdays it reopened from 9:30pm to 2am for craft cocktails and local DJs. The restaurant is run by the team behind Sur at the Barnyard and Pangaea on Ocean Avenue in Carmel. It describes the menu as steak and seafood "infused with a bold, modern Asian twist."
Those hours come from the February announcement, and restaurant schedules often change after the first few months. Check Nami's site or call before you plan a breakfast or a late-night stop.
Between Pazzo at the top of Alvarado and Nami lower down, you can have breakfast, lunch, dinner or a late drink on this street without a big check or a reservation weeks out.
The Paseo Night Market adds a weekly Friday stop
The third addition is the reason Fridays matter. The Paseo Night Market is a new evening farmers' market presented by Good Roots Events. It runs Fridays from 4 to 8pm on the Alvarado Mall next to Portola Hotel & Spa, 200 Alvarado St., and it's free. It started Sept. 18 with 20 booths of local farmers, artisans and food producers, according to the Old Monterey Business Association's event listing. Monterey County NOW described it as a place to shop for fruits, vegetables and other locally made and sourced goods.
This year's season is short, and two Fridays are left after this post goes up:
Date | Hours | Location |
|---|---|---|
Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 | 4 to 8pm | Alvarado Mall by Portola Hotel & Spa, 200 Alvarado St. |
Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 | 4 to 8pm | Same location; last date on the 2026 schedule |
The See Monterey listing shows the 2026 run as Sept. 18 through Oct. 30. For dates after Oct. 30, check Good Roots Events for updates.
The 4pm start fits the same pattern as Pazzo and Nami. You can stop by after work for produce and something to eat, and you don't need to set aside a Saturday morning for it.
A Friday on Alvarado, top to bottom
Taken together, the three spots make a full Friday evening on one street, with ordinary prices and no reservations needed. One route between now and Oct. 30:
- Start at the top of the street around 4pm. Pick up a focaccia or a gelato parfait at Pazzo Italian Café, 482 Alvarado St.
- Walk down to the Portola plaza. Shop the Paseo Night Market booths for produce and locally made goods before the 8pm close.
- Stay in the plaza for a seasonal beer. As of late September, Monterey County NOW reported Oktoberfest underway at Peter B's in Monterey, with the brewpub's Peterhosen lager back alongside brats, schnitzels, sauerkraut and Bavarian-style pretzels. Ask the staff whether the seasonal menu is still on.
- End at 301 Alvarado. Have dinner at Nami. If the Friday late-night hours from the February announcement still apply, the bar reopens at 9:30pm.
The newcomers share the street with businesses that have been here for years. In October, the Old Monterey Business Association congratulated 32 Old Monterey businesses and organizations that won Monterey County Weekly's Best of Monterey County 2026, and the association's site has the full list.
Two practical notes. The Paseo Night Market ends its 2026 run on Oct. 30. Pazzo's prices come from its first weeks of business, so expect them to change over time.
If you have a favorite new spot downtown that isn't on this list, I'd like to hear about it. I keep notes on what opens, renames and changes up and down Alvarado, and it comes up when buyers ask what Monterey is like on an ordinary weeknight. Reach out to Property Barker anytime. Let's Connect.
