New Restaurants and Good Hangs To Look Forward to in 2025

January 7, 2025 – A lot of flavorful things will hit your taste buds—and your imagination—in 2025. 

One would be California Assembly Bill 2174, now law, which allows brewers to sell their beer at both public and private events through the use of what’s called a Beer Caterer’s Permit.

If that seems modest, it’s not. And wait till you hear about being able to smoke marijuana with snacks in a public lounge dedicated to the cause.

More on that in a minute. 

Here are things to look forward to with a full-fledged appetite, starting now.

Sweet Reba’s Salinas

The cult favorite has a sequel looking to share the superlative pastries, soups and specials that have become life requirements for regulars in Carmel’s Crossroads Shopping Center. With permitting finalized recently, Reba’s in Oldtown Salinas is scheduled to debut at 268 Main St. this spring.

Gabrielita Tamaleria

The temple of homespun-tasty that is Gabriella Cafe has a side-kiosk on the way. There will be breakfast burritos, maybe street tacos at some point, but G-lita primarily aspires to reprogram your appreciation for tamales, from a sidewalk spot near the Del Mar Theater, debuting this month. Chef Gema Cruz will guide the banana-leaf-wrapped Oaxacan-style revelations, swinging in both sweet and savory mole directions. “Nobody’s making tamales like me,” Cruz says. 

Other Brother Beer Co. #2

OBBC of Seaside has developed an admirable—and difficult-to-achieve—identity. It’s not great beer, though that’s a big part of it. It’s simply a good hang. Like brewer and co-owner Kevin Brown told Edible when word broke of its sister spot in Aptos, “We definitely view our taproom and brewery as an event space and somewhere we want to keep people involved and coming back.” Creative director/co-owner Evan Loewy reports a conservative open date is actually this time next year (2026), but I’m too hyped on it not to include here.

Alley Oop Pub 

The former Poet & Patriot would be cool without much more than a burger and a bourbon. Now it’s got a lot more to help the spot pop. AOP has the space and the pace to bring a feel that owner-operator Max Turigliatto envisions opening before summer, next to Kuumbwa Jazz Center at 320 Center St. “Santa Cruz needs a sexy date night cocktail lounge,” he says. “It’s moody, piano in the corner, an extension in a way of Kuumbwa, a destination for couples who want to have a nice night.”

Tiki Bar San Juan Bautista

When the tweezer chef Jarad Gallagher went saucy barbecue with Smoke Point, it was the biggest and beefiest news for meat fans across the tri-county area. Now he has his stir stick verving up a key location on Third Street in the former 18th Barrel Tasting Room. Gestation date, according to my sources, could be as soon as February, complemented by food trucks TBD. 

VIN Wine Bar-by-the-Sea

This wino fever dream bottle shop with 80—yes, 80—wines by the glass in Carmel Crossroads now answers a customer longing for stylish food to complement the curated vino, albeit in a second location in a strategic spot in Carmel by the Sea. The location (tucked next to Cultura, across from Toro Sushi) is clutch, the concept (clever choices across dimensions) is clear, the anticipation (conservative open date mid spring) is real. 

Back to the California lawmaking part of your life.

Thanks to AB 217 local brewers can now tap their suds at events held off their premises—find them flowing at street fairs, community gatherings, private parties and civic events.

“This legislation recognizes the essential role that craft brewers play in California’s hospitality industry,” says Lori Ajax, executive director of the California Craft Brewers Association, “highlighting their value as small businesses and contributors to their local communities.”

The other major update to California adult enjoyment as of this year: AB 1775 legalizes Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes, so dispensaries—if inspired and allowed by their local jurisdictions—can also sell food and non-alcoholic drinks to consume in house, on top of smoking and live entertainment. (It will require local municipalities to cooperate, so this one’s burning slow-like.)

The fact these developments are live week one of 2025 works as a hopeful omen for all the breakthroughs to anticipate, which appear here in order of my excitement. (Please share any additions to mark@ediblemontereybay.com or @MontereyMCA on Instagram.)