Abalonetti Seafood Trattoria, Monterey

Vaguely nautical from the outside and quite contemporary from the inside, this restaurant is one of four ventures by Peninsula celebrity chef John Pisto. The interior is white on white on white with a few indoor trees and potted palms adding patches of green. The paint job plus the amount of light that filters in through the oversized windows causes the place to almost sparkle when the sun is at its peak. Guests dine on fresh fish, seafood pastas, wood-fired pizzas and, the house specialty, calamari prepared in one of a half-dozen different ways.