For his restaurant's Yucatán-influenced coastal menu, Julio now uses only fish caught locally, in season, or in ways that do not damage the oceans or endanger species. Regulars file in for the sand-dab tacos and signature "bowls," such as the grilled wild salmon with cashew-cilantro sauce served on a bed of salad, rice, and black beans.

Julio's conscientiousness might seem extravagant for a restaurant where nothing on the menu costs more than $9, but for him it's not negotiable. "We need to allow the fish to grow and reproduce like they are supposed to," he says. "Otherwise, we will run out. Taking care of our oceans and our land is the most important thing we can do."

For more good food, Monterey Bay Aquarium's Portola Cafe is the place to go. Guests receive binoculars along with a list of wildlife that may swim or fly by the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the bay.

Three questions determine whether a fish lands on Portola's menu: Is it farmed or wild? Where is it from? How was it caught? Those that pass the test yield fresh, vibrant dishes with a distinctively California bent: perhaps baby hearts of romaine with whole white anchovies and Caesar dressing; crab and seafood cakes with chipotle aïoli; or a sandwich of line-caught ahi tuna with wasabi mayonnaise. At meal's end, patrons receive a Seafood Watch pocket guide to help them keep selecting nonendangered fish.

Stokes Restaurant & Bar combines the sustainability concept with this one-time state capital's rich past. Inside an 1833 adobe on the town's Path of History Walk, Stokes' cozy dining rooms and eat-in bar exude warmth. Chef Brandon Miller and owners Kirk and Dorothea Probasco remain committed to using local sources whenever possible—as Kirk and Brandon did when both worked at Napa Valley's famed Tra Vigne restaurant. "[Fishermen] Gino and Joey come to us with the day's catch," says Kirk. "And there's a guy who comes to our back door selling mushrooms foraged nearby." The meticulously sourced menu, from County Line Farms mixed greens and Rosie Farms organic chicken to Laura Chenel cheese and Hobbs pancetta, reads like a tribute to area producers. Stokes also serves tender, plump Monterey Bay sardine escabèche, one of the few sardine dishes to be found in Monterey these days.

Locals debate whether natural cycles or overfishing drastically depleted the sardine population in this once-booming sardine town (immortalized in John Steinbeck's Cannery Row). But before the strip of canning factories became the Cannery Row tourist drag, two enterprising young men, Bet Cutino and Ted Balestreri, revamped one of those canneries and created The Sardine Factory Restaurant. Clint Eastwood sealed its success when he showcased it in his 1971 directorial debut, Play Misty for Me. Local Kate Gallaway says it's the one touristy place she picks hands down among the myriad choices.

In a downstairs reservation-only room, gloved and tuxedoed waiters serve banquets and large parties. To accommodate what Ted calls "the casualization of America," a recently renovated upstairs lounge offers sandwiches, soups, salads, and tapas.

Downtown, in a restored historic firehouse, Montrio Bistro rates high with residents and tourists alike. Montrio's elegant atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for a menu that implores readers, "Feel good about what you eat." Chef Tony Baker goes to Wharf Number 2, the commercial pier in town, for each day's catch, and makes several weekly stops at the Earthbound Organics stand in Carmel Valley. The fresh seafood and ingredients star in dishes from grilled Kauai shrimp over lemon-leek-spinach risotto with pomegranate vinaigrette to hot Dungeness crab–artichoke bake.

Feeling good about what you eat is easy when you know the care and thought that goes into making food in this town from the ground—or the ocean—up.