Castroville is the self proclaimed Artichoke Capital of the World. And no one disputes it. It is about halfway to Carmel/Monterey so it is a natural spot to stop either on the way to Carmel or on the way back. The big attraction, in my opinion, is the fried artichoke hearts. The place we usually stop, The Giant Artichoke, is easily identified by the giant green artichoke marking the entrance. It is a tourist trap but the fried 'chokes are tasty. You can order them 10 - 20 or 30 in a bag. I prefer to eat them with mayo but they have a couple of other sauce options. You get all the good stuff without having to work hard. I could go for a bag of 10 right now. It will take you 25 minutes to cover the 20.2 miles from The Cabin.
11261 Merritt Street, Castroville, CA 95012 (831) 633- 3501 Hours: 7:00AM-9:00PM daily