There was already plenty to admire at the C Restaurant in the new Clement Monterey Hotel on Cannery Row before the humpbacks started slapping the surface of the bay with their lateral fins: The clean architecture, the soothing neutral tones, the inviting four-tops on the sunny decks, the attentive service, the upscale drink menu.

The humpback rub did make ordering the next round from the list of 15 or so inviting options a little easier: a C Whale’s Tail (Roth vodka, Mathilde framboise, pomegranate purée, açai, fresh lemon juice and blue agave nectar, $11).

My colleagues opted for a Morgan Chardonnay ($10) and a Sparkling Mist ($14, Belvedere vodka, Citron, lime juice and blue agave nectar, fresh mint and sparkling wine) on beverage mastermind Brad Adler’s suggestion. On another visit, I tried a superior Tsunami Mango Mojito ($9.50, pictured) after hearing it’s a crowd favorite.

Fortunately, thanks to California law and the Coastal Commission, you don’t have to throw down on a spendy sipper to enjoy the blessed setting. While we toasted the whales and our health, college kids with chowder bowls walked up to the water to enjoy the same views.

Expect a spotlight on the C in Feast after it has been open a few months; the hotel itself is up to the high-flying hype that has been zipping around the area– the beautiful reading room is one particularly pleasant arena of natural light and contemporary lines, colors and designs.

It was actually the C that led indirectly to another Cannery Row discovery, with an assist from the L.A. Lakers. Our group sought a bar with the NBA playoffs on; the C’s sleek bar had no screens to offer, so, upon evacuating and seeing a small TV in the corner of the little bar at Cannery Row Pizzeria (the former Schnarley’s near Sly’s), we ducked in.

A sequence of surprises unfolded from there– as we rounded the corner, a massive big screen with the game on came into view. From the raised seating area, ace local musicians Bishop Mayfield and Mike Turner delivered spot-on synthy blues. And there was more– the menu revealed the best deal on draft beer west of Salinas: $11 pitchers of Fat Tire, Gordon Biersch, Widmer and Michelob Ultra, anytime. Throw in some decent thin-crust pizza, and all elements are there to enjoy the NBA Finals starting tonight, Thursday, June 5.

The Weekly’s policy is to avoid reviewing chain restaurants to reserve its attention for local and independent shops, but new-to-Seaside Erik’s DeliCafe demanded an exception because of its locally sown lineage. Namesake Erik Johnson grew up in P.G. before starting a lil’ 600-square-foot spot with his wife in Scotts Valley in 1973, from where he’d often hustle over to Monterey to reload on homemade soups, deli salads and desserts from his folks.

It’s safe to say his family’s recipes formula for “sandwiches with character” has clicked. His new location in the new Seaside City Center at Fremont Boulevard and Broadway Avenue, which opened last week, is his 27th; number 28 will land at the Trader Joe’s center in Monterey.

I tried a Natural High ($5.75), which lavished thick, melty layers of Monterey jack and cheddar on soft avocado and a smattering of sautéed mushrooms in a wheat-bread pocket. Sunflower seeds and a light, tangy “Secret Goo” brought it together nicely.

Johnson says he’s had quite a few Erik “Bergers” of late (with smoked ham, Monterey jack, goo, red onion, tomatoes and sprouts on a peppered onion roll); I like the look of the Turkey Walnut Pesto on nine-grain bread ($5.95). The salads– from the Chicken Gorgonzola to the Leaf Erikson– look worthy and sturdy as well.