Every week, we'll be featuring a guest post from the travel writers behind Worth the Drive, a blog featuring nearby getaways, festivals, and sweet travel deals on NBC Bay Area.

There isn't a hotter topic between two pals just sitting down to lunch at a seafood restaurant than calamari. Very often on friend is addicted to the dish, the other is like, "yeah, it's pretty good," and much debate ensues over whether to split an appetizer or not. Anedoctally? We think the calamari fan will get his or her way four out of five times and the person who was just so-so will end scarfing the bulk of it. We're not wrong, are we? You've been there. So we're pleased to see the chewy little rings of deep-fried deliciousness get their own foodie circuit shout-out at The Great Monterey Clam Chowder and Calamari Festival. True, they come second on the billing to clam chowder, but, if we're going to be fully truthful with ourselves, clam chowder probably deserves first billing on most things.

Click here to get all the essentials on this weekend's drool-worthy event!