Norm wrote:
> Tell me more about this restaurant-prices etc
You asked:
Icono Clast
Newsgroups: ba.food
From: Icono Clast
Date: 20 Jan 2004 03:47:52 -0800
Subject: Monterey's Fish House . . .
. . . is at 2114 Del Monte Avenue (Telephone: 1831/373-4647) near the
Northern border.
Attending a dance convention this past week-end, I twice went to the
the subject venue. I can only add emphasis to what I said last April.
Thursday night I overheard one waiter telling another that he had
called downtown to learn that it, and Cannery Row, was "dead". At
this place, not only was every seat occupied, there were no fewer
than a dozen drooling potential diners standing around.
The first meal I had was Curry Snapper that was delicious with
perfectly prepared vegetables. The second was Blackened Tuna. At the
first meal I had a César salad (the one ordered for the second was
forgotten then waived). Also had two oysters with the first meal.
Sunday night, they had run out of oysters.
Monterey's Fish House is probably the best restaurant in town when it
comes to quality, quantity, price, and value. Go there!
From: Icono Clast
Subject: Monterey's Fish House . . .
Date: 2003-04-21 02:50:16 PST
. . .
Passing Pájaro Dunes, I asked "Do you have a cuisine in mind?"
"Fish!"
"Well, it's the Bay Area, so what else would we eat? Any particular
cuisine?" "Fish!" "OK. You choose where."
Monterey's Fish House was the first place ("There!") she saw. We made
a U-Turn at the skate rink and parked at the closest legal space to
the door, not a good sign. When we opened that door, however, there
was a crowd standing in wait for a table, usually a good omen. The
place revealed itself to be much larger than one would expect from
the exterior.
The clientèle were a broad cross-section of the denim-clad crowd,
many ages, many apparent ancestries, many families. The lovely
hostess downcast her eyes when we confessed the absence of a
reservation but, almost immediately, she seated us leaving the larger
party ahead of us in wait.
The place was loud but not intolerably so. Although we could clearly
hear the conversations of many others, we could also clearly hear
each other so it wasn't too bad.
The busser came almost immediately to present us with glasses of
water and a basket of unwarm'd bread. Probably not yet old enough to
have wine with dinner outside his home, he was terrific! He addressed
us in the best of fashions and seemed to be truly concerned about our
needs to which he attended throughout our meal.
Along came one of two large Mafiosi-types to take our order. This
man, probably David or John DiGirolamo, knew everything there was to
know about the menu. I got the impression that he knew each fish from
the time they were eggs, the rocks where they were born, the routes
they took in their travels and the adventures they had, the type of
gear used to land them and the specific individuals at the other ends
of that gear as well as the driver who got them to his refrigerator.
I think he might have also known the the people who harvested the
spices in the kitchen and possibly helpt t'till the fields whence
came the vegetables. I ain't never seen nor heard nuttin' like it.
Similar, of course, many -- but none to the degree of this
Mafioso-looking font of fishy knowledge.
She ordered a salmon dish, I squid. With one glass of wine, the tab
sans toke was a very reasonable $38.50. You could do worse, a lot
worse. You could do better, but not much. We recommend a visit to
this place the next time you're that near the SouthLand.
***
Y'never who's who or what's what:
A young couple was seated next to us, he looking like a stereotypical
fresh-off-the-farm type wearing shorts exposing his hairy and
grotesquely fat legs, and wearing a bill'd cap. But the cap's legend
was "Pebble Beach". His companion was a pretty and lithe blonder.
Although the restaurant has a decent wine list, this young man
produced a bottle of wine from a plastic bag. An ice bucket was
provided so I never did see the label but it seemed to impress our
Mafioso.
From: "Phil Parkman"
Local: Mon,Apr 21 2003 12:01 pm
Subject: Re: Monterey's Fish House . . .
"Icono Clast" wrote:
news:3a26924c.0304210150.4700ddc1@posting.google.com...
> . . . is at 2114 Del Monte Avenue (Telephone: 1831-373-4647) near
the Northern border.
This is a restaurant with character rather than trend appeal. While
the preparations lack subtlety, portions are large, the fish is as
fresh as it can be, and I believe that if you can imagine a way to
prepare a fish that they have, they would do it for you. Icono's
description was good, but I don't think he completely captured the
massive nature of the "menu". Basically, we were presented with a
menu, and then the server, almost certainly one of the family who run
the place, gave us a list of specials that was at least twice as long
as the menu. I'm sure that all of the amateur comedians in the crowd
ask him, "Can you repeat that?".
MFH is in a commercial area of Monterey, not all that far from the
tourist center in a car, but too far to walk. We went there on a
Friday night and I would guess that 90% of the patrons were local.
I would definitely recommend this place to those who want the
freshest fish in Monterey, and who want to avoid the tourist traps on
the wharf.
Phil Parkman
From: Deborah Gronke Bennett
Local: Mon,Apr 21 2003 3:37 pm
Subject: Re: Monterey's Fish House . . .
I can second the recommendation. I had dinner there almost a year
ago during a vacation trip to Monterey. We travel there often,
and usually stay at the same upscale B&B. The B&B recommended MFH
as good for a casual but tasty seafood meal. It's true that the place
doesn't look like much from the outside, but I found the food
outstanding and the staff knowledgeable. I had the barbecued
clams and found them wonderful. I would certainly return the next
time I'm in Monterey.
Deborah Gronke Bennett
___________________________________________________________________
A San Franciscan who says: "You serve it, I'll eat it!"
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