Monterey's Fish House
Monterey's Fish House is a seafood restaurant in Monterey, California in the United States.
Monterey's Fish House | |
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Restaurant information | |
Owner(s) | DiGirolamo family[1] |
Head chef | G. Garvin[2] |
Food type | Seafood |
Dress code | Casual |
Street address | 2114 Del Monte Ave |
City | Monterey |
County | Monterey County |
State | California |
Postal/ZIP Code | 93940 |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 36.602115°N 121.865760°W |
Reservations | Yes |
Website | montereyfishhouse |
History
Monterey's Fish House is owned by David DiGirolamo.[3] DiGirolamo's Sicilian ancestry influences select dishes on the restaurant's menu.[4]
In 2014, Monterey's Fish House was in Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. In the episode, star Guy Fieri learns how to make oak grilled oysters and Sicilian Holiday Pasta.[2]
Design and ambiance
The restaurant is located in a former house.[5] Its exterior is a salmon pink color. The interior is decorated in photographs of fishermen from Sicily.[6] The restaurant often "packed" with people, according to Fodor's requiring people to make reservations and/or wait for tables at the bar or outside in a line.[4][7] Lonely Planet describes the restaurant as "island-casual."[6] Fodor's calls Monterey's Fish House "casual yet stylish."[7] Monterey's Fish House has also been described as having an "Old-school Italian vibe."[4]
Cuisine
Monterey's Fish House is a seafood restaurant. The restaurant calls its food "home-style." David DiGirolamo calls the food "simple" with garlic and basil being the primary spices used in preparing dishes.[3]
Appetizers include fresh oak-wood grilled or barbecued oysters, clam chowder and Monterey Bay calamari and local prawns.[5][2][6][4][8]
The main entrees include a selection of fresh caught seafood, including swordfish and baby octopus, either grilled over oak or blackened.[2][8] The spice rub used on the blackened fish is described by Monterey County Now as "cozy at first – a gentle drift of smoke, a faint bitter trace and the glow of embers at dusk, a low, grumbling warmth from cayenne and paprika. Yet there is a welcoming balance of dry herbs and gloaming earth. It’s layered and elusive and beautifully crafted."[9] Additional fish offerings can include snapper, halibut and albacore tuna.[4][3]
The restaurant's house speciality is its Sicilian Holiday Pasta (a "cioppino over pasta"[5] with seasonal fish with clams, mussels, prawns, calamari and octopus) and squid steak.[2][6] All of their pasta's are made inhouse.[5]
Reception
Travel writers Buz Bezore and Christina Waters describe Monterey's Fish House as having "fantastically fresh" seafood while being "off the beaten path" from Monterey's touristy areas.[5] Dorling Kindersley's travel guides call the restaurant "casual but classy."[10] Restaurant was named "Best Seafood" restaurant by The Salinas Californian in 2003 and 2005.[11][12]
References
- "About". Monterey Fish House. Monterey Fish House. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- "Monterey's Fish House". Food Network. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- Diaz, Ricardo A. (10 June 2010). "Monterey Fish House likes to keep it fresh". The Californian. p. 1. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- Stuart Thornton (13 November 2018). Moon Coastal California. Avalon Publishing. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-64049-292-9.
- Buz Bezore; Christina Waters (7 June 2005). Explorer's Guide Big Sur, Monterey Bay & Gold Coast Wine Country: A Great Destination (Third Edition). Countryman Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-1-58157-995-6.
- "Monterey's Fish House". Monterey, USA Restaurants. Lonely Planet. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- "Monterey's Fish House The Monterey Bay Area Restaurants Review". Fodor's Travel. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- "Monterey Weekend Travel Guide". Tasting Table. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- Faries, Dave. "Monterey Fish House I Eduardo Blanco". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- DK Travel (15 May 2018). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide California. DK Publishing. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-4654-7799-6.
- "Food & Dining Awards". The Californian. Newspapers.com. 23 October 2003. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- "Readers' Choice - Food & Dining Awards". The Californian. Newspapers.com. 25 October 2005. p. 45. Retrieved 24 December 2018.