2/24/2009

Go Fish: Santa Monica Seafood


Whenever I'm in Santa Monica, I try to get over to Santa Monica Seafood to pick up some fresh fish to bring home to cook for dinner. The quality is tops; they're the suppliers to many Los Angeles restaurants.

There have been plenty of times that I've gone there to get some fish to cook for dinner and been hungry for a snack. So I buy a small portion of one of their prepared foods to go (poached salmon, mango salsa, shrimp in pesto sauce- the seafood is always cooked to perfection) and eat it in my car. It's one of those things that you do and don't tell anyone about, unless you have a blog, then everyone knows.

A couple weeks ago, after 40 years in the same location, Santa Monica Seafood closed their Colorado shop and moved to a store that's double in size, at the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and 10th St., just a couple of doors away from Huckleberry. They now have a wider selection of fresh fish, about the same amount of prepared foods, and they've expanded their selection of non fish items. They have a cheese section, fresh bread, flowers, pasta sauces, chocolates, vegetables. Basically, you can shop there for a complete meal without having to go to another store.

The best part about the move, they now have a indoor cafe with table service and an oyster bar. The menu has a little bit of everything,with fish as the main ingredient. There's soups ($3-6), sandwiches, salads ($10-13), entrees ($12-17), starters ($6-12), and crudo ($9). It's a great menu. Here are some stars: Potato and Parmesan Frittata topped with poached shrimp, mascarpone and American sturgeon caviar; Grilled Swordfish Sandwich on a ciabatta roll with roasted red and yellow peppers, Kalamata olives and capers, served with an organic green salad; Cioppino, the classic Italian dish with clams, muscles, fish, shrimp, and calamari in a spicy tomato broth, served with grilled ciabatta bread.

They get a huge lunch crowd. When I was there it was packed and people were waiting to be seated. They have plans in the works to add more seating, including outdoor tables. A better alternative might be ordering to go and eating in the car, at home or the office, if you can wait that long.

Alli411 Tips:

1. There's a huge parking lot in the back, major bonus points.

2. If you are going to buy fresh fish, bring a little ice chest so you don't have to run home. They will supply ice, but bringing a chest will let it sit safely in your car for hours. The last time I checked 99¢ Only Stores had ice chests for 99¢.

3. After lunch visit Huckleberry for a fresh baked dessert.

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1000 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-5244

Santa Monica Seafood on Urbanspoon

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Miss 411,
Thanks to you and your blog, I am obsessed with food. Really. However, I am amazed by how good I look, how good I feel, and what a good mood I'm in - my husband checks your site and takes me out to dinner at least once a week. Thanks from both of us!

Anonymous said...

Nice... First to report back in Blogsphere. Drove by on opening week but good god the crowd looked heinous.

Alli & Win said...

Thanks Mia and Tony.