Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Phil's Fish Market - Moss Landing CA

For a small town Moss Landing has several good places to eat.

Drive North from Monterey on Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) after about forty minutes you will come to a large power station on your right( (left if your are heading South from Santa Cruz) . This is Moss Landing, turn left onto the street which will take you into the town itself. Drive about two hundred yards and you will see a bridge over the inlet to the harbor, turn right immediately after crossing the bridge and you will see a series of grey warehouses to your left, the landing to your right. The third of these warehouse buildings is Phil's Fish Market.

Don't judge a book or restaurant for that matter by its cover. Phil's may look like an industrial warehouse but the full parking lot should tell you that this is definitely the place to eat.

Phil's and its owner has even appeared on an episode of Bobby Flay's Throw-down Challenge. Phil did win the challenge with his tasty Chipinno (Fish Soup). Despite its Italian sounding name Chipinno is a Californian dish/ The name is said to come from San Fransisco fishermen "chipping in a" bit of fish or clams for the soup.

The soup has a tomato base and is full of good parts of fish caught out of Moss Landing, it is also full of crabs legs, shrimp and clams. Definitely nott a meal for a first date, but delicious and filling anyway.

Phil's also maintains a fish market beside the restaurant and you can buy the best quality fish there for reasonable prices, then take them home to cook for dinner.

As an addition if you get home from a trip to California and must have some more Chipinno, Phil's does send buckets via mail order across the U.S.

Phil's is an experience besides their chipinno you can buy a wide variety of quality seafood dishes.  Seating is family style on benches in some areas, small tables in other areas. The food is always delicious and well priced varying with the season and what the local fishing fleet has brought in that day.





Well worth a visit.


For more information here is a link toPhil's Fish Market Website

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Haute Enchilada - Moss Landing CA

If you take Highway 1 South from Santa Cruz CA, towards Monterey, CA you will pass through the small town of Moss Landing.

You cannot miss Moss Landing, the tall chimneys of the power station dominate the surrounding region. A few hundred yards south of the entrance to the power station compex, on the ocean side of Highway 1 there is a turning which takes you into Moss Landing itself. This road then forks turn left and The Haute Enchilada is on the right side of the road opposite a small gift/antique shop.

The Haute Enchilada serves excellent food, particularly seafood and seasonal vegetables and fruit from the Moss Landing, Watsonville and Castroville areas.

They also serve an excellent Mole (Mexican chocolate sauce)

Meals are well portioned a meal for two will cost about $20 but it is quality food and whether you choose to eat outside in a pretty garden or inside in this richly proportioned bar/restaurant you will have great memories.