Santa Monica Seafood
My infatuation with Santa Monica Seafood started years ago. The restaurant I worked for used them as a supplier and my appreciation for incredible seafood developed. We are fortunate enough to have one here in Costa Mesa!
They have an amazing selection and we haven’t found a store with better quality. I’ll be honest, they aren’t cheap. But when it comes to seafood… I’ll splurge. It only takes one bad piece of fish to set you straight.
Just look at that Alaskan Halibut! I do realize that me gushing over display case of raw fish is a bit neurotic. Oh, but you would understand if you were at my house for dinner tonight. I’ll spare you all the details of every moment I spent bonding with my dinner. Back to what Santa Monica Seafood has to offer…
They carry whole fish as well as cut fish. If you bat your eyelashes and smile, they’ll portion it out for you. OK I admit, you don’t have to bat your eyelashes. Unless thats how my fiance, B, gets his fish portioned. Now that I think about it, I’ll have to keep my eye on him.
If you are an eater and not so much a chef (like me) the amount of selections can be a bit overwhelming. This is where Santa Monica Seafood really stands out above the rest. Its all in their staff.
Some people ~ahem~ might walk in and say things like… Umm, I’d like some fish please… and then hold out their hands.
The good people at SMS would smile and ask a series of friendly questions. Do you want a rich fish or light fish? A meaty texture? A strong flavor? What are you using it for?
You basically answer the questions you can and they help guide you. In fact, someone there could give you a recipe, pair it with a wine and send you home with the sauce to go with it.
Of course, you can always just buy some of their prepared food. If it wasn’t 450 degrees outside I would have sat down for some of their clam chowder and a roll from La Brea Bakery.
Inside at the end of the counter you’ll find the Cafe area. There is plenty of seating outside as well. I suggest waiting until the temperature cools down. You want to enjoy your fish.. not fry it.
At the other end of the counter you’ll find the displays. Santa Monica Seafood sells their own line of sauces. I haven’t tried all of them but I’ll get there.
How sweet is this sushi kit?!
A bottle a bubbly to set the mood? There are also a variety of wines perfect for any occasion.
I’ll leave you with this. Its called Indian Candy and we love it. If you like smoked salmon and are a bit adventurous (as it has a slight sweetness to it) please get in your car and drive to Santa Monica Seafood immediately.
Dawn ~ thanks so much for enlightening me to this place. My husband and I are big seafood fans. We have a small local place we go to, but when we get our once-a-year birthday treat, Maryland Blue Crabs (they are very hard to get in SoCal), we’ve been driving up to Quality Seafood, which is also a fun place to visit, in Redondo Beach. It seems Santa Monica Seafood carries them based your photo with the prawns and lobster tails. I foresee a trip here in the near future.
I’m not big on fish, but I’m trying to be! This post gives me hope that I can actually commit to having some seafood in my life. Favorite photo–those friendly crabs staring at me!
Elle
Wow what a fantastic place and great photos! The grilled fish tacos would be calling my name from the prepared food…oh it all looks good!
I’m coming to your house for dinner!
If I get in the car and drive there…it will be a few days. I will just have to look at the pictures and be jealous of all the yummy seafood that you have at your fingertips.
Awww, thanks for commenting guys! :)
First of all Dawn, WELCOME!!! We’re glad to have you! And so are the readers apparently!! :-)
Thank you for showing us this place! I had no idea it existed. My wife is the uuber cook, so I will definitely be shoving her in this direction.
Also, I will be taking tips from you on how you got such a lovely photograph of your finalized dish! Food photography is hard. In fact, all of your photos are great!
So where is this place? As often as I am in OC visiting the fam I’ve never run across it.
Its in Costa Mesa off of 17th street about a block from Newport Boulevard. Just down the street from Triangle Square.