Santa Monica Seafood does fish right

Kathy Mader

Rainy days inspire me. Most people, they make a little lazy, but it’s

very different with me.

On any given day, I would go out to eat. Let them do the cooking

and the dishes. But on rainy days? I want to eat in my comfy home in

my cozy pajamas. So I’m inspired to get up and order take out, all

the way.

Of course, with take out comes the risk of having to do the dishes

yourself and the possibility of even reheating food once it arrives.

I had to search long and hard for a simpatico relationship with a

“take-out” restaurant, one that either delivers paper goods and

plastic silverware, or is worth doing the dishes myself.

I found several. But this here article is about one, one that

serves up perfect rainy day food as well as sunny day food. And one

that, because of it’s very casual dining area, it’s a store really,

with just a couple of tables along the windows, you don’t feel like

you are missing much of the experience by eating your purchases at

home.

Santa Monica Seafood on 17th Street in Costa Mesa delivers.

Unfortunately, not literally, but their hot, flavorful New England

clam chowder or spicy Manhattan clam chowder is exactly the kind of

chowder you want at home in your pajamas.

The several Santa Monica Seafood locations are owned and operated

by the Cigliano family, whose great-grandfather John came to

California from Italy in the late 1800s. He and his sons started as

fishermen and ultimately developed the present day Santa Monica

Seafood stores, which include a 60,000-square-foot “state of the art”

complex in Rancho Dominguez. You can read more about the history of

the Cigliano family, their other stores and their mission statement

on www.santamonicaseafood.com.

As I said before, Santa Monica Seafood is really a store, with

fresh breads and cold drinks and an extensive selection of fresh

seafood to choose from that runs the length of the building, with

calamari, swordfish, lobster, octopus and salmon pate.

But this is just the store stuff. We have ordered the chowder and

pounds of fresh prawns for several parties, and believe me, everyone

leaves happy. You can buy the cocktail sauce and the lemons right

there, too. The pre-made sushi is just adequate, and I don’t

recommend it.

The staff is as kind and courteous as you could hope. That sure is

nice to be able to say.

The take-out (or eat in) department offers hot sandwiches, like

the spicy tuna burger ($5.95), the Cajun swordfish sandwich (market)

and one of my favorites, the crab cake sandwich ($6.95). The cool

appetizers include shrimp or crab cocktails, and even fried calamari.

The aforementioned chowders, foods “out of the fryer,” such as

fish and chips ($6.95) and shrimp and chips ($7.95), and items such

as fish or chicken tacos, shrimp stir fry and fresh fish “from the

grill” all round out the to-go menu. The fish is great for sunny

summer days. The mild, fresh halibut has been my favorite. The “take

out” menu will be changing over the next several weeks, with some new

additions and a couple subtractions.

The beauty of Santa Monica Seafood is it caters to those like me,

who are willing to get in the car and drive there, and to those who

are willing to peruse, purchase and prepare the fish themselves.

* KATHY MADER’s dining reviews appear every other Thursday.