Phil's Fish Market

Moss Landing, CA

After an up and down food experience at Carmel, we looked elsewhere for lunch on the way home. Only about twenty minutes away from Carmel Valley is Moss Landing where Phil's Fish Market is located. Envelope had mentioned mom was craving cioppino and apparently Phil's is known for theirs, so we went there with the intent on ordering some back for our parents. Later on I would find out that this place is a foodie destination and Bobby Flay had lost a throw-down challenge against Phil. Upon arrival at 1:30 on a Tuesday, the place was jammed packed. The line for ordering was about 30 people deep with nearly every indoor table filled. Chu-Toro and Shaddy waited outside in the back of the restaurant, where there are picnic tables and a beautiful sandy beach. My siblings and I waited in the fast moving line eagerly trying to determine what we were going to order. The menu is huge and has pretty much every seafood centric item you can think of. From soups, to fryer items, steamed items, sandwiches and a variety of house specialties, there's definitely something for everyone. Having a slice of zucchini bread for breakfast and after a uphill hike in the morning, everyone was starving, so we went a little overboard with the ordering since so many things looked so good. 

Steamed Clams and Garlic Bread, steamed with tomatoes, green onions, 
garlic, thyme, white wine and butter

The line was quick and so was the delivery of the food. A lot of food. Everything came at once within 10 minutes of ordering and was piping fresh. The steam clams were excellent, simply prepared but perfectly cooked. Not one clam was overcooked and the white wine, butter sauce was delicious enough to drink as a soup. Even though BroCo didn't have one clam, he dipped all his bread in the tasty broth.  

Three item fryer combo - Cod, Shrimp and Squid with fries and coleslaw

No surprise that BroCo went with a fryer combo, kids generally love their seafood fried and he's no different. The amount of items was excellent, receiving two large pieces of cod, three butterflied shrimp and six large filets of squid. Each item was good, crunchy batter, fresh seafood and two dipping sauces (cocktail and tartar), but the cod really stood out. Probably one of the best pieces of fried fish I've had. Chu-Toro said there are places like this all over San Diego which are even better which makes me want to visit our friend Ninja at UCSD. 

Lobster roll, lobster sauteed in garlic butter on a New England hot dog bun with fries

I ordered the lobster roll which was a bit different in the fact that the meat was unadulterated. No mayo, not a classic roll, but a fresh take on it, leaving the large section of lobster meat in tact lightly sauteed with garlic butter. Really enjoyable. The only complaint was that it was pretty small and could've eaten two, but thankfully, there was plenty of food on the table. 

Blackened Sea Scallops with lemon butter 

Envelope wanted the blacken sea scallops, which were simply cooked and good, but out of all the dishes wasn't really special in any way. They did give you ten scallops, but they weren't that big. A solid dish, but the weakest link of the meal and wouldn't order it again.

Cioppino in a bowl

Okay, the claim to fame dish. Was it worth it? Well it's certainly not cheap at $18.95 for a large bowl, but upon arrival was blistering hot and filled to the top with fish, calamari, mussels, clams, and crab. After the first bite, you know it's something special. Unlike any cioppino broth I've ever had, it had a velvety consistency, rich in tomato and naturally sweeten seafood flavor, pretty amazing. Each bite of seafood was perfectly cooked, the fish in particular was tender and flaky. I guess I understand why there was a huge line and so much hype around the place. It was the best classic cioppino I've ever had. ( I say classic, because Alice Walters' take on cioppino during our first meal at Chez Panisse still resonates in both of our minds). Everyone left happy and full and we also ordered a two serving bucket of cioppino back for our parents and they really liked it too. The only downside of Phil's besides its location, is the cost. It's not cheap. For the four of us, it was $100 bucks, not to mention another   $40 bucks for the to-go cioppino. But since it was so good and everyone left happy, we'll make sure to make it a reoccurring stop whenever we drive down the coast.

December 28, 2010

Rating 7.5/10

Shaddy Approved