Living

Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008

Dining Out: Giovanni’s is a Morro Bay classic

An Embarcadero experience isn’t complete without a basket of fish and chips, a crab quesadilla or some fresh chowder at the newly renovated dockside fish market

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A trip to the Embarcadero in Morro Bay should always include a stroll down the waterfront, a nice seafood meal and a chance to check out the fresh catch.

At Giovanni’s Fish Market, visitors can capture much of what the quaint seaside town has to offer by checking out its fresh seafood market and eatery.

The casual restaurant, which has been on the bay for 25 years, recently underwent a quarter-million-dollar renovation. The kitchen was tripled in size, the patio was redone and extended, and the menu was taken up a notch to include cocktails, beer and wine, and a new selection of fresh seafood items was added.

The menu is one of the most extensive and affordable on the waterfront. Most items remain under $10 and include fresh seafood dishes including locally caught rock fish, Dungeness crab, and grilled halibut sandwiches.

The patio at Giovanni’s is inviting, with glass-windowed walls protecting the dozen or so tables from Morro Bay’s notoriously breezy weather.

The line at Giovanni’s can start before it opens daily at 11 a. m. Although it can get a bit long, it tends to go quickly. Within 15 minutes of ordering lunch with a couple of friends, our food and drinks had arrived.

We were told not to miss the Dungeness crab quesadilla ($10) which is packed with sweet shredded crab meat, Jack cheese, onions and cilantro. The quesadilla is large and crisped to a golden brown on the exterior.

We enjoyed the sweet flavor or the rich crab with melted cheese so much that we later asked owner Giovanni DeGarimore to teach us how to make it. (Find the video online at www.sanluisobispo.com.) The shrimp tacos ($8) are also a standout and are a great way to enjoy some succulent seafood without the extra calories from frying. Plump Mexican prawns are seared in spices and hot sauce and then folded into corn tortillas. Topped with chopped onions and cilantro, a bit of cheese and housemade salsa, the tacos are a great lunch paired with a Mexican beer. Add the priceless view of the sand spit and passing boats, and it’s a great place to spend a loungeful Saturday.

The combination seafood and chips ($10) is also appealing as the fish I tasted was flaky with a nice golden beer-batter crust. The shrimp and calamari mixed in were not as enjoyable as the light white fish but were still good dipped in the house tartar and cocktail sauces.

The halibut sandwich ($9) is a grilled filet of fish squeezed between a French roll, sliced tomato, onions and lettuce. A good fish sandwich is hard to beat, and this one competes with the best of them in Morro Bay.

If you have a taste for clam chowder, Giovanni’s version has won awards at the annual Harbor Festival. Brimming with chopped celery, potatoes and clams, it’s served steaming and packed with flavor.

As part of revamping the restaurant, Giovanni’s recently added a full bar that is open outdoors on busy weekends. Patrons can partake in pitchers of beer, glasses of wine or even pitchers of various cocktails.

Inside, the fish market is filled with local catches, locally grown abalone, and enticing fish, lobster and crab from around the globe.

Reach Dawn White at 781-7946.