The Fish Market

Let me first admit that I had this meal literally a MONTH ago. It was supposed to be a pre-birthday dinner of sorts, but I have a feeling that it was just a good excuse to use up a lovely gift certificate from our realtor. Either way, I'm not complaining!
Not knowing a thing about anything, I didn't even realize this place was a chain until I looked it up just now. And to be honest, if I hadn't found out, I wouldn't have guessed. Although it was a bit larger and a bit more boisterous, it totally reminded me of seafood restaurants you find right by the ocean on the east coast. Not too fussy, not too stuffy, totally family-friendly, without that fake Red Lobster vibe.

We walked in for an early dinner on a Saturday night, and thankfully didn't need to wait too long. While we waited, we got to check out the small fish market up front, which showed off some of the fresh catch of the day -- some of which probably ended up on our plates, and all of which got our stomachs rumbling.

Soon after we got seated, I noticed the table of four next to us, where one woman was celebrating her birthday. Aside from delivering four delicious-looking chocolate-covered strawberries, the staff also came together for a birthday serenade. We couldn't make out the words at all, so I thought the group could've used a few more rehearsals. I mean, who wants a less-than-enthusiastic birthday song?

We were all starving, so we ordered the ginger lime prawns and the oyster sampler to tide us over until the rest of the meal was ready. The prawns were perfectly cooked (no chewiness whatsoever), but they could've used slightly less char and significantly more sauce. We got a tiny piece of lime that we really couldn't squeeze, so we missed out on any real lime flavor. The oyster sampler came with six oysters, two of each of the following: Canadian Malaspina, Humboldt Bay Kumamoto, and Cape Cod Island Creek. I've since forgotten which was which, but the two I had were delicious. Super fresh and super easy going down. I didn't put more than a bit of lemon juice and cocktail sauce on each of mine, so that I could really enjoy the clean taste of the oyster juice. Heaven in a shell.

Even though the menu is MASSIVE (and totally requires a pre-dinner viewing), I went with my favorite -- trout. Just so everyone is clear, I LOVE TROUT. Trout in any variety, form, preparation is absolutely delicious. I suppose I'm not the biggest fan of smoked anything, but if it's trout, I'm sure I'd like it more than I would any other fish. This time, I went with the cashew-crusted, farm-raised, Idaho rainbow trout, with avocado black bean relish (a kind of salsa, I suppose), fishwife rice (a.k.a. rice pilaf), and roasted vegetables (bleh). The veggies were definitely steamed and not roasted, so I totally felt gypped when I saw the lovely color on Teresa's veggies (thank goodness for sharing). The rice was OK, but I didn't bother having much of it. The relish was pretty good, though it could've used more acid. Needless to say, my focus (without any help from the woefully prepared sides) was the trout. Unlike everything else on my plate, the fish was perfectly prepared, with nothing more than a light dusting of finely ground cashews. I can't tell you how much I hate lovely and delicate fish being covered up with heavy batter, breading, coconut, nuts, and God knows what else chefs think of using to mess it up. Thankfully, I was more than pleased with what was set before me.

From what I recall, Teresa was enamored with the thought of getting the spiny lobster, and was disappointed when we were told the kitchen had run out of it by early afternoon. This was definitely sad but somewhat expected, considering how rarely they've seen it on menus, so she went with the halibut instead. To be honest, halibut is one of my least favorite fish, and I kind of lump it together with cod and all those other mild and bland-tasting fish out there. That being said, hers was done nicely (not too firm) and it soaked up some good sauce from the plate. After some debate, Jerry went with the famous dungeness crab cioppino. The dish came to the table piping hot and bubbling away, accompanied by several big pieces of garlic bread. I'd thought about getting this dish, but I don't think I would've enjoyed all the hands-on work that it entailed. Jerry, however, tore into the dish, and *still* had leftovers to take home! With many thanks to a big bib (that we made him wear throughout the entire meal) and plenty of handi-wipes, he left unscathed.

All in all, this was a great down-home foodie experience. While the mediocre sides highlighted the main dishes, any improvement on those sides would be very much appreciated. Thankfully, the seafood was really high-quality, though the prices certainly reflected that fact. They're definitely higher than I'd like to pay, but I'm probably biased from eating at too many seafood shacks along the highway. I'd definitely be up for a second trip to try the oysters Rockefeller, the Dungeness crab cakes, and some of the other fresh fish -- though hopefully on someone else's dime again!

The Fish Market
640 Via De La Valle
Solana Beach, CA 92075
858.755.2277 (858.755.BASS)
www.thefishmarket.com