Which Restaurants will Cook Your Caught Fish? (big sur, bay area, marin)

[radlations]

Hey long time no see PF! Guess I wasn't active enough so my old account got deleted.

Do you guys happen to know of restaurants that will cook your fresh caught fish? I know @frozendog does this every now and then. Hopefully he sees this thread!

Looking for restaurants specifically in the big sur, bay area, and marin areas. Would love to drop a fish off and have them cook it for me in a restaurant setting.

Feel free to PM me if you don't want the secret to get out.

Thanks,

-Michael

 

[Ken Jones]

(A) Everyone had to re-register on the new board.

(B) I'm pretty sure the "Great American Fish Company" next to the South T-Pier in Morro Bay will cook your catch. I haven't asked them when I've been there but I think it was mentioned by frozendog a time or two. Can't see a reason why to keep a restaurant secret.

 

[nacho]

Thanks for the question. I would like to know as well.
I agree on Ken on not seeing a reason for keeping a restaurant as a secret. Actually, if not too many people want their catches cooked, the restaurant might decide to stop such offer, so it's in the benefit of everybody having as many people knowing as possible.

 

[Red Fish]

(A) Everyone had to re-register on the new board.

(B) I'm pretty sure the "Great American Fish Company" next to the South T-Pier in Morro Bay will cook your catch. I haven't asked them when I've been there but I think it was mentioned by frozendog a time or two. Can't see a reason why to keep a restaurant secret.

Ha, ha Ken! Some people are as secretive about their secret restaurant spots as they are about their secret fishing spots.
I can hear it now: overcrowding; trashy people; no seating available. LOL

Probably, the Hong Kong East Restaurant in Emeryville. Reason I’m saying this is because years ago I was plugging outside their doors in spring and I roped into about a 26” fat striper. Then, who I believed to be the cook, ran outside and asked me if I wanted to sell it (I did not sell it).

 

[mav]

I've never heard of a place that will cook your fish. I've only seen it on TV in different countries.

 

[Red Fish]

I've never heard of a place that will cook your fish. I've only seen it on TV in different countries.

-The first year I went to Catalina with our PFIC/UPSAC, the Buffalo Nickel Restaurant cooked our catch. Our entire group caught fish on Pebbly Beach to include ocean whitefish and sole.
-Ken, Ben Acker, and Hashem Nahvid of the group cleaned all the fish right there at the beach and the fish were transported to the end of the west end of the beach where the restaurant was.
-We went right from the beach with our tackle on the tram to our dinner (as it was a few miles back to our rooms from there). It was $15 a person with our fish which included a salad and soft drinks/tea.
-It was a lot of work (but fun that one time) when you can buy a large pizza on the island for $15.
-BTW-the first few years, the Hotel Hermosa rooms had a kitchen where you could cook your catch (unfortunately they don’t want you to cook fish on the stoves any longer).

 

[mav]

-The first year I went to Catalina with our PFIC/UPSAC, the Buffalo Nickel Restaurant cooked our catch. Our entire group caught fish on Pebbly Beach to include ocean whitefish and sole.
-Ken, Ben Ackerman, and Hashem Nahvid of the group cleaned all the fish right there at the beach and the fish were transported to the end of the west end of the beach where the restaurant was.
-We went right from the beach with our tackle on the tram to our dinner (as it was a few miles back to our rooms from there). It was $15 a person with our fish which included a salad and soft drinks/tea.
-It was a lot of work (but fun that one time) when you can buy a large pizza on the island for $15.
-BTW-the first few years, the Hotel Hermosa rooms had a kitchen where you could cook your catch (unfortunately they don’t want you to cook fish on the stoves any longer).

Sounds like a good time.

 

[Ken Jones]

The only problem we had at the restaurant was that people didn't necessarily get the fish or the fish species that they had caught which upset a couple of people. As Robert mentioned, the fish caught at Pebbly Beach were ocean whitefish or sole while people brought over a variety of fish from the Mole—kelp bass, opaleye and I think a sheephead or two. We filleted them all and had plenty to eat.

 

[Ken Jones]

Although I am sure there are some restaurants that will cook your catch, it's probably illegal. As a former restaurant owner I know I was supposed to use products that had been commercially approved and technically you should be able to show where you got your fish. Of course here you're cooking what you've just been given so it PROBABLY would not be a problem.

For years I had a local lady, Ruby Hulbert, who supplied pies to my restaurant — The Horn Of Zeese in Booville. People would come from miles away to get a fresh piece of pie from Ruby. We had the normal varieties but also things like huckleberry, gooseberry and wild blackberry, all berries she would pick in the hills around Boonville. And of course her strawberry rhubarb pie. She would bring the still warm pies to the restaurant in the trunk of her car and people would show up as soon as they saw her car headed to the restaurant. Everything was great until a day when she arrived at the same time the health inspector was there. Did you make these at a kitchen approved by the county? No, and soon after she began to make pies in the approved kitchen at the fairgrounds. It cost money to use that kitchen so she began making them in bulk which meant many would be frozen until needed — and they weren't the same once they were frozen. The quality was never the same —nor were the sales.

 

[mav]

The only problem we had at the restaurant was that people didn't necessarily get the fish or the fish species that they had caught which upset a couple of people. As Robert mentioned, the fish caught at Pebbly Beach were ocean whitefish or sole while people brought over a variety of fish from the Mole—kelp bass, opaleye and I think a sheephead or two. We filleted them all and had plenty to eat.

Lol I DO see the problem. You catch a sheephead or white fish an you get mackerel to eat.

 

[Ken Jones]

It was a big group. Basically all of the fish that were given to the restaurant were mild-flavored, white-fleshed fish.

 

[Phil Hill]

When we were staying at Anchor Bay campground. We would bring our catch up the hill to Mariachis Mexican Restaurant.
I remember him making crab tacos and rock fish enchiladas out of our catch.

 

[frozendog]

Hey long time no see PF! Guess I wasn't active enough so my old account got deleted.

Do you guys happen to know of restaurants that will cook your fresh caught fish? I know @frozendog does this every now and then. Hopefully he sees this thread!

Looking for restaurants specifically in the big sur, bay area, and marin areas. Would love to drop a fish off and have them cook it for me in a restaurant setting.

Feel free to PM me if you don't want the secret to get out.

Thanks,

-Michael

Can't help you with the Bay area or Big Sur. But we have had our fish cooked up in Bodega Bay at the Mexican restaurant on Hiway 1, La Bodeguita. We get ours cooked up at the Dutchman in Morro Bay, Marinas Cocina in Atascadero, and a Mexican restaurant in Templeton, Chulos.
Everytime I go to a restaurant, I check the menu for fish dishes and will ask if they will cook our fish. I've had lots of no's but I keep asking. I have found some that will cook up one fish dinner if another person orders off the menu. It works best if you become a steady customer of a small, independent restaurant and then ask. And you must present them with skinless, boneless filets. Chinese restaurants will often wok up your fish fingers but not make up a whole meal. Just keep asking, don't be embarrassed.

 

[Ken Jones]

Based on what frozendog said, it may have been "The Dutchman" restaurant in Morro Bay and not the "Great American Fish Company." Next time I'm over there I'll ask them if they would cook angler's fish.

 

[Ken Jones]

This might be an interesting project for PFIC members? What restaurants near piers will cook the fish that the anglers catch? No harm in asking.