Restaurant Review: Passionfish, Pacific Grove, CA

Artwork at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch

Squash and ceviche tostaditas appetizers

Arctic char

The first thing I noticed about Monterey and its neighboring towns is the focus the community places on sustainable practices on behalf of the rich marine wildlife in Monterey Bay.  When I visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I was excited to be educated on the protection of the wonderful species i was observing, with exhibits such as art made from plastic bottles, information about endangered species, and an interesting information session on the tracking and conservation of great white sharks in the Pacific. However, at the aquarium I was particularly enthused to be given a concise flier about how to make sustainable choices when deciding to eat fish.  I received the same flier from the aquarium with my check at Passionfish in Pacific Grove, a restaurant which prides itself on having a completely sustainable menu, using locally sourced vegetables, fish, and meats, and choosing only vineyards with certain sustainable practices to be featured on their extensive wine list.  In 2006, the owners of the Passionfish, Cindy and Ted Walter, were featured in Bon Appetit magazine as “sustainable seafood experts.”  Their passion for preserving the world’s oceans through spreading their culinary message has carried over into the extensive research they do when they buy fish, as they highlight in their mission video on their website.  Mr. Walter, co-owner and head chef at Passionfish, sources the fish himself, avoiding choices with a high yield of bycatch and avoiding transporting the fish over great distances. Their menu changes daily, and their vegetables are always local and seasonal, which eliminates the large carbon footprint many restaurants have when they choose to import fish, meat, and vegetables from far away. My family and I ordered fish and vegetarian appetizers, including smoked trout ceviche tostaditas and a delicious baked squash dish. For my entree, I ordered the Arctic char, which came with some delicious (and in season!) parsnips. Everything we ate was perfectly cooked, with complex and interesting flavor profiles. Passionfish sets the bar high for emerging restaurants looking to make more sustainable choices when sourcing their ingredients. My only criticism is is that Passionfish is not very affordable, however it is a high-end restaurant, and I do believe that all restaurants that pride themselves on serving fine food should be making the same sustainable choices that Passionfish makes, that the standard of "fine dining" or "gourmet" should include local and sustainably sourced vegetables, fish, and meat, a practice of California style food pioneered here in Berkeley by Alice Waters with the emergence of Chez Panisse.