The Fish Shop (Remix Edition)

I have started and stopped writing this piece so many times. This last week has dealt a devastating blow to our dear friends in restaurants. All restaurants statewide have been made to close and do only takeout and delivery. Again.

I'm not opposed to closing things -- COVID has been spreading and we need to figure out how we can keep everyone safe. But the closing of any on-site dining, the possible lay-offs involved, everything. It's a huge punch to the stomach.

I visited Fish Shop in Point Loma by invitation right before the shut down. I love all of the Fish Shop locations (Point Loma, Pacific Beach, and Encinitas), and each one has its own personality and specific menu items. They reflect the personality of the neighborhood. The Point Loma location is clean, with a lovely deck and inside dining as well.

The menu at Point Loma includes a huge list of house-crafted cocktails, perfect to sit on the deck and sip while eating one of their amazing fish tacos.

For this visit, we had the Spicy Peach Margarita and the Loma Paloma. The margarita was just the right amount of spicy with the sweet peach to offset the tangy heat.

The Paloma is a refreshing drink in any setting, but it is especially good with salty seafood. This is made with a simple recipe: just lime, tequila, Squirt, and grenadine.

Another thing I love about Fish Shop is that it's very kid friendly. There is a full menu of kids' favorites, like the popcorn shrimp. I'm an adult, but I've never stopped loving this treat. Who doesn't like crunchy little bites of flavorful shrimp served with fresh cut fries?

My ultimate, favorite comfort food is fish n' chips. I rarely get it for obvious reasons, but it is absolutely the best when its made properly. Filleted cod soaked in a beer batter and then fried to a golden crisp. Served up with more of those fries and a squeeze of lemon. Perfection with a cold beer or one of the cocktails.

I love clam chowder as well, although again, I rarely get it because it's not exactly health food. When I'm at a great seafood place, I cannot resist. This one is thick and creamy, with lots of briny flavor and juicy clams. Perfect for a cold night.

My husband is from Baltimore, Maryland, so it's to be expected that he loves crab cakes and is quite picky about them. The crab cake sandwich at Fish Shop is not a Maryland style, and that is just fine. It is a very respectable crab cake, with Dungeness crab meat, and deep-fried. You can have it plain, or make it a sandwich or salad. It was lunch time, so a sandwich seemed the best choice.

The crunch of the fried crab cake was just so satisfying with the soft, toasted, buttered sourdough bread. With crispy lettuce and just a tad of horseradish remoulade, it had a lot of flavor and was not at all spicy, just full of savory, rich taste.