422020 Tue Jul 17 11:08:36 -0700 2007 20 3 California 0 2757737 I searched, but didn't find much in the way of recent recs, so I'm reposting this topic. My husband and I will be taking a charter bus to the aquarium this Saturday and thus will be on foot during lunch time. Any moderately priced decent places to eat within walking distance of the aquarium? The last time we were there, we ate at the cafe, which was packed and the food was pretty mediocre. My husband is not a big seafood eater, so someplace with a variety of other options is a plus. Thanks in advance! Tue Jul 17 11:08:36 -0700 2007 25012 chemchef 1 2757746 There's a Hawaiian restaurant we really liked - just can't remember the name. It is fish heavy, but I am pretty sure there's other stuff. Good prices, great service, good drinks, tasty food. Tue Jul 17 11:10:52 -0700 2007 2757737 22201 LPCagain 2 2757965 Can you describe where it is in relation to the aquarium? Tue Jul 17 12:00:42 -0700 2007 2757746 25012 chemchef 3 2758070 I think it's Fishhopper - we ate there too - it was very good. About a 5 minute walk or so. Have your meal outside if you can, you can watch the seals on the rocks :-) BTW my husband eats no seafood either and he did just fine there - he had a burger LOL. I had coconut crusted shrimp, which was actually an appetizer but was 5 very large shrimp and had a cup of their very good chowder (New England Style, but they call it Montery style there, alas they don't serve crackers with it like I'm used to). http://www.fishhopper.com/ Tue Jul 17 12:21:49 -0700 2007 2757965 12099 sivyaleah 2 2758457 actually, I think the Hawaiian place is probably Hula's Island Grill. Has gotten mixed but mostly positive reviews on this board. I think it is a bit of a walk but you could always mapquest it. I haven't tried it. http://www.hulastiki.com/ We had a nice lunch at the Trailside Cafe; good salads and a nice patio. It is a bit hidden sort of on a walkway off of the bike path, but short walking distance from the aquarium. You'd have to mapquest or google to get exact directions. Trailside Cafe 550 Wave St, Monterey, CA Tel: (831) 649-8600 Tue Jul 17 13:43:14 -0700 2007 2757746 10158 susancinsf 1 2758418 Fish Hopper is the ocean-view seafood restaurant. There's also a Hawaiian place on Lighthouse Avenue, three blocks up from the aquarium, called Hula's, but it's not open for lunch. Definitely open at 5 p.m. Great menu, full bar with excellent tropical drinks. (No ocean view, though.) I'm on the aquarium staff and I have to put in a plug for both the self-serve cafe and the full-service restaurant. I don't know when you last ate there, but the food is excellent -- including many non-seafood items. You can make an advance reservation for the restaurant, which gets you around the issue of lines and crowds; and while entrees run $17 to $18, you can eat off the appetizer menu for less. The food is fresh, seasonal, largely organic; the seafood follows out Seafood Watch guidelines. And, as with the Fish Hopper, you can't beat the view. They even give out binoculars and wildlife spotting guides to use at each table. Self-serve cafe has daily grill and salad specials, as well as a made-on-the-spot station with Asian and Mexican bowls (udon noodles with beef, chicken mole over rice, etc.) Enjoy the visit! Weather's been exceptionally nice for summer, with less fog than usual. Tue Jul 17 13:36:13 -0700 2007 2757737 112440 aquaken 2 2758447 I am not on the aquarium staff and must second the recommendation for the full-service restaurant. DH and I had a wonderful lunch there, waterside table, and some of the best sand dabs I've ever eaten. It was lovely to have a delicious meal -- away from the crowds -- watching the harbor activity and enjoying our well-prepared, well-served meal. There was a good selection of wines by the glass and their bread is remarkable. The teeming throngs were at the cafeteria-style place while the restaurant was tranquil. Tue Jul 17 13:41:47 -0700 2007 2758418 15743 Sherri 2 2758747 Thanks for the info! I have to add (since you said that you're on the aquarium staff) that it would be very helpful if you posted a menu for your full-service restaurant (with prices). It would help people coming from out of town (like me) to make an educated decision about dining options before-hand. I can't remember exactly what I didn't like about the self serve cafe, just that it left a bad impression. I also remember it being *extremely* crowded, which is the last thing I want when I've been battling the crowds all day in the aquarium. The full-service restaurant sounds a little more pricey than I'd like, but we may give it a try. Do you recommend reservations for Saturday? Tue Jul 17 14:49:55 -0700 2007 2758418 25012 chemchef 3 2758752 I definitely recommend reservations, on ANY summer day, at the aquarium restaurant. Tue Jul 17 14:51:34 -0700 2007 2758747 20837 soquelcalifornia 3 2759485 No question; get restaurant reservations for a Saturday -- esp. for lunch. If you were coming on your own, I'd also recommend dinner reservations: during summer months (til Labor Day) the aquarium is open from 9:30 a.m. til 8 p.m. and serves dinner. It's been booking like crazy, esp. with members who like the light crowds during extended hours. I know what you mean about the cafe. It was designed for around 1 million visitors a year and we get closer to 1.8 million. It's been updated, but crowding is still a problem during peak lunch hours.. I'll suggest posting menus; they DO change every 6 weeks or so to reflect what's in season. You're right; it would be a good service. Tue Jul 17 19:30:08 -0700 2007 2758747 112440 aquaken 4 2761077 I also agree with the full service wonderful. It is wonderful- I went a couple of years back. We did not have reservations, poked our head in at the self service Cafe and thought, "no way". Even with good food, it was too crowded and just generally not our style. We took a gamble on the full service restaurant, and it was a gamble that paid off. Wonderful lunch, food and wine. Wonderful view. The only reason I could see not eating there is if you want a change of venue from your day's outing. For us, we still got that, as after lunch we walked all around Monterery Bay, and settled in at a nice waterfront restaurant just in time for happy hour. More wine and light food and views. Very nice all in all. By the way, my mother doesn't eat seafood at all, so the Aquarium did have good non-fish offerings (unfortunately I don't recall what they were but my mother was pleased. Perhaps even a good burger). Wed Jul 18 10:23:30 -0700 2007 2759485 107571 orangecat 1 2758459 One street up on Wave there is a place called Crepe's a Go-Go! You can it it there or take it with you and walk around or find a cozy spot to sit by the bay. On Cannery row there is Blue Moon I've had their Crab Salad and mushroom ravioli both very good. Chart House is open for lunch during the summer and they have GREAT ocean views and give a nice relaxing atmosphere Another option would be to jump in cab and head into Pacific Grove aprox 2 miles from aq. There is a lot of options there. Tue Jul 17 13:43:35 -0700 2007 2757737 104704 sweetnspicy 2 2758634 i also thought eating right at the aquarium was very good and ot too over priced but i felt really bad eating seafood after seeing everything in the aquarium!!! :) Tue Jul 17 14:23:59 -0700 2007 2758459 10254 toncasmo 3 2758724 Afraid you might be eating the fish that just couldn't make the cut...? ;o) Tue Jul 17 14:45:01 -0700 2007 2758634 13700 ricepad 4 2759491 LOL.....well, we don't eat our friends; and the restaurant does follow Seafood Watch guidelines to a T. In fact, the food service company, Bon Appetit Management, is v. progressive at all its properties (corporate cafes, universities and a few museums including the deYoung, Art Institute of Chicago, even ATT Park -- the baseball stadium in San Francisco). It's taken Seafood Watch corporate wide, and to its parent, Compass Group North America. Tue Jul 17 19:32:39 -0700 2007 2758724 112440 aquaken 5 2760373 That's good to know...it'd be nice not to whip out my pocket guide! Wed Jul 18 07:25:15 -0700 2007 2759491 13700 ricepad 1 2758784 Amarin Thai on Cannery Row is very close to the Aquarium and has good Thai food. Willy's Smokehouse on Prescott near Wave is good for non seafood eaters. It's owned and managed by the same Group as Tarpy's, Rio Grill, and Montrio. Persian Grill, 675 Lighthouse near Prescott has decent Persian food. I've also heard good things about Amir's Kabob House 794 Lighthouse, but I haven't tried it yet, and I don't know whether or not they're open for lunch. Tue Jul 17 14:59:22 -0700 2007 2757737 16160 jaweino 2 2762190 Amir's is pretty good; had a nice dinner there last week. Open for lunch 11:30-2, Tues-Sat. Good to hear that Amarin is going strong. I used to eat there a lot when I lived in New Monterey and worked on the Row. ed Wed Jul 18 14:39:24 -0700 2007 2758784 40270 Ed Dibble 1 2760969 I have heard good things about an American bbq/steakhouse about a block from the aquarium. It seems somewhat upscale and should be easy to find if you walk down Cannery Row away from the aquarium (it will be on the right side as you walk with the ocean on your left). But I can't recall the name and have not been there. I mainly suggest it because of some reviews I read once and the fact that your husband does not like fish. I also have to add a plug for the aquarium cafe. The self-serve cafe is quite good for that type of thing, though they don't go the extra mile that some other venues do (the desserts and cookies are large rather than really good, their burgers don't stand out, etc). But it is one of the better options despite that (especially given the many tourist restaurants in the area with mostly mediocre food). Just make sure you go to eat lunch by 11:30 if you go to the cafe or you will face horrendous lines. I have never tried their sit-down restaurant but I can't imagine it to be miles better than their self-serve cafe. Wed Jul 18 10:00:46 -0700 2007 2757737 83139 tnilsson 1 2770846 This may be too late for you, but in that area, I'd want to try the new Bistro Moulin, owned by the former original executive chef of Casanova in Carmel, whose cooking I've enjoyed over the years. The bistro has a varied menu and a nice wine list and is located a block up from the Aquarium on Wave. http://www.bistromoulin.com/contact.html Sat Jul 21 12:42:17 -0700 2007 2757737 13787 Moka 1 2784481 Yes, the Fishhopper is right in the middle of the tourist hub -- yet it's surprisingly good. And the view is spectacular. Wed Jul 25 23:39:58 -0700 2007 2757737 108673 rickiek