Bay Park Fish Co.

TOM G.

Reviews
Written: 1

5.0

For those who have lived in San Diego for more than a few decades, it is interesting to note how much our city has changed over time. Formerly viewed by residents of San Francisco and Los Angeles as being a bit provincial, if not downright pedestrian, we have finally come into our own and are now recognized as having some of the finest dining establishments in the southwest.

Of course, there is one type of cuisine that one might think San Diego would always set the standard for …fresh seafood. The Ghio family’s famed local chain, Anthony’s Fish Grotto, has become well known internationally and was later joined by Point Loma Seafoods to offer local residents and visitors a continuing resource for some of the freshest and tastiest seafood available.

Well, move over folks, there’s a new kid in town!

A little over a year ago, Marc Muller, a La Jolla High School graduate and longtime saltwater angler, teamed up with his old fishing buddy, Jerry Adams, who is also a Captain on the Del Mar Fire Department, to establish the Bay Park Fish Company. As you might suspect, it is situated in the neighborhood community of Bay Park, just east of I-5 across from the Mission Bay Hilton Hotel.

Located in what was once the old Bay Park Pharmacy, the building has been transformed into a fish market and restaurant with a decidedly nautical motif. As soon as they walk through the door, visitors are treated to the sight of one of the most flawlessly pristine displays of sushi grade seafood that I have ever seen.

Unlike places that overstock their presentations with a cacophony of products possessing varying degrees of integrity and freshness, the items that you will find at the Bay Park Fish Company are always of the most fastidious and impeccable quality. Their rule of thumb is quite simple; if it isn’t the absolute best, if it isn’t excruciatingly fresh, it isn’t on the menu that day.

When it comes to price, let’s face it, these days great seafood is never inexpensive anywhere you go. But what you end up paying at the Bay Park Fish Company for the treasures of the sea that are ultimately brought to your table definitely gives you the biggest bang for your buck anywhere this side of the Mexican border.

Now, let’s talk specifics. The Fish & Chips here are fantastic and, at around $9.00, are also a great bargain! Fine, you say, but how about something a little more stylish and eclectic? Alright, how about huge, sweet Mexican scallops that are wrapped in bacon and served with an apricot glaze? Or perhaps mahi-mahi and succulent rock shrimp with sun dried tomatoes in a beurre blanc sauce? Or, if you’re in the mood for something even a bit more exotic, allow me to suggest the Thai curry with shrimp, scallops, finfish and calamari served with a delicately flavored jasmine rice. All of these dishes are in the mid-twenty dollar range, and would cost much, much more if you happened to order one of them at an upscale eatery in La Jolla or the Gaslamp Quarter.

Lunches are even more reasonable, and hover between about $8.00 to $12.00 dollars. Their ceviche is some of the best in town, and makes for a great appetizer under $10.00. Fish tacos? You bet; and these aren’t made like the ones sold at the outlets of a certain unnamed local fish taco guru. The fish tacos at Bay Park Fish Company are lovingly assembled with generous cuts of prime halibut, sea bass or rockfish fillet. You can have them either grilled or lightly batter fried.
And if you are a soup lover, you just might fall off of your chair after getting a taste of a $4.00 cup or $7.00 bowl of their seafood stew, which is replete with a variety of tender chunks of mixed seafoods in a devastatingly toothsome broth.

To be perfectly honest, I have to admit that I didn’t stumble onto this place on my own; a buddy who happens to be the source of their fine seafood was actually the one who introduced me to the Bay Park Fish Company. Tommy Gomes, representative for Catalina Offshore Products, a locally owned wholesale seafood supplier to some of the nation’s top restaurants, swore that it was really something special. He was absolutely right, but the only way that you can be sure is to try it yourself.

As a matter of fact I can assure you that, even after my very first visit there, I was totally ‘hooked’, as once had been the marvelously fresh albacore that sat behind the glass of their seafood counter.