I discovered Wild Fish Restaurant online when I was researching which restaurants had the freshest seafood in the Mendocino area on a recent trip up the Northern California coast. The establishment is run by Liz and Kelvin Jacobs, a husband wife team who relocated here from Southwest England to set up home in the Mendocino area. They’ve only been open since November 2011 but it’s clear they are here for the long haul and to make a difference. Liz and Kelvin apparently get no greater delight than going to their local Farmers Markets and seeing seasonal produce and saying – now what can we make with that back in the kitchen?
Wild Fish served some of the best food I’ve experienced along the Northern California coast and I’ll start off by saying, it’s a must stop if you’re in the Mendocino / Fort Bragg area or frankly, are driving even further north into deep Redwoods territory. Their ingredients are fresh and varied and the approaches the chef uses with food is fresh, fresh and fresh — this is what comes across above and beyond everything else after sampling a few of their local fish dishes. I went to town with sampling here since we opted for a more formal ‘sampling’ menu.
We started with the Kale Caesar with prawns, which is served with raw egg, prawns and croutons and the Japanese Hot and Sour seafood soup, which was made with Dashi broth, garlic and ginger, wild local fish (on the night I was there, it was halibut), wild white fish, carrots, celery and bok choy. They were both out of this world and we paired them with glasses of Navarro Chardonnay and Handley Pinot Gris wines.
They have another salad dishes as well of course, which at the time we were there, was a Grilled Nectarine, Hazelnut and Ricotta Salad, served with watercress, shaved fennel, nectarines, housemade ricotta cheese, toasted organic hazelnuts and Belgian endive with a fresh strawberry and balsamic vinaigrette.
While I was tempted to go for the fresh oyster plate from Barron’s Point, we tried the raw platter instead which included raw oysters among a plate of lime and garlic cured shrimp, local wild King Salmon cured with lemongrass (yum!!), Thai chili, brown sugar and basil with wasabi cream, and local miners lettuce radishes, which apparently only grow in the Redwoods. They serve their oysters with champagne, shallows and cracked pepper mignonette.
Now for their fish dishes. Ready for your mouth to water? While they have an exquisite sounding duck dish on the menu (orange duck with soy, sea salt, summer squash and heirloom carrots), the majority of what they serve is fish and what they specialize in. We sampled too much to try the scrumptious sounding Bouillabaisse, which we saw zip past our table a few times. (I’d recommend trying it). It is served with local wild fish, mussels, prawns, saffron, fennel, carrot, tomato and stock base and rouille crouton.
Fish dishes on the menu include Wild Local Salmon served with baby fennel and heirloom tomatoes, cucumber and mint vinaigrette and potatoes, the California Halibut, served with risotto and ratatouille of heirloom organic zucchini, peppers and eggplant and basil, the Sea Bass, which is seasoned with coriander, cumin and paprika rub, and the Wild Local Albacore, which is rubbed with house lime-sesame seed sea salt and a ginger lime reduction, and served with organic bok choy, shitake mushrooms and sticky rice. We also tried the Navarro Pinot Grigio with the fish dishes as well as a taste of the Toulouse Rose of Pinot Noir from the nearby Anderson Valley. (see our separate write up on the vineyards of Anderson Valley).
Their menu is always changing menu with American, European and Asian flavors like hot and sour seafood soup, clam chowder, halibut, steelhead and black cod.
Dessert offerings were extensive considering the size of the place….remember that everything is fresh and the majority of the menu is organic. We tried the Local Blackberry Semifreddo, which is blackberries and a Chantilly cream and blackberry sauce. We also couldn’t resist the Chocolate Mousse, which is made with Belgian chocolate and water ONLY! Yes, you read it correctly. It is silky, intense, natural and delicious!
They also have a Rasberry Creme Brulee, a Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Aprium Compote, ice cream, sticky toffee pudding and a fig tarte. If you’ve spent a lot of time in Europe, being served Coffee in a French press may not be all that rare, but it is for around here. Rare, special and oh so dark and delicious!
The restaurant is located just 2 miles south of Mendocino, and because it’s also located close to Anderson Valley wine country, they offer a fabulous selection of local wines, which include the varietals the region is most famous for, such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and others. Their location also touts a stunning view.
Perched on a headland overlooking Little River Cove’s craggy rocks, facing the ocean, behind the Little River Post Office and just opposite Little River Inn, it is worth arriving early for a meander around and to take some stunning photos. Kelvin and Liz were also incredibly giving and their passion for the food business is electric so be sure to ask them about their story. (or should I say stories….Kelvin, who was once in the record business in England, has many to share).
We absolutely loved this place and would go back in a heartbeat. Wild Fish is a must stop over on your way up the Northern California coast. See our other posts on California food and wine and California restaurants as well as our Mendocino / Fort Bragg Northern California coast article. Also if you’re a vegan, be sure to try Raven’s Restaurant in the area, which only serves vegan dishes.
Wild Fish Restaurant
7750 North Highway 1
Little River, CA (just a few miles from Mendocino along the coast)
707.754.7555
www. wild-fish. com
Disclosure: I was hosted by Wild Fish, but all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
