Tis the season and the lighted boat parade last Saturday was a beautiful way to start the month off. It was really fun watching all the decorated boats pass by the restaurant and what a great view it was from the patio at the Fish Market! Capt. Mark and I are having a blast this first week of December getting Dockside all decorated for Christmas. Hope that you are off to fun start as well!

Speaking of fun, Capt. Arnoldi of the "Rosalena Marie" continues to keep us supplied with live local Dungeness Crab. If you like Dungeness Crab we are still offering them at a great value you won't want to pass up:

$10.00 each = Live at the Fish Market. You take em home and create you own fun cooking em up yourself!
$12.00 each = Live then cooked, cleaned & cracked. Eat em on the patio at the Fish Market or take em home, very fun!
$19.00 each = Complete lunch or dinner in the Restaurant (by reservation please), even more fun!

Some more exciting news this morning is that Capt. Mark had an opportunity to purchase four different local fresh and wild fish from Capt. Mintz of the "D.J."! This brings out more Christmas spirit in our Capt Mark cause he is making these four fish available at what we consider extremely reasonable prices. Through Sunday you can find these fish in our display case at the Fish Market:

Fresh Thresher Shark $4.95 lb.
Fresh Opah fillets $5.95 lb.
Fresh Swordfish $6.95 lb.
Fresh Blue Fin Tuna $7.95 lb.

Of course there is some more great local seafood to choose from at the Fish Market, and we will be featuring in the Restaurant. They include:

Fresh Vermillion Rockfish - Capt Hughes of the "Elizabeth Jane"
Flesh Black Cod - Capt Cunningham of the Millinenium
Live Oysters- Morro Bay & Washington
Fresh Petrale Sole - Pacific NW
Fresh Lingcod - Pacific NW
Flesh Rock Cod - Pacific NW

The opening of "Dockside Too" Fish Market & More in May 2006 has been a great adventure! Capt Mark and I are really enjoying being able to introduce and share with you so many bounties from the sea and from our local fishermen. Its a pleasure and fun experience! Thank you.

May the holiday season bring happy times for you and your loved ones!

Capt. Mark, Bonnie, family & crew
F/V "BONNIE MARIETTA"
Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant & Fish Market crew

Monday 20 November 2006

Ahoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Capt Mark and I hope you have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving! Dockside Restaurant and Fish Market will be closing early on Wednesday 11-22-06 and closed all day on Thursday 11-23-06 so that we as well as all our employees can enjoy the time with our families. Friday we will resume business as usual and have some great news for you.....

Its "Crab-Fest" time again! Yep, the Dungeness Crab season opened last week and local fishermen have been busy. Just this afternoon Capt Mark secured live Dungeness Crab from one of our local crabber's, Capt. Arnoldi of the "Rosalena Marie." He will be delivering them to us this evening and we are excited to be able to offer them to you three ways:

1. Live from the Fish Market at $10.00 each, you get to cook, clean & crack at home.

2. Live from the Fish Market cooked, cleaned, cracked & served on the patio or take home for $12.00 each.

3. Complete Lunch or Dinner in the restaurant with all the fixings for $19.00.

If you choose lunch or dinner in the Restaurant, they will be available starting at lunch on Friday 11-24-06 and continue through dinner Sunday 11-26-06. Reservations are suggested so give us a call at (805)772-8100 as the demand is usually strong.

If you choose the Fish Market they will be available as supplies last.

Average weight is estimated at 1.8 to 1.9 lbs each for these awesome crustaceans! Not only are they good to eat, it is really fun to sit down and enjoy a fresh, cooked, cracked & chilled Dungeness Crab either here or where ever you choose!

Did you know that in California, the most abundant crab is the Dungeness Crab? They are one of the largest edible crabs along the Pacific Coast with a distribution from Alaska to Santa Barbara. Their scientific name is "Cancer magister" and it takes approximately 2 years for them to reach maturity. They often bury themselves in the sand for protection from predators such as halibut, dogfish, sculpins, octopus and sea otters and crabbers!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Capt. Mark, Bonnie

Thursday 2 November 2006

Ahoy!

After chasing pheasants in Montana, Capt. Mark and our yellow labs are back home safe and sound. The Capt. found it amusing to be some 1600 miles from home and securing fresh fish for both the market and restaurant via his cell phone. What a small world it has become! A little personal trivia is that Capt. Mark was in Montana 4 years ago when the concept of Dockside Restaurant was first hatch by me, so he always wants to know what I am really up to when he is gone. Ha ha!

Lots of great fish continue to find their way to both Dockside and Dockside Too. For example Capt. Jeremiah O'Brien of the Arguero, will offload fresh and local Blue fin Tuna, Swordfish, Mako Shark, and Opah tomorrow morning. All will be available in the Fish Market starting around midday.

Opah or "Moonfish", is one of the most colorful of the commercial fish species. A silvery-gray upper body color, shades to a rose red dotted with white spots toward the belly. It's fins are crimson and its large eyes are encircled with gold. The moonfish's large, round profile may be the origin of its name. Did you know that Moonfish can grow to over 200 pounds? A pelagic wandering species, it is often found in the company of tunas and billfish. An Opah has four types of flesh, each a different color. Behind the head and along the backbone is an orange flesh. Toward the belly the flesh pales to a pink color and is somewhat stringy. The fish's cheeks yield dark red flesh. These types of flesh all cook to a white color. And finally Inside the fish's breastplate is another smaller section of flesh that is a bright ruby red or liver color that cooks to a brown color.

Capt. O'Brien's catch will join an already delightful selection including fresh, and local halibut, starry flounder, angel shark, and skate wings from the steady 84 year old Capt. Travis Evans from Avila Beach. Cabazon from Capt. Bill Blue. Black Cod, both smoked, and fresh from Capt. Ed DuMong. Lingcod, from Capt's Tobin, Griffin, Appel, and Silva. And a steady supply of fresh Petrale, and Alaskan halibut cheeks continue to see lots of action both in the market and also as specials in the restaurant.

The "Lobster-Fest", was a great event this past weekend. If you missed out don't worry, as we are looking to do it again in a couple of weeks! Capt. Mark's research charter in Santa Barbara is still on, but pushed back several weeks. I will tell you more about it as the time approaches.

That's the latest scuttlebutt for now,

Capt. Mark, Bonnie, family & crew

Monday 23 October 2006

Ahoy Mates!

Good news its Lobster season again!

The California Spiny Lobster season has begun and the catching has been good. Capt Mark has arranged for us to receive a shipment of these delicious crustaceans from the Newport Beach lobstermen Capt Norek, Capt Shafer and Capt Southern. The live lobster will be arriving in just a few days and in celebration of the seasons opening we are planning a "Lobster-Fest" here at Dockside this coming weekend October 27th, 28th & 29th!

Our kitchen manager, Joel and crew will be preparing them traditional style with butter & lemon........starting at lunch time on Friday, October 27th and continuing through dinner on Sunday, October 29th or as supplies last. Those of you that enjoy our home style scallop potatoes will be able to get them at lunch as well as dinner with this special. The price will remain same as last year at $17.95 for half or $26.95 for a whole lobster. The average weight is 1.25 lbs per lobster so you lobster lovers will appreciate what a great value this is!

Supply will be limited so we ask that you call and reserve your lobster in advance at (805) 772-8100.

Not much to report on Albacore unfortunately but there are lots of other fish being caught locally that we have been featuring in both the Fish Market and Restaurant. To mention a few.......Lingcod caught by Capt Tobin of the "Pleasure," Capt Williamson of the "K. T. Marie" and Capt Appel of the "Valco." Capt Dumong of the "King Coder" for supplying us with Black Cod, Vermilion Rockfish, Boccaccio, Copper Rockfish, Yellow Tail Rockfish. Capt Griffin of the "Little Fin" for Gopher Cod & Vermilion Rockfish. Capt Jones of the "St. Joseph" for California Spot Prawns and lets not forget one of our favorites Capt Evans of the "Lucy-L" for all the fabulous California Halibut and Sole. These fishermen work very hard and we are pleased to purchase and supply you with their harvest from the ocean!

Looking forward to sea -- ing you this weekend!

Capt. Mark & Bonnie & crew

Thursday 28 September 2006

Ahoy Mates!

It's been a couple of weeks since we last updated you so let's get down to brass tacks…….

Salmon

Other than a couple of short openers in northern California in the month of October, Salmon season officially ends September 30th. We want to remind you that the dismal season was not due to lack of fish, it was the loss of access to fishing grounds all of June and July when we usually have our best fishing. As some of our fleet comes home for the end of the season we will have fresh Salmon in the fish market to offer you. For example starting today we will be receiving fresh wild California King Salmon caught by Capt St. John of the "Joey Lee" from north of San Francisco. So we should have enough Salmon at the fish market to get through the end of the weekend!

Albacore

The last several days have yielded a late season bite of Albacore about 45 miles SW of Morro Bay. The fleet which is mostly made up of recreational fishermen, has had good success and maybe this spot of fish will materialize into some good commercial fishing? We do have fresh Albacore loins available in the fish market and some whole fish may be available also. Capt Nailene of the “Seeker” has been good enough to supply us with a limited amount at this time.

Capt. Mark

Next week Capt. Mark and the “Bonnie Marietta” are committed to a research charter. If the spot of Albacore holds up until after the charter the Capt. may attempt to catch a few! We'll keep you posted.

Fish Market & Restaurant

Here at Dockside we like to do things a little different. For example this week Capt. Mark arranged for us to have a fish called Grenadier which we are featuring as our fish of the day in the restaurant. It is also available to purchase in the fish market. While most people have never heard of Grenadier they are impressed with this spectacular deep water species! Grenadier fillet is thin like Petrale Sole yet mild like rockfish. Did you know……..the family of fish that Grenadier belongs to is considered the most abundant fish on continental slopes world wide? Pacific Grenadier occurs in relatively large numbers along the West coast of the Unites States with the best catches caught depths between 3,600 and 4,000 feet. Thanks to Capt. Rutherford of the "Excaliber" for providing these fish to us. We would also like to share with you some other local seafood available; fresh California Spot Prawns from Capt Jones of the "St. Joseph;" fresh Vermilion Rockfish caught by Capt. DuMung of the "King Coder;" fresh Lingcod from Capt. Griffin of the "Little Fin;" and Capt. Tobin of the "Pleasure.". We also have fresh Bonita that was caught by Capt. J. Smith of the "Suzie Q" and some Barred Perch from Capt. F. Smith!

Other News

Harbor Festival will be next weekend, Oct 7th & 8th. Although we are right smack dab in the middle of it we just wanted to let you know that the restaurant & fish market are still open our regular hours before, during & after the Festival. Give us a call a call if you have any questions.

Have a great weekend and we will catch up with you next week.

Capt. Mark & Bonnie

Thursday 31 August 2006

Bon Voyage August and Ahoy September!

Nothing different to report for Salmon or Albacore other than we did purchase 4 Bodega caught Salmon from a returning Capt. Kennedy of the "Twilight-Lady." They are a nice addition to the case at the market.

I'm excited to let you know that Capt Mark has made arrangements for us to have several new catches available in the fish market this weekend! He purchased a couple hundred pounds of some beautiful fresh Bonita from Capt Trizolli of the "Pedro Pride." Bonita are great BBQ, smoked, or canned and a good value at just over $2.00 LB whole fish, or under $5.00 LB fillets. We also have two spectacular Blue Fin Tuna! Not only is the Blue Fin Tuna a very highly prized fish for sashimi, it is also outstanding on the BBQ, or seared rare! Capt Mark says that you can roll Blue Fin medallions with any seasoning combination for a sure hit!

We always like to credit our local fishers who's labor allows us to share their harvest with you. This week's "cast" includes Avila Beaches' Capt. Evans for his steady production of Halibut, Sand Sole, Turbot Sole, Starry Flounder and even Angel Shark. Morro Bays' Capt. Smith who's efforts resulted in more Black Gill Red Rockfish and Black Cod. Capt. Jacobs for supplying us with more Southern California Swordfish and Capt Jones who delivered some really nice local California Spot Prawns. Of course the magic of airplanes, allows us to have fresh Alaskan Halibut cheeks and Petrale Sole most of the time during the season.

Thanks to many of you for having such nice things to say about the Capt. Mark's appearance on KCET. He often wears his emotions on his shirt sleeve so......he was concerned how they would slice and dice his interview!

The "Bonnie Marietta" has spent too much in her slip this season, but soon you notice her gone for her annual haul out & bottom painting.....I like to refer to it as her "makeover or nip & tuck," ha ha!! Shortly thereafter one of Capt. Mark's favorite research clients has booked her for 15 days of research work in October. It will be fun to let you know all about what the research work will consist of but more on that as the time approaches.

Did you know that Capt Mark has actually spent more time on the ocean doing research work with the "Bonnie Marietta" than many scientist have ever spent on the ocean? Check out our web site for more on this by clicking on the "Research Link" you may be surprised at how extensive his involvement has been!

Have a fabulous Labor Day Weekend, Be Safe and Enjoy!

Bonnie, Capt. Mark & Crew

Thursday 24 August 2006

Ahoy Mates!

As August comes to a close so does our optimism on conducting dockside sales of any California King Salmon off the "Bonnie Marietta." Although we are disappointed, we still remain hopeful that September will bring us some chance of an Albacore season. In the meantime I would like to reassure you that we have no intention whatsoever of stopping our dockside sales off the boat. This is just one of those years that we have no control over, and like Capt Mark always says "its called fishing not catching," Nevertheless we will continue to keep you posted in our weekly e-mail updates.

Some good news this week includes more fresh local fish thanks to Capt Smith of the "Suzie-Q" for Black Gill Red Rockfish and Capt Evans of the "Lucy-L" for California Halibut. We are also pleased to have purchased some fresh Swordfish harpooned by Capt. Jacobs of the "Patricia-J," We will be featuring these quality fish in both the Restaurant and Fish Market this week!

Did you know Harpoon Swordfishery in California is a traditional fishery and was practiced by West Coast Indian fishermen dating back as far as 3,000 years? Modern commercial Harpoon fishing in California began around 1900 and the gear in use today has changed little since then except for the materials from which it is made. Until the late 70's, the harpoon was the primary gear type in use in California. Other methods of catching Swordfish now include longline and drift net, but the Harpooners still pride themselves on the high quality of their product due to the handling of the fish after it is harpooned. Although Harpoon Swordfishing will probably never again be the primary way to catch Swordfish, it will always be the leading indicator, or bellwether, by which to measure the health of the stock and thus the performance of those who manage that stock!

Catch you again next week!

Bonnie & Capt Mark

Friday 8-18-06

Ahoy!

According to latest reports, what little bit of Salmon there is, is up around Bodega Bay and slow with a 10-20 fish per day average. Local albacore effort has included a few exotics such as Opah's and Yellow Tail but no commercial volume of albacore as of this posting.

As far as Capt. Mark's efforts, they continue to be centered on the Restaurant & Fish Market for now due to the circumstances. And we are please to let you know that 84 yr old Capt Evans of the "Lucy L," out of Avila Beach remains busy catching plenty of California Halibut. Not only has he been blessed catching these fish but we are too as they are some of the finest & freshest Halibut you can get in California! Now in addition to his Halibut, Capt Evans has also supplied us with some Turbot, Sand Sole and Skate wings. Many may remember the stories of punching out the Skate wings and selling them as imitation Scallops? Capt Mark says that in his 36 years in the business he has never witnessed this practice but it does make for interesting discussion. Nevertheless here at Dockside Too Fish Market we are promoting them for what they really are "Skate Wings" and they can be absolutely delicious!

This week we would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Capt Jones of the "St. Joseph" who has supplied us with some gorgeous FAS California Spot Prawns, Capt J. Smith of the "Suzy Q" for his Black Cod and Bank Rockfish (known locally as Red Widow Rockfish) another great fish from the 60 or so varieties of Rockfish. Captains, Tobin, Griffin & Appel for continuing to keep our supply of Lingcod strong. Capt. F. Smith for supplying us with Barred Surf Perch, and last but not least Chuck Ramos of Williams Shellfish Co. for supplying the demand for Morro Bay Oysters! If you haven't already tried an MB BBQ Oyster @ $1.00 a piece on the patio, then you may be missing out? Ladies say oysters are an outstanding source of iron while the men brag that they are an aphrodisiac? Capt Mark & I think they are both right, nonetheless they are yummy!

Meanwhile in the restaurant.... our Kitchen Manager, Chef Joel, continues to amaze us with his ability to prepare these seafood delicacies that we offer in our daily lunch & dinner specials.

Have a great weekend, and we will report back with you next week.

Bonnie, Capt. Mark, & The Dockside Crew

Friday 11 August 2006

Ahoy there Mates!

Hope you are enjoying August as much as we are! Sad to think, but its almost time to say good-bye to summer as many schools start up again in only a couple of weeks. Wow!

Well, the salmon fishing here continues to be nonexistent and the albacore has not shown up. We did have some fresh albacore last week caught by Capt. Nailene of the "Seeker" about 60 miles southwest from Morro Bay. It was the first 5 albacore we received for this year and they sold as quickly as we received them. The salmon fishing up north has been slow with few fishermen getting their 75 fish weekly quota.

On the brighter side of things if you are looking for some fresh fish come visit us at Dockside Too Fish Market. Capt Mark has been busy purchasing as much local catch as he can for you. To mention a few .....we have fresh Black Gill Red Rockfish, Yellowtail, Rockcod, Halibut, Blackcod, Lingcod, Petrale Sole, Halibut Cheeks, Sand Sole, and Turbot Sole, and we are still featuring live Morro Bay Oysters that you can get BBQ for $1.00 each!

In the Restaurant we are very blessed to have our Kitchen Manager, Chef Joel Perez. Joel is incredibly talented and prepares seafood that makes your mouth water! Come by and see what the special of the day is!

Sea you next week,

Bonnie, Capt. Mark, family & crew

Sunday 6 August 2006

Just a quick weekly update to keep you all informed!

As we wrote about in our last posting the salmon opener above Pt. Sur was good, but one had to travel to Bodega Bay to find good fishing, and even that slowed down this second week with most not getting their 75 fish weekly quota. The general consensus was the body of fish that was so readily available last week probably moved above Pt. Arena, which is the northern boundary for our much abbreviated season. We were not able to secure any for the market, as the northern buyers scooped up all that was available. Maybe we will get a chance at others this next week. We have elected to keep Capt. Mark at home, as the 75 fish per week quota will not work for dockside sales as you can imagine. He has made 30 to 36 hour trips back home with fish before, but only when the amount of fish made the trip worth the added expense in fuel etc.

Albacore hasn't showed in our local waters but the fishing in Oregon is really spectacular with many boats exceeding 500 fish daily. Our local boats that target albacore are in the middle of the action, and having some really good days. Some marketing problems have shown up, with much of the European market getting albacore from an also spectacular albacore season that Spain is experiencing. Many US boats who don't have solid markets are hustling to sell their fish, with turn around times taking a week or two.

Will the local albacore give us the slip for the third year in a row? Let's hope not!

Travis Evans has kept us supplied with local California Halibut, as Capt. Mark got another 150 pounds from him yesterday. So fresh halibut in the market case, and as fish of the day in the restaurant have been the rule. No sea bass this week as a south swell slowed that fishery down, but local Capt. Cunningham will look to bring in some this next week.

Regards,
Bonnie, Mark and Tognazzini crew

Monday 31 July 2006

Ahoy Mates!

Well, the Commercial Salmon fishing reopened above Point Sur this last week and the catching was good with fisherman reaching their 75 fish limit per week in a matter of 1-3 days of fishing effort. Fish buyers are purchasing Salmon at $5.00 per lb. From Bodega Bay and up north to Point Arena fishing has improved in numbers and quality with the fish being bigger more towards Point Arena. Some Salmon production is still going on but the rough weather out at sea has forced fishermen in to port, however the 75 fish limit is still easily attainable

At 36 hours one way it is a very long way for Captain Mark to pursue Salmon. But he may drive up there to purchase some Salmon for the Fish Market and Restaurant and we will keep you posted on that.

Here at the home front we have no problem staying busy at Dockside with both the Fish Market and Restaurant. We are very excited to share a new special with you this week..... Capt Mark has arranged for us to purchase live fish! This is really great as you can get them cooked or take them home fresh and prepare them yourselves! We are also continuing our BBQ Oysters for a dollar each which has been a really big hit, and then tomorrow morning Capt Mark will be driving down to Avila Beach to buy more fresh California Halibut from Capt Travis Evans of the "Sierra Madre."

So although we're not conducting dockside sales off the "Bonnie Marietta" yet, we've got lots of great seafood available for you here at the Restaurant & Fish Market. Come on by and see what the day's specials are.

Until Thursday's update,
Sea ya!

Capt. Mark & Bonnie

Thursday 20 July 2006

Ahoy Mates!

Not much to share with you about Salmon this week other than same old same old. Next week there will be an opener above Pt Sur and Capt Mark is eager to head that way. Unfortunately the fishermen are only allowed 75 fish per week and that is going to prevent us from conducting our dockside sales off the "Bonnie Marietta" as it will not be cost effective to bring his catch back to port. The good news is that we will be able to transport his catch via auto back home for the Restaurant & Fish Market. Its been a really odd year for the fishermen but we will survive it!

In the meantime both the Capt and I continue to stay busy here at Dockside. Today we purchased a variety of fresh fish from some of our local fishermen and are excited to offer them at both the Fish Market and Restaurant.

Included in the showcase will be fresh Black Gill Red Rockfish & Blackcod caught by Capt Stickel of the "Regina", Lingcod from both Capt Horner of the "Pescado" and Capt Tobin of the "Pleasure." Capt Dumong of the "King Coder delivered a nice catch of Red Rockfish and we purchased more White Sea bass from Capt Nailer of the "Seeker" Capt Riley of the "Lady Maxine" landed some beautiful California Halibut and we were thrilled to purchase more California Halibut from Capt Travis Evans of the "Sierra Madre." Did you know Capt Evans is 84 yrs old and still going strong!

Even though there has been very little Salmon for us (so far this year) we are proud to stay active in the industry by letting you know about all the other seafood available.

Stop on by or give us a call and find out what our daily specials are.
Sea you all next week!

Capt. Mark & Bonnie

Friday 14 July 2006

Good evening.

Cool weather has been the rule here in Morro Bay the past several weeks, with many visitors from inland escaping some July heat. The fish case at the market is still lacking California King Salmon, but we have been bless with many other delightful fish. White Sea Bass continues to be making a strong showing south of Point Conception, and Capt. Cunningham was kind enough to bring us our last bunch of nice big ones. They have been a hit as a fresh fish in the market, and have made their way into many delicious specials at the restaurant.

One of the most interesting things about White Sea Bass is they have some of the largest, and most beautiful otoliths in the fish world. These are ear bones much like the bones in a human ear that play an important role in hearing, and balance for a fish. In matter of fact many scientist consider otoliths to be a natural data logger that can tell us the age, growth pattern, and environment conditions in which the fish has lived. All fish have them except for sharks, rays, and lampreys. Ask to see a pair in the market or restaurant, you will find them yet another special treasure from the sea.

Other good things here include ling cod, thresher shark, petrale sole, yellowtail, and much more. Also if you like BBQ oysters we just took delivery on another 50 dozen from Chuck Ramos of Williams Shellfish Company from right here in Morro Bay. These large Pacific Oysters are perfect for grilling. Drizzled with garlic butter on our patio for a $1.00 apiece, or as a take home at $8.00 a dozen, they are a outstanding value.

Regards,
Mark, Bonnie, and the entire Tognazzini crew
Bonnie Marietta, Dockside, and Dockside Too

7 July 2006

Good Morning!

Not much news on the commercial catching of California King Salmon, in matter of fact the showcase at the market even lacks any for sale. However we are fortunate to have purchased some of Capt. Moody's premium FAS (frozen at sea) in the off season so the restaurant is still serving wild troll caught California Kings. We are proud to say most likely the only ones in all Morro Bay, and some of very few in the state right now.

Some good news is some of our government agency's are at least recognizing the fact that in order for the salmon fishing fleet to get back normal seasons they must fix the Klamath River's problems, including the water diversion policies. So with any luck we may have to suffer though only one more year of reduced seasons, with more normal seasons again in 2008. If only the salmon had decided to have more of a southern run this year.

Lots of northwest wind as well as the holidays have kept much of those pursuing other species in port. However we have received more White Sea Bass from Southern California which will be featured in the restaurant, or you can get fresh from the market. Later today we also expect both California Halibut, and Starry Flounder from Capt. Bill Ward of the Dancing Bear. He is a Port San Luis fisher but has been fishing out of Moss Landing recently. We also have been having lots of fun with large BBQ ed Pacific oysters at the market and at a $1.00 each they are fantastic, drizzled with garlic butter.

Many have asked me questions regarding the buy out of our local trawlers by the Nature Conservancy which has been in the local papers.This environmental organization has determined that a particular group of fishers is fishing in a manner in which they don't agree with. They have open their giant war chest of funds and are buying these local fishers out of existence. Good for the fishers as the buy out amounts will enable many to retire, but bad for all of us that are fishing in a manner in which the same environmental group deems sustainable. The reason being is as they chip away at the fishing community they cripple those left behind with a collapsing infrastructure. Now to this simple fisher I don't believe for one moment the Nature Conservancy has not looked at this trickle down effect, and it's impacts on our fishing fleet. A interesting side note is that the nature Conservancy is NOT retiring the permits, only the fishing boats. One should wonder what their intentions are with the permits, and the quotas that go with them.

Until next week!

Friday 30 June 2006

Ahoy Mates!

Its Friday (TGIF)........hope your week went well!

Yippee, summer has arrived and along with it lots of People strolling up and down the Embarcadero enjoying the fabulous sunny, cool weather here in Morro Bay!

Some great news this week is that there has been a spot of Albacore reported about 120 miles outside Morro Bay. It's a good sign and we are hopeful that Captain Mark will be able to fish them soon to sell of the Bonnie Marietta. It is still ambiguous but, we have our fingers crossed for a successful Albacore season this year.

In the meanwhile Capt Mark and I remain busy here at the restaurant and fish market, Dockside Too. We just purchased last of the season live Dungeness Crab from Capt. Cefalu of the Barbara Marie, So get them while they last cause at $10.00 each they go fast! We are also featuring fresh live oysters this week at the fish market. If you like oysters you will love one of the ways we serve them, BBQ and drizzled with butter, or take some home to prepare yourself!?

The Capt and I are looking forward to watching the incredible fireworks display here in Morro Bay, so if your in town come on by and say hi!

Until next week ........Have a fun, relaxing and safe Forth of July!

Capt. Mark & Bonnie

Monday 26June 2006

Uh oh....last week flew by so fast that somehow we managed to miss sending out our weekly update on Thursday! Please accept our apology!

So down to brass tacks.......the salmon news continues to be unchanged. There was rumors of a salmon bite near Morro Bay, which was even reported on in a local paper, but as we all know mistakes can be made. The reality was a sport angler got a couple of very small kings and a bunch of silvers and posted it on a local fishing report web site, a sportswriter took it as fact and got a lot of salmon hungry anglers all pumped up. The problem is that silver salmon (coho) cannot be retained, and to the average recreational angler they can be mistaken for a king. Needless to say the Fish and Game has had a busy week or so.

A small group of commercial fishers continue to troll around, and here at Dockside we have been blessed to have purchased most all that come to town, but the best score last week was 6 salmon for 3 days of effort. So the good news is we do have fresh kings in the market, as well as the restaurant. With the lack of production Capt Mark continues to stay busy concentrating on getting the fish market off to a good start. He is eager to get back on the ocean but not until the time is right.

This morning Capt. Cunningham who owns the "Millennium" called and informed us he has some fresh White Sea bass on the way from southern California, as well as some fresh Yellowtail. This will be our first Yellowtail in the fish market, and the White Sea Bass was a big hit last week. The sea bass fillets will be $8.75 a pound, and yellowtail fillets will be $5.75 a pound. We expect to have them in the case sometime late this afternoon, or early tomorrow morning.

We continue to offer fresh, local, halibut from Capt. Evans of the Sierra Madre, Ling Cod from Capt. Tobin of the Pleasure, and Black Gill Red Rockfish from Capt. Stickel of the Regina, as well as salmon from Capt. Gritzfeld of the Rose Lynn. The salmon Capt. & vessel changes regularly cause it doesn't take us long to use a fish or two.

Come on by the Fish Market and pick some up for dinner, or check out the Fish of the Day Specials in the Restaurant.

Capt. Mark & Bonnie

Wednesday 14 June 2006

Greetings Mates!

The little bit of Salmon that was around appears to have evaporated. There is not a whole lot we can do about it other than know that things can only get better! So....on a more pleasant note we realize how blessed we were to have had purchased some of Capt. Wayne Mooney's frozen at sea (FAS) Salmon this past winter for the restaurant, and are proud to say that we continue to have some of the finest Wild King Salmon in California!

The ocean is alive and healthy with numerous Humpback Whales throughout Estero Bay, you should be able to easily view them from Cayucos Pier or Montana De Oro. There are also large schools of anchovies out there that can be spotted by looking for a large dark area in the water and most usually there will be a frenzy of hungry seabirds on it in the early morning or late evenings. There is a lot of activity out there, just no Salmon yet!

Capt. Mark has been staying busy at the Fish Market making sure we are supplied with some great local fish! For those of you who appreciate premium sea food, we have fresh Black Gill Red Rockfish caught by Capt. Stickel, fresh Lingcod from Capt. Williamson, fresh Petrale Sole from Capt. Fox and we purchased more live Dungeness crabs caught by Capt Cefalu!

Although not quite the deal as buying direct from the boat, we here at Dockside while paying the fishers a fair price, are making sure you are getting a good value! This weekend you will find our local fresh Rockfish fillets at $5.95 a pound (or $5.45 for 5 pounds or more). Our local fresh Lingcod at $6.95, (or $6.45 for 5 pounds or more). Dungeness Crabs at $10.00 a piece (2 pound average weight per crab) continues to be the deal of the season for crab lovers, you can take them live or have us cook & crack them for you to take home or enjoy eating them at the market for a patio seating experience. We will also be smoking some fresh Black Cod all weekend so come by for a free taste, if you enjoy smoking your own fish Black Cod is an excellent choice.

Specials in the restaurant this weekend will be San Francisco style Cioppino which will include local crab and fish we already mentioned as well as California Spot Prawns from Capt. Jones. Other specials will include fresh Petrale Sole prepared in a variety of ways and we will be featuring your choice of Lingcod and or Back Gill Red Rockfish as fish of the day.

Congratulations to all you Graduates & your familles!

Capt. Mark & Bonnie

Saturday 10 June 2006

We apologize for this week's late posting. The week just flew by and here it is Saturday morning!

After a week of gale conditions the winds have calmed, and much of the fleet is again on the move to look for the elusive salmon. Many however have elected to pursue alternate species or save fuel until something more promising develops. The Capt. will once again shove off this week and attempt to locate his favorite fish this time of the year the California King Salmon, hoping at the very least to harvest enough for both the restaurant, market, or maybe even be blessed with enough for some direct sales from the Bonnie Marietta.

Although the salmon catching has been dismal, other local fisheries continue to have good success. The Capt. expects more Dungeness Crab from either Capt. Maharry, or Capt. Cefalu sometime tomorrow or Monday. This fisheries closes the end of the month so at $10.00 a piece they remain a real value at the market, live or cooked, to take home or eat on the patio. Capt. Stickel of the Regina, left the docks early this morning to longline black gill red rockfish, and blackcod, so we expect him back in a few days, as well as Capt. Fox of the South Bay who will hopefully make his first delivery to Dockside of several different sole varieties including petrale. As this local fish becomes available we always feature them as specials in the restaurant, or for your fresh fish market needs. We are always excited to promote other fishers bounty, as we showcase a fishing community that even with excessive government regulation continues to be alive. Yes, we have had to change, but we do exist and are extremely proud of it!

Capt. Mark & Bonnie

Thursday 1 June 2006

Ahoy Mates!

Conditions have improved in front of Morro Bay with a postage stamp size spot of some nice King Salmon in it. The problem is even though its better than it has been, 3 to 5 fish a day doesn't allow Capt Mark to put together enough for weekend dockside sales off the Bonnie Marietta.

Lots of feed mostly pin head anchovies (very small), good water temperature and color, just not a lot of Salmon yet. There have been a few humpback whales starting to show up in the area which is always exciting to see. Gale force winds we had earlier this week have subsided and the Capt reported a calm ocean with very little left over slop from days of wind. Unfortunately wind is in the forecast again starting tonight and into the coming weekend!

Dockside Restaurant as well as the Fish Market continue to have fresh Wild California King Salmon available and we've had a good supply of fresh Petrale Sole & Alaskan Halibut Cheeks. We also still have a limited supply of Fresh Live Dungeness Crabs at the Fish Market for $10.00 a piece. This weekend we will have some fresh Lingcod fillets and some great smoked fish coming out of the smoker so come on by and check it out!

Until next week........sea ya!

Capt. Mark & Bonnie

Friday 26 May 2006

Good Morning,

The lack of salmon production for the California commercial fleet, has been disappointing. Not because of lack of salmon in the ocean, only because we are not allowed in the area's that seem to hold most of what is available at this time. Things are odd, this season, just look at the amount of rain that fell locally last Sunday, seems that maybe everything is just a little late. Patience is our motto right now, and we will keep you posted weekly.

The crab fishing between Point Sal, and Point Arguello continues to be a high point for our local fleet. It has slowed down but there remains enough so we have them in the tanks for your selection at the fish market. The price has risen a little, but we are still offering them at $10.00 each, we can steam, clean and crack them for you, or you can take them live, and do it yourself. Many have been enjoying this great value right here on the patio.

We also have some very fresh California Halibut from Capt. Travis Evans of Port San Luis, available both in the market, and in the restaurant, along with Alaskan Halibut Cheeks, both fresh and in the restaurant as a special too. Yes, the Alaskan Halibut are large enough that each fish produces a pair of cheeks, that are a spectacular, not always available, but if you like halibut, the cheeks are a real treat. We also have been blessed with both Black Gill Red Rockfish, and Black Cod from Capt. Tom Stickel of Morro Bay, and as with everything, if is available in the restaurant, it is available for you in the fish market, and vice versa.

Black Gill Red Rockfish, are one of about 60 different fish that all belong to the same family, their flesh is firm, white, and mild. Others sell all 60 varieties as "Red Snapper," however that is really incorrect to do so. At Dockside we make a point of calling them what they are! Black Cod is another one, you may find it sold as "Butterfish," or "Sablefish" both these are more correct than calling rockfish "Red Snappers," but they really are a "Black Cod." This too is a great fish, with tender, buttery, white flesh, that has long been a secret of the Asian culture. We have been serving it with a sweet teriyaki glaze, and it really melts in your mouth. We are getting ready to load the smoker with some too, as it high oil content makes it a smoked fish eaters delight and it will be ready for the weekend too.

Again I apologize for the lack of the direct sale of salmon from the Bonnie Marietta, it is out of my hands, but I will continue to keep premium seafood at reasonable prices available here at Dockside, and Dockside Too.

Happy Memorial Weekend, be safe, and have fun.
Mark, Bonnie, and the Tognazzini family, and crew

Thursday 5-18-06

Ahoy Mates!

Another slow week for the Salmon fishermen which disappoints Capt Mark. However, we did manage to purchase 7 Salmon from Capt.'s Tom Stickel and Tommy St. John for the restaurant. Because of the lack of fish the vessel price is up to $7.00/lb right now! Can you imagine?

OK so now on to the brighter side of things. Capt Mark and I have been very busy here on the beach getting the fish market ready to open this weekend and we are very excited to let you know that.........

"Tognazzini's Dockside Too" fish market & more, will be opening this Saturday, May 20th at 8:00am! "Dockside Too" is located at 1235 Embarcadero, which sits on the base of the North T-Pier and is right behind the restaurant.

To kick off our opening Capt Mark has arranged to get live Dungeness Crab from local fisherman Capt Fred Cefalu of the "Barbara Marie." We will be offering them at $9.00/each, which for these 2lb average crabs = $4.50/lb. Those of you that enjoy these delectable crustaceans know what a great value this is. If you have time after you have made your selection, we will cook them for you or you can take them home and easily cook them yourself. As always lessons on seafood preparations are free. Come by and check out all the other fresh and frozen seafood.....everything you like here in the restaurant will be available for you to take home and prepare yourself! In addition we will be offering many new & different items and there is plenty of patio seating for our take out food, not to mention the fabulous view of Morro Rock and the bay!

Have a super week!

Capt. Mark & Bonnie
(805) 772-8100 Dockside Restaurant & Fish Market
(805) 441-1451 Bonnie Marietta

Tuesday 5 May 2006

Ahoy Mates,

Salmon Season has finally begun and Capt Mark along with the rest of the commercial fleet headed out to sea Monday morning. The ocean was flat, calm and fairly quiet with lots of feed. Great conditions just not much fish! I don't often hear the Capt wishing for wind, but this past week he sure was hoping for a heavy NW. Although heavy NW winds can be difficult to fish, at least they help create upwellings which often mean increased Salmon production....hum?

The good news is at least there is a Salmon Season!

OK, so now the bad news..... where we can fish is pretty limited. It's not because of lack of stock, the Sacramento River stock is healthy and at an all time high. The problem is the Klamath River. Those of you that keep up on this issue know it's not a problem that can be blamed on the commercial fisherman (as usual), its really about improper management of the Klamath River and its water. This situation can be fixed, but all users need to share it. It can become a reality, but we do anticipate one more year of reduced seasons because of mismanagement. So this year we will have a full season south of Pt. Sur and that's because fish tagging data show we don't catch Klamath fish down here. However once you get north of Pt. Sur, we do catch some of the Klamath fish. The actual number is about 1 in 50 fish of what we catch north of Sur being a Klamath River fish. Therefore we have very small trip limits for the month of May, no access in June, and only 3 days of July. Because we get to fish south of Pt. Sur doesn't mean the fish will be here. Matter of fact many of you long time regulars know that Capt Mark has had to travel long distances in order to bring Salmon back to Morro Bay for our off the boat sales. Right now for example, sport fishing for Salmon fishing at Bodega Bay is spectacular! The sport anglers have no restrictions (unlike the commercial fishermen) and will experience a full season. Nevertheless we will remain anxious and await the arrival of any volume of Salmon.

'Twas a pretty slow opening week and although we are happy Capt Mark did catch some Salmon, it was not enough to allow us to conduct fish sales off the "BONNIE MARIETTA." Sorry. As always we remain optimistic the fish will show and we will get a season in.

The few Salmon that Capt Mark caught will be featured here at the Restaurant instead. We will continue to have fresh black gill red rock fish delivered to us from Capt Brad Leage of the "Sierra-C."

In addition we are working diligently on "Tognazzini's Dockside Too Fish Market & More" which is scheduled to open later this month. We will be pleased to offer you many of the oceans bounties as well as take out. Don't hesitate to give us your input!

Just to jog your memory, or for those of you new to the "Fish-List," below is the run down on the "BONNIE MARIETTA" off boat fish sales.

Until next weeks update, SEA you!

Ahoy!

Welcome aboard the Bonnie Marietta and Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant "FISH LIST." Due to popular demand we have combined both lists. From May through September, Captain Mark fishes during the week. Depending on the catching, fish sales at the Bonnie Marietta generally begin on Saturday at 8 A.M., but occasionally are conducted on other days at other times. An email is sent weekly, usually on Thursday, notifying customers of sale times.

During the balance of the year we send out occasional emails when special bounties from the sea are available at Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant. Please see our website www.bonniemarietta.com For additional details regarding our weekly postings......

You have been added to this list at your request, we never share this list with anyone, and are happy to remove you at anytime!

Capt. Mark, Bonnie, family & crew

Friday 14 April 2006

Good morning and Happy Easter from the Bonnie Marietta & Dockside Restaurant Crews!

Lots of news to share with you

Last chance for a Crab Fest and Cioppino Fest Weekend. Although Cioppino has become a regular special here at Dockside and there may be a continued trickle of crabs arriving in the harbor. This weekend we have a chance to offer you fresh chilled and cracked local Dungeness Crab and Cioppino that will include fresh Dungeness Crab from Capt Maharry (Mary F), fresh local Spot Prawns from Capt Jones (St. Joseph) and fresh local Black Gill Red Rock Fish from Capt Leage (Sierra C). We apologize for this late notice but Capt Mark just finalized this combination of locally caught bounties. We are able to still offer the Dungeness dinner which includes one whole crab and all the fixings for $17.75 however because of the addition of the local Spot Prawns in our Cioppino it will be offered at $19.75. Again sorry for this late notice please call and reserve yours now (805) 772-8100. We do expect a busy weekend because of the holiday.

Other quick news which we will elaborate on in a later e-mail is we will have a full Salmon season south of Sur but extremely limited season north of Sur. We can only hope that it is a southern run this year and of course only time will tell.

Capt Mark and I have other exciting news to share which will be the addition of added fresh and local seafood for you. First let us assure you that we will always continue our direct sales of Salmon and Albacore off the Bonnie Marietta. With that in mind we would like you to know that using the same approach of marketing we will be opening "Dockside Too" Fish Market & More. It is the fish market that sits behind "Dockside Restaurant" at the base of the North T-Pier and has struggled in the past to stay open. We think we can offer you an option when it comes to your seafood needs other than what the Bonnie Marietta provides. It will include a full selection of fresh and FAS (frozen at sea) products, as well as take out and outside seating. More on this later.

Have a a fabulous Easter weekend with your familles and friends!

Bonnie, Capt Mark and Crew
Dockside Restaurant (805) 772-8100
Bonnie Marietta (805) 441-1451

Tuesday 7 March 2006

Good Morning,

Both Captain's Fred Cefalu, and Bob Maharry, aren't in their slips this morning, and that is great news for those of you that love fresh Dungeness Crab. So once again it is with great anticipation we at DOCKSIDE will be awaiting their return for another weekend with local dungeness crab. As fisher's we are optimistic and hope this run in our home waters will last into the spring but they can disappear as quickly as they bless us with their presence. But for now we will enjoy them for all it is worth. With that in mind mark you calendars for this weekend with your choice of lunch or dinner March 10, 11, or 12th, and reserve yours now at 805-772-8100. The price will remain at $17.75, which includes a whole, chilled, and cracked local dungeness crab, and all the usual fixings you are used to here at DOCKSIDE. In addition we will also be using these fresh crabs in a San Francisco style Cioppino, which will include 1/2 dungeness crab, local rockfish, scallops, shrimp, steamer clams, and green lip mussels, for $20.95. Both fun meals which highlight some local bounty!

Warm regards,

Mark, Bonnie, and the Tognazzini crew

Sunday 22 January 2006

Good morning!

And for Dungeness Crab lovers it is a great morning! Capt. Mark just came in from the dock with the news that local highliner Fred Cefalu of the Barbara Marie will be providing Dungeness Crabs for Dockside this next weekend. Most of the North coast crabbers have not been fishing due to a poor price, and limited production, not to mention the heavy winter weather. However Captain Cefalu has located crabs in the local waters off Point Sal that want to cooperate. So here at Dockside we will be blessed with the privilege of having another "Crabfest" weekend! So make your plans for Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, January 27, 28, & 29, 2006, lunch or dinner and call us at 805-772-8100 to reserve yours now. The price will remain at $17.75, for one of these fresh, chilled and cracked crabs, which will include all the usual Dockside fixings.

Other good news at Dockside is the Capt. has been able to locate some fresh premium Petrale sole. Although not from local Capt. Bill Diller of the Molle as most was last season, we are very pleased with it's quality, and sometime tomorrow morning the Capt. will know if we will have some for the weekend too!

Sea you!

Bonnie, crew and the Capt.

Friday 6 January 2006

Ahoy Mates!

We started off the New Years by offering one of our "Lobster-Fest" weekend which many of you did not get the opportunity to enjoy as we had to cut reservations off much sooner than anticipated due to those darn lobsters not cooperating with the fishermen.
So.........

I've got a bit of good news for you tonight! The rainy weather we recently had not only shook up the ocean, creating some really big swells, that were awesome to watch (especially from our view here at Dockside) but it also stirred up those SPINY LOBSTERS down in Newport Beach!

That's right and we are going to be able have a "Lobster-Fest" once again this next weekend Friday the 13th, Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th. Price remains the same at $17.95 for a half lobster and $26.95 for a whole, meals include all the fixings and are available for both lunch or dinner.

We would like to let you know this might be our last opportunity to offer them to you this season....... so don't "Miss the boat....."Early bird gets the worm" !

Please make your reservation no later than Wednesday 1-11-06 by calling DOCKSIDE RESTAURANT at (805) 772-8100.

Sea ya all sooooooon!

Bonnie, and Capt. Mark, and family
BONNIE MARIETTA, & DOCKSIDE RESTAURANT