More Reviews Coming Soon

We have a big appetite for squid. Here is a wish list of some places
we hope to visit this month. Check back for more reviews coming soon.

Big Nick's Pizza
1110 N Gaffey St., Ste G
San Pedro, CA 90731
310-732-5800
(cheap fried calamari)

The Buggy Whip Restaurant
7420 La Tijera Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
310-645-7131
(calamari appetizer)

Cafe Gazelle
191 LA Verne Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90803
562-438-5033
(side order of sauteed calamari)

Fishwife
1996 1/2 Sunset Dr.
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
831-375-7107
www.fishwife.com
(calamari steak & fried calamari appetizer)

Paco's Tacos
4141 S. Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066-4908
Phone: 310-391-9616
(Mexican-style calamari steak prepared 7 ways.)

Rosine's Restaurant
434 Alvarado St.
Monterey, CA 93940
831-375-1400
www.rosinesmonterey.com
(calamari & eggs)

Spumoni Italian Cafe
14533 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
818-981-7218
(drowned squid)

Los Laureles Lodge, Carmel Valley, CA

The Los Laureles Lodge is a great place to stay when visiting Monterey or Carmel. The hotel is an old fashioned country inn that seems like little has changed in 40 years. Although we love staying here we think the best thing about this hotel is the restaurant. And the best thing on their dinner menu is the calamari steak. In our opinion their calamari steak is the gold standard in Monterey county. The calamari steak comes lightly breaded with a garlic butter sauce with capers. It comes with green beans and basmati rice. But, if you ask nicely you can substitute the rice for garlic mashed potatoes which is excellent. They also make a great caesar salad. Make sure you ask for extra anchovies too. The former chef, Rob Carter, is no longer here but he must have trained the cooks properly because this dish is still very, very good. Our rating would be a perfect 10 out of 10 if Rob was still running the kitchen. A very solid 9+ tentacles (9 out of 10).

Los Laureles Lodge
313 West Carmel Valley Road
Carmel Valley, CA 93924 

831.659.2233

http://www.loslaureles.com

Caco Squid Can Label

After Cannery Row, Monterey ran out of sardines in the late 1940s & 1950s they started canning squid at a ferocious rate. Today, squid is the biggest commercial catch in the Monterey bay. Here is a squid label from an earlier period. This label is from around 1910-1930. This is one of the oldest Monterey squid labels I have ever found. From time to time I'll post a squid label or two. It's sort of off-topic but squid is squid. If you want to see more squid labels go to www.sardineking.com.

The Running Iron

    The "Running Iron" in Carmel Valley Village, (Monterey Peninsula) California, is a well known old cowboy and country restaurant and bar. And they do an honorable breakfast of Calamari & Eggs. Presentation: 7; Taste a solid 7, thanks to the seasoned batter; Service and Atmosphere an 8 (hard to beat a real "Locals" country restaurant). You can't leave hungry! Overall Squid Brother's Rating a solid 7.5 (out of 10 tentacles).

Running Iron Restaurant

24 E. Carmel Valley Rd.

Carmel Valley, CA 93924

831-659-4633