By Emma Krasov. Photography by Yuri Krasov.
If you’re visiting Northern California this summer, you probably have more than enough suggestions of where to eat and drink, but even on a short visit try not to miss a charming coastal town of Half Moon Bay along the Pacific Ocean, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. It is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, picturesque beaches, and a charming walkable downtown, making it a popular weekend destination for locals and tourists alike.
Besides being blessed with the sandy beaches, like Half Moon Bay State Beach, Poplar Beach, and Miramar Beach, and numerous scenic trails, including the Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail with ocean views, the town boasts many opportunities for outdoor activities such as kayaking, surfing, paddleboarding, and whale watching.
In the quaint downtown, there are boutique shops, art galleries, and restaurants offering delicious local seafood and produce from the local farms. The shining star among them is Fattoria e Mare, helmed by the acclaimed chef/owner Pablo Estrada.
Located on Main Street, the restaurant has a spacious, gorgeously decorated facility, with indoor and outdoor seating, private banquet rooms, and inviting, artful ambiance. Chef Estrada maintains a strong connection with local agriculture, and serves only the best freshly caught fish, mollusks and crustaceans, market fresh vegetables, house-made bread, pizza, pasta, and pastries.
Fattoria e Mare (“Farm and Sea” in Italian) fully justifies its name reflected on its extensive Northern Italian cuisine menu. Simple preparations of bursting with flavor zucchini, artichokes, asparagus, fava beans, tomatoes, radishes, and other seasonal crops, are true to the Italian way of presenting produce at its prime, while the house staples, like olives and olive oil, balsamic vinegar, burrata and other artisanal cheeses, bresaola, mortadella, capicollo, soppressata, coppa, salumi, and prosciutto are always a part of antipasti offerings.
Best known for its seafood dishes, the restaurant is praised by the regulars for delectable preparations of calamari, branzino, Dungeness crab, Maine lobster, octopus, scallops, salmon, clams, prawns, mussels, and other ocean delights as well as for amazing meat entrees, like Half Chicken with Spinach, Fresh Mozzarella, and Dried Tomato Puree, and Kurobuta Pork Osso Bucco with Creamy Potato, Chips, and Lemon.
This summer, Fattoria e Mare bar, led by Jose Alfredo Oropeza, offers an array of creative cocktails, made specifically to complement Chef Estrada’s cuisine. Among the colorful libations are seasonal Smokey Summer (mezcal, Ancho Reyes, citrus, agave), Pinkly Pear Mojito (Bacardi, lime juice, simple syrup, mint), Fattoria in Love (Kettle One, Saint Germain, strawberry), and others, in all colors and flavors.
Fattoria e Mare is located at 315 Main St, Half Moon Bay, California. Make reservations by calling 650-342-4922 or go to https://fattoriaemare.com/.
Real Travel Adventures 