The new Moby Dick
Several years ago, Karl Hutterer, president and CEO of The Stearns Wharf Company decided to make it his personal mission to rebrand and rejuvenate the forgotten Wharf eatery, Moby Dick, into a seafood culinary destination that Santa Barbara’s harbor has always needed.
Says Hutterer, “I envision Moby Dick to be a culinary delight that offers superb seafood and craft cocktails, locally sourced and sustainably produced, and a place that delights guests with programs that not only feed the body but also the soul.”
He started by remodeling the front of the restaurant into a first-class oyster bar and then hiring two locally seasoned pros, chef Alberto Torres, formerly of Boathouse Restaurant and Bluewater Grill, and Amado Simon, formerly of Beachside Café, to make the transition happen. The duo quickly fashioned a four-star oyster menu that offers a wide assortment of oysters from the best of the East and West coasts, including Vancouver’s Fanny Bay and Prince Edward Island’s Malpeques.
Chef Torres brought his years of talent to the raw bar experience with his personal scallop and tuna crudo recipes, as well as his halibut and tuna ceviche. Other plates include steamed clams and mussels, peel-and-eat shrimp, shrimp and chips, and his raw-bar platter for sharing that includes 10 oysters, six clams, six mussels, eight peel-and-eat shrimp, and a lobster cocktail. Torres says he works daily with local fishermen to bring the freshest and most sustainable seafood menu possible. A menu that finally matches the million dollar Pacific Ocean view. Moby Dick has been reborn.
As for the cocktails, Simon has taken command of this area with his own specialty offerings that include Moby’s Mai Tai, a concoction of orange and pineapple juice, orgeat, dry Ferrand curacao, and dark Whaler’s rum served on the rocks. He says it’s better than anything you’ll find in the Islands. Simon also recommends his Mezcal Basil Mash with fresh basil, mezcal, fresh lime, and tajin to give it the spice.
Simon notes the bar also includes local brews from Draughtsmen Aleworks in Goleta and adds that about 95 percent of the wine list is sourced from Santa Barbara County and the Central Coast.
Torres and Simon both agree that the process is ongoing and that the menu will keep getting better with the addition of prime-grade meats and local in-season spiny lobster. Torres says to keep an eye out for his special twists on surf & turf. Updates to the back portion of the restaurant are coming, too, to better accommodate the upscale dining feel. “We’re going all out on everything from our happy hour (they call it “Oyster Hour”) to regular wine pairing dinners,” says Simon. “Come for the crafted food and drink and stay for the million-dollar views!”
—Phil Kirkwood
Moby Dick is on Stearns Wharf. Oyster Hour is 3pm to 7pm Monday thru Friday with live music featuring local talent from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday. www.mobydicksb.com
