The last sardine cannery in America closes

[Jenise]

Somewhere, John Steinbeck is crying.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/us/04cannery.html?th&emc=th

There's is a Sardine Factory left in Monterey, but it's a restaurant. I'm sure he wept when the last real cannery there closed.

There's is a Sardine Factory left in Monterey, but it's a restaurant. I'm sure he wept when the last real cannery there closed.

Ate in the Sardine Factory many years ago, when it was pretty good 35+ years ago. Went down hill , haven't been back since. It could be good for all I know know.
I remember a place in that area called ?Gallitans?something like that, it was really good.

I like sardines. The ones in my cupboard are two-layer Brislings in olive oil. They are "King Oscar" brand and carry a spiel about Norwegian tradition... which is undercut, a bit, by the fine print which says it is distributed by Bumble Bee (offices in San Diego, CA) and packed in Poland.

[Jenise]

I like sardines. The ones in my cupboard are two-layer Brislings in olive oil. They are "King Oscar" brand and carry a spiel about Norwegian tradition... which is undercut, a bit, by the fine print which says it is distributed by Bumble Bee (offices in San Diego, CA) and packed in Poland.

That's pretty funny. But probably closer to what you suspected, the way things go these days, than finding them locally packed.

Lou--I ate at the Cannery about 15 years ago--meal was okay but not special. I particularly remember there being a great wine list and an overbearing lady sommelier who wouldn't let me just order the bottle I wanted without consulting with her over it. Nothing about the experience made me ever want to go back.

I like sardines. The ones in my cupboard are two-layer Brislings in olive oil. They are "King Oscar" brand and carry a spiel about Norwegian tradition... which is undercut, a bit, by the fine print which says it is distributed by Bumble Bee (offices in San Diego, CA) and packed in Poland.

That's pretty funny. But probably closer to what you suspected, the way things go these days, than finding them locally packed.

Lou--I ate at the Cannery about 15 years ago--meal was okay but not special. I particularly remember there being a great wine list and an overbearing lady sommelier who wouldn't let me just order the bottle I wanted without consulting with her over it. Nothing about the experience made me ever want to go back.

My God couldn't be the same sommelier, we were in Monterrey for the jazz festival and in those days our crowd only had enough money for one night in a top flight restaurant. I remember the waiter and sommelier being snooty because all we could afford was cheap wine. What the hell, even though it was outdoors at the fairgrounds all you had to do in the evening was to inhale deeply and you could get a buzz on. Ah! we were MUCH YOUNGER then.

I actually ate there several times over the years. Seemed like people I was meeting in Monterey had heard of it and wanted to eat there. Never was impressed - except with the wine list.

[Jenise]

I actually ate there several times over the years. Seemed like people I was meeting in Monterey had heard of it and wanted to eat there. Never was impressed - except with the wine list.

Yes, great wine list, leatherbound and about the size of some people's family bibles. And I ordered abalone--small, farm raised, so could be nothing like the wild abalone of my chldhood, but still, breaded and pan-fried like schnitzel they should have been better than they were. Disappointing, and for something like $100 too (which I was prepared for, it was a market-priced item), it's just that they were soggy, not crisp. Simple, easy prep--no excuse for that. And I remember that I ordered a William Selyam pinot--the particulars of which are coming back to me: our server would not take our wine order, it had to go through the sommelier for whom we had to wait too long to put up with her hemming and hawing over whether or not to allow us to have that wine with our food choices.

Odd....I always thought sardines (and for that matter anchovies and tuna fish) came from the sea and not from cans.

True, it's been a long time since I've grocery shopped in the United States but I do know that throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East such fish are available fresh on an almost daily basis. As to sardines and anchovies, also available pickled, smoked, spiced and in a dozen other forms at various shuks. Also true, I have seen them in cans on the shelves of markets, but have never dreamed of buying them.

Best
Rogov

As to sardines and anchovies, also available pickled, smoked, spiced and in a dozen other forms at various shuks.
Best
Rogov

Drool; drool! I just must plan a trip in your direction.

I actually ate there several times over the years. Seemed like people I was meeting in Monterey had heard of it and wanted to eat there. Never was impressed - except with the wine list.

Yes, great wine list, leatherbound and about the size of some people's family bibles. And I ordered abalone--small, farm raised, so could be nothing like the wild abalone of my chldhood, but still, breaded and pan-fried like schnitzel they should have been better than they were. Disappointing, and for something like $100 too (which I was prepared for, it was a market-priced item), it's just that they were soggy, not crisp. Simple, easy prep--no excuse for that. And I remember that I ordered a William Selyam pinot--the particulars of which are coming back to me: our server would not take our wine order, it had to go through the sommelier for whom we had to wait too long to put up with her hemming and hawing over whether or not to allow us to have that wine with our food choices.

Ah, abalone. One of my favorite foods on the planet. Just about gone now. Very sad. I cooked literally thousands of orders at Scott's and a couple of other restaurants in the Bay Area. And I watched our cost rise almost weekly. I think the last time I prepared it we were at about $25.00 per pound wholesale. Oddly enough the last time I had REAL abalone was in Memphis - one of the fish mongers brought in a half dozen in the shell, kept two for himself and gave two each to two restaurateurs, fortunately I was one of them.

I occasionally see it at sushi shops here in nYC.

I actually ate there several times over the years. Seemed like people I was meeting in Monterey had heard of it and wanted to eat there. Never was impressed - except with the wine list.

Yes, great wine list, leatherbound and about the size of some people's family bibles. And I ordered abalone--small, farm raised, so could be nothing like the wild abalone of my chldhood, but still, breaded and pan-fried like schnitzel they should have been better than they were. Disappointing, and for something like $100 too (which I was prepared for, it was a market-priced item), it's just that they were soggy, not crisp. Simple, easy prep--no excuse for that. And I remember that I ordered a William Selyam pinot--the particulars of which are coming back to me: our server would not take our wine order, it had to go through the sommelier for whom we had to wait too long to put up with her hemming and hawing over whether or not to allow us to have that wine with our food choices.

Ah, abalone. One of my favorite foods on the planet. Just about gone now. Very sad. I cooked literally thousands of orders at Scott's and a couple of other restaurants in the Bay Area. And I watched our cost rise almost weekly. I think the last time I prepared it we were at about $25.00 per pound wholesale. Oddly enough the last time I had REAL abalone was in Memphis - one of the fish mongers brought in a half dozen in the shell, kept two for himself and gave two each to two restaurateurs, fortunately I was one of them.

I'm so old remember skin diving as a kid for Abs off of the Palos Verde peninsula in12 to 18 feet of water. Easy to get a limit (whatever that was) in a reasonably short time. Used to give the empty shells to friends for ash trays. Could only give them away to a very few friends who knew how to clean and pound them out. Imagine people turning down large green and pink Abs. Oh, and diving out at Catalina (The Isthmus) it was like shooting fish in a barrel. God, we've ravaged what nature has given us. Growing up on SO CA coast must have eaten a million bucks worth at todays prices. Not that farm grown crap.
WOW! I'm old.

[Jenise]

I occasionally see it at sushi shops here in nYC.

That would probably be of the same ilk I saw live at a Japanese market in Canada a few weeks ago. They were only about $10/lb. Not at all in the same league, not even close, as the wild abalone Lou and Chef are talking about. Last wild abalone I saw was about 15 years ago, I was in a Sonoma winery when a guy came in and traded two (highly illegal) filets to the winemaker for some wine. Apparently some people who dive along that coast still find some, or did. I made it very clear that I was available to stay for dinner but alas was not taken up on my offer, can't imagine why. I wouldn't have shared it, either.

So what's the next wild seafood species we'll fish out of existence?

-Paul W.

So what's the next wild seafood species we'll fish out of existence?

-Paul W.

Well it won't be herring. Getting back to the origional topic, with no more sardine factories (that pack sardines) the herring should thrive.

So what's the next wild seafood species we'll fish out of existence?

-Paul W.

Ah, but there are a few glimmers of hope out there.

At least some people have become aware enough, and concerned enough, about the problem of over-fishing to exert some control over raping the oceans.

Preventing the imminent demise of the Patagonian Tooth Fish (otherwise known as "Chilean Sea Bass"), for instance. The sudden popularity of this southern Pacific fish on our dinner tables devastated the primary spawning/fishing grounds and almost resulted in taking the population down to extinction levels. But some consciousness raising---which resulted in some pretty effective self-banning of the fish in restaurants and in retail and some wholesale places as well---helped stave off that disaster. And other organizations attempted to protect the areas that were most depleted, to give them a chance to revive. And options were found. Not always good options, mind you; tilapia will never be as satisfying as CSB, no matter what they do to it. But at least efforts were made, and some successes registered.

For the last several years I've been a part of the Sustainable Solutions effort, and have participated in the conference and soiree every year down in Monterey Bay. They're the folks that put out the "Seafood Watch" handouts and messages that alert people to fish they should be avoiding if possible. And lots of concerned people have jumped on the bandwagon. Chefs have really gotten involved in the campaign too, and have taken steps in their own restaurants and spheres of influence to help the cause.

So, yeah, it's bad. But it's not all bad.

In a former incarnation as a Scuba instructor, we used to get sacks of abs from BC waters (the fishery was closed here years ago).

Had tons in the freezer and ate them regularly. A friend was a commercial fisherman in that fishery. Good stuff!