Fish 101 - Oyster Bar and Fish House

I had heard good things about Fish 101 - Oyster Bar and Fish House, but Marc and I had not yet made the journey to Leucadia to check it out. For me, part of the reason was that I was envisioning a fancy-ish fish joint where you pay a lot of money for some fancy shmancy fish plate in a quiet upscale setting. Not that there's anything wrong with that particular type of venue for a nice romantic evening, but it just wasn't the vibe that I had been craving lately.

But I was in the mood to try something new, and gave Marc the choice of a couple different restaurants for dinner on a Friday evening, of which Fish 101 was the only location we had not yet been to. So, after a quick debate over what we felt like eating, we found ourselves cruising up Highway 101 ready to experience something new.

I was extremely surprised to find that Fish 101 was nothing like I had expected. It was a much more laid back, relaxed environment. The mood was instantly set by the communal tables on the patio out front and a line of hungry customers line up from the front counter and going out the door to order food. There are additional wooden tables in a patio out back, as well as some limited indoor seating.  This was a definite break from the white tablecloths or frou frou waiters I had thought we would be encountering. In fact, they proudly display shirts over the counter stating that "This place shucks."  And instantly we have character!

Marc and I placed our orders at the front counter where the menu was displayed, as well as the daily specials, on a large chalkboard in the back. They also had paper menus at the entrance, cutting down on the ever annoying customer that waits to decide what he is going to order when he arrives at the counter. Efficiency people! When I am hungry I appreciate any attempts to streamline the process. 

Fish 101 has an extensive local craft beer menu, both on tap and in the bottle. Being focused on fish, the wine menu targeted more white wine than red. Once we placed our order, we were given a number to display and found a table out front that we shared with another couple. I instantly oogled their food. "Damnit! I should have gotten the corn! That looks awesome." I was pleased by the implications of the look of our neighbors food. What hadn't looked exciting to me written out on the chalkboard specials list looked amazing in person.

Despite being jammed, service was quick. Our drinks showed up almost almost immediately after we sat down. I was again pleasantly surprised to find that not only was Marc's beer served in a mason jar, but my white wine also came in a mini mason jar. I'm a sucker for details like that. Nothing bunks pretentious fish house like wine in a jar. The details were all coming together to paint picture of a intimate, friendly laid back fish house. We sipped our drinks in the glow of the heat lanterns, enjoying the communal atmosphere.

No sooner than I had snapped a few pictures of our drinks, our albacore tuna poke appetizer arrived. Marc and I were both impressed. It was fresh, crisp, and the perfect size. We were left properly primed for the arrival of our dinner.

I ordered the mahi mahi, with a side of black beans and the seaweed salad. Marc had the fried shrimp po boy and ordered the seaweed salad as well. Fish 101 states that it sources all its fish in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program, which is a huge added bonus that eliminates the necessity of digging out the iPhone app to aid in my decision making. When ordering, nothing was off the table for eco-conservation issues. The fish was cooked perfectly, and that seaweed salad was the perfect accompaniment. If you go, get the seaweed salad. And Marc's sandwich was very well balanced, perfectly fried shrimp, with a good tang from the pickled red onions on bread that had just the right amount of crunch. 

We will definitely be going back. There were plenty of other sides that I want to try, as well to see how their other fish offerings stack up. In addition, we didn't order any oysters, which considering the joint was a fish house and oyster bar was probably a mistake on our part. But now we have something new to look forward to on our next visit. 

The Kook

Few people call it by its original name, "The Magic Carpet Ride", but instead affectionately or not-so-affectionately refer to the towering surfer in Cardiff-by-the-Sea as "The Kook". The spritely surfer has held court at the corner of Highway 101 and Chesterfield since 2007, watching over the San Elijo Campgrounds and the myriad of walkers, runners, and bikers that pass by him every day. He looks serene and graceful, as he calmly rides his imaginary waves. Of course, therein lies the issue that sparked controversy and cultivated a culture of playful vandalism for the last six years and counting.

The Controversy
The surfing statue was originally commissioned by the Cardiff Botanical Society, and sculpted by Matthew Antichevich. It was installed in 2007 and immediately received negative reviews. Locals complained that its stance did not depict how an experienced surfer would look, hence its nickname of the Kook, slang for a poor or wannabe surfer. For a town smack in the middle of San Diego's surfing community, it was considered by some to be an insult.

What many people don't know is that we are looking at an incomplete representation of what Mr. Antichevich envisioned for his Magic Carpet Ride. He described the positioning of the Kook, errr, I mean surfer, as a "backside floater", which could only be apparent with the addition of an actual sculpted wave to the statue. Alas, as all too often is the case, the project ran out of money, so the surfer was installed sans wave, an incomplete picture in the mind of the artist. Unknowingly, the "vandals" of north county have been working to complete the statue ever since, and the Kook has become a constantly evolving community project.



Hardly a weekend goes by without the Kook emerging in some ridiculous outfit or another. Sometimes it's the celebration of a birthday or a holiday, advertising some local event or cause, or sometimes for no reason at all other than that he is there. Quite frankly, I consider the Kook to be almost naked when he doesn't have a sign hanging form his arm or a funky hat perched on his head. Without his eclectic garb he looks lonely and solitary, something hard to be when you are a surfer in some of the popular and crowded beaches of San Diego.



The Best of the Best.
It's no question that there have been some amazing displays on the Kook. But in my mind, there was one that really upped the ante. Back in 2010, it began merely as a few paper mache fins that had been placed around the Kook. Each day, they were moved a bit closer, and then one day...

photo courtesy of: http://www.thecardiffkook.org/blog/eaten-by-shark-kook/

It rocked North County. It was on the news, cars stopped, people took pictures, it was amazing. Since then, the "culprits" have struck again, turning the scene into a prehistoric diorama, complete with pterodactyl about to fly off with the Kook himself.

The Culture 
The Kook has further permeated the culture of Cardiff by the Sea, not only with websites chronicling the almost weekly get ups of the Kook, but you can even purchase a calendar of the Kook and enjoy a new picture of the Kook each month.

Additionally, the Kook has inspired an annual 5K costume run (usually falling on Superbowl weekend), which also includes a more competitive 10K race. Both races have spectacular views as participants run both up and down the coast along Highway 101. Runners dress up in costume, sometimes mimicking past costumes that Kook himself has been clothed in, while for some there's no rhyme or reason to the costume, other than that it's fun! In addition to awards for those that run fast, there are awards for the best costume, both individual and groups. All in all, it's a great event celebrating a unique landmark in North County.

Sources and More Information 
http://thecardiffkook.org/
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff_Kook
http://www.cardiffkookrun.com/