Chef Rhodehamel and the Oliveto kitchen crew got up at the crack of dawn yesterday to visit Tom Worthington and the rest of the early birds at Monterey Fish Market on Pier 33 in San Francisco.

The gang was there to welcome the morning’s catch, witness some lightening fast scaling and fileting, and see some of the first local albacore arrive. One of chef Rhodehamel’s favorite fish to work with, local albacore will have a permanent place on the menu over the next few months for the duration of the season. With a rich, soft texture, Jonah compares to toro in texture and an amazingly clean flavor, local albacore is currently being served raw and grilled medium-rare in the following preparations:

Crudo of local albacore with Santa Rosa plums, pickled Cherry Bomb peppers, avocado, radish, and basil

Charcoal-grilled local pole-caught albacore with fresh Cranberry beans, eggplant puree, cherry tomatoes, and Painted Serpent cucumber