Our annual Oceanic Dinner series began last night, and the whole menu is just exceptional — a treasure chest of delicious things. Chef Jonah and the team have truly outdone themselves. Here is the completed menu.

Crudi (raw)
CRUDO of bigeye tuna (Hawaii, troll) with hazelnut milk, harissa verde, and pickled apple
Lightly torched king salmon (Monterey Bay, troll) with white peaches, green almonds, and Jalapeño pepper
CARPACCIO of house-smoked swordfish (Southern California, long line) with Sicilian pine nut salsa, new potatoes, and mint

Antipasti
Cold   Salad of Little Gem lettuces with bagna cauda, marinated
white anchovies (San Francisco Bay, purse seine), and Parmesan cheese
Salad of Dungeness crab (Half Moon Bay, trap) with braised kombu, yuzu-melon vinaigrette, and baby fennel
Savory CANNOLI of king salmon (Monterey Bay, troll) with mascarpone, salmon roe, and lemon verbena
Sardines (incidental catch from Monterey Bay, purse seine) in saor with Chanterelle mushrooms, marinated pole beans, and thyme
Salad of new potatoes, tuna (Hawaii, troll) ‘nduja, and mussels (Prince Edward Ilsand, farmed) with pickled ramp aïoli, green garlic, and mint
Soup:  ajo blanco–white gazpacho of almonds and garlic with
pickled mackerel (Boston, trap) and spring onions
Warm   Crochetta of baccalà (Spain, hook and line) and fried grass shrimp (San francisco Bay, skim net) with Calabrian chili aïoli, candied Meyer lemon, and basil
BRASATO of cod tripe (Spain, hook and line) and Cannellini beans with artichoke and hot pepper

Pastas
PARISIAN GNOCCHI with smoked trout (Idaho, farmed) and its roe, kefir, dill, and arugula pesto
ACQUERELLO CARNAROLI RISOTTO with squid ink, razor clams (Cape Cod, hand dug), and ricotta salata
LINGUINE with Dungeness crab (Half Moon Bay, trap), Meyer lemon, and Genovese basil
TORTELLI of lobster (Maine, trap) with Brentwood corn, mascarpone, and fines herbes
SPAGHETTI with sea urchin (Alaska, diver) carbonara
ORECHIETTE with sand dabs (Half Moon Bay, Scottish seine), garlic, Sicilian chili, and fennel pollen

Secondi
Fig leaf-grilled petrale sole (Ft. Bragg, trawl) with Costata Romanesco squash crema, Brent-wood corn, and squash blossom spumante
Olive-oil poached Alaskan sand halibut (long line) with Japanese eggplant purée, haricots verts, and cherry tomatoes
Charcoal-grilled octopus (Spain, trap) with black-eyed peas, peperonata, and salmoriglio
CIOPPINO of rock cod (Ft. Bragg, hook and line), clams (Washington, farmed), mussels (PEI, farmed), and squid (Monterey, purse seine) with saffron aïoli and grilled crostino
Charcoal-grilled California white sea bass (San Pedro, hook and line) alla livornese with roast fennel and Bianco di Maggio onions
Charcoal grilled lobster (Maine, trap) and chicken SAUSAGE with celeriac crema, golden Romano beans, and salsa verde

 Dessert (featured)
Geléefish: crème fraîche panna cotta with apricot-orange gelée, meringue sea creatures, and dried seaweed

The menu is offered à la carte.
We hope you’ll join us.

Below is Chef Jonah’s menu for Oceanic Dinners, nearly completed. A few items will of course, at the last minute, be replaced by some unanticipated catch. And then with this week’s preliminary preparations of the dishes, some changes will ensue, as new ideas are incorporated.

Crudi (raw)
Crudo of bigeye tuna with hazelnut milk, harissa verde, and pickled apple
Lightly torched king salmon with white peaches and jalapeño
Crudo of charred bonito with Santa Rosa plums, malted wheat berries,
green coriander, and bottarga
Carpaccio of house-smoked swordfish with Sicilian pine nut salsa, new
potatoes, and mint

Antipasti
Salad of Dungeness crab with braised kombu, yuzu-melon vinaigrette,
and baby fennel
Local sand dab in saor with Chanterelle mushrooms
Crochetta of baccalà with Calabrian chili aïoli
Savory cannoli of king salmon with mascarpone, salmon roe, and lemon
verbena
Brasato of cod tripe and Cannellini beans with artichoke and hot pepper
Soup:  ajo blanco–white gazpacho of almonds and garlic with pickled mackerel
and spring onions

Pastas
Parisian gnocchi with smoked trout and its roe, kefir, dill, and arugula pesto
Acquerello Carnaroli risotto with squid ink, razor clams, and ricotta salata
Linguine with Dungeness crab, Meyer lemon, and Genovese basil
Tortelli of lobster with Brentwood corn, mascarpone, and fines herbes
Spaghetti alla carbonara with sea urchin

Secondi
Fig leaf-grilled petrale sole with Costata Romanesco squash crema, Brent-
wood corn, and squash blossom spumante
Olive-oil poached Alaskan halibut with Japanese eggplant purée
Charcoal-grilled octopus with black-eyed peas, peperonata, and salmoriglio
Cioppino of local fish and shellfish with saffron aïoli and grilled crostino
Charcoal-grilled pancetta-wrapped sardines alla livornese with roast fennel
and Bianco di Maggio onions

Without the assistance and support of Tom Worthington of Monterey Fish Market, a sea-based event as ambitious as this one would be impossible. Founded nearly 40 years ago by Paul Johnson, Monterey Fish’s decades of experience and unyielding commitment to sustainable fishermen enable it to source fresh, sustainably caught fish from great distances as well as locally. As the people who talk both to fishermen and chefs daily, Monterey Fish has also acquired enormous collective knowledge
on cooking fish.

So thanks to Tom and the team at Monterey Fish, Oliveto’s Chef Jonah Rhodehamel can source this incredible variety of seafood and gather any information he needs, to put together the above, nearly completed, menu. They’re the reason why, on June 27, the most amazingly fresh, beautiful fish available will be delivered, glistening, to our back door.

The Menu is still in the planning stages, but here are a few items that will be among Chef Jonah’s offerings.

Antipasti
Crudo of charred bonito with Santa Rosa plums, malted wheat berries,
green coriander, and bottarga
Savory cannoli of king salmon with mascarpone, salmon roe, and
lemon verbena
Carpaccio of house-smoked swordfish with Sicilian pine nut salsa, new
potatoes, and mint
Brasato of cod tripe and Cannellini beans with artichoke and hot pepper

Pastas
Fungo with smoked shad, English peas, and mint crema
Spaghetti alla carbonara with sea urchin

Secondi
Cioppino
Charcoal-grilled pancetta-wrapped sardines alla livornese with roast
fennel and Bianco di Maggio onions

For 136 Years Jack’s on Sacramento St. served sand dabs to San Franciscans who loved the delicate flavor of this little, local flatfish. Fifty years ago (gasp), my father took me there as a special treat, and that’s when I had my first taste of what is now my favorite fish.

Capt. Steve Fitz of the Mr. Morgan (below) out of Pillar Pt. Harbor promises sand dabs for our oceanic dinners. His catchment method, the Scottish seine, and the sand dab’s behavior of schooling as a single species, make by-catch minimal and leave the sandy ocean bottom relatively undisturbed.

As for the bones—the reason ichthyoanginaphobics* don’t cook this delicious fish at home—removing them from an 8 ounce fish is all about expertise in preparing the fish for cooking. We’ve got that covered.

*people who are afraid of choking on a fishbone

– Maggie Klein