Phil's Fish Market & Eatery
10700 Merritt St., Castroville, (831) 633‑2152, philsfishmarket.com
In “Johnny Bear,” Steinbeck takes readers to the marshlands in the northern end of the Salinas Valley. Certainly, Fat Carl would’ve found the cioppino at Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery to be a marked improvement from his beloved Buffalo Bar. For decades an institution in Moss Landing, Phil’s is now settled in at a new location in Castroville, and continues to set the standard for seafood locally. Housed in an iconic building in the center of town, Phil’s offers myriad shellfish appetizers and entrees coupled with an array of sandwiches, pastas, soups and salads. The cioppino is already legendary, but the artichoke menu – elevating another iconic local food – is making a serious push.