Vizcaíno Waterfront Food + Drink

Not all that many things can make Monterey Tides much better. It’s already one of my favorite semi-secret hangouts, the base where I can curl up by a fireplace and watch the ocean, have a glass of wine and then step out onto the sand, or use it as a scenic WiFi retreat.

But now the former Best Western, renovated by Joie de Vivre and tucked away next to Seaside Beach, has the chance to elevate its offerings. The simple reason: It’s home to Vizcaíno Waterfront Food + Drink, a trendy new restaurant with clever Mexican fusion fare and a long dining room overlooking Monterey Bay from the fourth floor.

The menu is the work of Jose Velasquez, a native of Jalisco who started here as a dishwasher 30 years ago. As an homage, his spot evokes Sebastian Vizcaíno, a Spanish explorer who named Monterey back in the early 1600s.

Brunch is served daily from 7am to 2pm and dinner starts at 5pm. Ways to start the day include staples like the California omelette stuffed with bacon, avocado and Monterey Jack ($15), avocado toast with tomato, bacon and egg ($10) and bananas foster French toast with candied pecans and rum cajeta, a Mexican caramel sauce ($13). Signature dishes come with even more Latino-leaning flare, like huevos rancheros with chipotle crema, chorizo and avocado ($14), sincronizadaquesadillas with Virginia ham and manchego cheese ($12), and enmoladas, fried corn tortillas rolled in mole sauce topped with a fried egg and queso fresco ($11).

Pining for a particular Oaxacan omelette from one of my old D.C. haunts, one morning I tried the poblano omelette with Oaxaqueño cheese and mild green chili ($14). Omelets can be difficult to perfect, sure, but the eggs were overcooked and the pepper and cheese lacked any spark. I can’t complain about the sides – the confit potatoes were melt-in-your-mouth and the toast provided a nice sourdough bite – but the star should star.

With my desk just down the street, I was excited to try out lunch. My usual afternoon choice (pretty much anywhere I go) consists of greens with some kind of protein, so I opted for the beet salad ($12) with the added option of snapper ($7). The ingredients melded together quite well. Even the beets, strawberries and mandarins – which sounds a bit weird and potentially overloaded – really worked. While more feta and less Champagne dressing would have been fine, the fish was on point with a subtle salty flavor in the large, tender fillet.

I’d give other tempting leafy options a go, like the taco salad with jicama, corn, chayote, guacamole and pico de gallo ($12), and a more exotic hydroponic watercress with grilled watermelon, feta cheese and aged balsamic ($11).

Another good lunch came in the form of the foccacia sandwich ($14) with serrano ham, tomatoes and mozzarella with a deliciously complementary sweet fig jam and savory crunches of mustardy arugula. The thinly sliced ham could have been enjoyed alone but found a tasty home with the combination of cheese and tomatoes. Every delectable bite brought comfort to the forefront, highlighted by fries on the side. Though fries aren’t my go-to, these were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside – in other words, very hard to resist.

One early spring evening I found myself on the beach in need of a snack, and made my way up to the Tides for Vizcaíno’s dinner menu. A couple entrees caught my eye, like the lamb lollipop with tres chiles salsa, yucca purée and veggies ($38) or the pistachio crusted halibut with passion fruit reduction, rice and asparagus ($29), but they didn’t run cheap.

Not wanting to break the bank for a snack, I decided on a filling appetizer and a glass of wine. (OK, maybe a little more than a snack.) The 12-hour braised pork belly ($18), marinated with annatto seed, dry chiles and white wine “all night long,” stole my affection. A glass of Pinot Noir from William Hill Estate ($11) beckoned first, but seemed a little musty, the flavor a little lost. Funnily enough, as I sat there wondering if the somewhat tough pork belly had really gone for 12 hours, I overheard a couple raving to the manager about the pork.

I scanned the menu to find that the only pork dish was the pork belly, and I had to reconsider everything. Nicely crisped skin housed two large squares, layers of fat surrounding flaky white meat and the caramelized flavor was definitely a plus, and the flavor of the fat itself came through well enough, but I still expected slightly more tenderness for an appetizer cooked overnight and priced at $18.

As it often goes, I find myself embracing the second chance, and even the third. Though it’s great when a restaurant hits a home run on every item, I still find forgiveness when things are mostly good.

In the words of the real estate world, “location, location, location” – and this ocean view venue is so good that I know I’ll be back to try more of the menu, even if it needs improvement here and there.

Vizcaíno Waterfront Food + Drink 2600 Sand Dunes Drive, Monterey. •7am-2pm, 5-10pm daily. • 899-4544, jdvhotels.com/restaurants/monterey-tides/vizcaino-waterfront/