Easy to get hooked by Hook Fish’s community vibe
A year ago this month, on an unusually bright day in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset, I discovered Hook Fish, a then 1½—old seafood shack with homegrown designer flair just two blocks up from Ocean Beach. Sandy and ravenous, I sat at a table on the sun-drenched sidewalk overcome by the joy of plump, ultra-fresh fish tacos, a side of icy beer and a thoroughly contented crowd equally relishing the same.
Now, Marin has a
Hook Fish of its own, that opened in conjunction with Proof Lab’s welcoming new beer garden within the surf shop’s ever-evolving compound in Tam Valley.
“We were looking for someone in the food world that shared our commitment to community building, sustainability and spending our free time outdoors,” says Proof Lab co-owner Will Hutchinson. “Hook Fish Co. was the perfect fit.”
Step inside from the gravel parking lot and what you’ll invariably find is a thriving, energized, socially cohesive scene that imparts the feeling that the party started without you. From the outside, its former identity as a dog daycare has been effectively expunged. The facade has been painted a handsome ocean blue and an attractive drought-resistant rock garden rims the perimeter.
In addition to Hutchinson, the partnership includes Proof Lab cofounder Nate McCarthy, and the duo behind Hook Fish, Southern California childhood surf pals Christian Morabito and Beau
Caillouette. Together they emphasize a “by the community and for the community” approach. While the beverage component is Proof Lab’s and Hook Fish handles the food, both were involved in the design and construction, along with multiple local artisans and crafters. Many of them are surfers like general contractor Ryan Farrell and Dan Dufficy of the Proof Labbased CNL Native Plant Nursery, which did all of the landscaping.
The overall indoor and outdoor design combines natural elements including reclaimed Douglas fir ceiling panels; redwood decking, tables and benches; and potted plants and trees. This is complimented by contemporary touches like black metal stools, pristine white walls and cylindrical pendant lights with vertical wood slats above the bar.
The elongated, brightly lit interior has a row of wood tables that stretch from front to back. On the opposite side is a concrete bar crafted by builder and designer Julian Snellgrove. The gap between the two can become a bustling corridor that flows to the expansive outdoor zone in back that’s accessible through an open doorway. When it’s chilly, expect to keep your outdoor attire on both inside and out, although warmth can be found under the strategically placed heat lamps.
The open-air beer garden twinkles with light when the sun goes down. It encompasses sit-down spaces and a large play zone with lawn games and a stage for live music and movies. The reclaimed astro-turf where gleeful kids sometime take ownership was recycled from an old football field. A translucent fiberglass corrugated roof inset with heat lamps and woven string lights protects redwood booths and a high communal table. The kitchen is housed in a trailer designed by Hook Fish partner Jay Nelson, who also did the outdoor deck and seating and wooden lights hanging throughout.
A first time visit can be a little confusing as ordering is a two-step process. Alcoholic beverages and lighter snacks are purchased at the inside bar. Main menu orders are placed outside at a ground level counter and delivered to tables. There are plenty of evenings when the pace is slow, but a prudent strategy when you find many others have a similar plan for satisfying food, drink and camaraderie cravings, is to confront it one step at a time — drinks, food, table score — or if in a group, each take a task. Some may find it inconvenient, but it’s best to envision this like a postsurf backyard barbecue.
It feels good to be there and easy to adopt a surfer’s mentality that champions presence, patience and gratitude.
It’s probably apparent thus far that Hook
Fish isn’t about fancy. The menu is straightforward and the ambiance isn’t restrictive. At the same time, reflective thought and intention clearly have gone into both.
Hook Fish is known for its conscientiously caught, hook-and-line seafood dishes: tacos, fish and chips, sandwiches, poke and ceviche. Aside from light and crunchy housemade tortilla chips with fresh, chunky pico de gallo ($5) or creamy guacamole ($9), or tacos with fresh or fried (very tasty) avocado ($12), it’s all about the day’s catch. Options appear above the ordering counter on hanging whiteboards that indicate the type of fish, the vessel it was caught on, by what method and where it landed.
“We have a huge connection to the local fishing community that we’ve been committed to from the beginning,” Morabito says. “We’re working as much as we can with fishing vessels to get them a stable income and also with companies like TwoXSea (run by one of the owners of Fish restaurant in Sausalito) that’s an awesome resource, and San Francisco-based Sea Forager and Water2Table.”
Seasonal reliance means the variety is more limited in the fishermen’s slower winter months. Most recently, the selection included rockfish from Half Moon Bay; coho salmon
and lingcod from Sitka, Alaska, and albacore tuna from Seattle.
Start with oysters on the half shell ($3) most recently from Tomales Bay; seasonal ceviche ($11) with citrus, chili, cilantro and red onion; or a generous serving of poke ($11) with chunks of albacore tuna pleasingly saturated in a chili, sesame, tamari and scallion marinade. Ceviche and poke are both served with tortilla chips for scooping.
Poke also comes inside tacos ($14 for two) or opt for the day’s fish from the grill ($14 for two) or the market selection (market price). There’s not a ton of unique dimension to these, but simplicity can reign supreme. The fish can stand alone and the onion and cilantro essence of the pico de gallo; bite of the purple, pickled slaw; zest of the spicy aioli; and freshness of the housemade corn tortillas render these pretty irresistible. The burritos ($12 to $14 or market price) combine many of the same ingredients, but an abundance of black beans, rice and the bulky tortilla obscure the flavors.
The golden, beer-battered fish and chips ($13 for two, $18 for three) are puffed and dreamy. After a swipe through creamy tartar sauce and drizzle with vibrant orange Hook Fish carrot habanero sauce, bite through the light crunch of non-greasy battering to reveal a plump fresh fish filet. Thin, crisp French fries are served with a sprinkling of housemade spice ($5 à la carte).
Fish is also served atop salads ($14 or market price) made with seasonal greens and slivered red onion, tossed with light and creamy vinaigrette and elevated by crunchy seed clusters.
Beer ($6 to $10), natural wines ($10 to $12), cider ($8) and alcoholic kombucha ($6 to $7) by the pint flow from more than 30 taps. Hutchinson says selecting among an infinite number of choices, many of them from the North Bay, has been gratifying.
“We’re developing relationships with local brewers and learning a lot from them,” he says. “It’s an exciting time as there’s new stuff to tap every week.”
Hook Fish also brings expertise in crafting sweet agua frescas ($3.50). Sparkling lemonade ($3.50), sodas ($3 to $4), Clausthaler ($5) and kombuchas ($5 to $6) round out the alcohol-free side of the beverage menu.
When it comes to the oft-used phrase, “community gathering place,” Proof Lab is in a league of its own. The beloved surf shop doesn’t simply coast along, resting its laid back laurels on cool clothes, surfboards and an indoor skate bowl. It’s a balanced hub of individually owned business, including a music school, art studio and plant nursery that bring depth to the whole. On the food front, there’s intention; Equator Coffees serves daytime needs while Hook Fish and the beer garden offer a gathering spot for later in the day.
Surfing, seafood and beer are an enticing formula and the team of founders from these two sustainably minded and ocean-oriented businesses have the vision, fortitude and grit to continue to evolve as needed and make the restaurant and beer garden a Marin mainstay.