Cici and I had a wonderful birthday yesterday. It was a gorgeous day here on the Monterey Bay. And Cici LOVED going out and about and meeting people. We did a few errands and she enjoyed putting on her floor show, showing off her very pink belly.
We had lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf downtown at Abalonetti’s, a lovely locals favorite seafood restaurant. There is a locals menu for $8.95 that includes an appetizer, entree and dessert. Their patio is pet friendly although the wharf is not technically. Managing partner Kevin Phillips says that it is in the works and that the rule against pooches is not being enforced.
The clam chowder was simply divine. Smooth, creamy and full of flavor. No spongy, pale and bitter clams. The difference is that all of the seafood here is freshly caught and cleaned in-house unlike other places on the wharf that ship their fish to China for processing and then bring it back. About 1,000 pounds of squid is cleaned each week at Abalonetti’s in a room behind the restaurant.
I also decided to try the calamari and fries (although not technically on the locals menu. Calmari steak is on the locals menu). There are a dozen or more different ways to eat calamari from garlic, Baha, spicy Buffalo to flash fried over eggplant, with Sicilian red sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese (called Marty’s special). Squidfest !
I had a totally satisfying ice cream sundae for dessert although I could have had cannaloni. I have had calamari that was rubbery and / or greasy. This calamari was fresh and delicious. The best calamari I’ve ever eaten. I let Cici try the squid but she was not a fan, she does NOT like seafood. The polka dot princess was given the choice of a burger or a chicken patty for her meal. I chose the chicken for her and it was served on top of a take home Abalonetti frisbee with a water bowl. She scarfed it up in record time (even for her) !
I checked out the neighbor’s salads which looked very fresh and inviting, house cocktails included various kinds of Margarita’s, and other offerings. The menu offers a diverse array of sandwiches, pizza, pasta and seafood. Some tempting and tasty looking highlights include fish and chips, battered in beer, Cioppino (seafood soup), Ahi tuna, smoked Salmon ravioli, crab and angel hair pasta. We will just have to go back again and again !
Much more than dogs being barely tolerated, Abalonetti’s is truly pooch friendly. Four paws up ! Kevin has a beagle himself. His beagle is ALL nose, sniffing along the dog path every day.
And the patio is private, cozy yet roomy and enclosed. Felt like we were in another world despite the hustle and bustle of the wharf. Sitting outside in the sunshine overlooking the water was relaxing and meditative. Another couple had two dogs on the patio, a Jack Russell terrier mix, six months old, named Angel and another small white dog. Cici of course, and the other dogs wanted to play. And Cici also wanted to chase the birds.
If you are a dog owner visiting Monterey (staying at the pet friendly Portola hotel, a hop, skip and a jump from the wharf) or are a local who wants to have a relaxing day with your pooch, go to Fisherman’s Wharf, take a whale watching tour for three hours (pooches may not be allowed on the boats, call first). Then have a great lunch or dinner (lunch is from 11 am to 4 pm, dinner is 4 pm to 9 pm, seven days a week ), bring the furry ones with you to Abalonetti’s. Tell them Cici sent you. Woof !
Other temptations on the wharf include salt water taffy, gift shops, face painting, and cotton candy. Then you also have to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Carmel, Cannery Row, Pacific Grove and the Steinbeck museum. A perfect family destination. There are always events going on here year round.
Coming up soon:
Monterey County Fair, running from Wednesday, August 31, through Monday, September 5.
Cici probably would have jumped in the water to play…
wow, time flies when you rescue a puppy and write about her… my baby is all grown up now !
Happy Birthday to my dear sweet polka dot princess Cici !
August 1 is my cici’s fifth birthday… and there are a few items she really wants… a new collar, leash, bed, if you would like to give her a gift, here’s our wish list, http://thegivingpaw.com/members/ciciwriter/ thanks !!!
Dear Cici,
Woof woof!
We want to wish you a very Happy Birthday full of love and joy and tail wagging. We are thrilled to be able to celebrate it with you!
Cici will be profiled today with other birthday doggies on Dogster’s special Birthday Stroll.
Since it’s your birthday we want to give you something special, so we have given you 25 Dogster bones and one vote of 5 Paws! Dogster loves you!
We are invited to a local seafood restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf with a pet friendly patio so am thinking I shall bring the polka dot princess there for lunch. She has her own menu, choice of burger or chicken patty served on a frisbee, woof ! Will tell you MORE about it after we go… it’s on Fisherman’s Wharf and a local favorite called Abalonetti’s. Lots of calamari, fish and chips, pasta, abalone, clam chowder and other freshly caught seafood. Yum.
Would like to go on a whale watching tour, but not with Cici. She’d be licking everyone on the boat and if she could, she would probably kiss the whales and dolphins, too 🙂
Welcome! I'm CeliaSue, a creative California-based freelance writer who wants to help you travel with your pets and enjoy the ride. I provide reliable travel info for California, and the Southwest USA (occasionally the rest of the country), plus lifestyle inspiration about being a doggie mama on the road with a spoiled yet friendly polka dot princess named Cici. I also write about romance, eco friendly, spiritual, healthy and luxury travel for various publications.
CeliaSue Hecht is a third-generation American, originally from New York. She has lived much of her adult life in California and Nevada and is a doggie mama and chocoholic plus a proponent of tiny homes and alternative energy and medicine. In the 70’s and 90’s, she taught personal growth workshops and seminars in Los Angeles and Munich, Germany. In the late 1980’s, she traveled around the world for three years with an international, interfaith, interdenominational, intercessory prayer ministry (Bangladesh, Canada, England, France, Germany, Holland, India, Israel, Singapore, Thailand). She has worked with people with AIDS, fibromyalgia, cancer, people without homes, Holocaust survivors, as well as written about diverse topics such as women’s topics, activism against the Yucca Mountain project in Nevada, alternative health and therapies and travel pieces in numerous magazines and newspapers. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin. Co-author of five romantic travel guides. Go to Paypal and buy CeliaSue a romantic comedy to read on the beach while munching on a chocolate bar.
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