Owned by commercial fishermen and featuring the bounty of their catches, Sea Harvest Restaurant in Moss Landing is captained by manager Bethany Ramirez. She first worked in the industry while getting a business degree at CSUMB, then went into project management and international sales for a while. Feeling uninspired, she returned to restaurant work, learning along the way while serving, bartending and managing.
While she was doing freelance marketing and running a catering company, the Deyerle brothers—owners of Sea Harvest—asked her to come on board and run their restaurant, feeling like she would be a great fit. She agreed and took the plunge two months ago, defining the spot’s ambiance as nautical through and through. With every table offering an ocean view, the casual counter service is complemented by an aspect of fine dining.
The menu is mostly sourced locally from within the company, offering healthy portions of classic American seafood favorites with eclectic cultural influence. Ramirez says the family-recipe cioppino shines, a classic Italian seafood stew burgeoning with clams, mussels, prawns and local sablefish. The fish tacos are also a hit, as are the fish and chips and salads like grilled fish Caesar and shrimp Louie. Fried oysters, local artichoke hearts and steaky strips of calamari round out the food favorites, and local beer and wine provide libation. Dessert options rotate, other than the staple housemade inflation-proof $2 brownie.
What draws you to the industry?
BETHANY RAMIREZ: For me, and I think most industry professionals, we thrive in the structured chaos that is a restaurant. With my other professional experiences, I was too stressed out in a chronic sense, but the restaurant type of stress is more acute and ends when the doors close and the shift is over. And we help people celebrate the best moments of their lives—that is what keeps me in the industry that I love.
What’s it like sourcing from within the company?
It’s freaking awesome. I know we are absolutely serving the freshest seafood in the area, and I am more than confident in saying that. Most of the seafood on our menu was alive and in the ocean earlier that morning, so it truly is that fresh. There’s nothing better than sitting on our deck overlooking the peaceful Moss Landing Harbor and ocean, knowing you are eating seafood that was caught right there.
2420 Highway 1, Moss Landing, 831-728-7081; sea-harvest.res-menu.com
