Domenico's on the Wharf, Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey

5/19/14

My husband and I are semi-regular visitors of the Wharf in Monterey.  By no means are we tourists, but by all means we do enjoy playing the "let's try every free sample of chowder we can" game.

The person representing each restaurant, standing outside offering clam chowder samples, has the task of bringing the customers inside.  Yesterday I felt like we walked past robot after robot, until we came to the adorable face outside Domenico's.  I'll be honest, we were going to stop in here anyhow for a $3 Happy Hour drink in the lounge, but we stood out front for a minute first savoring some delicious hot chowder.  Lo and behold, the guy out front wasn't just repeating himself over and over about chowder and drink specials. He was telling potential customers about the restaurant's owner, and how he personally catches the fish he serves and is also friends with the nearby crabbers, to ensure freshness in every dish. This is the type of person you want standing out front!

$3 Happy Hour margarita

We cozied up to the bar and I was happy to see a new face.  Often times we've had service from an older gentleman who talks sports with my husband, but today it was a younger bartender who included me in the conversation too.  Trevor was very personable and told us about the lounge renovations, talked about types of tequila, explained the pineapple-infusion I noticed behind him, and more. How lucky were we! Two employees so far who were both outgoing AND easy on the eyes! There are tons of nice places on the Wharf with great views and fresh fish.  The staff are what keep us coming back to this one.

The views through the window-wall here really are spectacular.  The women's restroom is in the very back so you walk past the gorgeous dining room to get to it. Walk to the back and enjoy the view! It's such an outstanding location.
(Note: women's restroom had classy, beach-themed decorations and was very clean.)

lemoncello

We did see a manager-type individual walking around through the lounge, dining area, and even up to the bar. It goes a long way when a higher-up stops to personally interact with customers.  Asking if they're enjoying their food/drinks, or casually thanking them for coming in doesn't take much time - especially when youre already walking past them over and over. That's such a nice touch, but this one only interacted with his staff.

Overall this is a great place to stop: for food, drinks, and if youre lucky, perhaps a little eye candy as well.