O SEA | seafood for thought

Food allergy review: I rarely leave a place without ordering, but the gluten-free menu at this place is an actual lie. They don’t have any indications about cross-contamination risk on their paper menus. I first asked about whether they had a dedicated fryer for the gluten-free fish and chips. They said no. I understand that sometimes there’s confusion about fryers, so I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. I then began asking about their grilled entrees and quickly learned they were unsafe too. For example, they had a black cod special on the menu that was marked as gluten-free. I asked whether the caramelized fish sauce was gluten free, and they said yes. I then asked if it was made in-house, and they said no they just caramelize store-bought fish sauce. I asked to see ingredients on the label, and the first ingredient was wheat. Then they began insisting that the second special, a grilled halibut with a green verde sauce, was gluten-free. I asked whether the verde sauce had beer and they could not answer me and said they could leave it off. I also never got a clear answer on whether the masa dumplings had any additional flour added or if the baking powder contained gluten, or whether they steamed them with water previously used for gluten-filled kitchen items. I explained that this meant the items were not gluten-free, and was told the manager believes these things to be gluten-free. This is very much a place that calls itself gluten-free to appeal to fad dieters. Stay away at all costs if you have an allergy or celiac disease. I don’t have a problem with places not having the resources to accommodate gluten-free people (it’s hard to do so!), but be honest about it. For many people, it’s a matter of life or death to claim boldly that something is gluten-free without actual knowledge.

We LOVE this place. What a gem. We have so many favorites, and they have so many gluten-free options!! Gf fried calamari; gf fried fish and chips!! We also love their mussels (it's like a tom ka gai version). And their raw oysters are so lovely - had some of the best oysters of my life last time we were there (I think they were for WA State). And their wine list is so fun! Lots of fun and interesting wines, and also great beers. The service is also lovely. We drive all the way from LA county to get good seafood here. :) It's a beautiful spot for a date night or celebration.