I had the pleasure of enjoying some fish stew the other day. Normally you would see a review of Cioppino from the sites co-author John Mendoza but being that he was the chef, I thought it was only appropriate that I bring the pain (or in this case praise)! Cioppino is a fish stew originating in Southern Italia and derived from the various regional fish soups and stews of Italian cuisine. Cioppino is traditionally made from the catch of the day, which in the dish's place of origin is typically a combination of dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fish. The seafood is then combined with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce, and served with toasted bread. I love the heat that John usually brings with his dishes (think wings!), and I expected it here but he intentionally didn't deliver... instead he let the mix or herbs and fresh ingredients do all of the talking... and talk they did, it was fantastic! The base was rich and flavorful, the small portion of pasta at the bottom of the bowl was a nice surprise, and the variety and quantity of seafood was just right. He served his guest up family style with plenty of wine and toasted garlic bread!
Folks, this is not like your favorite restaurant used to make quality.. This is like mom used to make quality! (assuming your mom is an italian woman living in San Francisco in the 1930's)
