Café Finaa fisherman's table

Named for his mother, Josephina.

Since 1958, Old Fisherman's Wharf has been a second home to Dominic Mercurio. As a boy he'd leave at dawn and fish until dark — smelts, mackerel, whatever the bay would give. His father Jean, a Sicilian who came to Monterey chasing the sardines, taught him everything he knew.

In 1989 Dominic opened one of the first Italian seafood restaurants on the Wharf and named it for his mother. The family recipes — passed from grandmother to mother — still guide the kitchen today.

"When the guys from the local fish company eat out, they come to my restaurant. When you work in the fishing industry, you only eat truly fresh fish."