December 19, 2023 – Just over the bridge at 315 Main Street in Half Moon Bay, Fattoria e Mare brings new life and energy to the food scene in this coastal town. Italian for “Farm and Sea,” this place is fittingly set near both, boasting a menu studded with local produce and seafood, as well as local wines.
The space, which used to house Pasta Moon (now located at the south end of town), has been extensively remodeled with great care and creativity by chef/owner Pablo Estrada, restaurant manager Carlos Sanchez and chef de cuisine Cesar Canul.
There is a long bar and a large high-ceilinged dining room, centered by a fireplace on one deep blue wall and a lovely mural of Venice on the other. To the left as you walk in is a smaller cozier, dining room and an open kitchen. Plentiful outdoor seating draws a crowd, as we witnessed the Saturday after Thanksgiving when a northeast breeze kept skies clear and temps quite warm by coastal standards.
My uber-picky dining companion and I were wowed by the focaccia, crunchy on the outside and crisp tender on the inside, with a perfect crumb. There’s a reason the bread and the pizzas here, are so well executed.
Chef Pablo Estrada grew up baking breads, cakes and pastries in his parent’s bakery in his native Mexico. He moved to San Francisco in 1993, working at Campton Place, Restaurant LuLu, Palio d’Asti, Red Herring, St. Regis Hotel, and Michelin-starred Luce at the Intercontinental Hotel.
In 2014, he opened his own restaurant in Burlingame, calling it Fattoria e Mare. Wanting a second location near the sea, he took over the original location of Pasta Moon, just before the pandemic hit. After an extensive remodel, Estrada decided to concentrate on the new Half Moon Bay location, which opened in 2022.
Fattoria e Mare serves brunch on the weekends, which includes a Calabrian-chile spiced rendition of avocado toast done on that splendid focaccia with plump-perfect over easy eggs, rose petal pancakes, caprese omelet with mozzarella and basil pesto, and short rib hash with green beans, potatoes and artichokes. Tempted as we were by the huevos rancheros with white beans, we had to try the clam chowder, which is a hearty blend of traditional Manhattan, with tiny diced carrots, celery, tomato and lots of thyme, and the creamy New England style. They don’t skimp on the clams: it’s a meal.
Estrada insisted we try his iron skillet roasted PEI mussels with Aleppo peppers, Meyer lemon butter, onions and pork belly. The piquant flavors and textures made this dish a highlight. His son Sebastian recommended the bucatini cacio e pepe pasta, dramatically swirled about in a cheese wheel tableside, for stylish effect.
We managed to mangia (partly) through a meat lovers pizza, decadently draped with prosciutto, salami and arugula. The airiness of the crust made it go down quite easily, especially with the great wine selection that Estrada and Sanchez choose personally. We loved the Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta and the fantastic Vallado Porto Bianco that was served with an array of desserts. Never have I tasted such a lush and appealing flan or such a gooey chocolate volcano cake with airy light housemade vanilla gelato and rice pudding. Definitely gotta go back: I’ve heard the burrata affumicata with fava beans is TDF.
Fattoria e Mare is open daily, with lunch weekdays (except Tuesday), weekend brunch, and dinner nightly.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
