July 30, 2024 – Prolific restauranteur Sarah Orr—owner of Margaritaville in Capitola and Stokes Adobe in Monterey—has recently taken on that magnificent property on the bridge over the Soquel River that used to be Sotola. Before that, it was known as Stockton Bridge Grill. Pete’s Fish House, named for Orr’s father, Peter, will launch officially in mid to late August with a seafood forward menu that will bring a new level of sophistication to dining on the Capitola esplanade.
But for now, they are starting with a series of pop-ups.
The first glimpse of Pete’s Fish House place took place during Wharf-to-Wharf last weekend, but the next taste of what’s to come will be a pop-up on Monday, August 5, in honor of National Oyster Day. The menu will feature Hog Island Oyster Company products, from noon to 8:30pm.
Local favorite, chef Anthony Kresge, will be cooking at the restaurant, putting out Hog Island oysters, prepared in several ways, accompanied by creative mignonettes. “We’ll have raw, grilled and BBQ’d oysters on Monday,” says Kresge. “We’ll also have a variety of other bites.”
Kresge says he’s honored to be working with an esteemed restauranteur like Sarah Orr, on such a pivotal concept for the Capitola waterfront, at a time when it is undergoing a new infusion of life and energy.
Kresge says he has hired chef Desmond Schneider, who was at Alderwood for three years, to run the kitchen, as part of a team that comes from Michelin experience and fine dining backgrounds.
“We will have really delicious, upscale but approachable seafood going forward,” says Kresge. “Let’s call it classic with a modern twist. I’ve assembled a team that will really bring it in this kitchen: it’s like building a major league baseball team. We have a culture and positivity that makes everyone included in the menu building.”
Right now the wine menu includes some interesting wines like Claude Branger’s sparkling Eclipse Methode Traditionelle, a Domaine de la Patience Rosé of Grenache and Cinsualt (who doesn’t need more patience), Preston Farms Sauv Blanc from Dry Creek Valley, Trefethen Chardonnay from Oak Knoll (Napa), Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard’s Bailey’s 2019 Pinot Noir and Bonterra’s “The McNab” Cabernet. Kresge says the wine menu will be on par with the food offerings: expect great things.
Beer, non-alcoholic options and gelato will also be available Monday.
In addition to opening Pete’s Fish House, Orr recently was awarded the lease to Lovers Point Grill snack shack in Pacific Grove. Kresge will be working with her on that concept as well.
The upscale seafood restaurant is named for Sarah’s father, Peter Orr, a Harvard Business School grad and Baker Scholar, who specialized in agricultural business.
Arriving in the Salinas Valley, he worked at a lettuce farm before opening a strawberry operation, called Pacific Gold Farms, with business partner Larry Eddings.
Peter, who passed away in 2022, co-owned both Margaritaville and Stokes Adobe, with his daughter Sarah. Peter also served as chairman of the board of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History and was instrumental in the creation of Abbott Square, a culinary marketplace where many small businesses continue to thrive.
“I have been looking for a way to honor him, and this feels like the right way to do that,” writes Sarah on the restaurant website.
Pete’s Fish House | 231 Esplanade, Ste 102, Capitola | petesfishhouse.com
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.
