The city of Fort Bragg has a long and varied history within Mendocino County and is the home of several places of interest that have made an indelible imprint. Fort Bragg has been ground zero for so many industries that have supported and contributed to Mendocino County’s economic and social growth, these have included fishing, logging and tourism. Noyo Harbor is central to Fort Bragg and in turn the whole county. Noyo Harbor is still a working harbor and home to many business and restaurants. Noyo Harbor is both a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. One of the most well regarded and an iconic restaurant in Noyo Harbor is Silver’s at the Warf.
Silver's At The Wharf
The old adage of “location, location, location”, has never been so apropos. Beginning life as a coffee shop in the 1950’s catering predominantly to fishermen, the Warf has morphed into a full service restaurant and lounge. Silver’s offers diners commanding views from the banks of the Noyo River as it serpentines under the majestic Noyo Bridge to merge with the often volatile Pacific Ocean. Inside and alfresco (weather permitting) dining is available seven days a week.
Canine access at Silver’s is by the outside stairs that leads to a large deck. I have been lucky on both my visits that it has been a picture perfect postcard sunny, clear blue sky, warm California day. This meant that alfresco dining was assured and the only thing I like better than being in the water is looking at it, and through the thoughtful use of clear Perspex on the deck, this is easily done. Even though I always sit in a chair at the table when I dine out, not all of my brethren do, which makes this large wonderful space even more ideal to share a meal with your leashed canine. On my first visit to Silver’s, I was among half a dozen other canine dinners, soaking up the sun and sea air along with their human caretakers.
Silver’s menu reflects the cultural diversity of the area but also remains true to many traditional ocean side dining standards. I will talk to you about both my visits. When we arrived for our first visit, we were also the first diners to arrive and so we sat ourselves at a spacious table with its shade umbrella and space heater for inclement weather. We spent a few minutes taking in the wonderful view, watching the fishing and pleasure boats along with the odd kayak and surfacing sea lion pass in front of us.
A host soon arrived with menus, along with the traditional Silver’s lunch menu a Seasonal Special lunch menu was presented. Our server appeared momentarily and welcomed us to the restaurant. Silver’s has a very concise and well balanced wine and beer menu along with a nice variety of non-alcoholic beverages.
While taking my caregivers beverage order, a bowl of cool water was requested on my behalf. Our drinks arrived promptly and I was more than ready for a few laps of water that had been bought to me in a clean stainless steel bowl. For lunch, my caregivers chose the Shrimp Roll and a Chicken Quesadillas. The waiter was asked what might be an appropriate recommendation for me and he suggested bacon, that was what I wanted to hear and I paid much closer attention to him from then on.
As we waited for our food many other canine guests along with their human caretakers began to arrive. I acknowledged each that walked by with sniffs and wags of the tail. I could tell they were pretty jealous as I was in my own chair and they were not. Soon our food arrived and a nice size portion of sizzling bacon was laid before me. My nose was soon twitching with anticipation of my first morsel. My dad’s food looked equally appealing; the Shrimp Roll was a soft French Roll laden with bay shrimp that were lightly coated in a mayonnaise base dressing consisting of lemon juice, finely diced green onions and Silvers Signature Spice Mix (a trade secret: apparently you would have to beat Silver at racquet ball to get the recipe from him) and topped with melted Monterey Jack cheese. A side of house made coleslaw sans mayo, and delicious crisp on the outside and soft on the inside French fires made this a very delicious summer sandwich. I am one of those canine gourmets that love seafood so I was offered a shrimp or two from the sandwich and hence I know what I talk about.
Yummm!!! Bacon
The Quesadilla that my other dad ordered was a generous size flour tortilla folded in half and containing a generous amount of filling of deliciously seasoned chicken and plenty of melted cheese, topped with Pico di gallo & chunky guacamole. For those who like their salsa HOT request a side of the Habanera salsa ($1 extra) the blending of all these flours as you take a bite burst in your mouth and leave a hot but extremely pleasant after taste to savor.
On our second lunch visit, we were again blessed with wonderful alfresco dining weather and again were able to sit outside. The deck was now adorned with hanging baskets of colorful flora and potted cacti and greenery. This time a bowl of water for Silver’s canine guest was already on the deck and I was going to make a quick stop but it was not filled with the freshest looking water but that was soon taken care of by an attentive server and I was soon presented with a welcome cool clean bowl of water. This time a hamburger patty ($3 Charge) from the children’s menu was suggested by our server as something I might enjoy: I liked her immediately. My dad’s this time opted to try the Clam Chowder, Clam Stripes and the Salad Louie Combo.
Chowder I am told by my dad’s, is a classic that when done right satisfies and evokes dining on the ocean like nothing else apart from Fish & Chips. Done badly, it can put a dampener on a meal by the ocean, like rain clouds obstructing the sun. Fortunately Silver’s does there Clam Chowder superbly. It is creamy, full of the appropriate vegetables & herbs, most important lots of CLAMS (which often can be missing from so many chowders). Silver’s is a satisfying hearty and excellent tasting chowder. It was a big hit with my dad’s and they do know their chowders. Like the Banana Foster I mention in my Ravens review, my dad’s have eaten their way across the country and tried more chowder than I have leashes and trust me I have quite the collection.
Next came the Clam Stripes, a generous serving of deep fried clams that maintained a light and airy consistency, one of my dad’s remarked they were like little “puff balls” that just burst in the mouth. Accompanied by an house made tartar sauce (which could have been a little more exciting) and traditional cocktail sauce they were a very tasty hit. The Combo Louie Salad is a different story. Like Fish & Chips and Chowder, Salad Louie’s are a dining on the ocean tradition for many a restaurant and each restaurant usually adds a twist or nuance that can enhance or detract from this menu item. Silver’s Salad Louie’s come in half or full size ranging from $15 to $22 per salad. A Salad Louie is not a cheap salad and for good reason, it should contain generous amounts of the freshest crab, shrimp or both as well as be presented in a WOW factor way. Silver’s did have a very generous amount of Dungeness crab but used the small unimpressive bay shrimp. These were piled on top of a lettuce mix that was 2/3rds iceberg and 1/3 romaine lettuce accompanied with diced beets, shaved red cabbage, red bell pepper slices, tinned black olives, a hardboiled egg and cherry tomatoes (it only lacked the grated carrot). This decidedly unimaginative salad wouldn’t have been so noticeable for its lack of inspiration if it had been creatively displayed and served. Unfortunately all the ingredients were just piled on top of each other to create a sense of volume rather than quality. It frankly was a salad you would have expected to be served at a chain restaurant found in most major US cities.
It was a very disappointing salad for the price and distracted from the items that Silver’s does extremely well. A saving grace was the house made Thousand Island dressing that accompanied the salad. This house made dressing like most of the ones we had tasted at Silver’s is a knock out. Reminiscent of the Russian dressings served on Ruben Sandwiches at some of the best delis, this dressing is stellar (Silver, my dad’s encourage you to add a Ruben Sandwich to your menu with this dressing pronto).
Service at Silver’s at the wharf was efficient and attentive. My presence was acknowledged and I was treated with courtesy. The Warf restaurant is a Fort Bragg institution and Silver is doing a wonderful job at continuing that tradition. Prices for lunch range from around $10 to $30 depending on your choice of entrée. Fresh seafood, traditional items, cross culture cuisine, incredible views, polite and efficient service and most importantly dog friendliness is what they are about. Silver’s at The Wharf has a lot to offer and satisfy a diner. A few small adjustments to food presentation on some of their dishes would elevate Silver’s, making for a totally satisfying Oceanside dining experience. I give Silver’s Three Paws.
Silver’s At The Wharf
32260 N. Harbor Drive
Fort Bragg, California
