Care for a Nice Plate of Fried Squid? Weird Food Is Often Delicious!

My wife and I like to visit Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing, California, only a few miles from our home.  They have delicious, fresh seafood there.  One of my favorite appetizers is fried squid, or calamari, if you prefer.

For years I thought squid was just bait for deep sea fishing.  That's what my dad used it for, back in the 1950's when he took me and bro deep sea fishing off of Monterey or San Francisco or Moss Landing.  I never thought it was people food, but it is.  It is also delicious, though the appearance of a plate of fried and breaded squid might not be too appealing.  The octopus-like tentacles make it resemble fried, giant spiders.  Here's a plate of the stuff before I scarfed it:

Fried Squid at Phil's Fish Market, Moss Landing, California

Of course, you can't eat fried squid all by itself. Here's the way we actually ate it, accompanied by a plate of shell fish (steamed mussels) with garlic bread on the side:

Steamed Mussels and Fried Squid, Phil's Fish Market, Moss Landing, California

With regards to food, be adventurous. There are a lot of foods that seem weird at first glance, but are actually delicious and nutritious.

Sometime we'll have to discuss baked seaweed. VERY TASTY! No, I'm not kidding.  The Hawaiians crumble it up and add it to popcorn, and it adds a very nice taste.  You can buy it in small, dried squares at oriental markets.  It looks like dried pond scum, but don't let its resemblance to liberals dissuade you from this taste treat.

Phil's Fish Market is in the Moss Landing harbor area, and in back of it is the Pacific Ocean.  They have a live webcam on the roof, enabling you to view the sea and the waves hitting the beach.