42 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: VISIT MORRO BAY / ANDERSON INN - ADAM SMTH PHOTOGRAPHY coastal charm morrobay.org Morro Bay’s harbor and historic downtown are compact and walkable if shopping and strolling is your idea of a relaxing weekend. Check out Coalesce Bookstore, which has been selling new and used books for over 50 years. The nearby Art Center Morro Bay is one of the Central Coast’s largest venues, exhibiting fine art by local artists. On Saturday afternoons, the weekly Morro Bay Farmers Market is a great place for browsing local produce, crafts, olive oil and prepared foods while enjoying live music. SAVOR Like most seaside towns, you’ll find fish and chips and clam chowder on a lot of menus. Most of Morro Bay’s harbor view restaurants specialize in seafood, but at Tognazzini’s Dockside, the owner just might be the one who brought in the catch of the day. Morro Bay native Mark Tognazzini is a commercial fisherman, and if he didn’t catch your fish, he can almost certainly tell you which local fisherman did. His boat, the Bonnie Marietta, is the star of the town’s annual Lighted Boat Parade in December. This past holiday season, he spent three full days decking her out in over 26,000 LED lights. The Galley, attached to the Anderson Inn, offers top-notch seafood “served naked,” with sauces on the side (the better to appreciate its freshness), along with produce from the chef’s family farm. For more casual dining, settle into a booth and enjoy friendly service and delicious seared ahi fish tacos at Rose’s Landing Bar and Grill. Walk-up fish markets like Lil Harbor Hut and Giovanni’s TakeOut Express let you enjoy your fish and chips on the go, while Dorn’s Breakers Cafe is a local favorite for brunch. For a pick-me-up, walk a few blocks from the harbor to Scout Coffee and try a cup of the pourover Ethiopian with one of their savory scones made in-house daily. All too soon, the weekend is over and it’s time to head back to the Peninsula. The three-and-ahalf hour drive north offers plenty of time to chart the next trip to Morro Bay. “Our best weather is in the off-season,” Mandy advises us. “Spring can be windy, but in between storms is the best weather.” Sounds like a plan.
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