Feast of Seven Fishes Brings Italian Tradition to Spoonbar

Now underway at Spoonbar is the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes, unusual in the U.S. but a tradition in Italy. Festa dei sette pesci is a meal focused on fish, usually served in the week when the faithful await the birth of Jesus -- hence its other name, Il Vigil.

Executive chef Louis Maldonado has created a separate holiday menu for the seven days leading up to Christmas, Dec. 18 – Christmas Eve.

Each day offers a four-course seafood selection (around $50-55 per person), with a variety of esoteric fish and crustaceans, prepared with different seasonings and sides over the course of seven nights.

We've already missed the first two meals, but a peek at the full menus on their website show different of Dungeness Crab dishes nightly, Spanish octopus, Japanese kanpachi, Brioche crusted branzino, as well as shrimp, sardines and salmon - seven fish represented in four dishes each night.

If you want to do good with your piscatorial indulgence, bring your favorite seafood-friendly wine to accompany your meal, and your corkage fee ($15) will be donated to the Healdsburg Animal Shelter.

The regular menu will also be available, but whatever your preference, reservations are recommended; call 707-433-7222.

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