Sustainable Seafood in Monterey: How Montrio Chooses the Catch of the Day

Does Montrio serve sustainable seafood in Monterey?

Montrio serves sustainable seafood in downtown Monterey, and it's a certified green restaurant — ranked among the five greenest restaurants in the city. Its daily Catch of the Day is whatever responsibly sourced fish the chef judges best that morning, and it sits on the Montrio menu beside longtime favorites like the Cioppino, Seared U10 Diver Scallops, blue-cornmeal Rainbow Trout, and Fish Sticks made with local rock cod. The sourcing follows the same ocean-friendly thinking that Monterey itself is known for around the world.

What does "sustainable seafood" really mean?

Monterey is the home of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program, which rates fish and shellfish on how they're caught or farmed and whether those methods can keep going without wearing down the population or wrecking the habitat. A sustainable choice is one that's abundant, well-managed, and landed with a light touch on other species and the seafloor. It stops being a marketing word the moment a kitchen actually buys against it — because then it's a set of rules for what the kitchen is allowed to put on the plate.

How does Montrio's kitchen source its seafood?

Montrio works with suppliers who can say where a fish came from and how it was caught, and the menu bends around whatever clears that bar in a given week. That's exactly why the Catch of the Day is described as "the chef's daily inspiration" rather than named in advance — it's whichever responsibly caught fish is best that day, full stop. The produce beside it is locally grown and organic where possible, and the stocks and sauces are built in-house from scratch. For more on how the menu shifts with the seasons, see what's on the fall menu at Montrio.

Which seafood dishes should you order at Montrio?

The Cioppino is the one to order when you want the whole range in a single bowl — jumbo lump blue crab, P.E.I. mussels, little neck clams, gulf prawns, and scallops in a pomodoro sauce with harissa and grilled bread, with pasta available if you want it to be a full meal. The Seared Sea Scallops are big U10 divers (fewer than ten to a pound) over creamed corn with sun-dried tomato and aged juniper balsamic. The Rainbow Trout comes dusted in blue cornmeal with a warm tri-colored potato salad, saffron aioli, and haricots verts — lighter, crisp-skinned. And the Fish Sticks are a starter, not a kids' plate: local rock cod, salmon roe, and Montrio's own tartar sauce.

Our guide to seafood at Montrio goes dish by dish, and the Montrio wine pairing guide covers what to pour alongside the Cioppino and scallops.

How does Montrio's green commitment go past the plate?

The commitment doesn't stop at the menu. Montrio is a certified green restaurant, a designation that covers water and energy use, waste, and sourcing — which is how it lands among the five greenest restaurants in Monterey. Small signs of it show up in the room: water is poured on request rather than by default. It's the kind of restaurant where the phrase "good for the planet and the palate" isn't just on the wall.

Frequently asked questions

Is Montrio's seafood sustainable?

Yes. Montrio is committed to sustainable seafood, sources responsibly, and is a certified green restaurant. The daily Catch of the Day reflects the freshest sustainable selection.

What is the Catch of the Day at Montrio?

It changes daily — whichever responsibly sourced fish or seafood the chef considers best that day. Call (831) 648-8880 to ask what's on tonight.

What's the best seafood dish to order at Montrio?

The Cioppino for variety, the Seared Sea Scallops for one refined plate, or the Catch of the Day for the freshest option on the night.

What does "certified green restaurant" mean?

It's a third-party certification covering a restaurant's energy, water, waste, and sourcing practices.

Taste what careful sourcing does for a plate — reserve your table at Montrio online, or call (831) 648-8880.