While we gulp down a thick, piquant sol kadhi (Rs 95), the siblings recount that their father could ascertain freshness of seafood with his eyes shut. A former financial controller at many of the city’s five-stars, he built a strong network of trawlers and vendors. A key ingredient in their recipe for success is freshness. From bombil tawa fry to crabmeat butter garlic, bangda huggay to prawns ambotik curry, the dishes are rustled up using time-tested methods that Fernandes learnt in his mother’s kitchen. “Most restaurants in that area are known for Malwani, Goan or Konkani food, whereas we serve Karwari fare which is a mix of Goan and Mangalorean cuisines,” reasons Ankita. In the Mahim-Dadar-Parel belt, populated with seafood joints, Fresh Catch has held its fort for over two decades. But we don’t want to digress from being a home-style, family-run restaurant,” Ankita explains. “We’ve often been asked about adding fusion elements. A cursory glance at the menu indicates that they’re still serving home-style Karwari fare. But like the pelican, Fernandes’ favourite pale pink walls, fish-inspired decorative accents, retro playlist, and the ever-expanding wall of fame - Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood celebs and politicians beam with plates of seafood - have found a home in Bandra, too. There’s a swish new logo that ties the family of four together, cute seafood-themed branding, and clusters of cane lamps lending the 65-seater space a mellow yellow glow.

While the Mahim restaurant was like a small, cosy bungalow, Fresh Catch by Francis in Bandra - in the same building as Seefah and McDonald’s - run by Adith and sister Ankita, wears a swankier look. Naturally, the not-so-feral pelican, which once stood outside Fernandes’ iconic Mahim restaurant, Fresh Catch, has now travelled to their new outpost at Bandra, guarding the late restaurateur’s 24-year-old legacy. What better mascot can there be for a seafood restaurant?” Fernandes’s son, Adith, points out. “The pelican only picks the cleanest, freshest fish. Often, while picking out surmai, rawas, kanne or bangda from the fisherman’s loot, Fernandes would chance upon a pelican or two near the river - head buried deep, also sniffing out its catch of the day. You can also book a guided fishing trip or ocean charter for tuna fishing.Loud cries of fisherfolk selling fresh catch would greet a young Francis Fernandes every morning, as they’d row past his house on the banks of Sharavathi river in Honnavar, on the border of Goa and Karnataka. Stop in at Paul’s Famous Smoked Salmon Jerky (open seasonally) to purchase smoked salmon for your on-the-go adventures in Del Norte County. Salmon runs to the Smith and Klamath Rivers make Del Norte County a salmon fishing mecca for Kings and coho. If you get skunked, stop by the Crescent City Crab Shack to pick up some freshly cooked - and shelled - Dungeness crab!

Pick up a crab pot and toss it off the B Street Fishing Pier in Crescent City. This seafood market is owned and operated by a retired commercial fisherman.

They also have a seafood deli restaurant where you can enjoy lunch at the Crescent City harbor and marina with a variety of dishes, including big sandwiches and salads - try the Baja fish tacos or the garlic lemon scallops. You can pick up everything from salmon to tiger prawns to calamari steaks and albacore tuna. If you’re camping or staying at a vacation rental with a kitchen, head to Crescent Seafood’s fresh fish market, located within the Crescent City Harbor District. There are plenty of local restaurants in Crescent City and Klamath serving the bounty from our local sea and rivers. Our little nook of the Northern California coast is teeming with fresh crab, seafood and fish.

Fresh catch