No travel article is complete without an overview of the food. The dining options at Avalon were so particularly amazing I needed to give the food its own article. If you missed my first article and want to know about how I got there, it’s here but if you’re all caught up, let’s get to eating!

The good and bad thing about Catalina Island is that it is small and very walkable. This is good because obviously, it’s relaxing to stroll casually along the shore. The downside is that there are countless delectable dining options and you can’t really walk off the food you ate to build up a ravenous appetite for the next round. Thankfully if you stick to seafood, you can really get a good amount of meals in you and since you are on an island so why wouldn’t you?

The Marlin Club

My first real taste of the island was The Marlin Club. This is where I learned all about “Bison Milk” which is the signature drink of the island. It’s like a blendedWhite Russian with a hint of banana. You can find this at every bar you visit. My original goal was to try them all, but after the first drink, I was good. It’s made with milk and topped with whipped cream. Maybe it’s the LA in me but that was too much dairy for my eyes, much less my stomach. I mean it was a well-made drink but unfortunately, I was not a fan.

Bison Milk Recipe:

• Vodka
• banana liqueur
• crème de cacao
• coffee liqueur

It’s supposed to resemble a spiked tropical milkshake and apparently many people are fans including this group I met while on the ferry back to Long Beach. When I told them I wasn’t a fan, they looked at me like I was insane and made me wonder if I needed to go back and have a few other tastings. You, the reader, can help me out by trying one and telling me in the comments yay or nay.

NDMK Fish House

What hooked me on NDMK Fish House was the enterprising back story. Apparently, it was opened by two enterprising fishermen who decided, instead of selling fish to restaurants, they were going to start their own eatery. Now those fishermen go out and catch the fish every morning and it’s on the menu of their own restaurant by the afternoon. When I heard that story from a local, I headed straight over.
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The place was popping. There are only about eight tables and half of them were occupied by a party of 16 teenagers celebrating graduation. The rest of the seating is just high-top counters and stools against the front windows, which is where we were posted until they served us. It was busy and we had a wait but did we move? No, we were invested in this fish.

I got the carpaccio yellowtail which is raw. Plus more yellowtail tuna but this time, grilled. It was mouth-wateringly torturous to watch everyone else’s order come out ahead of ours. The plates consist of simple good fish and no amount of spices and flavors can make up for that. Some lemon and pepper y ya! These fishermen are onto something.

Bistro at the Atwater

I was never a fan of cafes for breakfast because, how good can breakfast be when all the baristas have to work with is a toaster oven? But then Catalina Island proved me wrong when I ordered from The Bistro At The Atwater. We were running late for a tour so we opted to grab something quick to hold us over. My travel buddy got an egg sandwich that looked like it belonged in some fine china rather than wrapped up in a to-go box. I ordered an avocado toast that was made up of avocado with a drizzle of lemon and oil, sprinkled with sea salt, and spread on artisanal bread. It was freaking amazing. I know it sounds like basically a poor man’s guacamole on fancy bread, but the pairing of the oil brought out the rich taste of the avocado. Lemon and salt are always good and the bread was freshly baked, warm, and delicious. More examples of simple good ingredients perfectly paired for your tastebuds. The amusing part was that I ate this in an open-air all-terrain jeep, so while I did not look fancy eating my breakfast in a bouncing vehicle, I sure felt it.

Descanso Beach Club

I went to Catalina looking for a relaxing getaway and a club was not high on my to-do list. While I do hear this place can get poppin’ on a Friday and Saturday, I went on Wednesday and it was still fun but mellow. The menu is jarring because I spotted the usual seafood snacking dishes but then drinks like Micheladas, Magoneadas, Jalisco Mules and Descanso Destroyers threw me for a loop. Is this place low-key a Mexican restaurant? I really thought that when I spotted the carnitas nachos. I knew it was one when I actually tried the nachos. They were freaking fantastic. The ratio of all the ingredients were spot on and the carnitas meat was tender and high-quality. Best of all, it didn’t make you feel heavy or full, just deliciously happy. Let’s not stop there though. The best part of this place was the Mangoneada. They had chamoy swirled in with the mango slushie that had tequila. There was tajin on the rim and the ever-important straw with tamarindo around it. Even the tamarindo straw was good because it wasn’t hard like it’s been stored in a fridge. It was the perfect device for sipping up the most amazing summer drink. It was so good my friend and I each ordered one and didn’t talk for a solid ten minutes as we ate and drank, enjoying the ridiculously beautiful view we had sitting on our lounge chairs on the beach, steps from the ocean.

The Lobster Trap

This was my last meal on the island and if it would have been my last meal ever, I would have died happy because my dinner was fit for a reina. Appetizers consisted of fried calamari and monkey balls which are fried ahi stuffed mushrooms. My traveling partner ordered a seafood pasta which came with shrimp, scallops, clams, and fresh fish in garlic butter and olive oil. Did I need to be extra and order a full lobster with creamy bay shrimp stuffing and a side of giant asparagus? No. Did I order it anyways? Damn straight. Lastly, did I waddle my little round belly out of there? Yes, I did with absolutely no shame. The lobster was amazingly cooked with tender meat lovingly prepared and plated. I kept shifting from the shrimp stuffing and lobster because I couldn’t decide which was the last taste I wanted in my mouth. Also, I could go on and on about the asparagus because I absolutely love grilled vegetables and these things were aptly named because the spears were massive. Somehow eating vegetables, even though it actually meant eating more food, made me feel like I was doing the healthy responsible thing.

Final Thoughts

There is a theme with seafood at this remarkable and magical island. It’s just good quality stuff. They make it fresh, keep it simple and let the exquisite taste of quality food shine. If you aren’t the biggest fan of seafood, please try it again here or just about anywhere on this island. Just ask the locals because they will not steer you wrong. People say I like to explore but really, I just like exploring where my next meal is coming from. I hope this inspires you to make that next meal anywhere on Catalina Island.