RESTAURANT REVIEW:

My love of fish is undeniable. It is probably my favorite entrée, and if I could, I would probably eat it every day.

The expense is one thing that prohibits me from being a pescatarian; also, I never seem to be able to find a good fresh fish store. Trader Joe’s is good if you want inexpensive frozen fresh fish, but I prefer something a little more current.

Fortunately, I had discovered Santa Monica Seafood Co. years ago. The business has been providing fresh fish to consumers and restaurants for nearly 70 years.

Frequently, I would venture over from Sunset Beach to Costa Mesa and get some halibut or shark to barbecue for friends, but it wasn’t until recently I started heading over for lunch.

Why I hadn’t done this earlier I do not know.

The only reason I can provide is that I thought there was some Foodie law about eating fish for both lunch and dinner.

Well, I am now a consistent breaker of that law, and it feels good to be a gangster.

The restaurant at Santa Monica Seafood provides a one-page menu, but it is both abundant and diverse.

The appetizers are perfect to nibble on if you don’t want to violate the fish-for-two-meals-in-a-day law. The Hawaiian Tuna Poke is my favorite, though if you like ceviche, theirs is quite good.

My lunch on a recent day began with the fish soup. It is one of three offered, New England and Manhattan clam chowder being the others.

A bowl of the fish soup is $2.75 and contains chunks of thick fish, such as halibut, shark or swordfish. It would be nice to have thinner fish for more flavor, but its delicacy prevents it from being suitable soup material.

The broth is similar to a Manhattan chowder, red, thin, a little spicy. Bell peppers, carrots, celery, onions and tomatoes are added.

For my main dish, I wanted a grilled piece of fish, and the restaurant has eight of them to choose from, prepared three different ways.

A simple grilling with lemon and paprika is the first cooking choice, and it is perfect for fish that you don’t want encumbered with the blackened or Cajun style the restaurant provides as the other two options.

I was eyeing the snapper ($9.95) and wanted it Cajun-style. The spices didn’t appear that potent with the first couple of bites; but by the third mouthful, it caught up to my taste buds, and I was scurrying for a mouthful of water.

The prices for all the grilled fish are pretty reasonable. The size of the fish is generous; my snapper was about the size of my hand. While the snapper and Pacific rockfish fillet are the cheapest, mahi mahi and salmon are $12.95, ahi tuna steak and swordfish are $15.95, and the halibut is $16.95.

The meal includes rice pilaf, though you can substitute brown rice. A vegetable medley that is cooked al dente was the biggest surprise. The vegetables were lightly seasoned and included broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and zucchini.

About the only complaint of my meal was that the garlic bread served was stale.

There are other options at the restaurant. Six sandwiches are available, including a tuna melt, fish sandwich, crab cake sandwich or a shrimp burger. There are three tacos as well, including Baja-style fish, grilled fish and grilled shrimp.

Though I eschew fried fish, the restaurant offers fish and chips, made with cod that is cooked in canola and corn oil and has no trans fats.

The daily specials should not be overlooked. There are usually between four and five inventive selections.

On the day of my most recent visit, they were offering white local bass in a ponzu sauce and a macadamia nut mahi mahi.

A meal here is not fancy — paper plates and plastic utensils — but the fish is of great quality and if you enjoy seafood, you’ll become a frequent visitor as I have.

ADDRESS: 154 E. 17th Street, Costa Mesa

PHONE: (949) 574-0274

CUISINE: seafood

SPECIALTY DISH: grilled seafood

ALCOHOL SERVED: beer, wine

DRESS: casual

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes, two-item children’s menu

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, Visa and MasterCard

RATING: ***

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.