San Diego's premier seafood monger's Tommy Gomes i...

San Diego's premier seafood monger's Tommy Gomes is as close to the fresh seafood he sells as a farmer to his crop.

He sells to the top sushi restaurants around and their non local fish is usually frozen on ship long before most palces which are flashed at the docks. They take great pride in overnighting everything.

They are Southern California's premier uni specialists selling hand harvested gold and premium, both fit for raw consumption. They do sell whole, but can't guarantee it will be live upon delivery, but still safe for consumption.

I frequently use them when I practice my sushi skills because of their variety package which includes everything for the beginner to notice.

What's nice is all their deals are with the fishermen in the boats, no middle men here. With most of their local catch coming from Baja and their offshore feeding grounds, that 1 on 1 relationship is crucial to keep the chain of validation. The man makes the food legit even if I can't taste it I know they take every step necessary to sell the freshest possible seafood.

The cooking emporiums help show local chefs what can be done with all the fish parts. No longer are only Japanese restaurants selling Hamachi kama collars or how black cod which is super sustainable can replace so many traditionally overfished sushi species. Live prawns and lobsters both spiny and cold water when in season are worth it. Their best deal is the pasteurized crab meat. Though not blue or Dungeness, the freshness and amount of stone claw meat is unbeatable. Save a ton of cash when mixed with blue for crab cakes for parties.

My usual order is albacore and yellow tail or salmon, seaweed salad and uni and whatever is in season as most fish are seasonal. Sign up for the e-mails to find out about call in specials and they now have a rewards point program. Get in close and maybe you'll be let back in the warehouse to see the amazing operation they have.

Without naming names or going into too much detail it's the best place to come for your seafood needs, both commercial or private.