Tony & I started going to the Fish Market restaurant in Del Mar way back in our college days at SDSU.  We’d go to the race track with a group of friends and then head over to “the market” (as we used to call it back then) for a few beers and a lot of oysters and their Cheezy Garlic Bread.  Truth be told, I’m not so much a fan of oysters any more, but the Cheezy Garlic Bread is still to die for.  We’ve passed on our affection for “the market” to our son Kyle who is a seafood addict.  He insists on going just about every time he’s home.  Now we usually go to the one downtown, a beautiful setting, right on San Diego’s bayfront.  They order seafood.  I order the Cheezy Garlic Bread.

Definitely not a low fat item, but oh-so-delicious…sourdough bread topped with a layer of oozy, melty Romano cheese gooeyness.  I clipped the recipe from the Union-Tribune many, many years ago and have made it numerous times since.  I’ve actually “lightened” it up just a tad by reducing the amount of mayo and Romano cheese…still not low-fat by any stretch, but worth every single calorie!

The Fish Market’s Cheezy Garlic Bread

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf sourdough bread (I’ve used the long loaves and the round ones)

Garlic butter

1 stick butter, softened

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Romano sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise (the original recipe called for a full cup! And, sorry, don’t use low-fat, it will not brown)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

2 cups Romano cheese, grated medium (the original recipe called for 3 cups!)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare garlic butter by combining softened butter, parsley and garlic.  Reserve.

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the Romano sauce by hand.  Blend the mix to a smooth, paste-like consistency, but do not break up the cheese.

Cut the loaf of bread in half lengthwise (horizontally).

Spread the garlic butter over the loaves on the non-crust side, then spread with the cheese mix.

Bake on a baking sheet until golden brown.   Let cool for a bit until slicing and then ENJOY every single melty, oozy, cheezy bite!