At Blue Skye Café in Morro Bay, eat up the food and the view

If you want a meal with a view, few restaurants can boast a better spot than Blue Skye Café in Morro Bay.

Blue Skye is loaded with location, location, location. Perched right on the estuary at Marina Square, it offers a front-row seat for views of Morro Rock, the comings and goings of sailboats and kayaks, and the salty sounds of seagulls and seals.

With windscreens and outdoor heaters on hand for the vagaries of Morro Bay weather, you can usually count on sitting at one of the almost 20 tables outside, or opt for one of the nine cozy tables inside.

Owners Denise Robson and Alan Harrison took over the cafe in August 2010, but they had already fallen in love with the area several years ago on one of their frequent business trips from back east.

“We were driving down the coast, and when we saw Morro Bay, we said ‘This is it,’ ” Robson said. The memory lingered, and the couple returned not only to Morro Bay whenever they got the chance, but also to Blue Skye Café.

“I used to eat here all the time,” said Robson, “so when we found out it was available, we thought ‘If we can work anywhere, why not right here at the most beautiful place on the Central Coast?’ ”

Though the restaurant “has great bones,” Robson and Harrison are remodeling the interior just a bit to organize the limited space and to be able to enhance their wine service.

Having met local wine champion Archie McLaren a few years ago on one of their visits, they acknowledge that they have a great appreciation for this wine region. Plans are also on tap to add draft beer.

As for the menu, “We’re keeping it pretty much intact, just expanding on it,” said Robson.

The breakfasts will still include lighter basics such as steel-cut oatmeal, granola or two eggs with potatoes or fruit, plus heartier choices of a scramble, omelette or one of Blue Skye’s signature eggs Benedict. The classic Benedict is a popular option, as is the waterfront-inspired Bay Benedict with shrimp and Dungeness crab, or the California with tomato and avocado instead of Canadian bacon.

For lunch, you can opt for sandwiches as varied as a hot meatloaf with caramelized onions, a grilled cheese with smoked chiles and cilantro, and a house-smoked salmon on a bagel, or go for one of the classic salads — Caesar, Cobb or Shrimp Louie.

Recent specials have included an artisanal cheese plate, a seafood platter, and mahi-mahi tacos with fresh house-made mango salsa and from-scratch black beans. In fact, the tacos have proven so popular that they’ll be on the revamped menu, and will often be made with fresh cod coming right off the boats.

“We’re working more toward organics and local growers, and using free-range chicken and Hearst Ranch beef,” said Robson. “We also want to take dietary concerns into consideration and be able to offer things like almond milk for vegans.

“Because we close at four o’clock, the restaurant is available after that for special events, whether it’s just renting the space or including having us cater anything up to a full prime rib dinner.”

Some upcoming events range from a vegan potluck to a benefit for a local cancer patient, “but we’re open to whatever people want to do,” Robson said. “This is a dream come true for us and we’ve got so many ideas, but we want to be here for the community because they’re here for us.”

This story was originally published February 23, 2011 at 6:30 PM with the headline "At Blue Skye Café in Morro Bay, eat up the food and the view."