When I think of sardines, I think of oily fish in an odd mustard or tomato sauce packed in a can with a peel-back metal lid. There is no can involved at Morso, Gig Harbor's newest wine bar. From a menu of small plate, or tapas-style, dishes crafted to complement the wine, the Mediterranean in all its olive oil-and-sea salt glory came to me on a white saucer in the form of a  single three-and-a-half-inch Spanish sardine. A very green basil pesto was spread across the fish; pesto olive oil was a nice accompaniment. I was delighted by how the fish seemed to melt in my mouth and had a creamy texture without being mushy. 

[9014 Peacock Hill Ave., Ste 103B, Gig Harbor, 253.853.7467]