Cool hangs in the Bay

We interrupt our normal pattern of navel-gazing to bring you some interesting tidbits on places we've been and food we've tried around the Bay Area of late. Consider this a 'recommendations' list as we have been busy exploring and not everything ended up firmly implanted in our collective memory.

There has been the continued and extended crawl through restaurant offerings.  Michael Mina has been paid a visit. Still great, and still consistent.

Fish was the destination over the past weekend, and what a great spot! Somehow the weather always seems to bring back memories of the other coast (specifically Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard), which is not a bad thing. Wood burning stove in the corner? Check. Open kitchen serving up the freshest seafood with seasonal produce and ingredients? Check. Best dang fish and chips we've tried apart from the UK? Oh check.  The only ONLY thing that would rocket this place into the stratosphere would be a good bartender and killer menu of cocktail offerings. As such, we'll make do with the wine and beer on the menu (and the lovely little jam jars for drinking).

Other lovely places we've had the opportunity to nosh at?
Hog Island Oyster company. Very. Limited. Menu. But what they have is so perfect.
You cannot go wrong with any of the oyster preparations. It all depends on what the palate wants. Some days you want to go raw, other days you might want some Rockefeller, or maybe all you want is some fantastic clam chowder for brunch. This is your spot. No cocktails.  But they have a pretty decent selection of vino that goes very nicely with the grub. Throw in a killer view of the Bay Bridge? Happy happy. Joy Joy. Oh, and did I forget to mention the grilled cheese sandwich? With Cowgirl Creamery cheese? On focaccia bread? With housemade picked vegetables?
Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of my keyboard...

The Girl and the Fig. Oh heavens. Where do we start?
We took a 4pmish dinner slot on a Saturday afternoon. A sunny Saturday afternoon.
Which placed us in the beautful (and very green) patio area. Lots of trees, plants and herbs growing around the tables. No heat lamps needed just yet.
The food is positively delightful. Charcuterie with fig compote and olive jam. Spring onion soup (that day's offering). Fish for the entree (made with mushrooms/capers/some kind of wonderful sauce that I now forget after the haze of too many weekends).
And most importantly? The cocktail menu. Sends shivers of delight down our collective spines.
Though we were well behaved and kept our consumption to two beverages, they were both exemplary.  First off was the fig and the girl. Fig flavored vodka + Campari. Chilled. Served with 2 figs and a mint leaf on a skewer. Mmmmmmmm.  Then, there was the cucumber cosmopolitan. Frapped cucumber (thousands of tiny little bits soaked in precious, precious alcohol). Tasty.
We're coming back.

Now, lest you think it's been all food and drink... we did spend some time at the Marine Mammal Center up in Sausalito. A big thank you to Stephanie Williams, and Linn Johnson our Docent. What a wonderful treat (and great way to spend a Saturday)! We took a tour through the facility, got a nice refresher on seal mortality statistics, and were able to see just how the critters are handled upon rescue.  What a great institute, and what noteworthy efforts.   Gearing up to do some volunteer work.....

Comments

[el Greco]

All good hang-outs, especially Fish and the Girl & the Fig. Glad you're still around and posting.