Fish 2005.09.04 -- *****

We have to drive through the "slums" of Marin to get to this place. Yah, no. There are no slums in Marin, just a few blocks of warehouse looking buildings, a couple cracks along the pavement. Then we pull out at the marina choke full of yachts.

There are no sign on the front. I mistaken the next door "Sport Fishing and Tackle" for our destination, thinking "hmm what an interesting restaurant name". My friend told me he was taking me to a real good place, I didn't doubt him.

This is, a quintessential california dining experience, I guess one can say? Upscale food served ordered in cafeteria style, served and consumed al fresco and laid back upon your typical picnic tables. The long is long when we arrived, so I get on seating stakeout and leave the ordering to my friend (we discussed the choices first). The over-the-counter chalk board specials are a great deal more enticing than the fixed menu. I sit outside in the setting sun, surrounded by white people, their white kids, and more white people. Of the dozen or more kids running about the marina bank/patio, all except one are blond hair blue eyed, all except one red hair freckle faced boy. And all the servers? Latino or asian. I am not surprised, this is after all ban upper class and very predominantly white area, but it is impossible not to notice racial discrepancies in this day and age.

My patience is rewarded with one of the last sunbathed table, just as my friend finished ordering. The food is out shortly after.

1. A blue cup of seafood white chowder. I am not a great fan of cream based dishes simply because they are almost always too rich. But I am blown out of the water with this chowder (pun). Rich and savory yet light, live with the tastes of various bivalves, just the right amount of potato chunks to play that important backup. Way awesome. We are famish at that point, and gobble up the cup of wonder barely pretending to be polite to each other. But I am sure my hunger does not over exaggerate this dish.

2. Cup of sangria. FISH serves all drinks in thick glass jars that echo beardly seadogs and eye-patched pirates (the condiments are huddled inside a clanky bucket with swing handle). My jar is laden almost half full of fruit pieces. But sadly the flavor is no match against memory of the recent Andalu sangria.

3. Saigon sandwich with grilled king salmon. Basically a large vietnamese sandwich stuffed with not pork but generous piece of salmon. Usual stuffing of pickled carrots, radish, chili pepper and cilantro applies. Decent, over salted, fairly good fries.

4. Monterey Calamari over heirlooms. Big juicy morsels of squid grilled till smoky rests on a bed of heirloom tomato wedges and a basil-y dressing. Very simple and terribly yummy. A case where ingredients speaks the whole story. Too bad the temperature is plumeeting around this time - I had to borrow my friend's big leather jacket - the calamari quickly cooled.

Part way through, my friend asks, "is this a repeat visit"? Thumb up as I stuff myself silly with more calamari.

$47 - tax included, tip unsure.