Always on the lookout for a table overlooking the water!

If there is water, we're always looking for a restaurant where we can rest, enjoy some food and one another's company, and get to watch and see the waterfront. We're often surprised at the many ocean, lake and riverfronts we've visited that have few options in this category - and even more surprised that an Internet search is frequently fruitless in helping us find one. So, from now on, whenever we find a great place, I'm putting it here. Feel free to comment or suggest your own!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Waterbar, San Francisco CA


Tonight I had the pleasure of seafood at Waterbar, right on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Not for the night when you're low on funds, but what a wonderful place to enjoy a seafood dinner (definitely the place to take visiting family)! Right on the waterfront, you just can't beat the view - the San Francisco skyline, the ferries scooting back and forth, and then there is the people- and dog-watching along the Embarcadero! Tonight, there was a S.F. fireboat moored to the wharf - I've never had the opportunity to examine such a craft, so it was a fun addition.

The restaurant has just the right mix of busy conversation going on around the bar, and peaceful settling in at the dinner tables. The dining room is flanked by floor-to-ceiling columns of water which are fish tanks, stocked with enormous fish who swim lazily through their habitat. We felt like we got to know one such fish, who seemed to be settling in at the bottom for a rest.

All that would make for a fun evening, but Waterbar has a more-than-interesting menu. It's the kind of brief menu that leads you to believe the chef is concentrating his/her efforts, and the dishes didn't disappoint. We opened the evening with oysters - they feature $1 oysters before 6 pm every day. Then, entrees - each one is not only an original idea, but the description includes not just where it came from, but the kind of fishing that produced it (long line, nets, etc.), the fishing boat that captured it and the Captain's name! (OK, maybe that's a conceit - but it was fun to imagine, anyway.)

Mom had the bluefish, straight from Massachusetts - breaded in brioche crumbs, served on a corn relish. It was great, but since I just got here from the east coast, it seemed a shame to eat east coast seafood! So I opted for the local salmon, served with yellow beets and blackberries - a very satisfying dish.

Capuccino was served with a sweet touch - a little biscuit that was just sweet enough and just crispy enough. Hate to say it, but who needed to order dessert?

As if that weren't enough, the wait staff was attentive in all the right ways. We were carefully served and it did indeed make me feel special. Valet parking is available on the curb.

If you're a West Coast-er (or West Coast visitor) looking for a special evening, Waterbar can't disappoint. And if you're more of a landlubber at heart, word is that the same owners operate Epic, the steakhouse next door.

Waterbar
399 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, California 94105
(415) 284-9922
http://www.waterbarsf.com/reservations.php

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Avon Pavilion, Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ


Breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week, right on the boardwalk overlooking the surf on the Jersey Shore!
We have been looking for a place to have breakfast down at the Jersey shore - we live about an hour away with no traffic, so we can get up before dawn, zip down to the Shore, have breakfast, walk the beach for a while and get home long before noon, having indulged our need for the sea, while still feeling virtuous about using the rest of the day.
It's a great idea, but it required a beachfront breakfast destination, and we've had trouble finding a place that was 1) open that early and 2) within sight of the surf (we aren't driving down there to see the local business district!).
Avon Pavilion met all our needs, and we were thrilled to find it. On top of that, the staff is very friendly (seems like they're prompted to greet you - I guess this might be a problem if you don't want to talk to anyone before your coffee) and the menu is interesting. There is an outdoor dining area which has clear tarps that can be lowered if it starts to rain - our early Sat. a.m. venture was a little chilly, so the "windows" were down.
We were there by 8; an hour later, the place was packed.

Avon Pavilion
600 Ocean Ave
Avon, NJ 07717
www.avonpavilion.com