Hot Spot: Fish.

Hey Bloggees, it's Hot Spot time! I haven't done a Hot Spot post in forever, it seems. I've been going places and doing things (trying to get back in the real world after the holidays!) but usually they're either places that are not conducive to bringing my gigantic camera, or they're just too much fun in the moment to snap a shot. Yes, that's my problem - my life is too much fun! Ok, that may be exaggerating a bit. Either way, I thought this outing with my parents would serve up (mini-resto pun) the perfect chance for another post... My parents moved to the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge a couple of years ago, and two years later, we have still found a multitude of new places to explore and restaurants to try. One such restaurant is "Fish." in Sausalito. My parents came here without me (the gall) and thought I would like it, so here we are. My, these sentences are exciting. Maybe it's because I haven't had my breakfast yet and just spent an hour fighting with a sluggish Wordpress to make these photos turn out the way I wanted. MAYBE IT'S THAT!

(I'm allowed to yell on my own blog, right?)

Needless to say (but I'm saying it anyway) this is one of my new favorite places in the Bay for casual (but fresh and satisfying) seafood.

I got the fish & chips (with a twist! you'll see...) and literally cannot wait to bring my friends back here to get them again.

Come on in, the rest of this post has pictures galore! More exclamation points! My coffee has clearly kicked in.

The first thing you'll notice about Fish. is that the restrooms are located outside and around the corner. That's ok - the casual setting is one of the things that makes this little spot so unique. The food is fantastic but you don't feel like you need a bow-tie or tails to get a lobster roll in the middle of a Saturday. I feel most comfortable in places like this - you can tell good food is appreciated, but the usual pomp and circumstance are unnecessary.

The next thing you'll notice is the line. You're going to have to wait in line, and you're going to have to wait for up to thirty minutes. Trust me, it's worth it! Another nice benefit is that you won't wait for a table - the line takes long enough that people can leisurely enjoy their meals and go along their merry way before you've even handed over your crisp bills. Oh, that's right, it's also cash only. They have an ATM in the corner, don't worry.

Look at these patrons joyfully waiting for their turn at the ordering counter! Oh wait, we know them.

You can peruse the menu while you wait. I immediately thought the most traditional thing to try at a seafood place would be the fish and chips - imagine my utter  and complete delight (who am I, Jane Austen? Yeesh.) when I saw you could get oysters instead of the usual white fish. I. Love. Oysters. All day everyday.

(They also have a board listing the day's specials, and you can choose how "sophisticated" of a dish you'd like. I love the variety and hope to come back to try the mussels soon.)

If you choose to sit outside, this is your view:

Ugh, awful, amirite?

We picked a spot inside because it was a little chilly, and it was a bit quieter than outside with the nature and the birds and whatnot. My parents are definitely of the "this restaurant is so loud!" variety, but it's alright. I love them anyway.

While I waited for them to order as they neared the head of the line (Yep, I abandoned them, one hundred percent), I surveyed the fresh fish counter:

Remind me to try the uni sometime!

We all started (well, I led the charge and my parents followed suit - I'm a trendsetter even with soup) with their white chowder. This  mug below is a "cup" of chowder. I can't even imagine getting the bowl - actually, of course I can. Soup coma! Yum. It was the perfect blend of savory, fishy, and not too thick. "It tasted like a crisp October day on the cape after our early morning sail..." Anyway, it was delicious. And they give you those funny little crackers to put in it, which of course pleased me to no end.

(I'm not sure what this picture is saying, but I like it.)

As per usual, I handed the camera over to mom so I could get some pictures of myself on my own blog...I hope you enjoy the many faces of "Maddy eating chowdah."

  

The parents both ordered "Crab Louie," which I quickly learned is a fun name for crab on top of lettuce with sauce. Hey, I'm not knocking it, it looked great.

(This is a, "can I please eat my food now?" picture. FYI.)

And then, my fish & chips arrived. Ohhhhh did they arrive. The oysters were fried a tiny bit too much (I mean, I say this not knowing how to fry things) but I didn't care - the insides tasted so salty and perfect, and the steak fries were the best accent. The only problem is they gave me too many fries - when has that ever been a problem? Fish. is a place that turns that turns fry-miracles into fry-problems, because you want to stop eating the addictive fries but the plate will never end.

I know these words are all so cliche, but I really can't think of better adjectives to describe this dish right now. It was exactly what I wanted.

And, of course, the aftermath:

If you're in Sausalito, or just want to take a fun day-trip across the Bridge, I really, deeply, emphatically recommend Fish. I can't wait to go back.

(Opinions are completely my own, but if the purveyors of Fish. want to give me free food for writing more glowing posts about them, I will gladly accept! Just an idea, guys!)