Food with a View

Wow, wow, wow--had a wonderful lunch today at The Spinnaker restaurant in Sausalito to celebrate G. and M.'s birthdays. The food was wonderful (more on that in a moment), but wow, wow, wow--the view. The restaurant practically sits in the water with a direct view of the San Francisco Bay and, across the water, the San Francisco skyline. As it was a beautiful, clear Sunday, the Bay was full of all kinds of sailboats and tour boats and sea gulls. It was almost hypnotic to stare out the windows at the amazing view.

And the food? I thought it was wonderful. I debated for a long time, looking hard at the Spinnaker Paella, and of course the Bouillabaisse, but then settled for the Penne Rustica, penne pasta with sauteed scallops, swordfish, and prawns in a wonderful garlic/mushroom/onion/white wine/butter sauce. I thought it was fabulous, particularly with a glass of Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay, which rather than having that full-bodied oak-y taste was delicate (G. thought it 'wimpy', but not me) with a touch of lemon/citrus. In other words, a perfect compliment to the food.

Here are some photos through the window:

I didn't like my penne rustica:



We definitely want to go back, perhaps this time at night with what must be an amazing view of the lit San Francisco skyline. My insider's tip: forget Friday and Saturday nights; too crowded and crazy. Instead, try around 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. on SUNDAY---order some appetizers, a bottle of Chardonnay, then later as the sun sets have your meal. That's one thing about The Spinnaker (spinnaker, by the way, is a type of sail on a boat), the pace is LEISURELY.

We seek out great food and wine. There are times, though, when we want more: not only great food but in a wonderful setting too. Or, in this case, with wonderful views.