Category Archives: Seafood

A Dream Of A Meal At N/Naka

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The unexpected truffle pasta dish on the kaiseki menu at N/Naka.
The unexpected truffle pasta dish on the kaiseki menu at N/Naka.

Since learning of it from the first season of Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” in 2015, I have been fascinated by the Los Angeles restaurant, N/Naka.

This Michelin two-starred restaurant opened in 2011 to serve kaiseki, the elegant, multi-course Japanese meal spotlighting ingredients at their seasonal peak in a series of specific cooking techniques.

Back then, it was a type of cuisine that was a rarity in the United States. And even more so when it was crafted by a woman, Chef-Owner Niki Nakayama and her wife, Sous Chef Carole Iida-Nakayama, who dared to put their own thrilling contemporary touches on this classic Japanese haute cuisine.

At all of 26 seats, this restaurant is notoriously difficult to book. While I travel to Los Angeles maybe once a year, I’d never managed to plan the trip in advance enough to even try to snag a table there.

Until two weeks ago. That’s when the stars aligned and Lady Luck was on my side, giving me entree to a dining experience that was nothing short of singularly magical.

You see, N/Naka opens its online reservation bookings once a week at 10 a.m. on Sunday for tables a month later. But sign on right at that second, and you’ll likely find all the reservations gone already and your dreams vanquished — just like that.

After experiencing that disappointment a few times, I started searching online for reservation tips. I came upon a thread that advised staying on the booking site for at least an hour after reservations open, because people will click on a specific reservation that gives a 10-minute window to finalize, only to decide they don’t want it after all. The thread also mentioned that tables of 4 or 6 were easier to come by than for 2.

The unassuming, unmarked entrance of this Michelin two-starred restaurant.
The unassuming, unmarked entrance of this Michelin two-starred restaurant.

So, for more than half an hour, I kept refreshing the page again and again, growing more apprehensive by the minute. A 9 p.m. reservation for 6 people popped up, tempting me to claim it as I figured I could somehow rope a few more people into trekking to Los Angeles with my husband and me. But I hate dining that late, especially for a tasting menu that lasts 3 hours. So, I bit my tongue, and passed on it, wondering if I had just made a huge mistake.

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Dining Outside at Nick’s Cove

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A splendid rendition of a Louie salad at Nick's Cove.
A splendid rendition of a Louie salad at Nick’s Cove.

On a clear day along the shimmering blue waters of Tomales Bay, nothing makes you appreciate even more how lucky you are to live in this region than an al fresco lunch at Nick’s Cove in Marshall.

If it’s been a while — or if you’ve never visited — now’s the perfect time to spend some time at this 92-year-old coastal landmark. Not only have its charming cottages been newly refurbished, but celebrated San Francisco chef Chris Cosentino was brought in to refresh the menu.

On a recent trek along the coast, my husband and I took a seat outside on a weekday, after placing our orders at the bar and receiving a pager. When your order is ready, the pager vibrates, signaling it’s time to pick up your tray.

The entrance to Nick's Cove.
The entrance to Nick’s Cove.
The view.
The view.

We indulged in a half dozen Nick’s BBQ’D oysters ($25), which arrived on a hot cast-iron pan, tasting sweet, smoky, and plenty garlicky.

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Sustainable Tinned Salmon to the Rescue

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Safe Catch Wild Pink Salmon with summer tomatoes and chive blossoms.
Safe Catch Wild Pink Salmon with summer tomatoes and chive blossoms.

With fresh wild Alaskan salmon a pretty penny and California’s commercial salmon fishing seasoned cancelled this year because of dwindling wild stocks, what’s a salmon lover to do?

Open up a can.

Canned salmon has come a long way since my childhood, when my economical mom would pry open the top of a tin and plop out the contents, bones and all that were soft enough to actually eat, but perhaps not the most attractive looking.

Sausalito’s Safe Catch takes canned salmon to new heights, First, it sources sustainable salmon from the Alaska Salmon Fishery or northern Pacific Ocean, following the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Guide. Second, every salmon is tested for mercury, with Safe Catch accepting only those that are 25 times lower than the FDA action limit. Third, each can contains no fillers, just salmon and salt.

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Summer’s South Carolina Shrimp Burgers — Plus A Cookbook Giveaway

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So crisp, moist, and delicious, this shrimp burger is sure to become a new summer favorite.
So crisp, moist, and delicious, this shrimp burger is sure to become a new summer favorite.

Summer’s the time when folks like nothing better than firing up the backyard grill.

But there are some who lack grills — either because they have no suitable yard or balcony or they simply don’t like playing with fire like that.

“South Carolina Shrimp Burgers” are just the ticket for them — and really for anyone who loves a great burger of any sort.

Reminiscent of the popular ones enjoyed all over the coastal Carolinas, this moist-on-the-inside and crisp-on-the-outside shrimp burger is cooked on a skillet on the stovetop in no time flat.

It tastes of pure summer sunshine, long lazy days, and much like a New England lobster roll — except it’s easier and more economical.

The recipe is from the new “The Complete Summer Cookbook”,” of which I received a review copy. It’s by America’s Test Kitchen.

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Dining Outside at Shepherd & Sims

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The delectable ahi tostada at Shepherd & Sims.
The delectable ahi tostada at Shepherd & Sims.

You’d be hard-pressed to find another chef who has left such an imprimatur on the South Bay as Chef Jim Stump.

In his early days, he was executive chef at Birk’s in Santa Clara, then the same at Le Mouton Noir in Saratoga, before launching the Los Gatos Brewing Company and downtown San Jose’s A.P. Stump’s.

In 2012, he debuted the popular The Table in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood. Since then, his The Hot Behind You hospitality management group has opened Forthright in Campbell, The Vesper in Campbell, and most recently, Jim Stump’s Taproom & Kitchen at San Jose Mineta International Airport.

In fall 2021, during the throes of the pandemic, he also opened Shepherd & Sims in Los Gatos. The name is a co-mingling of the surnames of his wife and business partner, Angelique Shepherd-Stump and Stump’s birth name when he was adopted as a child.

A couple times a year, I play hooky from my home office during the week to enjoy a “ladies who lunch” outing with friends to celebrate one of our birthdays.

Shepherd & Sims sports a sizeable covered patio for dining, as well as a snazzy indoor dining room.
Shepherd & Sims sports a sizeable covered patio for dining, as well as a snazzy indoor dining room.

If you’re inclined to do the same — or to just enjoy a wonderful lunch outdoors on a sunny day — Shepherd & Sims is the spot to do it.

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