5 color sushi bowl – Island Gourmet Markets

5 color sushi bowl - Island Gourmet Markets
Ahi, salmon, yellowtail?, imitation crab, spicy tuna, avocado, shiso, pickled ginger, wasabi. $6.85
Island Gourmet Markets, Waikoloa HI

I’m amazed at how much better the grocery store sushi is in Hawaii than in California. And it’s cheaper! We’re getting robbed on the mainland!

Makalawena Beach
Taking in some sun at Makalawena Beach, Kekaha Kai State Park.

Kilauea roll – Tokkuri Tei

Kilauea roll - Tokkuri Tei
California roll with spicy tuna on top, sweet and sour sauce, tempura flakes. $18
Tokkuri Tei, Honolulu HI

Kilauea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii so they stacked this sushi roll to resemble it – pretty creative. The reddish spicy tuna on top even mimics flowing lava. It tasted pretty good but I’m not sure it was worth eighteen bucks. The spicy tuna had a slimy, squishy texture that I didn’t particularly enjoy.

Light-covered palm trees

Light-covered palm trees, Kapahulu Avenue.

Louisiana blue crab and P.E.I. mussels bomba rice – Beast and the Hare

Louisiana blue crab and P.E.I. mussels bomba rice - Beast and the Hare
With chorizo and citrus relish. $17
Beast and the Hare, San Francisco CA

I was confused with the plateware. Omg, my entree bowl looked like it was appetizer sized! I noticed at other tables the the pasta was also served in these tiny bowls. They definitely looked inappropriately small. Besides that, I did enjoy this dish. It was nice and citrus-y, but I did think that the blue crab got lost among everything else. And the price seemed a bit steep for the four pieces of mussels and flaked crab. Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience but a few things, primarily that unacceptable wait between courses, just needed to be tweaked.

Wind sculpture, Helen Diller Playground
Wind sculpture at the Helen Diller Playground, Mission Dolores Park.

King crab sui mai dumplings – Jiao

King crab sui mai dumplings - Jiao
Jiao is my new go-to restaurant in Palm Springs for delicious Asian-inspired small plates! These crab sui mai, though, were probably my least favorite thing I’ve had there. They were bland and you could barely taste any of the crab! The wrapper was also dry. $7
Jiao, Palm Springs CA

Dipping sauces - Jiao

Assorted dipping sauces. The crunchy one is my favorite! They’re all a bit salty, but I seem to douse every dish with some combination of these sauces, lol!

Trimmed palm trees
I love that they trim to old palm fronds that hang down on the palm trees. They look like tight pencil skirts!

Dungeness crab and bay shrimp benedict – Mission Beach Cafe

Dungeness crab and bay shrimp benedict - Mission Beach Cafe
Two poached eyes, guacamole and citrus hollandaise on toasted English muffins, yukon gold potatoes. $15
Mission Beach Cafe, San Francisco CA

I’d say the best parts of this dish were the citrus hollandaise and potatoes. Sadly, the small pieces of seafood got lost in the guacamole, hollandaise and runny egg yolk.

Crazy eyed lion statue, Noe Street

Crazy eyed lion statue, Noe Street. This is a pretty popular lion statue found in front of many homes in San Francisco, but this house added funny eyeballs to theirs, hehe.

She crab soup – Henry’s House

She crab soup - Henry's House
This thick, rich and creamy soup was pretty good but definitely on the salty side. I’d have to say that I prefer Anson’s version more; it has more finesse and depth of flavor. Henry’s she crab soup is more homey and rustic. Cup $4.95
Henry’s House, Charleston SC

Daughters of the Confederacy Museum
Daughters of the Confederacy Museum. This historic building sits on the corner of Market Street and Meeting Street at the western end off covered market area. One of these days I’ll finally take the tour, hehe!

Crab sandwich – We’re On A Roll

Crab sandwich - We're On A Roll
Served on grilled San Francisco sourdough with lettuce and tomato, Hawaiian Luau BBQ potato chips and cole slaw. $14
We’re On A Roll, South San Francisco CA

Wow, this sandwich was so buttery good and packed with crab meat. It’s a no-frills sammy so the crab has to be spectacular, and it was! Fourteen bucks is a bit much for a lunchtime sandiwch but I think it’s worth it because of the quality of the crab and you get coleslaw and chips. There are also picnic tables nearby where you can relax and enjoy your delicious lunch!

Toppings counter - We're On A Roll
Toppings counter with lemon, jalapeno, celery, and red onions. Add a little more goodness to your yummy sammies and rolls!

We're On A Roll food trailer
The We’re On A Roll food trailer is located in front of the New England Lobster Company.

Baked monkey roll – Saru Sushi Bar

Baked monkey roll - Saru Sushi Bar
Baked California roll topped with salmon, masago (capelin roe), scallions, spicy mayo and sweet soy glaze. $14
Saru Sushi Bar, San Francisco CA

Mmm, this warm roll was SO delicious! I thought that because it had so many things on it including a spicy mayo and soy glaze that I wouldn’t be able to taste all the ingredients, but I was wrong. You could definitely taste the CA roll and salmon too, yum! I would order this again.

Noe Valley Farmers Market mural, 24th Street
Noe Valley Farmers Market mural, 24th Street. I don’t actually know what this mural is called and I should really figure out who painted it. The mural is located in the parking lot that hosts the Noe Valley Farmers Market on Saturdays. I think it’s absolutely beautiful and it extends on both sides of the parking lot.

Naked scallop roll – Saru Sushi Bar

Naked scallop roll - Saru Sushi Bar
Snow crab, avocado, scallop, and masago (capelin roe) wrapped with white soy paper. $12
Saru Sushi Bar, San Francisco CA

This was a new one for me! I’ve never had a roll using soy paper before. It really didn’t taste like anything and the texture was weird, so I don’t think I was a fan. It gives the sushi roll an interesting look, but doesn’t do much in terms of taste. The rest of the roll tasted great though!

Planter with succulent plants, Jersey Street
Planter with succulent plants, Jersey Street. This building was renovated a couple years back and they’ve filled the planter in front with a few different things already. They originally had horsetails (Equisetum sp., Equisetaceae) in it, and currently they have a beautiful assortment of hardy succulents. I definitely prefer this over the horsetails.

Crab and mango tartine – Papillote

Crab and mango tartine - Papillote
With avocado, radish, grapefruit, Italian parsley and spiced sauce on toasted brioche. Served with greens and ginger vinaigrette. $10.99
Papillote, Savannah GA

This was bright and refreshing, and so different from anything I’ve tried before! There were so many yummy components to this and they all tasted great together. I do wish that the salad was pre-dressed because it was difficult to toss the salad on such a small plate. The ginger vinaigrette was a nice addition though. A beautiful dish!

Coffee - Papillote

Coffee. $1.99

Revolutionary War Haitian Soldiers Monument
Revolutionary War Haitian Soldiers Monument. Walking around Savannah was quite fun and you can’t help but feel the history surrounding you. This statue is located in a cute plaza next to the City Market.

Fresh local dungeness crab sandwich – Farley Bar

Fresh local dungeness crab sandwich - Farley Bar
Hobb’s bacon, avocado, roasted toamtoes, butter lettuce on ciabatta bread. Served with coal roasted onion dip and fresh cut gaufrette potatoes. $19
Farley Bar, Sausalito CA

Fresh local dungeness crab sandwich - Farley Bar
This sandwich was SO good! The crab was delicious and they weren’t skimpy with it either. And do I even have to say anything about the bacon – omg, loved it! This sandwich was also quite large so David and I had a hard time finishing it, but there was no way we were going to let it go to waste!

Don’t think that the waffle fries were a throw away either. They were absolutely delicious and perfectly fried. And that roasted onion dip – amazing! We were SO full that we unfortunately had to leave some of this on the plate, hehe.

Presidio Yacht Club, Horseshoe Bay
Presidio Yacht Club, Horseshoe Bay. San Francisco Bay is so relaxing and beautiful especially facing The City.