Small Fry

I had plenty of lovely makings in the fridge - a big steak to grill, perfect for the long holiday weekend and potatoes to roast, fresh peas in the pod just waiting for the word "Go!" but no incentive, no interest, no oomph. I just didn't feel like cooking.

My Beloved is beloved for lots of reasons and reading my body language at times like this is one of them. He suggested we dine out.

We drove over to the Yankee Pier restaurant in Larkspur looking for a bite of seafood dinner. The joint was jumping when we arrived but we were seated immediately anyway and offered the menu plus some enticing specials.

For an appetizer, we shared the fresh sardine plate. They came neatly butterflied, grilled and resting on a warm salad of fresh fava beans and arugula in a pool of lemony, kicky sauce. The deeply fishy fish were nicely balanced by the fresh greens and tangy sauce. Not everyone likes sardines for their somewhat oily flavor but for local, sustainable and good-for-you fish, they are hard to beat. These are the fish that spawned Cannery Row in Monterey and then left it flat when they mysteriously disappeared. They are back now, although Cannery Row has other fish to fry these days.

Yankee Pier is family-friendly, as witnessed by young children ineffectually supervised by their parents running up and down the aisles and nearly managing to trip the servers. If you are in a mood for peaceful surroundings, this is probably not the spot for you but if cheerful, bustling dining with small fry next to an open kitchen fits your attitude, you probably can't go wrong here. Especially if you are not in the mood to cook.