Seeking the Dream Crab Sandwich

Back in the '80s, My Beloved frequented a restaurant in the Ignacio section of Novato where they served what he thinks of as the Dream Crab Sandwich. He can't recall the name of the long-gone restaurant but the memory of the crab sandwich is still with him. Twenty plus years later, he searches still for one as full of fresh Dungeness crab on as tangy sourdough bread with a frill of fresh lettuce. His recollection is that there was no sauce and the bread was untoasted, just a heaping serving of the best fresh crab between two slices of excellent bread. It has proved to be elusive heaven - he has never again found one as dreamy.

In Sunol at Bosco's, however, he came mighty close. His fresh Dungeness crab and bay shrimp sandwich was grilled and the shellfish had a light dressing, but it was as fully sumptuous a serving as the Dream Crab Sandwich. The menu offered this combo with cheddar cheese as a melt, but he wanted just the seafood and he made a good choice. Topped with cheese, it would have been too rich - undressed, it was lovely. The accompanying French fries were done perfectly, crisp and golden on the outside, almost melty on the inside. We will happily return to Bosco's in the future - it's a major "find!"

We explored the Niles Canyon on the way home, noting that there's a tourist railway that offers rides down the canyon, an amusement for another day. The drive through the canyon is very scenic on a pretty little two-lane road that we shared with a few other cars and brightly dressed bicyclists hunched over their handlebars.

My Beloved is still seeking the Dream Crab Sandwich so if you have leads to great crab sammies, please let us know. In the meantime, however, we can recommend a trip to tiny Sunol in search of the Almost Dream Crab Sandwich.

Gray Day Getaway

We live close to the storied San Francisco Bay - sometimes that's a mixed blessing.

Oh, we love the water views and the constantly changing sky. We enjoy watching the ships sail by on their way from distant ports and the day sailors skimming the bay. We fall asleep to the sound of little waves breaking on the shore and sometimes awaken to foghorn music in the night. But, there's a dark side to the bay, too, and it usually arrives for a month-long stay right around the first of June. The (in)famous fog.

When we've had enough of damp, gray mornings that sometimes stretch into afternoon, My Beloved suggests a trip inland - just 10 miles or so makes all the difference. We drive out from under the low blanket of fog and out into bright sunshine and much warmer temperatures. Sometimes, we head to Davis for a taste of that college town's wonderful farmer's market and great restaurants, to Sonoma to picnic in the square or to Walnut Creek for some upscale window shopping. This time, we went to Livermore to deliver the lasagna, then went exploring to Sunol for lunch and a poke through the labyrinthine antique shop there.

The drive along Route 84 is true California picturesque with rolling golden hills dotted with dark green live oaks and scattered herds of cattle. The turnoff for Sunol is easy to miss and we did, but were treated to a glimpse of a baptism ceremony being held in the little river that runs alongside the road. All the celebrants were dressed in white, their attention focused on the rite being performed as we rode by.

Backtracking, we found a shady spot to park the car and went into Bosco's, named for a big, black dog who was once elected Mayor of Sunol and brought fame to the tiny town, now long since gone to doggie heaven.

We were greeted by a nice young maître d'hotel and probably the bubbliest, most personable young waiter we've met in a long time. She explained that the restaurant had recently changed hands, gave us good advice regarding choices and prompt, cheerful service. My teriyaki hamburger was huge and perfectly cooked to order, smothered in mushrooms and a light teriyaki sauce. I'd have liked a bit more garlic and ginger in the sauce, but the freshly formed burger and mountain of sauteed fresh mushrooms more than made up for the lack of pizzazz in the sweet-salty sauce. The accompanying cole slaw (fries, potato salad or soup were available options) was fresh and crisp, with raisins as a nice addition to the usual slaw. I'll write about My Beloved's shrimp and crab sandwich tomorrow.

The antique shop is a warren of interconnecting rooms filled with every conceivable object, from stuff from my childhood to things much older even than I. It made an enjoyable hour of poking. My Beloved found some fun vintage magazines; I purchased a pocket-sized copy of The Courtship of Miles Standish for four bucks. And home again in time for a nice nap.

We enjoyed our splendid gray day getaway and would gladly repeat the experience next time the fog rolls in.