Last week, due to an unfortunate convergence of out-of-town visitors, wretched weather and a serious lack of imagination, I ended up having the same lunch at two different restaurants. It was instructive.
OK, we’ve all got CRAB FEVER. On the rainiest day last week we found ourselves at the Waterfront, always a cheery respite from cold and fog. We ordered Bloody Marys, chowder and split a grilled crab sandwich. We got there at 1130 and there were only a few seats taken but it filled up rapidly. The drinks were fine and so was the chowder. The sandwich had a nice grill to it and service was great. Altogether a lovely rainy weather experience.
So what did we do the next day but repeat the meal, this time at the venerable Gill’s in King Salmon. Not as nice an ambiance as a the Waterfront, but cozy with attentive service. They offered Mimosas and Blood Marys and my Mary was great. The chowder here is more to my liking, THICK, and creamy. The sandwich also had a leg up on the Waterfront. There were actual lumps of crab in the sandwich that exploded in your mouth with a satisfying tang of the sea. Nothing wrong at the Waterfront, but this was better.
Meanwhile back at Henderson Center, the long-awaited Zöe is open for lunch with promises of dinner service as soon as they are staffed. No website yet, but they are posting their interim menu on Facebook and you can see it HERE. No pizza yet, but coming soon.
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Your review says a lot about different restaurants. While Gill’s has an old world, homey feel with it’s s well-lit nautical ambiance, a diner’s expectations tend to lean toward a more proletarian, even low-brow menu. While the Waterfront’s dark, somewhat romantic atmosphere leans toward a more well-heeled and affluent clientele and tourists, you noticed the food preparation didn’t suit your palate as well as Gill’s. By the way, I’ve seen many local affluent business people, albeit older world Eurekans, dining at Gill’s on a regular basis. But, some of my early romantic first dates were at The Waterfront.
So my take on your review is thus: To quote Charlie The Tuna from the old Starkist ads, What do you want? Tuna with good taste or tuna that tastes good.
Charle The Tuna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LktyRYmDyPc
Thanks for the video! You said it well. Neither lunch was BAD, I just thought Gill’s was better.