The Boat House, by the cliffs of Bodega Bay, was the meal that had me grinning from ear to ear with contentment. A long day touring Sonoma wineries and Redwood forests, and the Bodega Bay had left us famished and desperate for dinner. But we wouldn’t have even found the place if we hadn’t turned back to check out a promising looking (from the outside) café we had previously passed. Looking for some fast comfort food, their $32 vegetable risottos were not quite what we were looking for. Ah, California cuisine! We kept driving. Shortly down the road, a neon anchor sign advertising fresh fish and chips? Yes please! Walking to the entrance, with the Bodega Bay police force exiting the shack with happy faces, I knew we had found gold. Place your order at the counter and grab a table (with plastic checkered table cloths). A bottle of Boont Amber Ale helped tide me over. So did the snapshots of countless fishing expeditions. Memories from hauls of squid and sharks, mammoth albacore and cod, and crates of Dungeness crab line the wall and add to the anticipation of the meal.
As I wait for my basket to arrive and eye the bowls of egg and flour I could see by the fryer, I knew there’d be no Gordon’s fish sticks here! A generous portion of juicy fried clams and chips were perfectly fried, served in a perfectly quaint red plastic basket, and washed down by a perfectly refreshing beer. The four large filets that came with the fish basket were flaky, with a crispy, thick batter clinging to the fish. With a squeeze of lemon and an extra cup of tartar sauce, the greasy (but not too greasy) fist is simple, spot on, and filling. The Boat House also serves burgers, dogs, chicken sandwiches, and salads for the unfortunate land lubber. But stay away. You're here for the fried fish (and maybe a local microbrew or two).
http://www.chow.com/places/6757
http://www.avbc.com/beers/amber.html
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