Sea Chest Oyster Bar - Cambria (by Hearst Castle)

The Sea Chest Oyster Bar
6216 Moonstone Beach Dr.
Cambria, CA 93428
805-927-4514
www.seachestrestaurant.com

What it is: Popular seafood restaurant among bed and breakfasts facing the coastline, specializing in oysters and clams.

The good:
Huge portions, broad seafood menu, tasty broiled oyster options, beautiful views, friendly service. Oysters Rockefeller and Casino

The bad: Cash only, no reservations.

I figured I’d see what all the fuss was about with The Sea Chest Restaurant and its oysters. Supposedly in the high season, lines form an hour in advance so people can get a good seat to partake in the seafood here. Fortunately, in the autumn, there wasn’t a line, and I was able to seat at the counter facing the kitchen. (In snootier cities, this is called the “chef’s table”.)

Manta Rey Restaurant in San Simeon

Manta Rey Restaurant
9240 Castillo Dr.
San Simeon, CA 93452
805-924-1032
www.mantareyrestaurant.com

What it is: Simple seafood and pasta restaurant near Hearst Castle, with some great bargains.
The good: Early Bird specials, large portions, generous pourings of wine, friendly service, pretty views
The bad: Gnats, some tougher chunks of beef

On a quick jaunt to Hearst Castle along the Central California coast, I found myself staying in the neighboring town of San Simeon. (Note: This is a sleepy little bunch of hotels and adjoining restaurants. I never really found a ‘downtown’, but a short ride south is the quainter town of Cambria.)Beef Stroganoff

Goat Hill Pizza in Potrero Hill: All You Can Eat Pizza!

Goat Hill Pizza
300 Connecticut at 18th Street
(415) 641-1440

A little Potrero neighborhood secret: if you like good quality pizza, head on over to Goat Hill Pizza in Potrero Hill on Monday nights for all-you-can-eat pizza and salad for $10.95. Got kids? Even better. If you haul over tykes between the ages of 6 and 12, they’re $5.95. (I’m not sure if that’s the smartest thing, mathematically. Remembering when I was 12 years old, I think I ate more than I do now…actually, wait, I definitely did eat more than I do now.)

Boston Market October Deal: Buy a Family Meal, Get Another Chicken for $1.99

 Serena, who’s affiliated with Boston Market, wrote in to let me know of their October promotion:

“Think back 80 years to that “other” bad economic time when Herbert Hoover promised “A chicken in every pot, a car in every garage.” Now, as families worry about today’s economy, San Francisco restaurants are courting consumers for their hard-earned dollars in new, inventive ways.

Boston Market for example, is responding with a new (rotisserie) chicken promise of its own.