An Old Restaurant Memory and a New One

Once we loved to eat at this place

I was thinking about the fishing boats that used to bring fish into the small ports of Oakland, Berkeley, Sausalito, and other towns on SF Bay, as well as Santa Barbara and other places along the California coast. When we lived in Berkeley in the 1960s one of our favorite restaurants was called Spengers’ — this huge restaurant served local fish, and cultivated a strange and informal atmosphere. Specifically, there was no Maitre’D; instead, you would walk around and find a table where people were about to pay their bill, and wait (politely?) nearby to grab the spot when they left. When I looked on line I learned that the restaurant closed a few years ago. More details here — link.

Going up the coast from the Bay Area, you could find all kinds of interesting fish places, including fishing villages near rivers where the salmon runs took place. Once we stopped in a small town and had an unbelievable meal of freshly caught salmon at a kind of nondescript place. I wonder how much of that is still going on. 

In the 1960s in Marin County I remember one place locate right on the bay where we had a very fancy meal once or twice…

A restaurant on San Francisco Bay in the small town of Sausalito called Ondine. 
I only remember it vaguely, but as a wonderful place to eat.

Où sont les neiges d'antan?

I am not at all nostalgic for the snows of yesteryear, but I do sometimes long for the fish dinners of the old times. Come to think of it, I was just saying how I don’t want to see the snows of this year which may be coming soon. ASIDE: if you don’t recognize the snows of yesteryear, here’s the explanation: The French phrase "Où sont les neiges d'antan?" translates literally to "Where are last year's snows?" and means "Where has the past gone?" or "Where are the good things of yesterday?" The phrase comes from a poem by the medieval poet  François Villon. But let’s get back to the topic of good fresh seafood and other California specialities.

More Seafood Memories

Point Loma Seafood, San Diego

Point Loma Seafood, San Diego, CA. on our most recent visit there.

Good Things in Santa Barbara

The Super Rica Taquerica said to be a favorite of Julia Child who lived in the Santa Barbara area from 2001-2004. OK, it’s not seafood. I think it’s still in business.

One more of our favorites for seafood: fish on the wharf in Santa Barbara.

Why Did I Think about Fish Dinners?

We were eating fish — particularly a big piece of salmon which lasted more than one meal.

And for another recent lunch, we ate at Slurping Turtle restaurant in Ann Arbor.
Sushi became popular in the US in the 1970s and 1980s. Slurping Turtle opened in 2014.

People sitting at the sushi counter — we opted for a table.

I had Bao rather than sushi this time. Len had a noodle bowl. But sushi was all around us.

Blog post © 2026 mae sander; photos from web or by mae.