at Fisherman's Wharf

To finish off the week, Tater, her boyfriend Muddy, and I jetted off to that Boudin's Restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf... you didn't think we had forgotten about that crab-spinach-artichoke dip, did you?

the ultimate appetizer, crab-spinach-artichoke dip,
and my libation of the night: the Valencia, a blood orange and tequila concoction
complete with roasted orange slices

Tater's Basil Gimlet

The dip was so good... creamy with ample crab chunks. I liked that the sourdough accompaniment was toasted. My only complaint is that it was so small!

Dinner was delicious and expensive, as expected. I believe each entrée was at least $23 but Boudin's definitely showed me they can do more than lunch sandwiches:

Muddy's ribeye steak... there was this really great sauce on the tender ribeye.
Top-notch.

Tater's halibut with polenta cakes.
Cooked well but to Tater's dismay, not as memorable as the others.

My sourdough gnocchi in pesto with lobster.
Loved the plentiful lobster bits.
The crazy green strings on top were... weird- but good.
They were like crispy green onions that disintegrated upon touch
and gave a slight bitter taste to the composition.

Dessert, as recommended by our waiter...

sourdough apple tart with cinnamon gelato.
You know how sometimes you get a bit of dough that isn't cooked all the way?
That's how most of the tart was since it was cooked with the apples and sauce.
And warm sourdough dough is really sour.
Also, I would've liked more cinnamon gelato.

Can't go wrong with a creme brulee! No regrets about this plate!

And as usual, we were treated to a display of huggable sourdough critters:

koalas and turtles and crabs, oh my!
The lobster in the foreground has googly eyes... love at first sight!

Now just around the corner is the new home of the Musée Mécanique. This fantastic arcade features fortune-tellers, moving dioramas, music boxes, and fortune tellers, all the amusements that cost prewar America about a penny or a nickel each. The Musée Mécanique used to sit just behind the Cliff House, which is very close to Mumsy's house and where I grew up. But then they relocated the arcade to Fisherman's Wharf during the Cliff House remodeling... I hesitate to call it a restoration because the Cliff House looks very different.

Well this time the move worked in my favor and we waltzed into the nearby Musée Mécanique. I love that they keep the intrusion of newer arcade games (80s and on) to a minimum and that everything here - with the exception of the photo booth - costs just one or two quarters. Also, the arcade closes at 9PM but the employee manning the door isn't at all pushy about getting people out on the dot. Some of our new friends:

Jolly Jack laughs heartily for quite a long time.
He might laugh hard enough to bang his nose on the glass, all for 25 cents.

Tater tests her strength

the Bimbo Box

Muddy scores twice but the game only recognizes one shot

looks like it's going to hit the 50-point hoop, doesn't it?

If you find yourself in the touristy part of town, this is one gimmick I recommend to anyone and everyone.

And now, to end the night, let me show you how Tater gets rid of the foam in her beer:

Magic fingers!