At Home, Sonoma, CA

Thought that it would be a good idea to try our own concoctions, as there are SO many possible variations of this dish.
For fish I chose what was labelled as "True Cod" at our local fish counter at Sonoma Market. Don't know what makes this Cod 'True' but What the Hell I say, Gimme a pound (or so)...I cut it into chunks and marinated it in 'Casa Sanchez Mild Salsa Roja'. While the fish was 'soaking' I looked for and found a great recipe for Chipotle Aioli. All the other recipes I came across called for starting with a cup or so of mayonnaise. This recipe used an egg and egg yolks and olive and canola oils for starters in the Cuisinart (or blender as the case may be) and then adding the other ingredients including a whole can of Chipotles in Adobo Sauce! I was a little leery of using the whole can, but I figured 'WTF, you only live once...' so in it went. My Goodness is this delicious...and it makes a lot, too! This recipe is now in the 'To Be Made on a Regular Basis' file, though...Yummy!
To round out the plate I made guacamole with a smooshed-up ripe avocado mixed with some more of the Casa Sanchez Salsa, a pot of Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley, and a salad of fresh Spinach, Arugula, and Cilantro. For my Tacos I used the La Tortilla Factory Chipotle tortillas (though Tehra and her Mom used the Jalisco Flour Tortillas from the tortilla factory just down the street from here). The beverage of choice was the 2010 GlenLyon Blush O' The Boar Estate Syrah Rosé (Thank You Squire and Suzy!).

Big 3, Sonoma, CA ---- Closed

The Big 3

In discussing local dining establishments it came to Tehra's and my attention that we had never shared a meal alone together at the Big 3 Cafe in the 'Heart' of lovely downtown Boyes Hot Springs. So on a blustery Wednesday evening we decided that it would be an ideal time to pay the Big 3 a visit.
In looking over the menu one of the first things we saw was their offering of Blackened Fish Tacos. Sounded good so I ordered a plate along with a bottle of Racer 5 IPA from Bear Republic Brewing in Healdsburg. I was pleasantly surprised when they brought out the 22oz. bottle that Tehra & I shared...good start, I thought.
What I didn't catch quickly enough was the sour cream in the description on the menu. Personally, I feel they could have benefitted from a tad less sour cream or maybe distributed a bit more appealingly. Anyway I scraped most of it to the side and very much enjoyed the flavor of the fish with the salsa. Now were I preparing this one I would have made a roasted tomato salsa as a side to go with the blackened fish, and I also would have mashed that avocado with some of that roasted salsa and served it in place of the slices of not-quite-ripe avocado. Next time we serve Blackened Fish Tacos (yeah, right) here at the house I will make sure that the kitchen staff heed my suggestions...
We did enjoy the friendliness of the staff and also, picked up two of their macaroons, one chocolate and the other mango-coconut, for dessert at home....now those were quite tasty!

Breakaway Cafe, Sonoma, CA --- Closed

The Breakaway Cafe

At this time in my life I have come to enjoy having a pleasant comfortable neighborhood establishment a casual walk from home. A place where you are on a first name basis with those working there, and when you say 'The Usual' it is recognized with a simultaneous nod of the head, a welcome glance and a smile.
Friday Happy Hour at the Breakaway Cafe has become such a place for us, 'us' being our good friend, Gail, Tehra and myself. Two short blocks from the house, an almost enjoyable amble, made only mildly unpleasant by having to cross the 4-lane Hwy 12 at some point along the walk. We have become quasi-regular at Fish Taco Fridays. Those $5 Friday margaritas are a perfect accompaniment to the tropical flavors of the tacos. Or if a great beer is what you would rather have they serve the chewy Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout on tap. You can't go wrong with either beverage selection (and I am told that water goes just fine with the meal too...)
We also visit during the week, upon occasion, where the plate is 3 tacos at just a little more cost.
One night, right around this last Christmas we watched the police DUI checkpoint set up shop right outside the restaurant and start pulling over unfortunate motorists on their way by....the benefit of living within walking distance....

Olympic Cafe Kapa'a, Kauai, Hawaii

Olympic Cafe

The last place we went for tacos, the day before we had to leave.
Up the stairs mid-way through Kapa'a, just off Kuhio Hwy., on your way north or south.
The second floor is open along both long walls parallel to the street.
You sit one story up and enjoy the food and watch cars, trucks, cyclists, tourists and locals, go about their respective business.
Birds flit in and out looking to get a nibble here or there before being chased back out by the staff to the power and phone lines that hang outside the windows a few feet away.
Warm breeze blowing out to the ocean a block or so away.
They give you a plate of fixin's so you can put it together any way you like. Black beans lettuce cheese rice and a yummy tropical salsa. The fish was done just right in delicious little cubes, and the grilled banana is a nice touch.
The local beer was ice cold and a great accompaniment to the tacos.

Common Ground Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii ---- Closed

You turn off the main road, Kuhio Highway or Rte 56, near Kilauea, and amble down a one-lane road to get to the Common Ground grounds. Not only is there the restaurant, with one of the most appetizingly healthy plates of foods, but also the gardens where quite a few of the ingredients are grown and a small event center. 
I mean, look at that plate of food, will you? You can barely see the fish for the greens that are covering it. Trust me, the fish is there and the greens aren't there to hide some half-assed chunks of fish either, no sirree, big ol' hunks of ocean fresh fish cooked to a juicy doneness. And you can forget eating these tacos with your hands unless you don't plan on putting it down at all. Pleasing to look at, delicious to eat, and healthy as well...what a concept...
There was also live music on and off a small stage in the café the afternoon we visited.
After you have finished, or even while you are waiting for your order, you gotta go for a walk in the gardens. The vegetables and flowers are so pleasurable to walk among all the while inhaling the warm trade winds coming down the hills and across the landscape before heading back out to sea. 
There sure wasn't snorkeling right after this lunch, uh-unh...This was a more 'go back and get acquainted with the chaise lounge on the beach at the hotel' kind of meal.... But Hell yeah we'll go back again!

Tropical Taco Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii

Tropical Taco
At first glance you look at the plate and say Hmm canned mooshy refritos, sprinkle of cheddar, iceberg lettuce, plain white tortillas, bag chips and you pause...then you look around and you realize that this place started out as a truck, moved indoors, and just didn't feel the need to change the menu...keeping it simple...you then take a big deep breath of oh so beautiful, oozing-tropical 'downtown' Hanalei...you look out at the cars driving by on the two-lane blacktop (Kauai's answer to 'Highway'), on their way to beaches east or west, or to a hike in the hills somewhere, dogs and surfboards on at least 3 out of every 4 vehicles and both attached (or not) in so many novel and creative ways, and all legal I guess, but you gotta wonder sometimes...and then it dawns on you that, as soon as you finish this combo plate with a big cup of lemonade, you are heading back to another glorious afternoon of snorkeling at Tunnels Beach, watching fish and drying off saltysticky on the warm sand in the afternoon sun....
and those tacos just got that much tastier....