• The ubiquitous weekend line outside of Pacifica's Gorilla Barbeque, which is housed in an old train car and sells out of its ribs and other wares every Saturday and Sunday, is proof positive that these coastal citizens appreciate good food. There have never been very many options to eat in town, but, thankfully, there are signs that this might be changing.
After a 10-year hiatus, Moonraker, a seafood restaurant with a quarter-century history, is now back open in the Best Western Plus Lighthouse Hotel. Stunning Rockaway Beach views pair nicely with iced platters of local and Pacific Northwest oysters and crab and hot mugs of truffled lobster cappuccino. Entrees also lean toward the sea, but the menu is also mindful of meat lovers. Sometimes the waves are dramatic enough that they leap over the rails outside, offering a thrill that's not easy to come by on the coast.
Meanwhile, just across Highway 1, a new restaurant called Surf Spot is set to open on May 1 after more than three years of construction and preparation. Owner Derek Burns is hoping, like Moonraker, to attract locals who want a special meal without having to drive to San Francisco or Half Moon Bay. But with planned amenities including fire pits, volleyball courts, and live music alongside a menu exploring the cooking of surf spots around the world, there is the potential to be another destination for diners from outside the neighborhood.
• The latest creative innovation in confectionery is being made up in Woodside, where Kidding Around With Chocolate produces truffles and bittersweet fudge made with Sonoma goat milk and butter. The fudge has an incredibly silken and creamy quality, giving it a meltability that eludes more conventional takes on the treat. Don't worry, there's no hint of gaminess, a descriptor often attached to goat meat.
Kidding Around With Chocolate's products are sold in select locations throughout the Bay Area, including at farmers markets in Larkspur, La Honda, and Pescadero and Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco, where the wedges of fudge are displayed nonchalantly in the fine cheese section.
