GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR & RESTAURANT - NEW YORK

GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR & RESTAURANT

GRAND CENTRAL STATION

89 E 42ND ST

NEW YORK, NY

212-490-6650

https://grandcentralterminal.com/shop/oyster-bar-restaurant/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/grand-central-oyster-bar-and-restaurant-new-york

https://www.instagram.com/nyoysterbar/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/oysterbarny/

I have wanted to eat at the Grand Central Oyster Bar for decades and for some reason never made it here during trips to New York.  This time I made sure to have it on my schedule.  Wow....this place is a feast for the eyes with beautiful architecture.  Makes sense that it has stood the test of time for over 100 years.  The restaurant is huge with multiple dining areas and bars filled with customers from all corners of the world.  Service was excellent as I enjoyed a glass of wine, Oysters, Clam Chowder and Crab.  All delicious.  Really liked this place at it will now be part of every visit to NYC!  

GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR & RESTAURANT

LOCATED IN GRAND CENTRAL STATION

A BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN NEW YORK

LOVIN GRAND CENTRAL STATION IN NEW YORK

STUNNING ARCHITECTURE

MULTIPLE HUGE DINING ROOMS 

THIS IS "THE" OYSTER BAR

FUNKY LITTLE BAR AREA

GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR MENU

FRESH OYSTERS AND CLAMS

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

JUMBO LUMP CRAB

SAM'S GRILL & SEAFOOD - SAN FRANCISCO, CA

SAM'S GRILL & SEAFOOD

374 BUSH STREET

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

415-421-0594

https://samsgrill-sf.com/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sams-grill-and-seafood-restaurant-san-francisco

https://www.instagram.com/samsgrillsf/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/samsgrillandseafood/

Sam's Grill has been on my bucket list for some time.  Finally made it there for lunch with my Daughter who now lives in SF.  Food and service were excellent!  Loved this place and its long history.  The Grilled Octopus was so perfectly cooked that you could cut it with your fork.  We devoured this dish pretty fast.  The Clam Chowder was one of the better ones we have had in San Francisco.  Oysters were fresh and super delicious.  Loved the Dungeness Crab Salad which was huge.  Couldn't finish it all but put a huge dent in it.  Cannot wait to return to Sam's to try different menu items.  I would definitely come back here again and again.

SAM'S GRILL & SEAFOOD

SAM'S GRILL SINCE 1867

SAM'S GRILL MENU

SAM'S DINING ROOM

FRESH OYSTERS

GRILLED OCTOPUS

DELICIOUS CLAM CHOWDER

DUNGENESS CRAB AND AVOCADO SALAD

SHE'S NOT SMILING BUT SHE DID LOVE SAM'S!

 

PIKE PLACE CHOWDER - SEATTLE

PIKE PLACE CHOWDER

1530 POST ALLEY

SEATTLE, WA

206-267-2537

https://www.pikeplacechowder.com/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/pike-place-chowder-seattle

https://www.instagram.com/pikeplchowder/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/pikeplacechowder/

It has been a lot of years since we were back in Seattle and on previous visits we really liked Pike Place Chowder.  On this visit the line was wrapped around the building.  We waited in line which goes pretty fast and were handed our Chowder on a tray.  There is seating adjacent to the restaurant, but you need to have your food before you can sit down at a table.  We dug into the Clam Chowder first and were quite surprised on the lack of Clams and Clam flavor.  The Seafood Bisque was ok but nothing we would go back for.  Probably will try some other Chowders on our next visit as Pike Place Chowder just didn't deliver on flavor.

Click links below to view previous posts on Pike Place Chowder;

https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2011/09/pike-place-chowder-seattle-washington.html

https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2008/06/pike-place-chowder-seattle-washington.html

PIKE PLACE CHOWDER

SMALL PLACE WITH LARGE LINES

ORDER AT THE COUNTER

PIKE PLACE CHOWDER MENU

CHOWDER FOR LUNCH IN SEATTLE

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

SEAFOOD BISQUE

 

KISSATEN COFFEE BAR - HONOLULU, HAWAII

KISSATEN COFFEE BAR

HONOLULU, HAWAII

I am not a Coffee Bar person.  Never sit in a Starbucks or Coffee House reading, doing work or just hanging out with friends or myself.  I always want to get in and out of a place as fast as possible.  Kissaten (Kiss a Ten) is a place where people hang out for hours or maybe all day.  Place was like a library with young people sitting quietly at their tables with computers, books and Smart Phones.  Not much talking going on.  Everyone locked into their electronics.  Some with headphones and others watching a television showing an endless stream of infomercials and another showing cartoons.  Lots of single young people here.  I now understand the Coffee House thing.  Great place to meet girls if you are single.  We were in for lunch after reading a positive review in the local Dining Guide.  I ordered a bowl of Clam Chowder ($6).  The Chowder was decent but really did not have many clams or clam flavor.  All I could taste was bacon that overpowered the soup.  There was a ton of potatoes in the Chowder which I really don't like.  Not a Chowder that I would order again.  The Kissaten Melt ($9) with Pastrami and Mozzarella Cheese was pretty week.  Not much Pastrami and not much taste.  The Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($6) had a little bacon and thinly sliced apples in it.  I did not taste the apple but it was there.  The Pesto Mushroom Pasta ($10) is a nice plate of pasta.  Wife said it was "actually pretty good and acceptable".  I liked the scenery at Kissaten and think it is a pretty cool little Coffee House. 

KISSATEN COFFEE BAR

KISSATEN IS LOCATED ON PIIKOI STREET.
SAME BUILDING AS KHON CHANNEL 2

UP THE STEPS TO A PRETTY COOL LITTLE COFFEE BAR

SMALL COUNTER TO ORDER AND PICK UP FOOD AND DRINKS

HAND WRITTEN MENU NEXT TO COUNTER

SMALL COUNTER IN BACK WITH CARTOONS PLAYING
ON THE TELEVISION ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON

LOTS OF ELECTRICAL OUTLETS FOR COMPUTERS AND
LOTS OF SINGLE YOUNG PEOPLE HANGING OUT DRINKING COFFEE

BRIGHTLY PAINTED WALLS AND PEOPLE
WITH LAPTOPS EVERYWHERE

KISSATEN MELT WITH PASTRAMI AND MOZZARELLA CHEESE

GRILLED CHEESE WITH BACON

PESTO MUSHROOM PASTA

CLAM CHOWDER WITH BACON AND LOTS OF POTATO

CLAM CHOWDER SHOULD BE CALLED POTATO CHOWDER