Zagat’s take: Zagat Stories
The picture of my fave dive bar in the world, Marlin Club, really depicts this treasure…
That picture brings it back. I have been there! I’ll have to hit it again next time I’m there.
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Get on the Catalina Express this weekend…
Should be a fab weekend!
Marlin Club is a must.
Grab a cheeseburger and beer at Eric’s pier and finish it off with a waffle cone at Big Olaf.
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I
Catalina Update. Hopped over for the birthday ferry with the fam on Monday and have a lovely hooky day.
While our regular place Buffalo Nickel was closed (monday, also their kitchen burned down or something) I do have a bit of an update.
1… someone’s saying M Cafe is pretty good and worth checking out but I can’t confirm.
2. Bluewater is still completely average but nice to sit by the water and have a passable bottle of pinot blanc.
3… checked out yelp and top place listed was something i never heard of by the gold club called Seaport Bistro. Walked over, up the hill, show up and it’s in the middle of a holiday inn courtyard by the pool… we were drawn in because the chef appears to care and bakes bread and makes ice cream and has all these dishes that sound like they’d be good so… Tomato soup… absolutely gorgeous, wonderful thing… signature salad, very good, refreshing… osso buco daily special (they only had 2 on the day) with a wonderful sauce and presentation of a bunch of onion strings. hit all the right notes for us with a barbera d’alba bottle after a mai tai. and then the lamb Tagine… wtf happened…
the man clearly can cook but he’s willing to make a regular menu item so badly? it just needed more seasoning, saucing and braising as it was a wonderful lamb shank… 2 apricots? 3 nuts? completely confused as we were served 2 great things and 1 awful thing… and the creme brule was butt as well but i’d go back for the buco any time if it’s on.
and why are nathan’s minis on the starter list?
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kids?
There was a kid’s menu
Buffalo Nickel is a great place…especially if you take a helicopter over from San Pedro and belly up to the divey bar of island goodness…
Glad to hear that Bluewater is still passable. . .can’t beat sitting on the oceanfront patio with the all the boats on their mooring balls, lined up like soldiers.
Happy Belated Birthday Nemroz!
xoxo
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Does anyone have a rec for a kid friendly hotel or hotel close to kid friendly stuff? Something more resort or commercial as opposed to bed & breakfast. If it were my trip the kids would be rusticating. But I’m setting this up for someone else so… Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Catalina is tiny, it’s all one little resort
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I figured as much. I don’t think it is their kind of place. But my job is to book it not give an opinion. On correction, I could give an opinion, but I don’t feel like it. What activities does your family do on Catalina?
I do.
Catalina is like Alcatraz, but bigger. And with worse food.
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Thought Avalon Grille was pretty good. But otherwise, yes, I agree that it’s pretty miserable food-wise.
Drink.
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Okay, maybe I will give an opinion then. But it will probably make the situation more of a pain in the ass… for me.
What do people with kids do there? It’s not warm enough for the beach and they’re not the outdoorsy types anyway. 
Oh, I ain’t goin’. If I was it would be warmer. And I am the outdoorsy type.
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I don’t really understand the people who ‘do’ things but i’ll try. We go there, specifically because we have a kid. It’s not a particularly big drinking place and the casino isn’t a casino. Avalon is full of shops. The pier has a selection of water activities and boat rentals. Best thing there is to rent a golf cart and go around staring and taking photos for 2 hours.
Then you just walk around, hang out. Have some drinks, take kids to the arcade.
There’s also the Bison Tour
The boat ride there is half the fun.
If Nickel Diner is open, call for a shuttle.
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Kids would enjoy the zip lines and fishing off the pier. We stayed at the Wrigley Mansion which has a restaurant open to the public. While not a standout by mainland standards, we found it quite good.
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Yep, they’re doers. But they’re more the Legoland, Disney types. And the adults don’t drink. And the mom hates animals. They sound awful. 
They’re not, they’re great people. I just think it is sounding less and less like their type of thing. So, essentially you guys helped me by not being able to help me. You did give me and mine good tips for when we go. I mean, we should go at least once, right?
Thanks!
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