My favorite items on Boat House’s menu are the barbecued oysters, the fish and chips, the fried clams and the clam chowder. It was tough to decide, but on my last visit, I ordered the barbecued oysters.

I can’t say enough about how fresh these oysters are. They were a little smaller than usual, but perhaps the size of the oysters depends on the season. The barbecue sauce that the oysters are served in is usually more buttery too, but no matter. They were still delicious, briny and full of flavor.

If it’s greasy goodness you’re after, go for the aforementioned fish and chips. Served with a fantastic tartar sauce, the batter is crispy and the thick-cut fish is firm and flaky. The only downside is that it’s so heavy that you may need to be rolled out of the restaurant.

In tourist-filled beach towns, seafood restaurants are often a dime a dozen and it’s easy to run into a bland meal. Boat House, on the other hand, consistently serves up flavorful and fresh dishes, and with a view to boot.

But let’s get down to why I was really at Primo Patio: the food. I had heard rave reviews about their finger snaps, so I started with that.

The finger snaps, or breaded and fried red snapper, were good. They were crispy and crunchy, but the real winner here was the creamy secret sauce that they came with.

I ordered the steak sandwich, while my dining companion had the shrimp Caribbean quesadilla.

Served with jack and cheddar cheese, sauteed mushrooms, green onions, black olives, salsa and sour cream, the shrimp quesadilla definitely had a lot going on. And while it was tasty, there was a lot of competing flavor going on here. The portion size is big, but it was light on the shrimp.

The steak sandwich was incredible. I’m guessing that Primo Patio marinades their jerk steak in happiness; it was that good. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that their steak sandwich comes served with a generous serving of red fries and more of that incredible secret sauce.

San Francisco may be thousands of miles away from the tropics, but when the mood strikes, it’s nice to know that Primo Patio offers a delicious slice of the Caribbean right here at home.

I was apprehensive, but as it turned out, there was no need to be. After being seated inside Geta’s busy and cramped quarters, my dining companion and I ordered a plate of gyoza to start.

The gyoza were hot and super crispy, and while the filling was a little lacking flavor, the accompanying dipping sauce made up for it.

Next came our avocado tuna roll, tekka maki, and Philly roll.

The bluefin tuna was fresh and tasted wonderful, almost slightly sweet. The texture wasn’t as firm as the tuna I’ve had elsewhere, but I liked it. I won’t comment on the Philly roll since I don’t like those to begin with. Cream cheese and raw fish just don’t mix in my world.

We moved on to our next plate: salmon skin sushi and a suzuki roll.

The roll’s bits of crispy salmon skin and crunchy cucumber were a delicious combination. The roll was a little light on the salmon, but I can’t really complain at the price. The suzuki, or striped bass roll, was my favorite of the meal. Perched atop a thin strip of fragrant shiso leaf, the bass was drizzled in a light sauce that was incredible.

We were full at this point, but we still had one more roll to tackle: the spider roll.

I love soft-shell crab so spider rolls are usually one of my favorites. This was definitely fresh, but the roll was pretty heavy on the rice. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t finish this one.

Dining at Geta is a very casual affair, so don’t expect upscale ambiance or formal service. Service is brisk and friendly and the restaurant is very small, so be prepared to stand in line. At these prices and quality, the wait is easily worth it.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil, plus more for deep frying
1/2 onion, chopped
12 ounces canned tuna, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
8 sheets egg roll wrappers
8 eggs

1. In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer onions to a large bowl. Mix in the tuna, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, cayenne pepper and capers.

2. Place equal parts of tuna filling on each egg roll wrapper, spoon a depression into the filling, and break an egg into each depression. Carefully fold the top and bottom of the wrapper over the filling, then fold over right and left sides.

3. In a frying pan, heat two inches of oil to medium-high heat. Deep-fry the pastries in batches until crisp and golden, about 3 minutes for each side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve warm.

This is also one of my favorite noodle salads to eat, since it feature bean thread noodles. Also known as cellophane or glass noodles, they have an incredible texture: chewy and slippery, and they do a great job absorbing the fragrant chili and sesame laced sauce.

Ingredients:

10 ounces dried bean thread noodles
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
3 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 Japanese or Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 lb snow peas, thinly sliced

1. Soak bean thread noodles in war water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Cut bean thread noodles in half. Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar and 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil in another bowl and set aside.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add bean thread noodles and cook for 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.

3. Place bean thread noodles in a salad bowl and toss with remaining teaspoon of sesame oil. Add dressing and vegetables and toss to coat.