The Best Road Trip Restaurant Stops Along California’s North Coast | Eater SF

"David and Elyse Hopps moved to Mendocino County in 2018 to help open the now-famous Harbor House restaurant, where David was a sous chef. In 2022, they opened Izakaya Gama with just seven tables and seven bar seats, serving seasonal small plates and salads, along with kushiyaki, or skewered and grilled meats of various types, and a deeply considered sake list.The skewers might include a texturally exciting hiza, or chicken knee, or even wagyu beef tongue, while the assorted sashimi features a mix of locally caught and imported fish, such as a Santa Cruz big eye tuna or Mt. Lassen trout with Japanese seabream. There’s always chawanmushi — an egg-and-dashi custard — on the menu, but it changes based on what’s available (Dungeness crab during the winter crab season, for example). Don’t miss the bright, lively yuzu sesame salad, a sharable-sized bowl of Japanese mustard greens from nearby Wavelength Farm in Manchester. Reservations are strongly recommended." - Freda Moon