We are losing all the big-time fish guys.  What’s going on here?  First, we have Rubin Caslow, the chairman of the largest producer of smoked fish in the country, Acme Fish Corporation, who died in April.  This is a major loss.  Ever try their smoked whitefish salad?  Acme’s site is listed in our “places to visit” section.  Then, this month, Mark Sneed, president of Phillips, passed on.  Phillips is a Baltimore-based restaurant chain and seafood products manufacturer.  For some time Costco carried their canned lump crabmeat, which, when used as an ingredient in the crab cake recipe on the side of the can, results in good eats.  You have to follow the recipe exactly!  Matthew and I went to a Phillips Seafood Restaurant when we visited Baltimore.  It was an all-you-can-eat affair and we were issued hammers and buckets.

The $3.25 cupcake is alive and well.  Yes, Kara’s Cupcakes are good.  Very good.  Very, very good, even.  But three dollars and twenty-five cents good?  We are happily eating the leftover cupcakes from yesterday’s ‘nic with Jessica and Jeff, who schlepped over a full dozen of these beauties for dessert.  I can speak for the Fleur de Sel, which is a chocolate cupcake with caramel filling and ganache frosting with a little salt on top.  Yes, I can honestly say I would not mind a couple of these showing up at my door again REAL soon.  The Chocolate Velvet’s good, too, because it is topped with real buttercream, which is not easy to find these days.  The photo here is of, I think, the Sweet Vanilla, which is only $3, by the way.  Jessica will correct me, if need be.  Jessica is like a United Nations guide when it comes to Kara’s Cupcakes.  When she and Jeff arrived yesterday and whipped out the cupcakes, she gave a full description of each one without glancing at the menu.  Trust me – you need to give these a try.  Take a trip to Ghirardelli Square or 3249 Scott Street in SF and pick up a dozen assorted.  Stop at Safeway on the way home and get some organic whole milk.  Pop in a video and have yourself a good old time.