By Charly SHELTON

If you can’t get away to a hotel by the sea on Valentine’s Day, you have to bring the sea home for yourself. One of my favorite Valentine’s Day memories was with this girl I had been dating for a couple of years and we didn’t have time to do anything substantial for V-Day. I didn’t make restaurant reservations, she didn’t want to get away from LA, we had no money at the time and it was just too much. So I got the bright idea to surprise her. I picked up some sashimi, a thick blanket and some sake, picked her up from her dad’s house and we headed down to the beach to eat in the dark, looking at the faint outlines of moonlit waves. It was one of the most basic Valentine’s Days we have ever spent together, but it lingers in my mind as one of the best. And it must have been nice for her; she stayed with me and then married me! So just because you can’t do something big doesn’t mean you can’t do something sweet and memorable for the day. Grab some raw fish, head to the coastline and enjoy living in California. 

So far as obtaining raw fish to take on the go, there are a lot more options now than 10 years ago. Poke shops have cropped up all over the place. Spinfish Poke House just opened a new location in La Cañada, but just barely over the line. It’s in the former site of the Kentucky Fried Chicken on Ocean View Boulevard in the Big Lots complex. You know the place. 

This new poke house has taken the community by storm and I had several readers ask when I was going to review Spinfish before I was even contacted by the restaurant. Its super fresh fish and authentic approach to poke make this an instant favorite of mine. Its signature bowls, like the Aloha 808 with sesame shoyu, ogo, Hawaiian sea salt, chili flake, green onion and sweet onion, the Furikake with sweet shoyu, furikake seasoning, masago, cilantro and green onion, and the Shaka with sriracha-aioli, masago, panko crumbs and green onion, are well balanced  dishes, but there’s nothing like going absolutely bananas on a make-your-own bowl and seeing what madness can be created. 

What I like most about Spinfish is that it has another Hawaiian menu item that isn’t seen at many other places – Spam musubi. This is grilled spam with teriyaki sauce on a block of rice, wrapped in seaweed like sushi. Mmmmmmmm! I don’t have to see your face, dear reader, to know what face you’re making. I know; it sounds gross, but it’s actually pretty good. If you don’t think about it as Spam and instead appreciate it as a traditional Hawaiian dish with which you’re trying to broaden your horizons, you will really enjoy it. And it pairs well with the poke, so it’s a must-have side dish to your meal. 

Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or a romantic Valentine’s Day picnic, Spinfish is a good choice. So grab a couple of poke bowls, head to a quiet spot and enjoy your night of trying to talk her into … you know … eating Spam musubi.