"My wife and I enjoyed dinner at Alley Vine. She had never been to Alameda at all. I have set foot on the island probably a half dozen times over a 15 year time period. So we are not familiar with the area other than that it is a quaint place. We were there so I could pick up a bib to run a 10 mile race the next morning. It was an adventure. We traveled by seaplane, which seems to be a honorific for the vessel, as an homage to when the port received actual seaplanes for the military installations directly adjacent. The name of the establishment is literal minded. People no longer use literally in its proper sense, as distinguished from virtually or metaphorically (your head did not literally explode if you are talking to me . Here, the restaurant is in an alley, and it has a trellis covered with vines. Hence, alley vine. We had the fried olives, stuffed with anchovies. We also had the grilled oysters, the mussels, and the steelhead trout. My wife had an alpine cocktail, a new category of drinks we were unaware of, wonderful to learn about (many types, with the alpine liquor . I had the Italian unfiltered lager. Everything was fresh and well prepared. We were in the happy hour seating. That meant better prices. (They don 't give OpenTable credit. That is fully understandable. I note it not to complain but to alleviate confusion. I didn 't understand why my reservation was cancelled. It 's a good deal. They were surprisingly full early on. The servers were attentive. One had the most elaborate scarification I 've seen, a sunburst on his upper chest. The other was gender fluid, with lacquer black nail polish. People all seemed to be having a good time. I 'd visit Alley Vine again if I were ever in the neighborhood. That might not be for a few years."
