I don’t often get to visit Seaside Restaurant, a Hilo landmark that has been run by the Nakagawa family since the 1920s. When I did visit the last few times, it was pretty dark when we got there so I didn’t get to walk around the property and see all the fish.I went with some friends recently and this time, we got there early enough to walk around and be amazed at the size and variety of the fish in their working Hawaiian fish ponds. If you have a chance, go for dinner and make the effort to walk around outside. If you have kids, take them. They’ll love it. Just make sure to make your reservation early enough so you still have daylight.This dinner was a gathering for a few people who hadn’t seen each other in a while. As you might be able to tell by the bottles of wine, it wasn’t just for the three of us in the previous photo. If it were just the three of us, we would never have been able to finish the seven regular-size bottles of wine plus the magnum. The restaurant seated us in a private room but I think the sounds of our merriment escaped our room and reached the other rooms of the restaurant. When I say rooms of the restaurant, imagine an older Hilo home turned into a restaurant. There are several large rooms that serve as the dining area and the ambiance is one that is homey and unique. We enjoyed a great calamari appetizer as we caught up with each other. We also noshed on sushi roll appetizers that I didn’t get a picture of. I ordered the Chinese-style opakapaka for my meal. I always order this dish–I guess I am a creature of habit. Perfect evening–good food, good wine and best of all–loud laughs with great friends. Living Hilo Style.