The sweet smell of Wildwood Waffles has left Rio Dell. After a final weekend of waffling, owner Harry Smith has packed up his irons for Gig Harbor, Washington, where another branch is already in business.
"This isn't my choice to leave that place," says Smith, nor did he want to leave Rio Dell. But after parting ways with Root 101 and its owner, former partner Nick Mitchell, Smith says he was unable to find a viable location for the shop. Wildwood Waffles, he says, has done well since its start in August of 2017, often serving 50 customers a day and pulling in an estimated quarter of a million dollars in waffle and coffee sales last year. "Out of the corner of a hardware store," he says with a laugh.
Wildwood Waffles Facebook
Smith, who has been active with the Veteran's Hall, the Kiwanis Club and other organizations, says, "I'm gonna miss the community the most."
Shuttering the shop where so many enjoyed grab-and-go stuffed sweet and savory waffles was "the last thing I wanted to do," says Smith. The rush of customers coming in for one last waffle over the past week has “been heartwarming but also sad,” he says. “Bittersweet.”
The social media response to Sushi Spot posting its new policy regarding gratuities was swift and nuclear, with Facebook posters and commenters largely deriding the announcement, some even swearing off patronizing the business for good. But the plan itself, the automatic addition of an 18-percent “equity fee” for dine-in and 10 percent for takeout to be shared among all staff in lieu of traditional tipping, had been in the works for some time.
“Other restaurants around California have started doing this a few years ago [coming] out of COVID … that’s kind of where the idea came from,” says Sushi Spot owner Eric Stark, who also liked the sound of “equity fee” as used by some of those businesses. During the early part of the pandemic, he says, “We didn’t have servers, we were 100-percent takeout and the tips that came in were split between our staff.” Reopening to dine-in service brought back the old system of tips for servers, from which they would routinely and voluntarily tip out the kitchen staff. This, he notes, effectively left cooks and chefs with a paycut, their shares having gone down in percentage from the takeout-only system.
File
Workers at the McKinleyville Sushi Spot counter.
Stark says an experienced “sashimi chef and server are equally valuable,” and even a 40/60 split doesn’t reflect that. “We want to have a fair distribution of this 18 percent.” Some 75 to 80 percent of the staff at Sushi Spot’s three locations, he says, work back of house, including seven chefs with 10 years of experience each. “We’re trying to create a system where it doesn’t matter if you’re in the front or the back.”
The American tipping system can, Stark says, undermine teamwork, motivating servers to guard their sections rather than helping each other out during a rush or with a large party, while kitchen staff can be less invested in helping servers with diners’ experiences. Hosts, he notes, also make fewer tips than servers, which can make it difficult to find someone willing to perform an important role in a full-service restaurant. This, he says, is not to paint a bad picture of waitstaff or suggest they aren’t deserving, noting the servers on staff are “incredible,” but the system could be more equitable. He says he’s also seen customers harassing servers, doing or saying inappropriate things because “maybe they think they’re entitled because they’re tipping.” (See the Journal’s previous reporting on server harassment, “We’ve All Got Stories,” Feb. 29, 2023.)
On Thursday, Jan. 11, Joe Mazzotti says he had nobody to cook at Mazzotti's, so he didn't open the iconic Arcata Plaza restaurant. "December was probably one of the toughest financial Decembers I’ve had to face," he says, explaining the restaurant was only pulling in about half of its usual $5,000 per night. “My money ran out and I was unable to keep our employees paid on time,” prompting some of the more than 40 staff members to look for work elsewhere. "People gotta do what they gotta do." For him, that means shutting down the restaurant.
When T’s Café North closed up shop, Arcata’s roster of brunch spots took a blow. Not to worry. Since August, the stacks of stuffed French toast and the roster of champagne cocktails served in Mason jars have migrated the few blocks to Burger Joint, run by the same owner, Halleh Paymard. Happily, you needn’t wait for the weekend, as the breakfast/brunch menu is on offer from 9 or 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. all but Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when the joint is closed. And, if your schedule allows, a weekday brunch on the sunny patio beats waiting for a table among the hungover on a Sunday.
“I really miss the space and having that really beautiful redwood bar in there,” says Paymard. But consolidating the two restaurants’ menus in the Burger Joint made sense, as the kitchen wasn’t in use in the morning. Keep an eye out for more crossover between the early and evening fare in the new year.
Naturally, there is a breakfast burger topped with a fried egg and hashbrowns ($14), as well as the usual standards. But sides like cheddar grits or a flat iron steak — somehow chicken fried steak with gravy are sides here — may require you to recalibrate your usual brunch order.
Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
The crab cake eggs Benedict at Burger Joint.
The Benedict menu is a mix-and-match challenge, starting with a base of poached eggs on English Muffin, homemade biscuit or sauteed greens ($11). From there, the sauces, from traditional Hollandaise to vegan cashew gravy, additional proteins and toppings are a happy maze. A dollar will get you any of 10 vegetable options, arugula and mushrooms among them; $1.50 adds a dollop of guacamole, pesto, chèvre or caramelized onions. The basic breakfast meats like ham, bacon and soy chorizo run $2 and serious add-ons like grilled salmon, crab cakes or steak are $4. The possible permutations are dizzying. Consider carefully.
UPDATE: In sad salsa-related news, Paco's Tacos, the Eureka Mexican restaurant that briefly dazzled us with its array of salsas, has closed. When contacted by the Journal, the owners responded that the partnership "didn't work out," but they are hopeful that they'll be able to open elsewhere down the road.
PREVIOUSLY: The revolving door spot on Eureka’s Fifth Street Los Sinaloenses and its marvelous white menudo occupied has flipped again. Alfa Torres and her husband Bosacio Villagrana have opened their first restaurtant Paco’s Tacos Taqueria (1134 Fifth St., Eureka) in the spot, bringing big flavor in the form of its salsa bar. A Southern California standard, the array of self-serve salsas has thus far eluded us on the North Coast, and the couple weren’t finding the level of spice they wanted. “It’s something different in Humboldt; no one has it,” says Torres.
Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
A rainbow of salsa options at Paco's Tacos Taqueria.
Salsa aficionados, your moment has arrived. Lift the stainless steel lid of the salsa bar and reveal a dozen options from dark and oily to bright and creamy. On a recent visit, they included: freshly made chipotle, verde, habanero, pico de gallo, chile de aceite, roja, chile de arbol and guacamole salsas, fresh lime and habanero slices, sliced pepperoncini and pickled jalapeño. Somewhere in that field is the tang and heat you have been looking for, the oily chile de aceite — spiked with chile japones and chile de arbol — and the habanero being closest to the top of the Scoville chart.
After a short run of less than eight months, the latest incarnation of the Ritz in Old Town is closing. Owners Concha Alvarado, José Licona and Fernando Licona, formerly of Calico's in Garberville, opened the Mexican-Italian-burger restaurant in the storied corner location Feb. 28, and they plan to close their doors today or Saturday, and sell off all the equipment and furniture.
Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
The bar at the Ritz in Old Town.
Fernando says business has been slow but illness and injury made the final decision. He explains that Alvarado suffered a severe stroke that will likely take a long recovery. Fernando says he himself was also injured in a road accident a week ago that's left him in pain and that, along with a previous medical issue, has left him unable to work the hours needed to keep the place running.
Over the phone, chef Rochelle Burgess says she wasn’t looking for a restaurant gig after the abrupt closure of her former post, the Angelina Inn, in Fernbridge. Her work as a personal chef was going well enough and she wasn’t eager to work for someone else again. But after a friend tipped her off to a Craigslist post that sounded right up her alley, she got curious. A meeting with Carriage House owner Shannon Yodowitz and a cooking test later, and Burgess says, laughing, “It’s just been both feet and arms in.” The restaurant at 937 10th St. in Arcata (formerly The Griffin), is set for a soft opening Sept. 30, followed by a few days closed to fine tune the menu using diner feedback before opening for good.
Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
The soon-to-open Carriage House location in the former home of the Griffin.
That cooking test, held in Yodowitz’s home kitchen, was indicitave of the Carriage House menu and Burgess’ style: udon with preserved lemon butter and shaved fennel, and, per Yodowitz’s request, a BLT. The former served as an example of Burgess’ interest in international influences and local ingredients, as well as her love of a thick noodle. (She is an unreserved fan, she says, of the underappreciated bucatini.) The latter was to see if she could perfect something simple and classic.
Even in a rainy
month, Auto Spa in McKinleyville still sees a little traffic since the bright
blue Auntie Hao’s truck is parked out front Thursday through Saturday (1642
Holly Drive). The trim menu of Chinese crepes, dumplings, fried noodles and tea
stands out amid bumper-to-bumper taco and sandwich trucks, and it’s likely the
only one with a punch-card that gets you a free carwash.
Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
Pork dumplings from Auntie Hao's truck.
Co-owner
Michael Evenson is part owner of Auto Spa, too, hence the deal and the
permanent parking spot. But his wife, Xuanli “Shirley” Hao, is the one rolling
thick, homemade wrappers and stuffing the juicy pork dumplings. She’s
tight-lipped about the filling, but it’s a simple, straightforward pork mixture
with mushroom-y earthiness, wrapped, sealed and pan fried to toasty brown on
the bottom. Splashed with an unfussy soy dipping sauce, they’ll steam up your
car nicely while you shelter from the rain.
After 21 years, Jim Becker and Patricia Cambianica, husband and wife owners of La Trattoria in Sunny Brae, are bidding farewell, shuttering the little restaurant after service Saturday, April 1.
File
Orchette and kale at La Trattoria.
“We've been doing this for 21 years," says Becker over the phone. In that time, La Trattoria has built a loyal following with its traditional, seasonal Italian fare in the incongruous Sunny Brae strip mall location. Throughout, it's been a tight operation, with Cambianica as chef and line cook, creating the menu and cooking everything that comes out of the kitchen. Becker, who formerly handled both prep and front of house labor with a pair of servers, was down to one server and finally on his own recently.
There’s a lot going on at Overtime Eatery and Games. In the
lot, where the old Angelo’s sign still stands, noodle bowls are steaming from
the red Nou Nou’s truck. Inside, basketball plays on a massive TV, the beer
counter is hopping and cabinet video games flash from a side room, beyond
which, a couple of parents are playing pool while their kids scramble around
the air hockey table. But Brett’s Pizzeria — phones ringing, a quick-moving
line and a pair of cooks racing from oven to counter — is where the action is.
Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
A thick Detroit pizza from Brett's Pizzeria.
Raised in Detroit, owner Brett Obra (also of Humboldt Bay
Bistro) brings two Midwestern pies to our neck of the redwoods, offering thick
Detroit and deep-dish Chicago pies, as well as hand-tossed Californian for
localists.