Food
Monday, September 25, 2023
Carriage House to Open in Arcata
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Mon, Sep 25, 2023 at 10:37 AM
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.
Friday, September 1, 2023
Belly Up to the Salsa Bar
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 4:56 PM
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.
Friday, March 31, 2023
Dumplings and Tea at the Carwash
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Fri, Mar 31, 2023 at 11:58 AM
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.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Arrivederci, La Trattoria
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Thu, Mar 30, 2023 at 12:57 PM
“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.
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
The Wild Midwest
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Tue, Mar 21, 2023 at 11:36 AM
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.
Friday, February 3, 2023
Curry Leaf's Fire-Breathing Woks
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Fri, Feb 3, 2023 at 8:00 AM
Beef chow fun stalwarts, I recognize your numbers and your loyalty to slippery, flat, rice noodles fried with bean sprouts, green onions, beef and Cantonese magic. Your reward arrives on a platter of gleaming noodles, browned by soy sauce and what I imagine is a wok of supernatural heat. This kind of wok hei flavor, lighter than a full char but imparted with more fire than can be summoned by any of the home gas stoves for which some folks are evidently ready to water the tree of liberty, enlivens the humble sprouts and scallions, too. Along with deft seasoning and a generous helping of tenderized beef, it adds to a depth of flavor often missed
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Double Dipping at El Chipotle
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Tue, Jan 31, 2023 at 6:13 PM
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Food Trucks and World Central Kitchen to the Rescue
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Sat, Dec 24, 2022 at 2:41 PM
Following the Dec. 20 temblor, chef José Andréas’ international relief organization World Central Kitchen mobilized quickly to feed residents without access to food, water and other utilities. Because power and water were up and running in other parts of the county, the nonprofit, which responds to humanitarian disasters all over the world, did not need to set up whole mobile kitchens. Instead, it reached out to deploy a local resource that was ready to help: food trucks. By the end of the day Dec. 21, they’d served an estimated 1,700 meals.
'Guy's Hometown: From Ferndale to Flavortown' to Air
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Sat, Dec 24, 2022 at 9:39 AM
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Big Island Kine on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Wed, Dec 7, 2022 at 11:39 AM
"Guy Fieri pops into a poke truck he found at the Ferndale County Fair for some island-inspired flavors," according to the teaser for the episode on the Food Network website, which also features recipes for the truck's popular California Dreamin' and Sweet Heat bowls. We know, it's the Humboldt County Fair.
