Word came in over the wire that Wild Oaks Grill had its notorious Chicken Bombs earlier this week ($10). Those are chicken breasts stuffed with hot sausage, pepperoni or shrimp, along with cream cheese and jalapeno peppers, then wrapped in smoky bacon and barbecued. Take a moment there. They’re not always available, which is probably […]
What’s Good
Posted inEat + Drink
Chocolate Revolution
We look at chocolate as a luxury, as a sinful indulgence. But back during the French and Indian War, it was part of a soldier’s rations. Nutritious, medicinal and as necessary as a pouch of tobacco. And a good deal of the scheming, plotting and fomenting for the American Revolution happened over cups of drinking […]
Posted inEat + Drink
The Big, Green Monster
A reader wrote in with a tip about the wet burrito at Tasty Tacos (3943 Walnut St, Eureka), saying the green sauce and the marinated chicken are amazing ($9). What the tipster didn’t mention is the enormity of the thing, which the menu calls the biggest burrito in town. When it arrives, smothered in a […]
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Pie Hard
Pie takes a backseat to cake, largely because of its limited decorative possibilities — fancy latticed crust can’t compete with buttercream roses and fondant zoo animals. If pie is going to do battle with cake, it can’t show up as an elegant little sliver (don’t bring a tart to a pie fight). It’s got be […]
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Raise Your Glass
The National Brewers Association, having finally sobered up from trying all the craft beer in the land, has released its top 50 craft breweries in the country. Lost Coast Brewery made 37. (Pause for moment of local pride and hearty belch.) Check out the full list on the Huffington Post.
Posted inEat + Drink
Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
I only ever see the plumes of smoke shooting up from the behemoth of a barbecue stand at the Eureka Veterans Hall when I’ve already eaten. So when we drove by last week on the way to lunch, I hollered at my colleague to pull over, which she did, Transporter style. Bracing. There are no […]
Posted inEat + Drink
#tasteofmain
That little packet of Taste of Main Street tickets is a challenge. It’s a gauntlet of 26 eateries … not that you have anything to prove. But it’s like a trip to Disneyland — all that pressure to hit the big rides and still make it back to the car without anybody passed out or […]
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‘Tis a Wee Cupcake
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a little. Really little. This leprechaun-sized Guinness cupcake from Ramone’s ($1.25) is moist and chocolatey, with a hint of stout and a fluffy dollop of buttercream. And you can always share it.
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Drink Me, I’m Irish
Put down that Redi-wip and Bailey’s. The good folks at Gallagher’s showed us how to make a proper Irish coffee for St. Patrick’s Day. Or Monday. Remember: real, fresh whipped cream, unsweetened. And don’t skimp on the whiskey — a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but it won’t cover the taste of […]
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Old Ale, New Tricks
The Local Beer Bar is celebrating its second birthday on Saturday by releasing an anniversary ale whipped up with Eel River Brewery — a vanilla eisbier aptly named Stop, Collaborate and Listen (price TBA). Why? Because it’s iced, iced, baby. What? We were all thinking it. And in one of the most scandalous abuses of […]
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The Veal Deal
Some days call for a fancy lunch. Birthdays, meeting friends you haven’t seen in a while, brutal weeks at the office — eating something wadded in paper will not do. You need little bread plates, ironed tablecloths and a plate of something slightly romantic that required deglazing and reducing. Sadly, not all of these days […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Doughnut Evolution: Update
In the most important use of social media since the Arab Spring, a reader informed us that Cherry Blossom Bakery (2940 F St., Eureka) has had croissant doughnuts for months ($2.25). I called ahead to put a hold on the last two of the day (not a bad idea, since they run out quickly). Totally different doughnut. Instead […]