Driving along the twists of Shelter Cove Road through the redwoods, the rural scenery suggests dinner will be a hearty hamburger and french fries. But true to its reputation for surpassing ordinary expectations, the Cove is now home to two new exciting eateries — a big deal for a town of 700. Along with the […]
Dining
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Around the Fire
At Campground, those seeking privacy can slip into a high-backed booth in the back and more social animals can bring the party to a long table up front. But firebugs will appreciate the couple of seats at the counter overlooking the open kitchen, where aged steaks, seafood and all manner of vegetables are cooked over […]
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Flavors of the Caribbean
If you are interested in being whisked away to a Caribbean Island without leaving Humboldt, get to A Taste of Bim in Old Town Eureka. There you’ll find a comfortable, tropical atmosphere with calypso music playing in the background and cuisine from the eastern Caribbean island of Barbados. The restaurant will be celebrating its three-year […]
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Live Local, Eat Global
In physics, fusion describes two light nuclei combining to release energy in copious quantities. In Humboldt, world cuisines combine at Le Monde, a French-esque restaurant in Eureka with a menu that roves the planet, offering a range of flavors from tandoori-baked cauliflower, Thai soup and ramen noodles to duck breast in red wine reduction. Asian […]
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Flavor Palette
Start with a heart of Romaine, curled up on the plate like a crisp green flavor envelope waiting to be filled. Add tangy corn pico de gallo. That’s the foundation for the main event — chicken in a dark, glossy mole simmered up from a generations-old family recipe. Top with thinly sliced, perfectly ripe avocado. […]
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Family Business
Good taste runs in families. In Arcata, Halleh Paymard keeps her Southern California family’s restaurant tradition alive with breakfast, brunch and Bloody Marys at T’s Café North. And in Eureka, the Tanski family makes its home at Gabriel’s with Italian dishes and remarkable wines. Gabriel’s Misheal Tanski handles the bar Saturday afternoon between a busy […]
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Grazing
A sketch from the comedy show Portlandia mocks a food-aware couple at a farm-to-table restaurant who demand specifics about their chicken. Unsatisfied with the animal’s name and history, the couple asks the waiter to hold the order until they’ve visited the local farm that raised the animal. Far-fetched joke? In Humboldt County, the source of […]
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The Traditionalists
Two very different Italian restaurants are sticking to their traditions, one in a landmark building with classic steaks and pasta dishes, the other with an old-country, farm- to-table menu. Hotel Ivanhoe Restaurant & Saloon The Hotel Ivanhoe Restaurant and Saloon feels like it’s been there forever. Indeed the building and the redwood bar inside have […]
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Secret Spots
What’s better than stumbling upon a hidden gem? Let us help the serendipity along and point you to a couple of our favorite tucked-away bistros. Humboldt Bay Bistro Past the shop-lined streets of Old Town and the looming silhouette of the Carson Mansion, the window-lined Humboldt Bay Bistro is building a devoted following. Some of […]
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Family Style
A couple of hours before dinner, Jan Wortman is sitting by a window in the lobby of the Historic Requa Inn, gesturing at the slim road between the hotel and the Klamath River. She recounts how for 50 years she’d drive past the inn on the way to her grandmother Geneva’s house and dream of […]
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Surf & Turf
Why choose just one? Here are a couple of places to get something from land and something from the sea. Double D Steak & Seafood Every town has an old, by-gone restaurant that makes locals misty and hungry recalling it. In Fortuna, that place is the un-fussy, family-run steak and pasta joint Parlato’s. But right […]
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We’ll Eat at the Bar
No need to wait for a table when there’s good food, drinks and easy conversation right here with your friendly bartender. Feeling like someplace modern, old-school or downright classic? Grab a stool, rub elbows and eat alongside the regulars. Five Eleven Cool glass tile, an inlaid bar and a brigade of marshmallow white stools make […]