CHEF JOE TAN DOES NOT WAX POETIC ABOUT SUSHI; for him, both the style and the principles are simple. “The ingredients, the quality is most important. Sushi is really basic,” he says, but it demands the highest standards to be great. There may be no more minimalist cuisine than traditional sushi and sashimi, where there is […]
Food & Drink
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The Wine Cellar
CRAFT BEER AND HARD CIDER seem to be at the forefront of the libation scene here in Humboldt County. But make no mistake, there is a burgeoning wine culture tucked behind the Redwood Curtain and the Wine Cellar is an important part of it. Located in the heart of Old Town Eureka, the Wine Cellar […]
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Lessons and Blessings
THE REGGAE PLAYING OUT FRONT is muted back in the kitchen where Jason Mitchell, owner of Jerk Kitchen, holds a yellowtail snapper in one hand, dragging a knife across its iridescent pink skin, the last scales flaking off like sequins. It’s the same kind of fish he grew up making in Clarendon, Jamaica. “I learned […]
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Sunny Cocktails on the Water
People-watching is a time-honored activity to enjoy over cocktails, but what about bird-watching? At the Café Marina, you might tally a dozen seabirds while you have a sip and a snack. On a recent visit, a harbor seal was spotted swimming by. Café Marina sits on Woodley Island, across a short channel of Humboldt Bay […]
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Food Trucks Al Fresco
Little Bits The little truck with the big menu has been a fixture in Garberville for what feels like forever. So when Cole Moody bought the business a year ago, he wasn’t going to fool with what he affectionately calls the “glorified snack shack.” It’s the only truck he ever stopped at, much less loved. […]
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The Escape Artists
There are long vacations, weekend getaways and day trips, but the briefest escape is dining out, away from your home and its attending chores, immersed, for the duration of a meal, in a little world of someone else’s devising. Only blocks apart, these two Arcata eateries offer very different transportive experiences: one recalling the pleasures […]
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Sushi Blue Ups a Casino’s Game
Walk Into Sushi Blue, the sushi bar in Blue Lake Casino in the small town of Blue Lake, and no questions are necessary. Chef Jacob Talbert knows. Plate after plate emerges from behind the counter, omakase-style, chef’s choice. Roughly translated, it means, “I trust you.” There is a small plate of bluefin belly, fresh and […]
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Bigfoot Taproom goes big
The charm of McKinleyville has long been its small, cow-town vibe. I have always been proud to tout hailing from the tiny town lovingly referred to as “Oklahoma by the Sea,” with the motto, “Where horses have the right-of-way.” McKinleyville has been in need of a new watering hole for some time — even though […]
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Brunch at the Pub
In its way, brunch is the most luxurious of meals out. The elements can be as basic as eggs and potatoes, though upping the ante with Champagne is always nice. The place can be as modest as a diner, but its timing is predicated on having the weekend off, sleeping in a little. We eat […]
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The Return of the Logger Bar
Not so long ago, the Logger Bar was known as a good place to get in a fight. In its long history, the Blue Lake icon may have at times earned that seedy reputation, but it has since evolved under the stewardship of former owner Kate Martin to reflect the friendly, neighborly character of the […]
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Septentrio’s Wine Connection
As I sip my glass of pinot noir and listen to the hum of people reuniting, the clink of glassware, and the chatter of busy service staff, I realize that in previous years, I have taken for granted the ability to drink in public. Like many, I have been desperate for a sense of normalcy (also […]
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Down Home at Fat Anne’s Bakery & Bistro
Before you dig into your plate of shrimp and grits at Fat Anne’s Bistro, or take the point off your lemon meringue pie, take a moment to appreciate the plate — its little painted roses or scalloped edges — because it might be a family heirloom. Owner and chef Tevyn Fisher serves on her grandmother’s […]