At the bottom of California Avenue, just a few easy blocks from Cal Poly Humboldt, a familiar storefront is quietly buzzing with new life. Longtime locals might recognize the address as the former home of Blondies — a place that carried its fair share of stories, laughter and late nights. These days, though, the space […]
Restaurants
Posted inRestaurants
Fresh Fare and Old-fashioned Charm at Café Waterfront
Evening fog rolls in from the Humboldt Bay Marina onto First and F streets in Old Town, Eureka. Streetlamps flicker on, a foghorn sounds across the water and a cool breeze carries the salty scent of the sea. Tinkling glasses and a warm glow usher you inside the doors of Café Waterfront as the sky […]
Posted inRestaurants
New Location, Same Traditional Flavors
In late summer of last year, Loleta residents rejoiced at rumors that a new restaurant was coming to town. Small talk among neighbors turned into reality in September of 2025, when Luis’s Mexican Cuisine opened its doors at the corner of Loleta and Scenic drives. A stone’s throw from the sleepy downtown, Luis’s serves up […]
Posted inRestaurants
A Feast of Crab at Trinidad Bay Eatery
Is there any greater luxury than a delicate mouthful of sweet Humboldt Dungeness crab that’s been picked for you? Or finding a finger of leg meat intact or the trembling point of a claw on your fork? What about on your fries? The Crabby Fries at Trinidad Bay Eatery and Gallery began as a fun […]
Posted inFood
Slice of Humboldt Pie Season
November isn’t so much pie season — open your mind and it’s pie season all year — as it is Pie All Day season. Spring and summer offer their stone fruits and berries, baked and fresh, as you’ll see if you peruse Slice of Humboldt’s monthly menus. But November is where it gets serious. Thanksgiving […]
Posted inMy Humboldt Life
Kokoro Warms Up Old Town
As we move into fall with fewer sunny days and drizzly weather in the forecast, outdoor gatherings that sustained friendships all summer long shift indoors. Instead of scanning maps for new river spots and community calendars for festivals, you search for indoor fixes for food and drink to quell hunger and accompany conversation. Kokoro Ramen […]
Posted inFood
El Patron, the Torta Boss
Maybe it’s a symptom of being a millennial (or maybe just a symptom of humanity in general), but I think we spend a lot of our lives chasing nostalgia, looking to recreate the long-remembered comforts of our pasts. Down south where I’m from in the Inland Empire, there’s a particular kind of casual Mexican food, […]
Posted inFood
Keeping it in the Family at Kebab Cafe
Tucked away in the southeast corner of the Valley West shopping center is an innocuous little restaurant with a big following. More often than not, there’s a line out the door and the phone is busy when you try calling in your order, but it’s worth the wait. In the 28 years Kebab Cafe’s (5000 […]
Posted inRestaurants
Micro Brews and Deli Dreams at Oak Deli & Brewery
A little more than five years ago, life as we knew it came to a halt when the pandemic hit. For many of us, work slowed down or stopped altogether, and we isolated at home with nothing but time on our hands and a need for serious distraction. We all coped in different ways, which often […]
Posted inRestaurants
The Best of Both Worlds in Myrtletown
Let’s cut to the chase: It’s been rough navigating this economy. With many of us saving our pretty pennies, it’s been a real lesson in self-control denying myself the luxury of eating out as often as I’d like. Some days I’m more successful than others, but on the days I just don’t have the willpower […]
Posted inRestaurants
House of the Thai-Ger
There are a lot of us foodie folk out there who consider ourselves adventurous eaters but, paradoxically, we find ourselves ordering the same old tried and true dishes from our favorite menus, forsaking potential new delights. The age old conundrum of “What if I don’t like it?” versus “What if I’m missing out on a […]
Posted inRestaurants
Going Home to Gallagher’s
With an ever changing restaurant landscape, food fanatics like myself often vacillate between excited anticipation for new restaurants coming to Humboldt, and dread at the possibility of a cherished one closing down. Even those of us who embrace change draw the line when our favorite places, dripping with nostalgia and comfort, are unceremoniously snatched away […]