The drama. From the local beer debacle to the math error in a bacteria count that led health officials to temporarily close Humboldt Bay’s oyster fisheries two days before the festival, the lead-up to the 2019 Arcata Bay Oyster Festival was a lot. Head Oystress Sydney Morrone said she hadn’t heard of any oysters actually dumped […]
Food
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Guy Fieri Makes His Mark on the Walk of Fame
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri received his Walk of Fame moment this week in a celebration that saw the mayor of Flavortown lauded by actor Matthew McConaughey as the son of Ferndale took his place on the heralded walkway of terrazzo and bronze stars. Fieri, a Food Network star who got his start selling pretzels in […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Chinese Comfort Food
The “Secret Menu” at Szechuan Garden (753 18th St., Arcata) might be more accurately titled the Student Menu. Owner Nina Zhao, a native of Shenyang in Northern China who took over the place five years ago, added the page and a half list because so many Chinese and Chinese American students from Humboldt State University […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Lunch in the Lobby
Open for less than a month, Bandit Savory & Sweet (525 Second St., Eureka) is making itself at home in the lobby of the Vance in Old Town, its winking name and vintage aesthetic dovetailing with the revival of the landmark building. You might have sampled the baked goods before at the Friday Night Market. […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Trucking from Fortuna
Fortuna has been enjoying the fruits of the Humboldt Fresh truck for roughly five months at its 2059 Main St. parking spot in front of Fortuna Fabrics. But now it’s pulling up in Eureka Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the lot by Les Schwab Tire Center (2440 Broadway). Fear not, Fortunans: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays […]
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Massive Fish Farm Proposed for Pulp Mill Site (Video)
The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District and Norwegian company Nordic Aquafarms are set to formally sign a lease Monday for the development of a massive fish farm at the former Samoa Pulp Mill. According to the harbor district, the project will include “the removal of all remaining deteriorating buildings and unutilized infrastructure” at […]
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‘Not Like it Used to Be’: Why Mazzoti’s Eureka Shut Down
Peer through the darkened windows of Mazzotti’s in Old Town and you’ll see the chairs have been upside down on the tables long enough to gather yellowed leaves from the hanging plants. Eventually the furniture will come out and the sign will go down, but Mazzotti’s isn’t coming back — at least not here and […]
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How French is the Dip?
In the long list of things we call French — like fries (probably Belgian), toast (the Romans were already onto it by the fifth century) and manicures (possibly French but unconfirmed) — the French dip sandwich is a low-key champion. Is it French? No, it is not. Except in its soul. Hailing from Los Angeles […]
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New Owner and Lebanese Menu for Folie Douce
Before you go into full panic, the artichoke cheesecake is still on the menu. Plenty else, however, has changed. On Nov. 26, 2017, Reda Salhi took over the kitchen at Arcata institution Folie Douce (though escrow has yet to close), shifting its menu toward Lebanese specialties like shawarma and kofta, while keeping a handful of the […]
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Local Businesses Give Federal Employees a Break
Here we are on Day 30 of a partial federal government shutdown and those going without paychecks are feeling the pressure. The city of Eureka has set up a GoFundMe to help out local Coast Guard members and a handful of local restaurants and businesses are offering discounts to federal employees. The Diver Bar & […]
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Two Arcata Eateries Call it Quits, Cite Cannabis Downturn
The yellow Simmer Down Caribbean Cafe truck that was a fixture in the Pacific Outfitters parking lot has shut down. Owner Patrick Gaskins, who started the business in May of 2015, places the blame squarely on the budget-tightening effects of legalization. “The last harvest season of 2016 right after Prop 64 passed, I slowed down,” […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Red Sauce for the Blues
Pity those whose otherwise broadening travels render them unable to enjoy American immigrant iterations of their ancestral cuisines. I think of my old classmate returning from a semester in Rome, heartbroken from an affair and recoiling from the messy red spaghetti and glass shakers of parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes that seemed to him […]