If you stroll by between 7 am and noon, go around the side to the walk-up coffee window at Sweetness and Light, and you might get a peek at Matt and Tami Toste tempering chocolate or hand dipping the old-fashioned candies that fill the cases at this Ferndale institution. Inside, treat yourself to browsing the […]
Dessert
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Sweets by the Sea
When you step into Humboldt Chocolate, tucked behind the gazebo in Old Town Eureka, breathe deeply. The air is heavy and sweet in the little shop. That’s because chocolatiers are hand-making each molded, cream-filled, foil-wrapped piece right on the premises. Peek through the window into the kitchen — you may glimpse Ken Buntin at the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Against the Grain
It seems like there’s a new vodka on the market every other day. Each brand says it’s more pure, or more traditional than the previous one. And all say they are the best “odorless/flavorless” alcohol on the market. Simply put, new vodkas are nothing new. Until they are. Blue Lake Vodka is made by distillers […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inNews
Dancing with the Dems
Local Democrats gathered on Sunday for “Chicken By the Sea,” an annual fundraiser for the party. Hands were shaken, photos taken and chicken grilled to tender perfection, but the real action didn’t start until the dessert auction, with Sen. Mike McGuire calling. Bids for pies and pastries started at a cool $40 and quickly skyrocketed […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Fried Pie
What could be more American than apple pie? Easy. Deep fried apple pie. And you needn’t wait until summer for some carnie at the fair to snuff out a menthol and drop a wedge of frozen pie into bubbling grease. Aim higher. Slice of Humboldt Pie (3750 Harris St.) makes fried apple pies you can […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Grown-ass Cookie
Down on the bottom shelf of the cookie case at Ramone’s are the kiddie treats — animal cut-outs sprinkled with sparkly sugar and such. Up top is where they keep the chocolate drop cookie sprinkled with sea salt ($1). It’s dark, brownie-soft, lumpy with chocolate chips and falls apart a bit. Don’t try to dunk […]
Posted inEat + Drink
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 […]
Posted inNews
Pie in the Sky
Stepping into the Desserts on Us factory off Arcata’s Ericson Way is like landing on a planet whose atmosphere is mainly composed of caramel. And chocolate. The air inside is so thick with the aroma that it might actually have calories, but nobody seems to mind. On one wall is a whiteboard with dates chronicling […]
Posted inEat + Drink
HumPlate
Recommending food is a little like matchmaking — oh, the smug joy when it goes right. You’ve got to introduce someone to the right dish at the right time and let the sparks fly. Here are some of the magic moments we’ve been having this month.