With insurrection fresh in our minds, you’d be forgiven for mispronouncing the name of the Couxp food truck lately parked by Pacific Outfitters in Arcata Monday through Friday. But the chickenwire detailing and the smell of Buffalo sauce should announce its poultry-centric mission of fried chicken sandwiches and wings. After a Feb. 1 soft opening […]
restaurants
Posted inEat + Drink
Chalet House of Omelettes Closes after 45 Years
On Jan. 22, Chalet House of Omelettes announced via Facebook the 45-year-old restaurant on Eureka’s Fifth Street would be closed permanently. Over the phone from the Chalet’s Cutten location, owner Bill Tuttle told the Journal his mother, Vera Johnson, opened the restaurant March 1, 1975 in the former Mr. Swiss ice cream parlor after having […]
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NCJ Preview: Vaccination, Losing a Local Icon and Small Restaurant Survival
This week we’re looking into the plan to vaccinate Humboldt residents — how it’s going and what’s in the way. We’ll look back at the life of local restaurant owner Esteban Gonzales, who died last week, and the lives he impacted. And while the pandemic has been brutal on restaurants, we talked to folks at […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Small and Scrappy
On Thursday afternoon, after a morning spent prepping and cooking, Patricia Cambianica is writing the week’s menu out on the chalkboard. In the past, diners at Arcata’s La Trattoria would crane their necks from their tables to choose but these days a snapshot of the offerings — shitake risotto, chicken and polenta, chocolate cake with […]
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Dining Local for the Win
On Jan. 11, the Choose Humboldt Coalition kicked off its Restaurant Month via social media with a giveaway meant to boost sales at locally owned restaurants. Diners are invited to snap photos of their meals, whether takeout or at outdoor dining setups, and post them with a couple of hashtags (#dineouthumboldt and #choosehumboldt) for a […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Eating in the Purple Tier
On Tuesday, the state moved Humboldt County back into the purple “widespread” tier. Some of the restrictions under the state’s highest risk tier have shifted over the course of the pandemic, so here’s a rundown of what’s allowed at eating and drinking establishments under current conditions. Bars that don’t serve food must remain closed. Indoor dining […]
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Opera Alley Bistro Redux
The keen sense of déjà vu you may be experiencing passing Opera Alley Bistro where once Café Nooner slung its falafel and burgers is warranted — another business by the same name operated there years ago. But this venture, opened officially Dec. 1 of last year, is run by Autumn and Kyall Widmier, who also […]
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NCJ Preview: Teetering Between Risk Tiers and Larrupin Sauce Lost and Found
This week we’re talking about COVID numbers that will likely push Humboldt back into the puple “widespread risk” tier. And if you were wondering why Larrupin sauce was hard to find for a while there, we’ve got the lowdown on the supply cutoff, shortage, hoarding and scams that kept it off local shelves until recently. […]
Posted inEat + Drink
The Missing Mustard
Earlier last year, the toilet paper shortage made headlines across the country but another shortage became a pressing but silent issue across Humboldt County: the Larrupin Dill Sauce shortage. Confusion over who makes it, combined with the pandemic, historic California wildfires, food shortages, lockdowns, power shutoffs and other anomalies the last few years have thrown […]
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NCJ Preview: Flash Fiction and Local Delivery
It’s time for the NCJ Flash Fiction Issue! One of our judges, Eureka Poet Laureate David Holper, joins us to talk about reading and ranking the hundreds of 99-word stories submitted by readers. And we’ll talk about how the local business USVetsDeliver is trying to make over the delivery service model. Hit subscribe for weekly […]
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Guy Fieri’s Pandemic Relief Pays Off
If the last nine months haven’t left your memory a slice of melted Swiss cheese, you may recall Ferndale’s own Guy Fieri has been helping the National Restaurant Association raise cash for hospitality workers who’ve been out of work due to COVID-19. (He also took part in a remote nacho throwdown fundraiser with Bill Murray […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Delivering for Restaurants and Drivers
Jim Richards is going to have to chat later. He’s pulled off the road coming from Arcata Pizza and Deli to King Salmon so we can talk, but another call comes in from the USVetsDeliver dispatcher (who’s also his girlfriend). Once we hang up, he’s off to take another job. The service area is McKinleyville, […]