Gathering around a huge communal dining table on a Sunday afternoon, a small group of women find seats on wooden benches. Piles of colorful vegetables, either sliced, chopped or freshly snipped, cover the workspace of Arcata’s cooking school and culinary event space, Foodwise Kitchen. Quickly making everyone at home with her bright smile and easy […]
Vegetarian
Great Divides
There are two factions of polenta lovers: those who want to dip their spoons into a bowl of golden creaminess and those who want to angle a fork through the browned, cheesy edges. Isn’t our nation divided enough? The polenta lasagna ($17) at Brick and Fire (1630 F St.) is a unifying force. True, it’s […]
The Case Against DIY
There are some items on a menu that you move right past because damn, you could just throw that together at home. Where’s the sous vide? The duck fat fryer? In what world are you going to pay someone to make you a bowl of black beans with avocado slices? That would be the world […]
Sandwich Porn
When you name something the “XXX Adults Only Grilled Cheese Sandwich,” you’re making a statement. A reader sent in an email tip about her favorite order at Lost Coast Café and Bakery (468 Main St., Ferndale), and her flustered description of the sandwich read a bit like vintage Penthouse Forum. The first time I ordered […]
