I recently wrote a column for the Journal about the river otter, one of the many adorable, cuddly denizens of the North Coast. “They’re so cute,” several readers commented, seeing the photo in the story. Then the April issue of National Geographic arrived in our mailbox with an article about our desire to bring wild […]
Visitor’s Guide
Posted inEat + Drink
Barbecue Update: Chicken Bomb
Word came in over the wire that Wild Oaks Grill had its notorious Chicken Bombs earlier this week ($10). Those are chicken breasts stuffed with hot sausage, pepperoni or shrimp, along with cream cheese and jalapeno peppers, then wrapped in smoky bacon and barbecued. Take a moment there. They’re not always available, which is probably […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Chocolate Revolution
We look at chocolate as a luxury, as a sinful indulgence. But back during the French and Indian War, it was part of a soldier’s rations. Nutritious, medicinal and as necessary as a pouch of tobacco. And a good deal of the scheming, plotting and fomenting for the American Revolution happened over cups of drinking […]
Posted inEat + Drink
The Big, Green Monster
A reader wrote in with a tip about the wet burrito at Tasty Tacos (3943 Walnut St, Eureka), saying the green sauce and the marinated chicken are amazing ($9). What the tipster didn’t mention is the enormity of the thing, which the menu calls the biggest burrito in town. When it arrives, smothered in a […]
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 inEat + Drink
Raise Your Glass
The National Brewers Association, having finally sobered up from trying all the craft beer in the land, has released its top 50 craft breweries in the country. Lost Coast Brewery made 37. (Pause for moment of local pride and hearty belch.) Check out the full list on the Huffington Post.
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Hiking for Three
When I found out I was pregnant with twins, my doctor suggested that I stick to “gentle stretching,” walking and swimming for exercise. That sounded like the most boring nine months ever. During my first trimester, the only time I didn’t feel nauseous was when I was eating or being active, so I ran, biked […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
I only ever see the plumes of smoke shooting up from the behemoth of a barbecue stand at the Eureka Veterans Hall when I’ve already eaten. So when we drove by last week on the way to lunch, I hollered at my colleague to pull over, which she did, Transporter style. Bracing. There are no […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Otter Spotter
While hiking the King Range, I saw a flash of brown just up Cooksie Creek. Then a splash. The small, slicked head of a Lontra canadensis created a gentle wake as it spiraled upstream away from me. The river otter kept a wary eye but never stopped its aquabatics until I entered the creek to […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Old Ale, New Tricks
The Local Beer Bar is celebrating its second birthday on Saturday by releasing an anniversary ale whipped up with Eel River Brewery — a vanilla eisbier aptly named Stop, Collaborate and Listen (price TBA). Why? Because it’s iced, iced, baby. What? We were all thinking it. And in one of the most scandalous abuses of […]
Posted inEat + Drink
The Veal Deal
Some days call for a fancy lunch. Birthdays, meeting friends you haven’t seen in a while, brutal weeks at the office — eating something wadded in paper will not do. You need little bread plates, ironed tablecloths and a plate of something slightly romantic that required deglazing and reducing. Sadly, not all of these days […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
King of the World
Stands of manzanita and groves of knobcone and sugar pine grow within sight of the ocean. Redwoods are nearly absent. Golden eagles ride the thermals along the ridges, and you can find rattlesnakes right down to the edge of the beach. All this makes exploring the King Range National Conservation Area a unique experience in […]