Category Archives: Eating Out

SHORT RIBS AND RANDOM THOUGHTS Sept 18 2018

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– Weird Phone Calls: I got a call supposedly from Apple ordering me to call 877 252 7540. When I googled the number, it came up as a scam. I wonder if they even USE phones at Apple?   I also got a robocall, supposedly from United Healthcare, telling me to call but the recording was so bad I couldn’t understand it. When I called the number on the back of my card, the rep said it was a scam.  Just sayin’.

IS Chic-Fil-A coming to Mt Shasta Mall??? Lots of rumors from the Searchlight-Record. Like THIS.

This will be a dilemma  for CFA fanatics like me.   NO,  it is not okay to drive two hours for a sandwich!  Is it?

OUR NO-CLASS PRESIDENT continues to distinguish himself by trashing the victims of last years’ Hurricane so he can aggrandize himself.  Thank God he’ll be gone soon.   Meanwhile the damage from Florence is still being assessed.  We stayed a couple of days in New Bern few years ago in a B&B beautifully appointed and preserved. The proprietors  were Christians and wanted  us to pray before breakfast. We cheerfully complied.  I hope those prayers did them some good.  New Bern is a beautiful little town which contains the oldest school house in the US, from the 1600’s. Prayers for all the victims.

IS BRETT KAVANAUGH A RAPIST or a would-be rapist?  I don’t know and I’m not sure I care. I don’t have much respect for  people who sit on grievances for years and then bring them forth, but it’s not politically correct these days to question them.  I hope he’s rejected  for his weasel testimony,  not for  this last-minute character question.

THE BENBOW EFFECT-  For the last few years, my family has been having its summer reunion at the Benbow.  We skipped last year because of the big construction project and were eager to see how the place looked.  The new construction has been done so artfully it’s unobtrusive.  You could walk right past the new entrance.  But they haven ruined anything, only enhanced. I asked for an ADA room and was placed in the new 4th floor, where the rooms have been constructed out of what used to be offices. The bathroom was huge! We were apprehensive because there had been a rash of negative Yelp reviews  I swear to God, I can’t figure out why.  The service was snappy and the food was  better than ever. We were there during the week and there were no weddings or the like going on but the eight of us gave the staff a workout.  The youngster who adjusted our cooler was from Serbia. We loved the  lox benedict and of course the salmon was good.  We love going down during Christmas.  For $12 you get a world-class lunch and you’ll feel like a millionaire for a couple of days.  Works for me, anyway.

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SHORT RIBS AND RANDOM THOUGHTS- May 21 2018

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“CRACKS IN HIGHWAY”– I hope to God I never drive down a road and see a highway marker warning of upcoming cracks in the highway such as they’re experiencing  on the Big Island.  Of course, my heart goes out to those who live their because it’s their ancestral home but those subdivisions look to me like recent construction,  funded by those who wanted cheap housing and decided to take their chances. WHO would want to live on a volcano?  Not me. The feng shui must be horrible.

COLD CUTS?  There’s a mortuary on Winding Way in FairOaks which is being converted to a restaurant. I wish them the best. I wonder what they’ll call it? The Cold  Room?  The Chiller?  I’ll be following this one.

SEAMUS T BONES:  I’m surprised to find myself posting a second good review of ST Bones,  the kind of place I usually don’t  like.  We dropped in in mid-afternoon when the place was almost empty and the server at first gave us only the bar menu,  which is extensive,   but then we were told we could order anything.  I stuck with the bar menu and had a beef slider which was excellent and a taco which was okay, plus an order of fried green beans which came with a nice chipotle mayo. ($5 for each) My friend got ziti with slices of prime rib ($16 I think. These  guys never have their full menu online) and it was a rich gooey mess with lots of cheese.  Definitely satisfying. I had crossed them off our list due to an unfortunate incident with a hair in some soup but everything was fine on our return visit. We’ll be back.   BTW they’re pushing  a new “dry-aged ” steaks treatment.

PASTA LUEGO- Have you checked out this place on the ground floor of Jacoby’s Storehouse?  The sell FRESH pasta and the best sandwiches you ever had. Highly recommended. Try the bucatini!  It’s a tubular pasta which some folks liken to eating a bunch of rubber hoses but I think it’s wonderful . http://www.cocopastaluego.com/

GIULIANI- WHY does the same expression occur to me every time I see him, as in “There’s no fool like an old fool”.  He was NEVER “America’s mayor”.  He was a godawful asshole as NYC’s mayor, racist and divisive just like now. He and Trump are busily destroying what is left of the Trump administration, the most corrupt and inept in history,  which is good.  The two dotards in action.

TRUMP/GATES:  I hope you all got to see the clip they were running on CNNN this weekend of Bill Gates recounting his meetings with Our Fake President.  Trump asked him TWICE what the difference was between HIV and HPV when left  the meeting by car so that he could make a helicopter entrance. The man is sick.

GRUB HUB: I saw so many of those commercials I started wondering what I could order.  Unfortunately the only restaurant that comes up currently  on their website is Tandoori Bites which already has a delivery service.  I’m not real big on Indian food but I do like shrimp curry and I just might try them.  $35 minimum for delivery.   http://www.tandooribitesindiancuisine.com/

THANK GOD HE’S GONE-  Kevin McKenny is finally bailing from the Planning Commission to which he should have never been appointed. His appointment was almost as bad as that jackass who was running the PD’s department until recently.  HOW can experienced Supes, with all the resources of the County behind them,  make such poor appointments?  Another indicator for my “two terms and out”  approach.

GUNS- The logical first step toward better gun control is to make parents liable for the mayhem their unsupervised kids cause.  Starting yesterday.

BATTLEBOTS is BACK, on Ch 31 (Discovery Channel on Suddenlink)  and ot a minute too soon.  AND the guilty pleasure show of all time, 90 Day Fiancee, is back on TLC.  I’ll watch but they will never have a trainwreck couple as good as Mohammed and Danielle.  Stay tuned.

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SHORT RIBS AND RANDOM THOUGHTS Oct 30 2017

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PLAGIARISM hits the Mad River Union-  Check out their latest issue.  They had to fire their sports editor and what a blow to a small community paper. Jack and Kevin put out a great paper.  What a shame!

According to the Biz News papers, Santa Rosa lost fully 5% of their housing stock in the fire. Will folks be moving up here as a result? I was pleased to find out that the Sandman, the handiest, most affordable motel in SR, made it through the fire. I must have stayed there a dozen times when I worked for the State. Glad they made it through.

Last week’s  New Yorker had a piece about Mike Pence that was a lot more interesting than it had any right to be.  Did you know that he served 12 years in Congress without having  a single bill passed?  Talk about useless!  Javanka  apparently pushed him for Veep. I’ve claimed since our trip last year that Indiana is the weirdest State.

LIU’S -is not dead, they’re only sleeping or on vacation.  We pulled into their parking lot Friday to find they’d posted a sign saying they would be closed until November15th.  Hope they’re having a good time!   Liu’s is a good dependable  restaurant.  I like their broccoli beef and the hot and sour soup.

MORE BAD NEWS-  the Benbow construction project, which was supposed to be competed about now, is not.   They’re talking December but that’s just gossip. I hope they’ll be able to recover from the loss of revenue. People are still staying there, but I’m sure they’ve had lots of cancellations.  We cancelled my birthday party there  because of the construction.  Hurry back, Benbow!  We need you. There was no finer place to have a drink and some lunch than the old bar and I’m sure the replacement will be equally wonderful.  Especially on a winter day.

Didja notice that Trump gave himself a “10” for his handling of the Puerto Rico crisis? With 80% of the power still out? He must grade on a curve.

Does anyone watch the North Coast News on Ch 7? Have you noticed any rightwing propaganda yet? Please let me know if you do. That was supposed to be the result of the recent sale to Sinclair.  If you see clips with Sebastian Gorka commentaries, that’s a tell.

HSU FOOTBALL- I went to my first HSU football game when I was 17. It was also my last, but I do hope they’ll  be able to salvage the  program. At this point,  it seems the community wants it more than the  school does. There IS something beautiful about a football game on a Fall day except that the players break their necks. Would anyone show up for flag football? Why not?

EUREKA is going all-out  for Hallowe’en this year. I’ve never seen so many displays. Will we see a lot of Trump masks?   Would go well with a Dracula costume. You’re welcome.

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Short Ribs and Random Thoughts

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Though I’d call our short takes this week “short ribs”. This county, like Napoleon’s army, lives on its stomach.

Eating Out:   we had out of town company and ended up unexpectedly in two  Asian places I hadn’t tried.  The A&J Ichiban had had some so-so reviews but we found it delightful.  I didn’t take notes but the food was fine. Good service, too. Will definitely be back.  The other was the Siam Orchid, tucked behind the lock shop at 4th and V Streets.   The shrimp curry was so good I took the sauce home in a little box. Again, we will return.

Dumping on Uber- seems to be the new cottage industry. I don’t CARE what happens to  their goofy CEO, I don’t CARE what happens to anyone there, I just want to  salute their magnificent software that AWAYS  WORKS. My friend got a ride to ACV the morning he left, no hassles. Like Obamacare,  now that we’re used to it, it won’t go away. Hopefully.

Old Town Sac- There are plans to our a lot of money into ti to make OTS a destination “such as Beale Street or the French Quarter”.  Well, Beale Street is nothing special but I’d sure like to see them do something with Old Sac.  Some former Disney Imagineers are apparently involved.  Read about it HERE.

Short Takes and Random Thoughts

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Here is a miscellany of what’s been rambling around my brain.

MURPHY’S CUTTEN gets 4 stars for customer service.  I emailed then demanding to know why they were cutting off the BBQ at 3pm when there are 15,000 Cutten residents going past their door everyday who would love to take home some burgers or chicken.  Lo and behold manager Travis emailed me back that they will be keeping it going till 6pm M-F. That’s more like it!  Their burgers are GOOD.

NIXON/TRUMP  The last few days have been bizarre for those of us old enough to have watched every minute of the Watergate hearings, 40 years ago this week. CNN had a retrospective over the weekend and the similarities between what was being said about Nixon THEN and Trump NOW are astounding. “Isolated” is just the beginning.

THE FITZGERALD-  let’s take a few moment to mourn the loss of seven young sailors who  died a horrible death aboard the Fitzgerald.  Doesn’t matter whose fault this will turn out to be.  It’s just tragic.

BOOK CLUB-  I don’t read enough  books.  Who does? But at the behest of one of our readers I went to the Humboldt County library and checked out their copy of Evicted:  Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond..   It was one of the NYT’s 10 beat books last year and it is a terrific and harrowing read. I’ll return it before the end of the month.

REST IN PEACE:  Mrs Maureen Johanneson  who was my teacher at EHS in my tenth grade.  We were in her class when JFK was shot.  She was a wonderful person and wonderful teacher. Also, Fred Mangels, (Fred’s Humboldt Blog)  who I never met and seldom agreed with, has passed.  He was incredibly consistent in his blogging and was an inspiration to those of us who just can’t get it together daily.

THE WHITE HOUSE TAPES:  Isn’t it fairly obvious that there are none? If there were, Trump and his minions have had enough time to find them and erase them. Lordy, they’re gone!

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: His current show on CNN, Parts Unknown, is the best TV he’s ever done. Maybe CNN has a bigger budget that the travel Channel?  Parts Unknown is a beautiful show, fantastic photography.  Tape it. The show on Laos was particularly memorable.  

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Yo’ Mamma’s In Town

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While Donald Trump works furiously to destroy our republic, I want you to know we’re got our priorities straight.  We checked out the food truck pod on Broadway (between Mr Fish and Les Schwab) and discovered that ALL the denizens are there and open on Saturdays- Yo’ Mamma’s Fish & Shrimp, Southside Mike’s BBQ and  El Pueblo. Picked up another Southsider TriTip san ($11) from Mike’s and noticed he’s promising chicken livers and fries soon, ( $6) a great idea for those needing a budget option.

Now, about Yo’ Mamma’s. I hadn’t realized there was a demand for  high-end food trucks in Eureka, but that demand has now been satisfied.  The basic lunch at Yo’ Mamma’s, which features 5 jumbo shrimp, goes for $15. I decided to go lowclass and ordered the Fish & Chips, at $11.99.  The sign said that the F&C were made with sole, an unusual choice since sole  is a light fish that can fall apart in the frying. They give a LOT of fish , dusted with a Cajun seasoning that they don’t overdo. I had two pieces that were clearly sole and a big chunky piece which could not possibly have been sole – seemed like cod- all of which were delicious. They serve with a remoulade sauce and everything is delicious once you get past the sticker shock.  The fries are steak fries and are fine. They have something on the menu called garlic noodles that sounds interesting. The staff is warm and welcoming in true Nawlins fashion.

So can a food truck in Eureka break the $15 lunch barrier??  Guess we’ll find out.  Last time I had DINNER in NOLA I don’t think it cost $15 but whatever. The cost of living inches ever higher.

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Eureka’s Food Truck Pod

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They call them pods in Portland, hubs in other places. They’re semi-legit places where your local food purveyors can offer their wares without interference. WE HAVE ONE!  It’s next to Mr Fish on Broadway (between Mr Fish and Les Schwab) and the current occupants are Taco El Pueblo,  Yo’Mamma’s Fish & Shrimp and our ninja BBQ maestro SOUTHSIDE MIKE  who keeps disappearing and reappearing.  Right now he’s doing T-F, 11-7 at the Mr FIsh site and Saturdays 12-7 in Old Town.  I had his Southsider,  a tri-tip san that comes with fries for $11.99. His fries are fabulous.

Drop by soon to support our local food truck culture, and our local entrepreneurs.

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Gonsea Restaurant Closed- Now Reopened

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The Gonsea, that place on the way out of town at 2335 4th Street, has been closed by the County for health violations.

The Times-Standard’s account is HERE.

Personally, I wont miss the place.  We only ate there half a dozen times, were never impressed.  They were expensive and uninspired. I usually avoid restaurants that try to be both Chinese and Japanese at once. The Gonsea had a sign in front offering “Japanese sushi”.  Is there any other kind???  German sushi??? Polish sushi??

I also hated the name.  “Gonsea”,   it turns out  IS a legit Chinese name  meaning celebration or holiday.  But its a dumb name for a restaurant.  Invokes no food images or suggestions of deliciousness.  l say they might as well stay closed, although I hate to see folks losing their jobs.

May I suggest as alternatives the always -reliable Hunan in Henderson Center,  the Szechuan Village in Arcata or the good old China Buffet just down the street from the Gonsea in Eureka.  We’ve used the CB for parties.  Check out their catering menu! And if you have any other recommendations for Chinese, send them our way. We’d love to hear them.

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Zöe, we hardly knew you.

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Zöe, the upscale cafe in Henderson Center, is up for sale after barely a year in business.

The reviews all along were mixed. I only ate there once but I thought they had the  food down pretty well. There were a lot of complaints about the service. The owner has posted on the Zöe Facebook page that the closure is due to illness Damn shame,  and we  wish all the  best to her.  Ironically,  both Zöe AND The Diver had wood-fire pizza ovens so HC will be supplied for good pizza no matter who takes over Zöe.

Let’s hope that happens soon.  There is already an unhealthy amount of empty storefront space in everyone’s favorite neighborhood.  The patrons of The Diver are using the former Robert’s (“Henderson Center Marketplace”) parking lot and thank God it’s open because parking can definitely be tight.  I hate to see any business close.  Let’s hope someone can make that space work.

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