Tag Archives: Hole-in-the -Wall

“Best of the North Coast”? Yeah, right.

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The Times-Standard published its “Readers’ Choice Awards” this morning. We’ve had a lot of fun with these lists in the past and they will never be credible until the T-S starts publishing their tabulations (and a system to prevent duplicate voting).  Still,  they’re a basis for discussion. And some of them are actually well-deserved. 

I was pleased to see that Bob’s Footlong retained its rightful place on the top of the hot dog pyramid. I don’t know what it is about Bob’s that makes their dogs taste so good but I rarely go to Fortuna without stopping by.  It is gratifying to see Eureka’s AA Bar & Grill retain its rightful place at the head of the “steak” list and CC Market is definitely a great caterer. But I have a quibble with listing Hole-in-the-Wall as BOTH “Best Delicatessen” and “Best Sandwich Shop”.  It is a great sandwich shop but if you’ve ever been to Cantor’s or David’s or Katz’s,  you know that Hole-in-the-Wall is a sandwich shop, not a deli.  We are long overdue for a REAL kosher deli up here. I don’t know if I’ll live to see it.

I was really surprised  to see Ferndale’s Ivanhoe listed as the “Best Restaurant, (Overall)”. Really? Anyone been there? What do you think?

Finally,  I was pleased to see Redwood Acres recycling receive some recognition. This is one of my favorite businesses in  Humboldt County.  Great people, and they make the recycling experience almost fun. 

So what do you think of the “Best of the North Coast”?  Did they get it right?  Did they leave out your favorite? Let us know what you think!

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“The Best of the North Coast” Redux

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It’s that time of year again.  I just now noticed that the Times-Standard always posts it’s “Best” list on April Fool’s Day. Good move.

This year’s list didn’t have any major gaffes like last years (darn) which proclaimed the STILL unfinished Holiday Inn on Broadway in Eureka as one of the winners.  There were a few surprises. Porter Street BBQ won over Humboldt Smoke House, which surprised me, and I thought the Banana Hut was an excellent choice for Best Business Lunch- good food and you can walk to it from anywhere downtown. I don’t agree that Ramone’s is the best bakery although they’re certainly among the most expensive. I’m a Cherry Blossom fan, myself.

Hole-in-the-Wall, the Hunan in Henderson Center, Brick & Fire, and Bob’s Footlong’s (Fortuna) all got their props. Happy Donuts, next to the new VA office, won for Best Donuts, but they really should have won for “Best Cheap Lunch”.  They have a platter with three spring rolls with dipping sauce for $4.99 and if you don’t like cilantro you can call the night before and they’ll make you a cilantro-less version and set it aside for you. The donuts are pretty good, too.

I DO find it hard to believe that Shamus T Bone’s steaks beat out the AA’s. That will bear investigating.

But the prize for “Most Ironic” choice is The Works as favorite source for CD’s/Records/Tapes.  The beloved store has lost much of its business since the move to larger quarters on “C” Street and is in a precarious situation. So go down there and BUY something if you want your favorite to survive. Support ALL our local  businesses with your wallets, not just your admiration. Admiration don’t pay the bills.

No foolin’. 

What Eureka Needs- an Early Christmas List for Entrepreneurs

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     Since it seems that every day I go past another shuttered business, we obviously have retail and office space to spare. Why not seize the situation as an opportunity to fill those spaces with businesses we actually NEED in town and to encourage entrepreneurs to meet those needs? Okay, here’s my  list.

A GOOD KOSHER DELI  Those healthy delis at Co-Op and ENF don’t count. Not enough cholesterol. A warm, juicy, greasy pastrami san with a latke or two can rejuvenate your soul for a week.  The pastrami Reuben at Hole-in-the- Wall is close, but where’s the chicken liver? The  matzoh ball soup? We await our deliverance.

MORE PARKING  IN HENDERSON CENTER  The situation is just on the edge of being too crowded and if the Henderson Center Market Place or anything else ever comes to roost in the old Robert’s space or along Henderson Street, the tipping point will have been reached. The demise of the Go Go Bistro, a nice little lunch spot with an unusual  menu,is truly sad, and I wouldn’t  be surprised if parking was one of the contributing factors. By the way,  it was reported in the media that Esmeralda’s restaurant on Grotto was the target of an arson attack. If so, the firebugs must have had pretty poor aim.  The morning after, Esmeralda’s was open for lunch with nary a scratch but the building NEXT to it, further  toward “G” was boarded up and as of today was sporting a “For Sale” sign. Parking’s pretty good on that block, by the way.

A RELIABLE SHUTTLE BETWEEN EUREKA AND REDDING enabling travelers to bypass our ill-located and unreliable airport. The first person to do this legally will make some money.  There are already wildcat outfits going after this market. Check Craig’s List. And how about a shuttle to Eugene? You can pick up the AMTRAK there.

HUMBOLDT-MADE YOGURT from local cows. Not that frozen stuff, real yogurt. 

TAKEOUT CHICKEN With the departure of KFC (the closest now is in Fortuna) and the fact that its sort-of replacement, Church’s, is execrable, we are left with Winco which is meh and COSTCO which is a whole different thing, being rotisserie vs. fried. When you go for takeout chicken you don’t want healthy, although El Pollo Loco is delicious and I’d be a regular if someone opened one here. Anyone? I’d be a regular at Chic-Fil-A too if they ever made it up here, even with their weird management and policies (closed on Sundays.)

GYROS  Having to drive to Valley West to the Kebab Cafe is just wrong. At one time  Simon was talking about opening in Eureka.  Hurry, Simon! and finally

KOREAN FOOD  Since that place near the Arcata Safeway closed, there is nothing. How can we have an Ethiopean restaurant in Eureka but no Korean?  Bad show.

     So come on, entrepreneurs, here are your pockets of opportunity.  I imagine you folks can think of some more felt needs around town. Let’s hear from you!

 

“The Best of the North Coast”- really?

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Where's my room??

Where’s my room??

Everyone loves lists, and I’m sure the North Coast business community pays close attention to the Times-Standard’s annual “Best of the North Coast” supplement that was just  published.

I find the list fascinating but everyone wonders the same thing: do these choices really reflect public opinion or is this more like when you were running for prom king or queen in high school and you had to go around and get your friends to vote for you.  Do the winners really represent “the people’s choice” or do they merely reflect organized campaigns in which employees and friends are “reminded” to cast their ballots? The editor states that “We hand-counted thousands of votes”.  I wonder why, the next time they do this, couldn’t they publish the actual counts? Then we’d know if the Kabob Cafe won the title “Best Place for a Business Lunch” by a margin of 3 votes or 40.  That was one of the weirder choices, to me. I love their food but I can’t see having a business lunch there, not if you need privacy.

Their winner in the “Hotel” category was very strange.  They listed the Holiday Inn at 2223 4th Street in Eureka although that property has been a Clarion for at least twelve years and the pleasant ladies at the front desk informed me there are no plans to revert to Holiday Inn status. Even more bizarre, they included, as a winner, the construction site on Broadway and Wabash where a Holiday Inn IS under construction but I find it hard to believe that it garnered votes as anyone’s favorite place to stay, considering there’s no roof yet.  Still, when you’re “hand counting thousands of votes” I suppose a few anomalies slip in.

I was pleased to see that a few of my favorite establishments were recognized.  The AA does have the best steaks, Hole in the Wall does have the best sandwiches, C&C Market does do a remarkable job of catering and McCrea Nissan where I have received the best service in my experience was honored, although paired with Mid-City Motors where I received the worst.  They shouldn’t  have categories where there are only one or two providers. St. Joseph’s vs  Mad River?  Apples and oranges.

Anyway, thanks to the Times-Standard for the supplement, which I always save for incoming visitors. Next year, let’s see the actual counts.  Might be interesting.