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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2015)
Readers’ choice awards BEST FINE DINING, BEST BURGER, BEST DESSERTS, BEST CLAM CHOWDER & BEST CHEF Every Wednesday night during the school year, the Depot hosts Burger Night, where diners create the burger of their dreams from a seemingly endless list of topping choices. years the building spent as a neighborhood tavern, on this night only, the Depot abandons its regular menu for %XUJHU1LJKWDFRPPXQLW\IDYRULWHWKDW¿OOVWKHKRXVH The fare is simple, but epic: Limited only by their own imaginations, guests mark choices on printed slips at the table and create their own burgers by selecting type RISDWW\EHHIEXIIDORRUJULOOHGSRUWREHOORPXVKURRP then choosing as many toppings as they want from a list that includes all the traditional favorites and then some FRQVLGHUDSLQHDSSOHULQJRUDIULHGHJJPD\EHDVPDW tering of hot peppers). Seaview, Washington Not in the mood for a burger? Always available, Lalewicz’s chowder — teeming with chopped razor Story and photos by your favorite hoodie, you can count on feasting like a clams and whole Willapa Bay steamers — sings with WKHÀDYRUVRIJDUOLFDQGOHHNDQGKDVDOHJHQGDU\ORFDO PRQDUFKDQGJHWWLQJWUHDWHGOLNHRQHWRR LYNETTE RAE McADAMS following. Deep in the heart of historic Seaview, Washington, Best Burger, And then there’s dessert — the course whose only tucked back quietly on the corner of 38th and L places, ÀDZOLHVLQKDYLQJWRPDNHDFKRLFH Best Clam Chowder, Best Desserts there’s a tiny fold in the otherwise orderly fabric of the Six nights a week, fancy food might be the Depot’s Up to seven scrumptious offerings adorn the menu JDVWURQRPLFXQLYHUVHD¿VVXUHLQWKHVSDFHWLPHFRQWLQ forte, but drop in any Wednesday during the school year, every night — each worthy of an independent award. uum of modern cuisine. It’s a place that looks forward and you’ll be amazed at the way the place knows how Among them: chocolate espresso pot de creme, tiramisu, and back all at once without blinking; a spot where you WROHWLWVKDLUGRZQ,QDNLQGRIKRPDJHWRWKHVRPH DQGSHUKDSVWKHZRUOG¶VPRVWSHUIHFWYDQLOODEHDQÀDQ can cross three oceans but never leave the dock. With SULGHDQGZLWKSDVVLRQLWZDONVWKH¿QHOLQHRIDQLGHQWLW\ FULVLVZLWKRXWHYHUORVLQJLWVVRXO,W¶VWKH'HSRW5HVWDX BEST FINE DINING rant — an extraordinary 900 square feet of space in this Runner-up: Bridgewater world, where they somehow manage to get everything Bistro, Astoria right. It’s one thing to be well known for a particular kind Honorable Mention: T. RIIRRGRUDWPRVSKHUH²VRPHVLQJOHHOHPHQWWKDWHQ Paul’s Supper Club, Astoria capsulates your brand and consistently lets you shine. But balancing multiple acts takes a whole different set BEST CLAM of skills — and it’s something the Depot does superbly. CHOWDER Defending their longstanding Readers’ Choice Award Runner-up: Norma’s titles in four different dining categories again this year, Ocean Diner, Seaside DQGURXQGLQJLWDOORXWZLWKD¿UVWWLPHZLQLQWKHQHZO\ created award for Best Chef, it’s time to take a closer look Honorable Mention: at what makes this place so exceptional. Mo’s, Cannon Beach One of seven nightly desserts, the Depot Restaurant’s sorbet duo changes regularly, based on the freshest fruit available. This photo shows the de- lectable combination of blackberry and pineapple, with a sidekick sugar cookie, all made from scratch. 14 | January 29, 2015 | coastweekend.com The Beach The Depot Best Fine Dining Michael Lalewicz, co-owner and executive chef at the Depot Restaurant in Seaview, Washington, applies his special blend of seasonings to two 14-ounce rib-eye steaks. BEST CHEAP DATE, BEST PLACE FOR A PICNIC & BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION BEST DESSERTS +RXVHGLQD\HDUROGWUDLQVWDWLRQRQFHSDUWRI Runner-up: Bridgewater WKHIDPRXV³&ODPVKHOO5DLOURDG´WKDWRSHUDWHGDFFRUG Bistro, Astoria ing to the tides), the charm of the Depot is apparent from WKHPRPHQW\RXVWHSWKURXJKWKHGRRU([FOXVLYHO\DGLQ Honorable Mention: ner house, the restaurant glows with soft lighting, and the Frite & Scoop, Astoria ZDUPWKWKDWJUHHWV\RXRQDUULYDORQHSDUWKHDWIURPWKH EXV\NLWFKHQRQHSDUWSHUIHFWKRVSLWDOLW\VHWVWKHVWDJH BEST BURGER for a great experience. 2ZQHGDQGRSHUDWHGE\WKHKXVEDQGDQGZLIHWHDP Runner-up: Buoy Beer Michael Lalewicz and Nancy Gorshe, the restaurant Co., Astoria KXPVZLWKDSDVVLRQIRUH[FHOOHQFHEXWLWQHYHUIHHOVLQ Honorable Mention: timidating or pretentious. Describing their establishment Albatross, Astoria DV³FDVXDO¿QHGLQLQJ´WKHHYHUJUDFLRXV*RUVKHLVTXLFN to insist that patrons arrive comfortably dressed to their BEST CHEF RZQWDVWH²LW¶VRQO\WKHIRRGWKDW¶VUHTXLUHGWREHH[ quisite. Runner-up: Marco Davis, And is it ever. Columbian Cafe, Astoria $FURVVDPHQXRIIHULQJÀDYRUVVSDQQLQJDWOHDVWIRXU Honorable Mention: FRQWLQHQWV/DOHZLF]¶VWDOHQWVFRPHWKURXJKOLNHDEHD Geoff Gunn, Bridgewater con, illuminating the palate with dishes like Greek lamb Bistro, Astoria PHDWEDOOV RYHU SDUPHVDQ ULVRWWR DQG SDQVHDUHG GXFN EUHDVWLQD¿J0DUVDODJOD]H$GGDQLPSUHVVLYHLQWHU national wine list and an expert team of friendly servers, The Depot Restaurant’s “Clamshell Railroad Clams Chowder,” made to order in a creamy broth, features whole wild Willapa Bay steamers and whether you show up in a suit and tie, or jeans and and chopped Pacific razor clams. Clatsop County, Oregon or Pacifi c County, Washington By DWIGHT CASWELL Laura Gilgore and Brianna Warfi eld, two long-time Depot servers, hold baskets of custom-built char-grilled burgers during the Depot’s popular Burger Night, which takes place every Wednesday during the school year. Here’s what’s odd: As desserts go, they’re really not ÀDPER\DQWEXWWKH\DUHVXEOLPH²HDFKRQHWKHHSLW ome of its class. Best Chef That same drive for perfection that permeates every aspect of a Depot experience can all be boiled down to Lalewicz — a Detroit native who recalls that, growing XSKLV3ROLVKKRXVHKROGZDV¿OOHGZLWKWKHVPHOORIJDU lic, tomatoes and vinegar. Looking back on the moment KH¿UVWIHOWDGHHSFRQQHFWLRQWRFRRNLQJKHGHVFULEHVD morning spent alone in the kitchen, caramelizing onions to accompany a fried egg. He remembers his fascination as the onions danced LQWKHPHOWHGEXWWHU²WKHZD\WKH\FKDQJHGWRDVKLQ ing translucent, their edges rimmed with gold; and how the egg, nestled there in the center of it all, gurgled and thickened against the heat of the pan as all the aromas GHHSHQHG([SHULPHQWLQJKHWDVWHGDQGUHPDGHWKHGLVK WKUHHWLPHVEHIRUHKHZDVVDWLV¿HGZLWKLW²MXVWDVDQ\ exceptional chef would do. But at the time, he was only 8 years old. 7RGD\LQKLVUHVWDXUDQW¶VVPDOOEXWPDJLFDOGLVSOD\ NLWFKHQ/DOHZLF]LVREYLRXVO\OLJKW\HDUVEH\RQGOHDUQ ing the intricacies of an onion, but that same quest for and DWWHQWLRQWRTXDOLW\VWLOOÀRZVWKURXJKKLVZRUNHYROY ing over the years into a philosophy of cooking he calls “complex simplicity.” $LPLQJDOZD\VWRHQKDQFHDQGKRQHWKHLQKHUHQWFKDU acteristics of his ingredients, he crafts every single element RIDGLVKIURPVFUDWFKEXLOGLQJOD\HUDIWHUOD\HURIFRP SOLPHQWLQJÀDYRUVXQWLOWRJHWKHUDOOWKLQJVDUHHOHYDWHG It’s a masterful art, but Lalewicz laughs it off humbly: “I just surround myself with the very best ingredients I can, and then try not to mess it up.” 7KHUHVXOWVDUHDQLQQRYDWLYHVW\OHRI1RUWKZHVWFXL VLQHWKDWFRPELQHVWKHGHGLFDWLRQDQGWHFKQLTXHRID¿QH )UHQFKELVWURZLWKDOOWKHDXWKHQWLFLW\DQGVORZFKXUQHG love of a soul food cafe. 2IFRXUVHIRU/DOHZLF]VDWLVIDFWLRQLQKLVOLIH¶VHQ deavor doesn’t come from producing fabulous food DORQHIRUKLPMR\DUULYHVRQDQHPSW\SODWH²SUHIHUD bly one that’s been licked clean. “When you make somebody happy and they tell you,” he says, grinning, “that’s everything.” When informed that she had won three “Bests” in Coast Weekend’s 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards, Beach refused to take full credit. “It was teamwork,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without Ocean, Sun and Sky. “Without them I’d be nothing more than sand, but together we make the most beautiful waves and dunes — and the sunsets! Sun does so much with Sky’s clouds! “And of course we have a marvelous VXSSRUWLQJ FDVW $UHQ¶W WKH ELUGV ZRQ derful? And let’s not forget the molluscs. $ORWRISHRSOHYLVLWPHMXVWIRUWKHPRO luscs.” :KHQDVNHGZKDWVKHWKRXJKWRIEH ing named Best Cheap Date, Beach said, “I wish they hadn’t put it like that.” One of Sky’s clouds passed over, momentarily darkening Beach, but she EULJKWHQHGLPPHGLDWHO\³,WKLQNRIP\ self as low maintenance. It’s true that I’m free and easy, but that’s not such a EDGWKLQJLVLW",RQO\KRSH\RXVWLOOUH spect me when it’s over. As you turn to look at me one last time, all I ask is that you don’t litter.” Locals take great pride in keeping our beaches clean. Volunteers are always welcome. For more information, visit the GrassRoots Garbage Gang at ourbeach.or, SOLV at solv.org or check out the Beach Drive Buccaneers on Facebook. Photo by Alex Pajunas Guilibaldo Gonzalez, left, of Newberg, and his wife, Wendy, stoop to pick up garbage during SOLVE’s Treasure the Beach Cleanup on a brisk January morning in Seaside. Photo by Damian Mulinix Walking the beach on Fourth of July, you never know what you might encounter, such as a teenager buried up to his armpits in the sand. BEST CHEAP DATE Runner-up: Columbian Theater, Astoria Honorable Mention: Astoria Sunday Market BEST PLACE FOR A PICNIC Runner-up: Astoria Column Honorable Mention: Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION Runner-up: Astoria Column Honorable Mention: Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach Photo by Andrew Tonry Watching the sunset at the beach in Seaside is a sight not to be missed. January 29, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 15
