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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2016)
The Mouth wants to hear from you Local food is heading into exciting territory, and the next year holds plenty of adventure L ast week I highlighted some of the top restaurants I reviewed in $s ¿ ve of those si[ opened in the last two years, I concluded that dining in the region is on the rise. But you don’t have to take my word for it. At the Iron Chef Goes Coastal event in November I was afforded the opportunity to chat for a moment with judge Vitaly Pa- ley, who is known as one of the forefathers of Portland’s restaurant revolution. I want- ed to know what the renowned restauran- teur saw happening with food on the North Coast. ³I think, by e[tension, Portland is grow- ing, and all the surrounding communities take cues and work well off one another,” Paley said. “(You) have amazing product here to work with, all the seafood. We’re right smack in the middle of some of the best growing area. And this has been the most amazing growing season, to begin with. “Portland is just a bigger city with a lot more people and a lot more restaurants,” Paley continued. “It takes the ante up. We all compete against each other, but it’s a friendly competition. But the ambition is high and I think it rubs off on all the sur- rounding communities.” I couldn’t agree more. And, as I see it, the boiling food and economic climates in Portland — and oth- er nearby metropolitan areas, like Seattle — will continue to buoy our local Colum- bia-Pacific scene. As a growing food des- tination, more and more chefs are getting both advanced and eclectic training in Port- land. And as the cost of living there contin- ues to grow, and the competition becomes more intense, the coast becomes a more at- tractive place to both live and start a busi- ness. Astoria’s Street 14 Cafe and Frite & Scoop are e[cellent e[amples of such mi- gration. But chefs aren’t the only entrepreneurs finding value in the North Coast. First-gen- 12 | January 7, 2016 | coastweekend.com eration farms, farmers and ranchers — like 46 North, R-evolution Gardens and Skama- kowa Creamery — are producing e[cellent foods that in turn provide inspiration and opportunity to local chefs. So yes, I — like Paley — am e[cited about where local food is heading. But enough about me. I want to know about you. I want to know your favorite restaurants, and I want to know your favorite dishes. I want to know where you’ve been surprised, impressed, let down, and where you can al- ways count on. Also, what kind of cuisine would you most like to see on the coast? What kind of food are you sick of? What always ends up on your plate and never gets eaten? What’s underrated? What’s overrated? I also want to know what you think about this column. What’s most helpful? Contact The Mouth Write an email: mouth@coastweekend.com Read old reviews: coastweekend.com/cw/reviews Like on Facebook: Coast Weekend or Coast Dining Submitted image Where have I gone wrong? Where do I need to go? What do I need to try? What restaurant deserves a second look? (This includes reviews by past Mouths.) Also, are you interested in columns that focus on food at large, such as the Food and Drug Administration’s recent approv- al of genetically modified salmon as fit for human consumption? Would a profile of a farm or farmer be interesting? Furthermore, are there any vegetarians/ vegans out there reading? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I don’t want to leave you out. What are your favorite spots? Who does the best job not only meeting your mouth OF THE COLUMBIA COAST WEEKEND’S LOCAL RESTAURANT REVIEW Story by THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA • mouth@coastweekend.com needs, but e[ceeding them? To these questions, I invite you to email me: mouth@coastweekend.com. But even that begs another question: Are there better ways to engage than email? While I abso- lutely welcome story comments on coast- weekend.com, I try to respond personally to every email — even the persnickety ones. Also, are you able to easily find ar- chived columns? And while we run a spe- cific Coast Dining Facebook page, would any other services or apps — like Twitter, Instagram, etc. — be helpful, or more con- ducive to continuing the conversation? Now, we’ll get back to our regularly scheduled review programming ne[t week. But before we do, I want to leave you with one final thought. Taking over as The Mouth has been a marvelous, eye-opening e[perience. I’m learning so much every day — not only about restaurants on the North Coast, but about the nature of food, cooking, dining and eating. As when I began, I remain hum- ble, hat in hand, knowing only that I have so much more to learn. I suppose that’s one of the things about food that’s so great — as both an art and a science, one can never know it all, nor e[haust its potentials for creativity. It’s the kind of subject capable of fueling a lifelong practice and passion. And for the opportu- nity to further e[plore this world, I remain your grateful servant. So, now, tell me about you.
