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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 2016)
La Cabana D Raya This gordita was fi lled with peppery chicken. The Readers’ Choice is a good one F For two years running you’ve crowned La Ca- bana D Raya “Best Latin Restaurant” in the Read- er s’ Choice Awards. So this week I’m shaking things up. Rather than giving a recommendation, I’m taking yours. 7KH ZHDWKHU RQ P\ ¿UVW WULS ZDV DEVROXWHO\ JRUJHRXV²VXQQ\FOHDUDQGZDUPLQ¿QLWHEOXH VN\WRJRZLWKIUHVKO\VXQNLVVHGFKHHNV ,WIHOWOLNHWKH¿UVWGD\RIVSULQJDQGFHUWDLQO\ KLJKOLJKWHG/D&DEDQD¶VXQLTXHORFDWLRQ²VWHSV IURPWKHZDWHUDWWKHVRXWKHQGRIWKHROG<RXQJV Bay Bridge. :KLOH EULVN ZLQGV SUHFOXGHG RXWGRRU GLQLQJ WKHODUJHZHVWIDFLQJZLQGRZVRIIHUHGVZHHSLQJ YLHZVRIWKHED\DQGDQDEXQGDQFHRIQDWXUDOOLJKW 2QHJURXSRYHUZKHOPHGE\EHDPVUHIUDFWLQJRII WKHZDWHUVZDSSHGWDEOHVIRURQHOHVVVXQQ\ 'HVSLWHDSLFWXUHVTXHORFDOH/D&DEDQDLVD IXQN\ ROG EXLOGLQJ ODVKHG WRJHWKHU UDWWOHG EXW VWLOO XSULJKW 6DOYDJHG ERRWKV GLIIHU ZDOOV FRU QHUVDQGFHLOLQJVKDYHJDSVUHSDLUHGZLWKXQ¿Q LVKHGSO\ZRRGDQGSUHVVERDUG7KHFKHFNHUHGWLOH ÀRRUVHHPVOHVVWKDQOHYHO:LWKGLSVDQGEXPSVLW VORSHVVOLJKWO\WRZDUGWKHED\7KHZDOOVDUHGHF RUDWHGZLWKEUDQGHGDGYHUWLVHPHQWVDQGFRORUIXO Mexican ephemera. Rough and scuffed as it is, the ED\SURYLGHVSOHQW\RIJHQWOHDPELDQFH On this evening the restaurant was packed and EXVWOLQJ2QHFXVWRPHUWROGPHLWZDVDOZD\VWKLV way. A steady stream of take out orders came and ZHQWWRR0DQ\RIWKHPZHUHSUHSDUHGTXLFNO\ HQRXJKZKHUHWKHZDLWZDVPLQLPDO$OORIWKH FXVWRPHUV ZHUH KDQGOHG E\ RQH ZDLWUHVV ZKR DEVROXWHO\FUXVKHGLW6KHGLGVRHI¿FLHQWO\ZLWK understanding and gracious cheer. Of everything I had at La Cabana, nothing FDPH FORVH WR WKH (PSDQDGDV ² WKH\ ZHUH DEVROXWHO\ GHOLJKWIXO 'HHSIULHG JROG HQEURZQHGÀDN\RQWKHRXWVLGHVRIWDQGVWHDP ing on the inside, it was as good as any pastry I’ve had on the North Coast. So warm, cozy and invit- LQJ,ZDQWHGWRFUDZOLQVLGH ,QHDFKRIWKHWZRGRXJK\ORYHEXQGOHV,KDGD GLIIHUHQWSRUN:KLOHHDFKZRUNHG,UHFRPPHQG WKHDOSDVWRUZKRVHVHDVRQLQJDQGVSLFHVRIIHUHG JUHDWHUGHSWK%RWKZHUHVWXIIHGZLWKPHOWHGJRR H\VWUHWFK\PR]]DUHOODFKHHVH$WRSSLQJRIVRXU cream offered a bitter note, and the accompanying YHJJLHVDZLVSRIIUHVKQHVV5DUHO\IRXQGRQWKH 1RUWK&RDVW,KDGRQO\RQHTXDOPZLWKWKHVHJOR ULRXVHPSDQDGDVWKDW,FDQ¶WEX\WKHPDODFDUWH :KHWKHULW¶VDVLQJOHRQHIRUDVQDFNRUDEDJIXOOWR VKDUH,¶GORYHWKHRSWLRQWRLQGXOJHIXUWKHU 7KH0ROHKRZHYHUZDVOHVVHQWLF LQJ:LWKQRGLVFHUQLEOHFKRFRODWHLQWKHEDVH LW UHVHPEOHG PRUH D UHG HQFKLODGD VDXFH ² RQHWKDWZDVVOLJKWO\SHDQXW\DQGRYHUZKHOP LQJO\VDOW\,WPD\KDYHEHHQVDOWHGWZLFHE\ 14 | March 31, 2016 | coastweekend.com PLVWDNH,WZDVDOPRVWLQHGLEOH :LWKUHGJUHHQDQGRUDQJHEHOOSHSSHUV*XL VDGRLVRQHRIWKHPRUHFRORUIXOHQWLFLQJ presentations. With onions and peppers, it’s an RLO\PLQLPDOO\VSLFHGVWHZOLNHGLVKZKRVHHV VHQFHLVDOLWWOHDSDUWIURPWKHUHVWPRUH(XURSH DQOHVV0H[LFDQ $QRWKHUGLVKWKDWFRPELQHVUHJLRQDOÀDYRUV WKH7RUWDLVOLNHDELJJHUEXUJHU7KHEUHDG LV EXWWHU\ DQG KHDY\ DOPRVW OLNH D FKDOODK VRIW DQGVWHDGIDVW,W¶VOLJKWRQWKHYHJJLHVDQGIXOO\ of soft creaminess — cheese and avocado. The DGGLWLRQRIMDODSHxRV²ZKLFK,ZDVDVNHGDERXW EHIRUHKDQG ² ZDV SRLQW\ DQG TXLWH ZHOFRPH $QGLQWKLVEXUJHUOLNHIRUPWKHDVDGDZDVEHW ter-seasoned than most any patty around. Served E\LWVHOILWDOVRIHOWDOLWWOHVSHQG\ 2QDQRWKHUWULS,WULHGWKH7ULRDVDPSOHU that comes with a taco, sope and gordita. 7KH WDFR IHDWXUHG D PDGHWRRUGHU WRUWLOOD ZKLFKZDVVFDQWO\¿OOHGZLWKDQLFHO\VHDVRQHG QRWWRRJULVWOH\DVDGDRQLRQVDQGFLODQWUR,WGLV appeared in about three bites. 7KH VRSH ZDV KHDUW\ LWV SXII\ WKLFN WRUWLOOD PDWWUHVVKDGDGHOLFDWHWH[WXUH,WZDVFRDWHGZLWK EHDQVFKXQNVRIMXLF\SRUNDQGWRSSHGZLWKOHW WXFHVRXUFUHDPDQGFUXPEOHGTXHVRIUHVFR Carne asada tacos take about three bites to fi nish. 7KH JRUGLWD VSOLW WKH GLIIHUHQFH EHWZHHQ WKH RWKHUWZR$SRFNHW¿OOHGZLWKSHSSHU\FKLFNHQ DKLQWRIOLPHDQGWKHUHVWLWZDVDVZHOOGHOLYHU\ YHKLFOH 7KH )LVK 7DFR IHDWXUHG D EUHDGHG ZKLWH¿VKWKDWUDQWKHOHQJWKRIWKHWRUWLOOD,WKDG a nice crunch, though I’d prefer more sour cream than mayo. 1RQHWKHOHVV ,¶G UHFRPPHQG LW DERYH WKH &HYLFKH7DFRZKLFKZDVSLQWVL]HG7KH ZKLWH¿VKOLNHO\WLODSLDZDVOHDQDQGEULJKWEXW there wasn’t much of it. And though it was pic- tured in the menu, there wasn’t any avocado. Just ¿VKRQLRQVFLODQWURDQGOLPHMXLFHLWQHHGHGD OLWWOH ]LS ZKLFK WKH KRXVH¶V EULJKW JUHHQ VDXFH DQG OLJKWO\ VPRN\ UHG RIIHUHG %XW WKH\ GLGQ¶W have any heat. I asked for a hotter sauce and re- mouth OF THE COLUMBIA COAST WEEKEND’S LOCAL RESTAURANT REVIEW Story and photos by THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA • mouth@coastweekend.com FHLYHGDKDEDxHURHVFDEHFKHWKDWOHIWP\WRQJXH VPROGHULQJ 7DFRVZLWKODQGGZHOOLQJSURWHLQVDUH DQGWKH\¶UHWLQ\$WKDSS\KRXU SP ZHHNGD\V WKH\¶UH D SULFH PRUH LQOLQH ZLWKZKDW\RXJHW7KH³FKHIVW\OH´WDFRV DGGOHWWXFHWRPDWRDQGVRXUFUHDP6DPHJRHV IRUWKHEXUULWRV²WKHKDSS\KRXUSULFHLVWKH right one. 7KHUHDUHEHHUVSHFLDOVGXULQJWKRVHKRXUVWRR EXWLI\RX¶UHLQVHDUFKRIVSLULWV,LPSORUH\RX WU\WKH0DQJRQHDGD7KHEOHQGHGLF\EDVH RIPDQJRDQGWHTXLODLVVSLFHGZLWK7DMLQOLPH DQGFKLOLDQGWKHVDYRU\&KDPR\7KHPDQJR¶V FUHDPLQHVV VRIWHQV WKH WHTXLOD¶V ELWH ,W DOPRVW EHFRPHV D VRUEHW QRW RYHUO\ VZHHW RU V\UXS\ ,QGHHG LW ZRXOG PDNH D JUHDW VKDUHG GHVHUW And to be sure: the Mangoneada is more than a PDQJRÀDYRUHGPDUJDULWD²LW¶VLWVRZQGLVWLQFW thing. To that end, I wish La Cabana experimented more. Their menu is short, same-y, and made PRVWO\RIVWDQGDUGV\RX¶OO¿QGDWMXVWDERXWHY ery Americanized Mexican restaurant. When they GLSRXWVLGHWKRVHOLQHV²OLNHZLWKWKHHPSDQDGDV RUWKH0DQJRQHDGD²WKHUHVXOWVDUHGHOLFLRXVO\ PHPRUDEOH 1HYHUWKHOHVVGHDUUHDGHUV,NQRZQRZZK\ \RXORYH/D&DEDQD'5D\D,W¶VJRWDSULVWLQH YLHZDQXSEHDWVXSHUFDVXDOYLEHDQGLW¶VTXLFN HDV\DQGUHDVRQDEO\SULFHG7KDQNVIRUWKHWLS HOURS: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. La Cabana D Raya Rating: 35431 U.S. Highway 101 Business 503-325-3656 KEY TO RATINGS PRICE: $ – The most expensive dish is $11. SERVICE: Gracious, experienced and fast. VEGETARIAN/VEGAN OPTIONS: Vegetarians can make do, but vegans are out of luck. DRINKS: Mexican soda, beer, a few house cocktails. poor below average good & worth returning excellent outstanding, the best in the Columbia-Pacific region