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
