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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 2016)
14 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Coast Weekend’s local restaurant review Need a new lunch haunt? Try one of these. Story and photos by MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA MOUTH@COASTWEEKEND.COM A As the Mouth, the great major- ity of my dining out is work-relat- ed. But there a handful of places I return to while I’m off the clock. The reasons I revisit are many — a particular dish I can’t get enough of, an inspired ambiance or per- haps just a really great deal. Rather than multi-course dinners, for the purposes of this week’s column we’ll stick to lunch — places I bop in and out of during the day, be it whilst running errands, meeting friends or taking a moment to myself. So, without further ado, a few of my favorite haunts — not as a critic, mind you, but simply a guy needing a bite or a place to while away. BUOY BEER CO. No. 1 Eighth St., Astoria Buoy’s waterfront building is one of the most engrossing, im- mersive indoor spaces on the North Coast. The fl oor-to-ceiling win- dows, the view of the Columbia’s mighty mouth where seals frolic and freighters slowly chug, the glass fl oor panels above lounging sea lions, the dining room is ever bright and bustling. Regardless of whether rain’s beating down in sheets or the sky is endlessly blue, I fi nd Buoy tremendously invig- orating. Thanks to that inside-out conversation with grandiose nature, Buoy could sell little more than nuts and gum and I’d still want to spend time there. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Buoy has one of the better brew pub kitchens around. It does the standards with care and provides a few exciting fl ourishes. I partic- ularly love the hulking yet lean bison burger. (Indeed, were bison meat ever abundant, I’d have more burgers with it than beef.) I love that Buoy serves oysters on the shell (as well as in shooters) with a presentation — on a bed of blue rock salt — that’s right in line with the company’s sharp graphic design. I love that the kitchen is accommodating for folks with dietary needs, and I love that the brewery’s excellent beers come in 20-ounce glasses. Indeed, no matter what mood I enter with, lunch at Buoy always sends me off springing with an inquisitive sense of wonder. The salt and pepper chicken wings at Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House have crispy skin. A veggie sushi roll by Roll and Bowl food cart. Buttercup in Nehalem makes chowder as well as ice cream. The beef at Kabob Cottage delights with its saff ron spice. CANNON BEACH HARDWARE AND PUBLIC HOUSE 1235 S. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach If I’ve got a meeting in Cannon Beach — or if I’ve just fi nished one — the Screw & Brew is my choice to gather or unwind. In a town that’s often overwhelmed by summertime animals, the Hard- ware Store provides a grounding authenticity. (You can also fi nd hammers, nails, paint, duct tape and so on.) With regulars usually clustered around the bar, the adjacent tables are fi ne places to share some appetizers. I prefer the calamari, which are clean — not too greasy or chewy — and the wings. Here’s a tip I got from a local: Order the salt and pepper variation — that way the skin gets nice and crisp. If you want spicy, barbecue or spicy-barbecue sauce, get it on the side and dunk away. It’s the best of both worlds. But for when I’ve got an eye on my waistline, the Hardware Store’s hearty salads come in handy. With artichoke hearts, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas and sunfl ower seeds, even the side salad makes a fi ne light lunch. ROLL & BOWL Pop-up @ Farmers Markets It hasn’t been long since I’ve written about the relatively new Roll & Bowl, but I’ve been returning as often as I can. The sushi and ramen pop-up is a regular at farmers markets up and down the coast. Each week Roll & Bowl gets better, incorpo- rating more fi sh and locally sourced produce. Bell peppers in sushi? Why didn’t I think of this? And while the ramen bowls — with bone broth, plus the integral additions of duck egg and pork shoulder — are becoming more balanced, I remain ensconced by the wraps and rolls. Tuna with a zing of pickled onion? Yes, please. Smoked salmon? Bring it on. And, as the produce is of such high quality and so righteously fresh, the vegetarian options stand neck-to-neck with the omnivorous ones. As farmers market season winds down, here’s hoping that Roll & Bowl fi nds a winter home. Whispers say: It’s looking. BUTTERCUP 35915 N. U.S. Hwy 101, Nehalem Since she’s collaborating with regional chefs and culinary artisans every month, it’s always worth stop- ping by Buttercup to see what Julie Barker is up to. Who knows? It could be something like apple pie paired with a cheddar-crusted cone. Just the same, I crave the standards. The vegan chowder is astounding, so rich and creamy, at once elegant and vex- ingly elemental. The marshmallow ice cream too. I couldn’t care less for the namesake product, but Barker’s frozen interpretation makes me think twice. On a hot day or a cold one, Buttercup is a delight, both inspired and familiar. KABOB COTTAGE 107 Third St. S.E., Long Beach, Washington By weight, saffron is more expen- sive than gold. And when that saffron spices the beef at Long Beach’s Ka- bob Cottage, you’ll experience its val- ue — deep, delicate, almost ancient. And while there are plenty of Persian fl avors you can fi nd at the Cottage, it’s just hard to pass up the beef — be it over rice or as part of a wrap. And while I’ll continue to support the very charming fi rst-time restaurant owner Behnoosh Ghorbani whenever I’m in Long Beach, I’m equally excited that similar fl avors are now being found in Seaside at McBani. You should be too. Forget gold: Sprinkle a little saffron in your life! SEA BREEZE 84774 U.S. Hwy 101, Seaside I know what you’re thinking: “The Sea Breeze?! You only gave that place two-and-a-half stars!” And, to a point, you’d be right — there are a lot of dull, heaping platters at the Sea Breeze I have absolutely zero interest in eating again. See: steak, deep-fried shrimp. Nonetheless, I adore the dive-y, time-warped wood panels every bit as much the burger and beer special. Announcements of the deal have since been taken off the wall, and I’m starting to fear it’s headed the way of the prospector. I hesitate to even be trumpeting it here — loose lips sink ships, as they say. But, dear reader, there’s just no better value on the coast, and the casual digs only multiplies my retro bliss. Sure, it ain’t fancy, and it ain’t fi ne, but that don’t mean much. There’s something about a cheap burger and a Budweiser in a run-down joint on the side of the highway that makes me feel at home. And THAT’S what makes America great.
