24 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Coast Weekend’s local
restaurant review
Readers write in, and the Mouth responds
By MOUTH OF THE CO-
LUMBIA
MOUTH@COASTWEEKEND.COM
As promised, here is a col-
umn of reader responses. I’d
love to make this a semi-reg-
ular thing, so please, let’s stay
in touch. Email me at mouth@
coastweekend.com
Letters have been edited
for length and clarity — and I
haven’t left out disagreements.
If you have one, send it in!
Best Breakfast
Dear Mouth:
I am always interested in
your reviews, and in particular
your review of the Readers’
Choice Awards. I am some-
what peeved that the “Big
City” dominated the awards,
not myself thinking that big
equals great. Usually I am in
agreement with your com-
ments, or at least willing to be
convinced. However I have
some things to add to your re-
marks under the first category,
“Best Breakfast.”
I am a fan of the Osprey
and am glad you mentioned
it. Being a Seaside resident
I am usually attracted to
breakfasting there. If you
mention the Osprey, I should
think you would mention the
other breakfast on Avenue U
in Seaside: Seaside Golf. It is
at the other end of the avenue
and breakfast spectrum, but I
think just as good.
On the subject of break-
fasts, I am from the old school
where we went to work at 8
a.m. and had breakfast before
that hour. I don’t think any
breakfast mentioned opens
before 8 a.m. Therefore I am
going out on the limb and
offering Patty’s Wicker Cafe,
off Broadway on a short river
walk north on the east bank of
the Necanicum, as the break-
brought me the wrong food I
was told that they had run out
of lengua so they substituted
something else they thought
I’d like (without asking me);
b) the food is overpriced.
The Stand is fabulous!
And inexpensive. I’m always
looking for the best Chiles
Rellenos. So good at The
Stand that I can’t seem to order
anything else! Battered and
prepared the right way con una
salsa fantastica y deliciosa.
A READER FROM
Seaside
fast champ. Patty opens her
door, I think, at 6 a.m.
Thanking you for your kind
attention. Very truly yours,
BENJAMIN A. GREAVES
Seaside
Mouth responds:
I am very much a night
person, not an early riser. You
don’t even want to know what
time I like to go to brunch —
err, I mean breakfast. Thanks
for the tips, though. I’ll have
to check out the Seaside Golf
Course restaurant, which I
believe has undergone some
changes in recent months.
Owe you big time
Hi Mouth, I live in Portland
but I spend a lot of time in
Astoria. I read you as often as I
can online.
Anyway, I enjoy your
work and owe you big time!
I had driven by The Kitchen
in Seaside and saw her sign
scores and scores of times. I
was curious but never stopped.
I read your review and finally
stopped. Jeanne is a real kick.
I like chatting her up as she
works in her little kitchen. I
always order one of everything
she has for that day. I have
never been disappointed.
Anyway, great work
Mouth! Find me another
Kitchen this year! Haha!
As for the best breakfast
on the peninsula? 42nd Street
Cafe. Oysters, scrambled eggs,
potatoes, whole wheat toast
and that great jam. Service is
excellent. Lots of folks come
in for waffles, hangtown fry or
the beignets, but I always order
the same thing. Why mess
with perfect?!
GARY QUINN
Portland
Mouth responds:
There really is something
FILE PHOTO
The Kitchen sits at 1820 S. Roosevelt Drive in Seaside. Area de-
signer and builder David Louis transformed Jeanne O’Dono-
van’s shed into a fully functioning kitchen.
charming about Jeanne and her
small space at The Kitchen.
I hope more entrepreneurs
and restauranteurs take those
kinds of creative chances in
the future.
Reviews in Seaside
I think your column is
great!
Have you ever reviewed
the Gray Whale BBQ in
Seaside?
Also, what about Norma’s?
That place is packed, and I
never hear about them winning
any awards.
Thanks,
REID JOHNSON
Seaside
Mouth responds:
Noted. Anyone else have
places they’d like to see
reviewed?
Don’t forget The
Stand
Hi Mouth!
I agree with your assess-
ment of Carruthers. Great and
unique food! Try the octopus
appetizer. Top notch service!
The mirrors made my friends
and I think of Versailles. The
place is noisy — but that’s not
bad. Brings the restaurant to the
level of cosmopolitan, which is
a better description and better
category than Fine Dining (in
the Readers’ Choice Awards).
As for Wanda’s in Ne-
halem: I can never go past
without stopping to purchase
her wonderful nut tart. Perfect
crust, not too sweet but tasty
caramel. I try to arrange driv-
ing south to coincide with the
hours they’re open.
For fish and chips I still
enjoy Bowpicker, but several
years ago I decided they had
increased the sweetness of the
fish batter, which I like less. So
glad you mentioned Grizzly
Tuna!
Mexican: You mentioned
La Cabana de Raya and Tacos
El Catrin. But how could
you forget The Stand? I think
the food at Raya is good, but
the selection is limited when
compared to The Stand. My
only experience at El Catrin
included a) ordering lengua
(which I love) and being
served something else. When
I indicated I thought they’d
Mouth responds:
Thanks — lots here. The
charge that you were delivered
different meat than what you
ordered is serious and unac-
ceptable. As for The Stand,
I’ve been a time or two, and
they’re on my list, but it drives
me nuts that they’re only open
until 5 p.m., closed weekends
and only take cash.
A Seaview favorite
Rereading your replies to
the Readers’ Choice Awards,
we wish to certainly put in
a very good word for 42nd
Street Cafe and Bistro.
We have enjoyed consis-
tently good breakfasts (also
lunch and dinners) here. Our
choices run from Pot Roast
Hash to Jambalaya Omelette
for my husband to Russian
Vegetarian Scramble and the
house-made Blueberry Waffle
for me. We also enjoy the
homemade Marionberry Con-
sommé enough that we usually
purchase several for gifts or to
take back with us to the Black
Hills of South Dakota.
42nd Street has been a
favorite for us over 16 years.
We cannot remember when we
have last read a review of this
fine restaurant. Hopefully you
will change that. However, we
know it is a favorite of ours
along with others — locals and
visitors.
MICHELE and RON KOHN
Seaview, Wash./Rapid City,
S.D.
Lack of barbecue
Dear Mouth,
I would hope by now you
have heard about the barbecue
place you reviewed Jan. 19
(Mericle’s Epic Eats). If not,
may I enlighten you: It’s not
there anymore. My wife and I
went there this past Saturday,
Feb. 12, so looking forward to
a great dinner, only to find out
from the bartender and a few
of the patrons that they picked
up and left in the middle of
the night the week before!
To make a long story short, it
would be really great if you let
your readers know about this.
The barbecue joints in the area
are scarcer than hens teeth,
and when one pops up it’s a
welcome change from our
normal fare, which is getting
boring. Ilwaco is a little trip
from Warrenton, and to go all
the way out there and get very
disappointed was not fun.
A READER FROM
Warrenton
Mouth responds:
That is a bummer — Mer-
icle’s Epic Eats’ tender smoky
meats were just delectable. But
they may not be gone for good.
According to their Facebook
page, the Mericles plan to open a
food cart on the peninsula soon.
Messages were not immediately
returned, so that’s all I know at
the moment. I’ll certainly be
keeping my eyes out, though.
Thanks to all who took the
time to write in, and to those
who just prefer to read. Again,
if you’d like to get in touch,
email: mouth@coastweekend.
com