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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 2017)
14 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Coast Weekend’s local restaurant review GEARHART CROSSING Rating: Sliced Beet Salad Oyster Po Boy Sliders Tuna Melt with Yoshida Teriyaki Chicken Salad Gearhart Crossing’s brewpub dabbles in personalizing the predictable Review and photos by THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA MOUTH@COASTWEEKEND.COM I n late March, the long-running Gearhart Grocery became Gearhart Crossing, an all-ages restaurant and pub. But vestiges of the market remain. There are deli cases filled with meats, pasta salads and sweet treats. There are baked goods, beer coolers and coffee, as well as a smattering of produce, crackers, household items and so on — es- sentially a “best of” the bygone grocery store. The remnants of the market ring the brew pub, like a business nested within a business. The pub is walled in from the sundries, creating a more relaxing inner space. The windowless pub is made mostly of reclaimed materials. It’s an uncluttered, mostly blank slate. Tables of mixed designs are scattered about before a gleam- ing, natural wood bar and beneath glowing flat-screens. The menu is composed mostly of sandwiches, burgers and other up- per-scale pub grub like nachos and wings. And while I have certainly whined about the unending prolif- kinds of fruits, veggies, meats and eration of burger and beer joints on their own coleslaw, I was vexed the North Coast, the Crossing’s ba- that the Po Boys came “dressed”- sic offerings seem to make sense in downtown Gearhart. As it is, they’re style (with lettuce and tomato, rath- the only game in the downtown area er than pickles and slaw). As it was, the oysters had a satisfying bread-y (one of two) where you wouldn’t crunch while remaining almost feel like a total slob if you showed structureless within. And when I up in a tank top. (Across the street asked for a few pick- at Pacific Way, fine les on the side and dining is pretty well popped them in … staked out.) ‘THE KITCHEN Ahhh, I was there. While little at the DOES A Delightful, crunchy, Crossing is surpris- REASONABLE creamy, slurpy. ing, the kitchen does JOB MAKING In the Pineapple a reasonable job of making dishes their DISHES THEIR Porker Melt ($13), the pickling of own by incorporat- OWN.’ pineapples nearly ing an array of in- went awry. While house processes like the more acidic treatment of the pickling, smoking and curing. pineapples was interesting in its Fermentation not only gives the own right, the pork called for more tomatoes on the Tuna Melt ($12) sweetness, which the pineapples extra depth and tang, it rescues were almost wholly sapped of. A them from the withering curse little more cheese wouldn’t have afflicting so many that haven’t hurt, either. The shards of pork been just-plucked off the vine. The were well cooked, crisp on the open-faced sandwich was blanket- ed with melted Havarti. Underneath outside, soft inside, but I couldn’t help thinking that with just a tweak was a creamy, mayo-mustard mix or two with the ingredients already with Skipanon tuna and baguette on hand — see again: slaw — the beds. Bites were gooey, salty and Porker could really sing. delightfully smooth. Now, of course, I chose slaw as I longed for some signature on a side dish and eventually com- the Oyster Po Boy Sliders ($12) appetizer. At a place that pickles all bined the two. Which, in a way, is fine, though it robs you of a side. At Gearhart Crossing, there are a few options for accompaniment. While you won’t find fries (or anything else that requires a deep fryer), most dishes include a choice of chips, potato salad or slaw. For a dollar more you can upgrade to one of the deli case salads. During my trips, that meant mostly varieties of pasta salad — weighty, picnic-y dishes that are good for sharing. There was also a bit of greenery, like the broccoli-bacon-apple salad which, while dressed, was unap- pealing in its big-headed rawness. None of what I tried, neither the Yoshida Teriyaki Chicken Salad (with taut cabbage, clipped ramen noodles and chicken in a slip- pery-sweet teriyaki) nor the Shrimp Macaroni (with green onions and celery) made a distinctive mark. But were I in need of extra protein and carbs after a busy day on the beach, they’d do the trick. Nev- ertheless: The extra dollar to get in the deli case buys significantly more food. And at the Crossing, that’s no afterthought. While no price is quite offensive on its own, they stack up quickly. Two drinks, two burgers and tip could easily approach $50. It’s 599 Pacific Way Gearhart, Ore., 97138 Phone: 503-738-7312 Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday Price: $ – Entrées hover around the teens, and quickly add up Service: Casual, cheerful Vegetarian/Vegan Options: A few choices for vegetarians Drinks: Beer, wine, soda, tea, coffee KEY TO STAR RATING SYSTEM Below average Average Good Excellent Best in region Gearhart. We get it. The Sliced Beet Salad ($11) — with softened, almost gelatinous, roasted, marinated and thinly sliced beets, along with blue cheese, hazelnuts and a mix of greens dom- inated by frisée — is no more than the sum of its parts. I appreciate that the Crossing gets its beef from Reed & Hertig and grinds it fresh for burgers. The Loaded Steak Dip ($14) resembled different sandwiches in different bites. Sometimes, with a lot of cheese and caramelized onions, it approached a cheesesteak. Then there were earthy, dark oils, laden with mushroom, or the zip of sharp, briny peppers. The beef, cut thin, stacked about an inch high, was so tender and juicy as to almost render the accompanying au jus obsolete. The sandwich was — as much of Gearthart Crossing’s offerings are — prepared precisely, with in- gredients of above-average quality. And while there are a few flourish- es, certainly a few more wouldn’t hurt. CW
