14 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Coast Weekend’s local
restaurant review
The Mouth responds to readers
have been going there, especially
when the Depot, The Adrift, and
Serious Pizza opened up.
This summer, it looks like Seri-
ous Pizza is finally going to get their
Ilwaco location up and running and I
can’t wait.
A new generation is moving to
the beach and I think dining is going
to keep getting better and better on
the Peninsula.
Keep up the excellent work and
keep calling them like they are.
Mike
Long Beach
By THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA
MOUTH@COASTWEEKEND.COM
I
t’s your turn! This week’s column
is made of reader’s letters to the
Mouth. I love it when y’all take
the time to write, and I’d love it if
y’all did it more often!
In hopes of continuing the con-
versation, we’re starting a Facebook
page for the Mouth. Find it at Face-
book.com/MouthoftheColumbia.
And, as always, you can email me at
mouth@coastweekend.com.
Letters have been edited for
length and clarity.
A food-founded friendship
FACEBOOK.COM
I read your review of The Kitchen
in Seaside over a year ago and that
was what pushed me to finally stop
and try the food. I had driven by
The Kitchen many times, noticed
the menu on the whiteboard next to
the highway and the tiny building
adjacent. I was curious about the
little place and the unusual offer-
ings. So I stopped, talked to Jeanne
(O’Donovan, owner and operator),
and became a regular customer.
After a next few weeks, as Jeanne
and I became more acquainted, I
finally said, “How about if we just
agree on a set price and you give
us whatever you want us to eat?”
She agreed, and so my husband and
I picked up food from Jeanne five
days a week for over a year.
All of this to say that you led
me to a friend. Jeanne was gen-
erous, intelligent and witty. She
loved cooking for appreciative
customers. Along with her inno-
vative menus, she paid attention
to details and added occasional
whimsy to them. She served a des-
sert once of narrow toasted pound
cake strips with raspberry sauce,
which was ‘fries and catsup.’ That
just made me laugh! On last New
Year’s Eve Jeanne left a surprise
meal on our front steps: individual
The Kitchen sits at 1820 S. Roosevelt in Seaside.
PHOTO BY DWIGHT CASWELL
beef wellingtons and prawns with
accompaniments.
We texted each other a lot and
often discussed her business and its
ups and downs. She was very proud
of your positive review. She was
proud about winning the Cannon
Beach Clam Chowder Cook Off.
She was proud of passing the three
year mark with her business.
This is in past tense because (I’m
very, very sad to tell you) that Jeanne
recently passed away. She had
increasing pain this winter and went
into the hospital in Portland around
the end of January. She was cared for
by her large extended family in Port-
land until her passing. I just wanted
to share the news with someone who
also appreciated her.
Sincerely,
Pam
Seaside
MOUTH: Pam, I’m very sorry
for your loss. But I’m glad that you
and Jeanne developed a bond that
began with food, and I’m grateful
to have played a minuscule part.
Indeed, it is my sincere hope and
belief that the effect of this column’s
positive reviews far outweigh the
negative. Your letter also reminds us
that time is fleeting.
Farewell, Street 14 dinner
Hi,
I just wanted to send along a brief
note to thank you for the wonderful
“obituary” you put together recently
about Street 14 dinner.
From the first review to the last,
I was consistently impressed by the
thoughtfulness of the pieces, and
was certain that what I had hoped to
convey from the kitchen had reached
the dining room.
Knowing that what we on the
Street 14 dinner crew were doing
was being heard went a long way to
softening the blow of Thursday night
empty dining rooms and, of course,
the news that dinner was ending.
Thank you again for getting it,
and liking it, and writing so elo-
quently about it.
Andy Catalano
Astoria
MOUTH: I promise the inclu-
sion of this letter is not to heap praise
upon myself. (Seriously: if you have
Chef Andrew Catalano, who headed
Street 14 Cafe’s dinner service.
criticism or complaints send them to
mouth@coastweekend.com — I’m
listening.) I publish it instead to
highlight that the phenomenal chef
Catalano has started a new business:
a weekly meal service kit (a la Blue
Apron) that uses local ingredients
called Alimento. You can find out
more at alimentoastoria.com. (And if
you try it, tell me what you think!)
Best in the region
Mouth,
I split my time between NW PDX
and Long Beach, Washington, in the
summer, where I am a captain on a
tuna charter boat.
I have the Chinook Observer
delivered to my PDX home and get
it fresh off the presses during the
summer.
I always look forward to your
thorough and honest reviews, and try
out pretty much every place you like
on my side of the river.
Long Beach dining has improved
immensely over the 20 so years I
Hello,
I was wondering why there has
been no mention or reviews of any
of the superb restaurants in Cannon
Beach? The Irish Table is perfect
and outstanding and what about
the Castaways Restaurant & Tiki
Bar restaurant which is really great.
There are several other wonderful
dining options in Cannon Beach that
should be officially raved about and
recommended.
Thank you,
Candace
Gearhart
MOUTH: I grouped these two
letters together as I think they go
tête-à-tête. Each makes an argument
for best restaurant city in the Colum-
bia-Pacific region. And while Cannon
Beach is a strong contender — Can-
dace didn’t mention the Stephanie
Inn, the Bistro, Newman’s 988 or the
new Harding Trading Co. (see last
week’s review) — I’ve been thinking
a lot about Long Beach as a potential
top dog, too. As well as the restau-
rants Mike mentioned, the Shelburne
Inn and 42nd Street Cafe are top
notch. Indeed, even after losing Nan-
cy & Jimella’s, one can make a strong
argument for the Peninsula.
The region’s big brother, Astoria,
has to be in the conversation as
well.
So … who do you think has the
edge? CW