The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current, August 16, 2018, Page 12, Image 21

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    12 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Coast Weekend’s local
restaurant review
Wanda’s Cafe is one of the
best breakfast joints around
Review and photos by
THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA
MOUTH@COASTWEEKEND.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/MOUTHOFTHECOLUMBIA
I
f you’re traveling south on U.S.
Highway 101 and you take a left
at the bottom of the hill in Ne-
halem on Oregon Route 53, you’ll
quickly find yourself apart from the
coastal signifiers, surrounded by
grazing cattle and working farms.
Nehalem is a crossroads where
the coast meets the country. At that
junction you’ll find Wanda’s Cafe &
Bakery, which channels that spirit
into one the best breakfast joints
around.
Dressed in kitschy, whimsical
mid-century digs — with collec-
tions of vintage toasters, radios and
picture plates — Wanda’s opens and
closes early, serving breakfast (8
a.m. to 2 p.m.) and lunch (11 a.m. to
2 p.m.).
Along with fresh pastries to nib-
ble on, there’s coffee you can pump
yourself, which comes in handy
because waits at Wanda’s are regular
and sometimes substantial, especial-
ly on weekends and after church.
The demand is warranted. For
more than a decade, Wanda’s has
delivered robust classics with
grace and aplomb. From the front
of the house to the back, precision
abounds. Theirs is a dependability
and efficiency you could set your
watch to.
It’s found everywhere, from
the perfectly toasted bread to the
impossible puffiness of the poached
eggs. From the crumbling scones to
coffee refills that keep coming. From
the daily specials to the homemade
sauces.
Not only are there no holes in
Wanda’s game, they make the excep-
tional look effortless.
While you can’t go wrong with
anything — anything — I’m most
drawn to Wanda’s breakfast fare.
Eggs Benedict
Meatloaf Sandwich
(Folks waking at the rooster’s call,
however, may have wholly different
needs around noon than this late
riser.)
Going forward I’ll be hard-
pressed to order anything but the
Huevos Rancheros ($13). The dish is
lusciously smooth — the runny yolk,
the melted jack cheese, the ranchero
sauce, swirling together in velvety
bliss. If the sauce were sold by the
jar, I’d keep stocked year-round.
However you like your eggs —
poached, fried, scrambled or in a
Huevos Rancheros
fluffy omelette — they’re going to
turn out flawless. To that end, the
Eggs Benedict ($14) is superb. Silky,
rich and salty with a slab of grilled
ham, it’s irresistible.
Most breakfasts come with a
choice of fruit or potatoes, and the
potatoes are impeccably, evenly
cooked.
The same rigor extends to the
lunch menu: The cheeses are always
melted just right, the sauces evenly
spread, the sandwiches carefully
assembled. Nothing is overlooked.
The Homemade Meatloaf
Sandwich ($14), with a slightly
sweet “secret” sauce, was comfy,
eggy and supple. The French Dip
($14.50) included caramelized on-
ions and an exciting, indispensable
au jus.
With the lunch fare you can add
$2 for a salad, and it’s worth every
penny. I was wowed not only by the
vivid rainbow of purples, reds, or-
anges and greens — cabbage, cherry
tomatoes, artichoke hearts, carrots
and cucumbers — but the portion. A
WANDA’S CAFE &
BAKERY
Rating: 
12870 H St.
Nehalem, Ore. 97131
503-368-8100
Menu: wandascafe.com
Hours: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thurs-
day through Tuesday (closed
Wednesday)
Price: $ — Excellent value,
big portions
Service: Warm and efficient
Drinks: Coffee, juice, brunch
libations
mountain on my plate, the side salad
was a meal in itself.
I watched as a nearby diner
received a similar plate. The sight of
the salad knocked him out.
“Wow,” he said, pausing. “Wow
… Wow … Now that’s a salad.
Wow.”
Indeed, where other establish-
ments gloss over, Wanda’s excels.
That goes for the pastries, too.
The scones, bars and cakes are
baked in-house with the same
exacting standards. While the tangy,
sweet raspberries were more than
enough to flavor the scone, a drizzle
of creamy frosting made it down-
right divine. And with the lemon
poppy seed cake, lemon was infused
throughout, not just along the glazed
edge.
So, if one were in a hurry, without
time or desire to dine, but rather
in search of a quick caffeine boost
and perhaps something to nibble on
in the car, Wanda’s is every bit as
essential.
Whether it’s coffee and a pastry,
or a full-on brunch complete with
Bloody Marys and mimosas, you
really can’t go wrong. Again: It’s
everything. Care and consisten-
cy abound. If you can’t find your
breakfast/lunch bliss here, check
your pulse.
Wanda’s nails the trifecta: ser-
vice, execution and value.
Part of their success, I think, is
thanks to the spirit of farmhouse
country, which prizes cooking that’s
hearty, humble and honest. CW