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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2020)
Continued from Page 10 During its first year, Devlin and other coordinators wanted to include Seaside and Astoria. However, the coordinators decided to add the two cities after establishing the trail, Devlin said. One of the reasons behind Astoria’s delayed addition to the trail is the city’s agri- tourism rules. Before 2018, the city’s rules were considered too different from Tillamook County’s. The city’s rules have been updated within the last few years, making Astoria eli- gible to join the trail. In 2019, the trail’s coordinators wanted to induct both Seaside and Astoria. Toward the end of the year, the trail had to rebrand itself to become part of Travel Oregon, making it impossible to add both cities, Devlin said. “It was a quick change in marketing,” Devlin said. “Our deadlines were shortened by two months.” In early spring, the food trail will work with Astoria’s North Coast Food Web to see which farmers and restaurants are interested in joining the trail. “We’ll work with farmers to make sure their interests are represented,” said Jessika Tantisook, the food web’s executive director. Seaside’s trail Joshua Heineman, Seaside’s director of tourism, joined the city in 2018. “One of the first things I noticed was that the trail’s brochure was one of the most pop- ular ones in the visitor’s bureau,” Heineman said. “They were flying off the shelf. … But I wondered, ‘Why does it stop in Cannon Beach?’” Heineman worked with Devlin to add the city onto the trail. To be added, he needed to recruit five Seaside businesses and pay annual fees. The trail requires each business to locally source at least 25 percent of its menu items. Heineman hopes Seaside’s addition to the trail will encourage visitors to enjoy the city’s dining options. “The city has been a family destination since the 1870s. Sometimes it gets lost that there’s some great restaurants here,” Heine- man said. “It’s one of Seaside’s hidden surprises.” In November 2019, Seaside signed on with seven businesses: Sisu Beer, Seaside Brewing Company, Dough Dough Bakery, Maggie’s on the Prom, Osprey Café, Sea Star Gelato, and the Seaside Farmers Market, led by the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District. “For us, it was a no-brainer,” said Sisu Beer manager Kerri Lambert. “It’s really easy. The city is very supportive. They tell us what they need and have our best interests in mind.” Sisu Beer, located inside the Times The- Alyssa Evans Seaside Brewery Co. cooks all of its barbecue behind the main restaurant in two large grills from Texas. ‘It’s not the easy way to make barbecue but it’s the best tasting way,’ said owner Jimmy Griffin. The North Coast Food Trail highlights sustainable dining options between Lincoln City and Seaside. Sea Star Gelato. Dough Dough Bakery. atre & Public House, brews its five lager beers on-site in the center of the theatre. Heineman asked Seaside Brewing Com- pany to join the trail because like Sisu, the business brews its beers locally. The restau- rant’s homemade barbecue was another fac- tor, Heineman said. Barbecuing is done behind the restaurant in large Texas barbecue pits. “Our barbecue is a lot like craft beer,” said owner Jimmy Griffin. “It’s a really personal approach to providing a really premium prod- uct. It’s not stuff that comes off a truck.” Griffin decided to join the trail because of the brewery’s experience with Oregon’s North Coast Craft Beer Trail, he said. “It’s been fun being part of that and getting people from all-around visiting the brewery. I had a sense that this trail would be similar,” Griffin said. What’s next As the year continues, Heineman and the business owners will evaluate how much of a benefit they see from Seaside being added to the trail. Later in the year, the city will con- sider adding more of Seaside’s restaurants to the trail, he said. “If one year from now, I can have a con- versation with someone about Seaside and have food, restaurants or the farmers market come up, that’d be a victory,” Heineman said. “I hope we move the needle a bit on what people think Seaside can do well.” Kegs at Sisu Beer. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020 // 11