Mad about Mushrooms . . .

South Bay Wild Fish House & Market - Astoria, OR

It's been way too long since we offered a restaurant review, and certainly there are a number of very good reasons why, not the least of which is spelled COVID.  Still, even in the time of pandemic, there are splendid places that are unexpectedly gifted to us.  The South Bay Wild Fish House & Market is just such a place! 

We were there last Sunday after wandering thru the highly enjoyable Sunday Astoria Market where vendors offered some exceptional wares, including enormous bouquets of colorful fresh flowers, hand crafted baskets being created onsite, and wildlife paintings by Dave Bartholet along with a set of easily accessible, exceptionally clean and well serviced restrooms.  With the market located on 12th Street from Commercial to Exchange, it's easy to navigate your way among the booths of engaged sellers.

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, Memphis, TN

There's a kind reverence that falls upon the room when you start talking about Gus's.  Everything quiets down, and you have the feeling that other people are leaning in, secretly trying to hear what you have to say about this Memphis tradition.  When the stillness is broken, it's because everyone is pulling on their jacket, piling into their vehicles and heading out to the nearest location. 

But, wait, there's always a wait to be seated at Gus's.  In our case, the hostess/cashier advised us to have a drink at the The Gray Canary situated in the Old Dominick Distillery across the street, and come back in 45 minutes.

Dorn's Original Breakers Cafe - Morro Bay, CA

Forget the gray skies and snow showers that seemed to be coming daily to Brightwood and head for the sunny skies of California ... well, that was our intention when we set off to picturesque Morro Bay on the central California coast, although this destination didn't turn out to be very sunny or warm.  In fact, at times we were bombarded by heavier rain showers than we've seen in Oregon in quite some time.  And how about the "warm" part of our escape from snowy Brightwood?  Well, we were bundled up in our cool weather rain gear most of the time.  Even the amazing Monarch Butterfly Grove in Pismo Beach was blanketed in a wintry garment of drizzle as the butterflies huddled together for warmth and protection from the elements; you could almost hear their little butterfly teeth chattering!

Still, our trip south was a lovely trip, made more remarkable by two visits to one of our all-time favorite eateries in Morro Bay, Dorn's Original Breakers Cafe.  Situated on the slope leading into the bay, Dorn's pleases both the eye and the spirit.  The view is flawless with the waters of the estuary stretched out before the patrons along with a glimpse of Morro Rock, that ancient volcanic mound at the end of the beach.  Here the welcome is always warm, and service is excellent.

Champa Garden Restaurant - Redding, CA

We don't often find ourselves in Redding.  In fact, it used to be at most a gas stop on our way down into the bay area of California.  That is, until we made the acquaintance of good friends Pat and Herb, who live there.  These dear folks and the Laotian restaurant, Champa Garden, are two good reasons for anyone to spend a bit of time in this city of 100,000 residents nestled in the north end of the Sacramento Valley.

Pat and Herb introduced us to Champa Garden on our first trip to see them.  Although the establishment is tucked into a nondescript strip mall, the location doesn't seem to have been a hindrance to their business.  The place is hopping.  It's been packed the several times that we've been there, as duplicated once again on our most recent encounter.

Carlino's Pizza & Deli - Fairview, OR

I'm one of those rare folks who doesn't like cheese - AT ALL!  So, we never go to pizza places, but some friends wanted to go to Carlino's, and since the restaurant had some non-pizza items on the menu, we agreed.  I'm glad we did!

Thai Yummy - Portland, Oregon

Thai Yummy - most certainly it is "yummy," just like the owner's daughter proclaimed!

This isn't your usual food cart.  It's located at 1010 Gibbs Street, just up the hill from OHSU's Emergency/Hospital facility on Sam Jackson.  In other words, you wouldn't normally drive by it and say to your mate:  Let's try that some time. 

Well, actually, that's kind of what happened to me:  I walked by it and said to myself:  Steven and I should try Thai Yummy tonight!

Fisherman's Seafood Market and Cafe - Coos Bay, OR

Yes, the fish is certainly fresh at this place; it's true, you can't find it any fresher anywhere - period, end of conversation.  We know because the owners, Rob and Denise, probably just pulled it out of the Pacific Ocean on their boat, which is moored in nearby Charleston. 

In fact, Rob formed West Coast Clams in 2011 "to bring to the market the only wild caught and locally harvested clam that the west coast has seen in over 20 years! One by one the clams are dive harvested and fully purged in approved water before going to the market! These clams can be sold as sashimi grade."  Now, that's fresh!

Ocean City Seafood Restaurant - Portland, OR

Is there really dim sum nirvana in Portland? We looked for a long time for one, having been utterly spoiled in San Francisco's Chinatown. 

Then we discovered - quite by accident - Ocean City Seafood Restaurant, on S.E. 82nd.  And we now believe that Portland has its own dim sum nirvana, to thoroughly mix our metaphors.

Within minutes of entering the restaurant, carts rich with an assortment of delicious morsels of savory food appear. Our table is quickly loaded with a selection of small steamer baskets and plates, and instantly we’re transported to a transcendent state of ecstasy via these gastronomic delights.

The Fish Shack - Vancouver, BC, Canada

For many years, Steven and I have been quietly celebrating Chinese New Year's in our Port Orford home.  Most of the time, I prepare a couple of traditional dishes for us to feast on while we reminisce about our many Asian friends, including our "adopted" daughters living in China and Japan.  Frequently, we vocalize a desire to drive to San Francisco to participate in their world-famous New Year's activities but have always let go of this dream thinking that Chinatown would be simply too crowded during this holiday for us to enjoy.

 

However, we were determined to make 2017 our year to be a part of a Chinese New Year's celebration and, after much debate about the sanity of doing so, we headed up to Vancouver, BC, where 100,000 spectators typically line the New Year's parade route. 

 

Fearless as we are from time to time, we found ourselves waking up Sunday morning in this lovely coastal seaport and planning to head for the parade.  Unfortunately, due to sleeping late and being turned off by the drizzly weather, we missed much of it. 

 

Yet, the lion dancers that roamed the streets of Chinatown, the surprise appearance of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau on the street corner where we were standing along with the many performances at the Asian Mall by cute kids and graceful dancers and entertainers, all these things more than made up for the loss of viewing the entire parade. 

 

Later in the day we attended the Chinese Benevolent Society's dinner marking the start of the Year of the Rooster at the Floata Seafood Restaurant where we and 999 (yes, there were 1,000 people scheduled to be in attendance at the banquet) of our closest friends and acquaintances were quite overwhelmed by the abundance of dishes.  Delicious food started arriving at our table around 6:30 and when we left at 10:00 the waitstaff was still serving more entrees.  Although we really wanted to sample the desserts, we were simply done in by the bounty and extravagance of the evening and had to head back to the hotel!

Our dinner experience the night before at The Fish Shack was in stark contrast to this banquet.  For at The Fish Shack there was a focus on intimacy and preparation of singular dishes.

Pho 99 - Bellingham, Washington

What a find!

We have to tip our hats to serendipity, that magical force that is frequently the traveler's strongest ally!  In this case, it was serendipity that led us us Pho 99. 

We were on our way to Canada and suddenly realized that the gas gauge was dipping dangerously close to empty.  Needless to say, we quickly pulled off the freeway in order to fuel up. Little did we know that there would be a great pho restaurant within eye sight of the gas station!