A Boozy Flavortown Meat Party

by Jessica Ashley Silva on August 30, 2019 at 11:55AM

For the second year in a row, I ventured beneath the grandstands at the Ferndale Fairgrounds to check in at the “Judges Only” bar. Eighteen of us — mostly strangers who all clearly love meat — gathered to judge Guy Fieri’s sixth annual Surf and Turf BBQ Competition at the Humboldt County Fair.

Pizza by the Sea

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on July 13, 2019 at 9:00AM

A walk to the restroom takes you past the tight space in which at most two staffers can maneuver enough to bake a maximum of four 18-inch pizzas at a time in the smallest conventional unit I’ve ever seen. The foundation of those pies is a daringly thin crust that you’ll need to support with one hand — that it retains its chewiness and doesn’t become a cracker is impressive.

Meatless at the Barbecue Place

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on July 9, 2019 at 6:29PM

Much has been made of the bloody color but it’s the texture that delivers satisfaction and the umami flavor that provides a base for those elements (pickle, tomato, onion) that make up a lot of what we think of as a burger experience. Will it fool anyone into thinking it’s the ground Angus offered two spots above on the menu?

Lady's Choice

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on July 5, 2019 at 5:18PM

Yes, Mr. Actually-that’s-not-a-Cuban-sandwich, I see you with your hand up. Note the feminine ending on the sandwich’s name, as opposed to the roast pork, ham, pickle and Swiss Cubano.

All the Pretty Oysters

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on June 15, 2019 at 8:55PM

Chinese Comfort Food

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on May 1, 2019 at 2:00PM

Are jalapeño peppers native to China and therefore traditional? What are you, a cop?

Lunch in the Lobby

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on April 25, 2019 at 1:27PM

As for the sweet, there are cardamom and rose cupcakes that are fragrant but not soapy in the least ($4), and other treats — some gluten free — under glass domes at the counter. But the hefty salted chocolate chip cookies are a sure thing ($3), just bendable with a buttery, crusty edge and hunks of chocolate throughout, and flakes of sea salt on top.

Trucking from Fortuna

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on April 16, 2019 at 1:59PM

A more ambitious carnivore — or a more social one — might head for the brisket nachos instead ($11.99). The pile of pleasingly brittle freshly fried tortilla chips is not cheesy/gooey but heaped with smoky pulled brisket, a simple guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo and pickled jalapeño slices.

'Not Like it Used to Be': Why Mazzoti's Eureka Shut Down

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on February 7, 2019 at 12:29PM

was in its heyday, logging was still going, you had banks that were full, there was a saturation of blue-collar workers in Eureka, the fishing industry was better,” he said. Mazzotti topped the list with the dropping price of marijuana and the fledgling legal market still finding its feet.

How French is the Dip?

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on February 2, 2019 at 5:01PM

Nowhere is its accent more convincing than at Le Monde (2850 F St., Eureka), where it only shows up for lunch on French Dip Fridays ($13). The housemade bread is not a crusty baguette but a soft, toasted roll in which caramelized onion and paper-thin sliced prime rib are tucked.