Saturday, May 14, 2011

Top 20 most missed Restaurants of Humboldt by Marks.

(Whalers Inn was #11)
Sometimes I get nostalgic about some of my most missed places to eat and I thought I would share some and why. You can see I am all over the board as far as cuisine and setting. Some of these are being revisited.

20. Lazio’s: They had the best fries believe it or not. Used to buy some while fishing for Perch and Smelt off the dock.

19. Eureka Inn: Used to be classy place for meal. Not that great of food, but I have pleasant memories family wise.

18. Enrico’s: Used to live within a block and had many sandwiches and specialty beers from here.

17. Deb’s: Liked the greasy burgers!

16. Kings Table: I have fond memories with the kids.

15. Lila’s Taco Shop: The Garbage burrito was the best!

14. Stanton’s: No more wood’s boss!

13. Volpi’s: Best view of all past eating places.

12. A & W: For whatever reason, I loved the mashed potato fries. Oh, and the bacon bits on the burgers.

11. Whaler’s Inn: Didn’t get enough chances to eat here. Usually saved for special times.

10. Betty Mae’s/Bev’s Cafe: Where or where can you get those portions for breakfast!

9. Arctic Circle: Now we will never no the answer to the “Secret Sauce.” My niece's Erica and Jessica from Sacramento lament this the most.

8. OH’s Hamburger King: For those of you who remember, great dogs and onion rings.

7. Verla’s/Tom’s Sourdough: Both places hold great teenager memories. I was once accused of throwing a stink bomb down the chimney and was kicked out “forever.” Ah, good times. (No, I didn’t do it.)

6. Shakey’s/Andy’s Prosperous Pizza: They had a great buffet and was a great post game place to gather for softball!

5. Dennis and Jerry’s: Great place to go before or after Mrytlewood Lounge.

4. OH’s Townhouse: Best Prime rib in the County. Never matched.

3. Jalisco’s: I so miss their buffet. Great mild salsa.

2. Michael’s: My wife’s #1. We went many times with our friends Liz and Loren for the Steak and Fettuccine special

1. Shanghai Low: Never have found replacement for the won tons or the prawns. I also liked the almond chicken chow mien. Miss the kids playing with the juke boxes at the table. Last union restaurant in Eureka.

47 comments:

  1. Whaler’s Inn: Especially when Sal was Chef there. That was the best fish I ever had. Does anybody know where Sal went to.

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    1. Anonymous8:02 PM

      I heard Sal went to Alaska to work on the slope

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Arctic Circle and Some Dude's Fry Sauce both originated in Utah. Wink. Wink. You can find the fry sauce next to the ketchup at WinCo.

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  4. Brian M7:11 PM

    I totally agree with your #1. The best Chinese food I've ever had.

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  5. Anonymous7:29 PM

    Kings Table deserves to move a few notches up your list Richard

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  6. I miss the giant neon crab at Weatherbees (sp?). Now there's a boring-looking Subway shop at the location. I don't recall much about the food, but I loved the neon crab.

    I also enjoyed the garlic nachos and salsa bar at Casa De Que Pasa in Arcata. The building burned down in the mid 1990s.

    I'm not religious, but I liked the Christian-themed hot dog place that was in McKinleyville for a short time. The Rapture Dog was delicious. They offered a "Noah's Ark" dog that had two of everything on it.

    I tried to sell them an ad. They said they didn't need advertising. Whether the business survived or not was "in God's hands." Less than a year later, God pulled the plug. Fortunately, you can get a good hot dog at the Fieldbrook Family Market. They'll put Larrupin sauce on your dog if you ask.

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  7. Anonymous11:03 PM

    What about that restaurant that used to be in the mall? Food was nothing special, but you could drink beer at the mall.

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  8. A&W Root Beer: Best tacos in the world at less than a dollar each back then.

    Tom's Sourdough Pizza: Don't even get me started. I loved the place.

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    1. Anonymous8:18 PM

      Do remember waitresses in roller skates 70s ithink

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    2. Anonymous8:20 PM

      On roller skates sorry

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  9. Sweetriver Salon! For breakfast.

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  10. Anonymous12:37 PM

    Jack, that means Jesus was going to pay for the advertising. He just hasn't returned yet. Couldn't you have cut Jesus some little slack and put him on an eon payment plan?

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  11. Anonymous1:09 PM

    I liked Sweetriver but liked Mad River Saloon much more. Sunday brunch was the best. Used to roast a whole turkey or two. There was always something for everyone at the buffet. They also had Margarita night and you got plates with tiny tacos and some other things to go with it.

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  12. I'll first need to run a credit check on Jesus.

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  13. brian5:37 PM

    Remember the 'Embers' on the south end of town.....

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  14. Forgot the Embers and L&M Drive Inn! Maggies in Mck.

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  15. Anonymous7:40 AM

    Remember the Big 4 in Arcata with the great spaghetti and fried apple rings? How about the Little Red Barn? Student's Inn? And who could forget the original Steve's Coney Island in the Airstream Trailer?

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  16. I miss the Samoa Cookhouse... before Stantons took it over.

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  17. The Embers was the last place to ever check my wifes I.D. She was twenty nine, they didn't check I.D.s that carefully back then. I think that the jerk was hitting on her. She couln't stop grinning all evening. I was remarkabley ambivilent.

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  18. Anonymous10:02 PM

    MAGGIES!

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  19. Wooxen3:42 PM

    Richard, did you see the article in the NCJ regarding local restaurants and their Health Dept. report cards.

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  20. Anonymous9:41 PM

    You like eating food, don't you Richard?

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  21. 9:41-The blog is about greasy food you know.

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  22. Anonymous7:41 AM

    Yum, raw meat juice dripping into leetuce at Adels. Rats at Applebee's. Anyone for pie?

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  23. Anonymous8:30 PM

    So...who's Heraldo?

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  24. Anonymous8:38 PM

    Richard knows more about the identity of the meat at the China Buffet than he knows about Heraldo's true identity.

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  25. One more place Al Capone's pizza in arcata. The thickest pizza I had ever had.

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    1. Anonymous4:23 PM

      Al Capone's Pizza was excellent. Their caldones were a favorite!

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  26. Heraldo is everyone you want them to be.

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  27. Anonymous12:17 PM

    "Heraldo is everyone you want them to be."

    Unfortunately for you Richard, you pissed away your credibility with the empty threat to disclose who the Heraldos are.

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  28. Cred with who? Nobody I care about, you anonymous wiener!

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  29. Anonymous8:24 PM

    Richard you are such a potty mouth!

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  30. Anonymous7:50 AM

    The Embers used to have Scalone which was half abalone and half scallops. Very very good. And Thursday nights was Chicken Fried Steak night. I'm starting to drool just thinking about it. What killed the Embers was that they let people continue to smoke after the indoor smoking ban happened. They got busted two or three times and that was that.

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  31. Anonymous1:40 PM

    anybody remember the Big 4?

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  32. Anonymous8:40 PM

    Loved Volpi's, Whalers Inn and Merrymans in McKinley/Trinidad. They were very,very special!!!

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  33. Anonymous4:42 PM

    Great list. Don't disagree with any of them. I still miss Garcia's in Arcata (the Zapato was awesome). There was a rumor they used goat in some dishes (Chiva is delicious). Also Fog's. I forgot all about the Scalone and I used to eat it once a month or so!

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  34. Anonymous9:39 PM

    Yes, I am definitely remembering the Big 4 restaurant - on the right - just a short distance on 101 before the 299 turnoff to Blue Lake !!!

    In fact, I was goggling the Big 4 restaurant this evening hoping someone might have the recipe for their ravioli sauce - when this blog appeared. My Mom - one of the original 9 Costa's - children of Louis F. and Ezaura Costa (Arcata Bottoms/Arcata-Sunset/Blue Lake) use to have the recipe. She passed away 2 1/2 years ago, at the age of 99 1/2 and I took it for granted that it was in her hand printed book of special recipes, that she started in her home ec class at AHS, taught by one of the Hagoppian(sp?) sisters.

    I do have the "apple fritter" recipe, she collected from the owners of the Big 4 before they closed. Does anyone remember the name of the family who owned and ran the restaurant? Was it the Atangiovani's(sp?)?

    Anonymous - You mentioned the Student Inn (near Arcata High?) - I was an AHS graduate - how about Tatman's Bakery in Northtown Arcata - and their prune (yes, I said "prune") cupcakes with delicious creamy chocolate frosting. (If we knew, at that time, there were prunes in them we probably would not have eaten them - sure glad I didn't know). I would only hope upon hope I could put my fingers on that recipe ... I've tried many times to replicate - close, but no amazing Tatman's "prune cupcake". Mom got closest to the original taste and texture, but think she made it with a little of this and a pinch of that, since I could not find a recipe ...

    Thank you all so much for the walk down memory lane and mention of some of the best restaurants and food I've ever eaten ...

    Barbara

    PS - Did someone mention the deep fried shrimp from Shanghai Lo; what I wouldn't give for a combination dinner with those shrimp, won tons and sweet & sour pork ribs ! You could find me snuggled up to my Dad's side on Saturday afternoon, while Mom shopped to her hearts content at Daly's and Bistrin's in Eureka and the JC Penney's, where you sent the money and received change back through a vacuum system to the office upstairs ...

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  35. Anonymous2:20 PM

    Nobody remembers The Red Barn, Eureka? Best chilli dogs and rootbeer floats. Pam's Park n Eat, Fortuna. Best greasy cheese burgers and fries, chocolate shakes, served at your car window or inside with the rocking-est jukebox in Humboldt Cty. The Brass Rail, Redcrest. Amazing brasserie-style pork loin. Whp remembers the soft ice cream shop with chocolate dipper in Garberville? Always a race to finish before it melted. And for fine dining, Merryman's in Trinidad, sandabs! And the Benbow Inn, Eel River Trout.

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    Replies
    1. My Aunt Sharon worked at Pam's for years!

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  36. Shanghai Lo had the best won tons and deep fried prawns in the world ! Hands down ! Their fried batter on the prawns. Nothing compares in all of the places i have been. Their sweet and sour sauce was different too. Im always trying to figure out their recipes. Where did they go ? Mikes fries in Eureka ? Packeys pizza in Rio Dell ? Yes i remember Red Barn for their BLT’s and fries. Pams in Fortuna i liked their Footlongs ! Bon Boniere icecream was an ultimate original. I live in Folsom near sacramento now. Have been here for years. I would say that Humboldt county was the smallest place with the most bomb small pop places to eat in one small area in California at one time. Probably before the mill shut downs. Not sure. That candy or icecream place at that old old mall i can still remember the smell. I was too young to remember if it was a restaurant or just an ice cream shop/candy shop. Winchells Donuts is a great memory. Also Shakeys pizza, we had great Birthday parties there. At least Bob’s Footlongs and Angelos pizza is still open in Fortuna. I miss the old Humboldt county. Humbolt bunnies are like from a complete different world coming from the back then days. Very fortunate to have grown up in such simplicity.

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  37. Anonymous4:56 PM

    I do remember the big 4 restaurant it was owned by my neighbor. The best Italian raviolis I have ever eaten.
    And what about the Arcata Burger Bar. It made the best burgers, fries and shakes. I have eaten all around the world they made the best.

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  38. Anonymous3:31 PM

    Dot's Drive In. North Arcata before it became 4 lanes.

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    1. I'm looking for an old picture of Dot's to no avail :(
      Anyone have one?

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  39. Anonymous6:57 PM

    Yes, Dot's ... Corn dogs, 10/$1.00 in the late 1960s...

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    1. Anonymous8:16 PM

      Anyone have an old picture of Dot's?

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