Tuesday, January 16, 2007

I want Breakfast, and lot's of it!

Breakfast used to be my favorite meal. It seems that the older I get, the more I just pass it over. Oh, I am not talking bagel, scones, muffins or donuts, I am talking serious load em up eating here. If you are hungry and lost in the Eureka area, here are my suggestions:

1. Bev’s Café-Huge portions. The chicken fried steak fills a whole separate plate. This is for the serious chow hound.

2. Stanton’s-I am partial to the Wood Boss. Three Eggs, sausage, hash browns, toast and pancakes. Just right for a good filler-up.

3. Samoa Cookhouse-I will only go if they are having the eggs, sausage, toast, hash browns and the biscuits and gravy. French toast and pancake days are not my cup of tea.

4. The Chalet House of Omelets-The food is consistent just none to big.

5. Golden Harvest Café-I love the Humboldt Omelet, but their potatoes are not that great. Get a side order of sour cream to down those puppies.

6. Marie Calendar’s-Just a cut above some others. Someone who picks this place must be into just chatting waiting for an order.

7. The Marina-The food is all right, it is just the portion thing. I do not go here to get my grub on!

8. Denny’s-I have been known to order a meal and then add another grand slam just to add extra garnish. Oh come now, quantity over quality, remember?

9. Cutten Inn-Last time I went they were using Babe’s Pizza as a home. Are they back in their old location? They are all right, not great or anything.

10. Any Weekend Buffet- Hometown, Marie Calender’s, Red Lion it does not really matter as long as the quantity is there!

Any favorite in your hometown?

34 comments:

Eric V. Kirk said...

Well, normally I go to Los Bagels for lox and CC on an onion bagel, with a cup of the "Heart of Darkness," but that doesn't count I guess.

I really miss Carl's Omellettes on Broadway. And I miss the cafe in the Eureka Inn.

Now I go the Waterfront Cafe. Nice atmosphere and some good omellettes with seafood.

Also partial to Heuer's. I swear, I go in there and if I don't look out the window I can almost feel like I'm back in the 1970s. Good food, nice service.

In Sohum, the best breakfast is at the Woodrose. Actually, it's my favorite breakfast in the county. The Eel River Cafe is also very good.

I also really miss the place in Fortuna, can't think of the name now. They baked their own bread and made their own sausage. It's a Mexican place now.

Anonymous said...

Hey the other Richard, The Eatery in Trinidad is wonderful, and lots of food for a cheap price. And after filling up, a nice walk on the beach is waiting for you....
Wow, breakfast and the beach, can't get any better then that!

Anonymous said...

Eric..Johnny's Cookhouse was the best place for breakfast in Fortuna.
The best place where I live is called BJ'S Country Kitchen. They have the best biscuits and gravy that is served with anything you order.
My husband ate at The Pantry when we were in Eureka for Christmas. Both times he went to eat he was attacked by the same homeless guy begging for change.

samoasoftball said...

Eric: I used to eat at Carl's. It was my buddy Eddie's favorite. I forgot about Heuer's. Never ate breakfast at the Waterfront.

Other Richard: The Eatery has a good following and Trinidad beach is nice.

1:39pm: I have not went to the Pantry in a while. It is not on my top ten. Blah food. Johnny's Cookhouse was awesome. He had the Samoa Cookhouse before opening in Fortuna. I know this is off subject, but is Tom's Sourdough down there in Fortuna any good?

Eric V. Kirk said...

Johnny's Cookhouse - that was it! Loved that place. I'd go out of my way to have breakfast there.

Where is BJ's? Although I probably have to stay away from the biscuits and gravy. I love that stuff, but it doesn't love me.

Anonymous said...

Richard,
I didn't know there was a Tom's Sourdough in Fortuna. I moved away from Eureka in 95. Is this the same Tom's Sourdough that used to be in Eureka where Babetta's is now? They used to have the best pizza.
BJ'S is in Fresno. Too long of a commute for you to have a good breakfast! Only 30 minutes from our house on the way to Yosemite.
Johnny's Cookhouse was one of my Dad's favorite places to eat breakfast when I was growing up in Fortuna. Years later, Johnny's brother-in-law Bill Davis, used to bring tons of food from there for everyone at Harper's to eat.
As for The Pantry, it was open Christmas morning and my husband had to eat..LOL I have NEVER liked The Pantry myself and didn't go with him. I can't eat greasy food or most restaurant food anymore.
BTW...did you ever get a hold of a certain someone and pass on my email address?

Anonymous said...

Richard, why dont you try breakfast with a fresh orange, some slices of dried mango, and granola. It is delicious and you wont die from it.

Anonymous said...

"why dont you try breakfast with a fresh orange, some slices of dried mango, and granola. It is delicious and you wont die from it."

Is it a coincedence that you posted at 4:20? (Just kidding)

You won't die from it...but you will still feel VERY hungry from eating that kind of meal.

Anonymous said...

An order for one will easily satisfy two at Bev's.

This leaves plenty of cash for a generous tip.

Anonymous said...

I love breakfast.

In Arcata, my current favorite is the Karen's potatoes at Big Blue Café: garlic, ginger, peppers, tofu all scrambled with potatoes with sour cream and salsa on the side. YUM.

In Trinidad, we hit the Beachcomber most Saturday mornings. I alternate between the Trinidad Special bagel (cream cheese, Larrupins, tomatos, red onions) and the Serious Hippie bagel (hummus, carrots, olives).

For pancakes, well, with all humility, mine are the best. I can do everything from buttermilk chocolate-chip (holidays and birthdays) to multi-grain citrus nut (school days, mostly). I'm especially partial to the apple juice-corn meal combo, especially with some blackstrap molasses. Mmmmmm. Except the juice-molasses combo is really high carb, so since Nick's diabetes diagnosis, I don't make those like I used to.

Fred Mangels said...

3:21 wrote, "Is this the same Tom's Sourdough that used to be in Eureka where Babetta's is now?".

Kind of. I'll admit to never having been in the Fortuna Tom's, but, as a Eureka Tom's Sourdough fanatic, I have a little knowledge.

Back when Tom's was still up and running in Eureka they opened up a small branch in Fortuna.

Some years ago, after Tom's in Eureka became Babbetta's, I had a craving for the deep fried potatoe slices Tom's used to make and remembered the Fortuna place. Yes, I would have been willing to go to Fortuna from Eureka just for those potatoes.

I found them in the phone book and called to see if they still offered potatoes. The guy told me they only made pizza. Bummer, but I wouldn't mind having one of those pizzas now and again.

One of the great tragedies of the culinary world that those "Deep Fried Chips" are lost to history.

Oh, I don't know the exact address of the place in Fortuna. Don't know if it's in the same place after all these years (or even if it's still in business) but it was just off the freeway.

Heading south from Eureka, whatever the second off ramp to Fortuna is, get off and cross over the freeway. It used to be straight across from the stop sign as you came down off the overpass, if memory serves me correctly.

Derchoadus said...

Toms is on 12th street right across from Clendenens Apple Farm.

I'll second the Waterfront for breakfast. Love the seafood benedict combos, expecially on sundays.

Anonymous said...

Dr Mehmet Oz reccommends steel cut oats for breakfast so you won't get hungry before snack time and head for the donut factory. I put the dried cherries and blueberries that I used to put in pancakes- in the oatmeal now.

Fred Mangels said...

"Toms is on 12th street right across from Clendenens Apple Farm.".

That's the place. I guess it's still there.

samoasoftball said...

3:21pm-I guess others have answered the question on Tom's already, and yes, I did make contact (He called me) with that person and the rest was left to him.

Fresno has a a decent breakfast place? Never saw it. I worked for over a year off and on in Bakersfield and can attest that they are lacking in the breakfast department. There was one place in Oildale, but I can't remember the name.

Anonymous said...

Richard ... I'm having one of those "hmmmm, breakfast" Homer Simpson moments ...

I concur with all the raves here, but surprised that Gil's by the Bay in King Salmon didn't make your list. Their crab omelet and crab Benedict make my knees buckle. And their potatoes have sauteed onions and red and green bell peppers on 'em. Sweet.

Chris Crawford

Nick Bravo said...

Feedbag in Redbluff has giant pancakes to die for.

Eric V. Kirk said...

Richard, why dont you try breakfast with a fresh orange, some slices of dried mango, and granola. It is delicious and you wont die from it.

Actually, granola usually has quite a bit of fat and sugar. It might not be as bad for you as Lucky Charms, but it's reputation as a health food is very much overrated.

But it sure does go good with yogurt!

Anonymous said...

Is it true Wavy Gravy introduced granola to the Woodstock nation? I remember reading about he and his band of merry men and women attempted to feed the hungry kids at Woodstock granola served in Dixie Cups. Sigh, the north coast would never be the same.

Anonymous said...

I love your food posts. A bout of diverticulitis lowered my intake and I just can't compete anymore.

There is great little place on Main Street in Fortuna - fairly new - The Grapevine Bistro, with a big breakfast menu. Hot Brew makes a good breakfast, too. It's pretty hard to screw up breakfast.

If you like chinese and want lots, there's a special menu with a big salad bar at Hunan's in Fortuna. Where's the best Italian these days? Roy's?

Anonymous said...

Greg,
Parlato's in Fortuna still has the best Ravioli's ANYWHERE! I never was that impressed with Roy's but then again I grew up eating Parlato's. The soup, salad and ravioli's are a meal in itself.

Anonymous said...

Actually Abruzzi's in Arcata has made a major comeback in recent years. Theyre amazing again. I would avoid MAzzotti's Eureka, as service has gone downhill.

Eric V. Kirk said...

I like the raviolis at the hotel in Ferndale, across the intersection from Curly's cornerwise. Can't remember the name for the life of me.

But again, not to sound like a broken record, the best raviolis anywhere on the planet are found at Little Joe's in San Francisco. Nobody I've met who has tried them disagrees with me.

Eric V. Kirk said...

At Abruzzi's I always like the spicy sauce with the calamari and prawns over linguine. Can't remember what the dish is called.

Anonymous said...

What about raviolis at Marcelli's on 5th next to Artic Circle! The chicken is good there. And you can practice target shooting next door!

Anonymous said...

Eric, you are thinking of the Ivanhoe. The Mogni's revived the place in the nineties - quite a bar, too. Great local color. Just watch out, you may end up heading for The Palace instead of Curley's. The Ivanhoe does a nice job with beef and chicken dishes, too.

Eric V. Kirk said...

Ivanhoe's! That's it.

Won't ever give up Curly's though. I love their onion tortilla cake appetizer thing, and their ribs.

What about raviolis at Marcelli's on 5th next to Artic Circle!

I went in once years ago. The food was okay, but the service was pretty slow. I almost went up and asked for a cloth to clean up the table myself.

samoasoftball said...

Curly's has good ribs? Might have to check that out!

Anonymous said...

Last I looked Curley's took the ribs off the menu. Call first!

Eric V. Kirk said...

Last I looked Curley's took the ribs off the menu. Call first!

Awwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!

Okay, so Richard, what are the best Chinese places? I vote for Liu's.

Saw an article on Chin's in the TS last week - under new ownership since 2002. Looked good. I'm a little nervous about trying it though because I was very unimpressed when I tried the food 8 years ago.

samoasoftball said...

I have ate at Liu's but was not impressed enough to go back. I miss Shang Hai Low! Gonsea is popular. Canton's is consistent. Have not been to Chin's in awhile. Just a few.

Anonymous said...

Hunan's in Henderson Center has been great every time I've been there.

Eric V. Kirk said...

Richard - go back to Liu's and try the lunch special kung pao chicken. Order it with white rice rather than the fried - it's healhier and tastes better. You get soup and a spring roll with it - a large lunch for just over 6 bucks.

Eric V. Kirk said...

I also like the place in Arcata off the plaza, behind Abruzis. Great wanton soup!