Forward Eating

I arrived in San Francisco with little in terms of a plan for what to do or how long to stay.  Food-wise, San Francisco can be overwhelming.  Much like hipsters and their music, constantly trying to find that next great band no one has heard of (that they will no longer like once everyone has heard of them), foodies in San Francisco are constantly trying to one-up each other on finding the next food trend, perfect meal, or fancy cocktail.  Today’s celebrated chef is tomorrow’s sellout, so reading reviews and blogs of San Francisco overwhelmed me.  I just decided to meet up with friends, trust their recommendations, and wing it as much as possible.

My first stop was a place I had been dying to try for over a year since they opened, and I’ve been following their reviews.

Farm:Table is operated by two dear friends that I have not seen nearly enough in the few years since I left the west coast.  What Kate and Shannon do with 285 square feet (including the employee bathroom!) is nothing short of impressive.  Beautifully crafted coffee from local Verve Roasters and a daily changing menu of fresh and local food.  The simple menu is posted on a chalkboard inside and posted on Twitter, once in the morning for breakfast and later with the lunch selections.

The daily menu at Farm:Table

Everything is made in-house with ingredients sourced from local producers and farmer’s markets and their recently added rooftop garden with herbs, tomatoes, strawberries, and lettuces.  They make their own house cereal for breakfast and feature several tasty pastries in addition to a fruit dish and an egg dish every morning.  Lunch features sandwiches and usually a salad and/or soup choice.  The menu is creative and delicious, and on the days I visited it was difficult to choose what to try!  I think my favorite was the pan de mie with fromage blanc cheese, fresh local berries, and honey and the cold brewed iced coffee with their homemade almond milk that has now become my summer “go to” drink.

Pan de mie with fromage blanc, fresh berries & honey at Farm:Table

I also got the chance to accompany Kate on some shopping trips to local markets and was impressed with the thoughtfulness and creativity that goes into the menu every day.  In full disclosure I will say that I’m totally biased given my friendship with the owners and the fact that they put me up in the Farm:Table storage space/apartment during my stay (which is much nicer than you would think), but if you are in San Francisco and appreciate finely crafted coffee and food, take a trip to the Tenderloin and check out Farm:Table.  You will not be disappointed.

I ate and drank so many delicious things in San Francisco and wasn’t always great about documenting them, oops bad blogger, but I definitely wanted to note some highlights here.

The Ferry Building Marketplace is built for foodies and showcases some of the best food and products in the city.  From hand crafted dishes to mushroom growing kits, wines, cured meats, cheeses, artisan olive oils, and many other exciting things for people who love food – the Ferry Building is a destination that shouldn’t be missed.

One place I was especially excited about experiencing was Bi-Rite Creamery, the famed artisan ice cream shop.  There were so many tempting things…the ice cream sandwich made with sugar cookies and balsamic strawberry ice cream, the salted caramel soft serve, brown butter pecan ice cream, and many other treats…but I was set on trying Sam’s Sundae that I had seen on a Food Network show a year or so ago.  Chocolate ice cream with bergamot olive oil, maldon sea salt, and whipped cream – soooooo good.  Rich, dark chocolate ice cream, bright and fruity olive oil, a hint of sea salt to cut the richness and thick, creamy homemade whipped cream to top it all off.  I walked across the street to Delores Park with my sundae and sat in the sun enjoying the ice cream goodness on a sunny afternoon.  The park was full of dogs and people and good energy on a bright sunny day, and the ice cream was a perfect treat to enjoy while I soaked it all in.

My friend Jenn hooked me up with a very satisfying dinner (before a night of total drunken debauchery, that’s how we roll) at Show Dogs, where I drank some damn fine beer and feasted on a 49′er dog featuring housemade mustard and sauerkraut and fresh arugula.  Hard to choose as everything on their menu, including the hand-dipped corn dogs, looked delicious but a very good dog, I must say.

The Show Dogs "49'er"

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in the North Beach area of San Francisco was probably the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, and apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so because Tony Gemignani is a 9 time World Pizza Champion.  We started with salad and some garlicky fried green beans, which were amazing, but the star of the night was the truffle pizza.  Mozzarella, burrata, Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam triple cream cheese, wild mushrooms, arugula, parmagiano, and shaved Italian truffles topped with a hint of truffle oil.  The crust was wood fired and crisp with a little chew to it like good crust should have, the toppings well balanced and highlighted by the decadence of the truffles which tied in the flavors of the mushrooms and cheeses perfectly.  It’s expensive for a pizza, but so worth the splurge.

Truffle pizza, delicious indulgence

Sadly towards the end of my stay in San Francisco I came down with some stomach trouble and the start of what would end up being a nasty cold/cough/virus/etc. that would plague me through the rest of the trip.  I wasn’t eating much of anything by the time I left but still got to do some very nice sightseeing.

*Quote from Oscar Wilde

The first time I went to California, I was 12.  It was the summer of 1987, and my family piled in my grandpa’s van and drove down I-5 to Disneyland and to stop and visit family friends in San Jose.  California always seemed like a magical place as a kid from movies and books I read.  It was always sunny, there were tons of video arcades and amusement parks, and everyone was blonde, tan, and had a swimming pool in their backyard.  For me, these things seemed incredibly cool and important.  What was not cool when you’re 12 was spending 10 days or so in a van with your family, including your 4 year old sister (sorry Kate, love ya now!).  On the way home, my dad wanted to drive us up the coast on Highway 1 to see the scenery of the beaches and redwoods.  A few hours into the drive, he said, “If you kids are just going to sit in the back with your Walkmans on and not look at all the scenery, I’m going back to the interstate where it’s faster,” so we headed back to the interstate and eventually home.

Now that I’m much older and able to appreciate such things, I was determined to drive the coastal highway and check out the scenery.  While the curves sometimes made me dizzy and want to throw up, the beautiful views were definitely worth it.

I found one of my usual scenic overlooks to park, fell asleep to the sound of the ocean, and woke up to the sound and view of waves crashing in front of me.  I wish it had been warm enough to grab my sleeping bag and sleep out on the beach under the stars, but it was nice to lay the seat down in the truck, pop open the back window, and let the waves put me to sleep.

In addition to the gorgeous ocean views, I also got to drive through the famous Northern California redwood forests for some pretty spectacular scenery.  The massive trees, covered in moss and stretching what seems impossibly high into the sky, are simply breathtaking.  It really makes you think about the wonder of nature and how important it is to preserve places like this.  There is a quiet peace of these forests that make you want to lay down in the soft mossy ground and soak it all in.

Also amongst the redwoods, I came across the giant famous statue of Paul Bunyon and his disturbingly anatomically correct ox friend, Babe.

Seriously, we needed to put gigantic balls on a big blue ox?

As I moved south towards San Francisco, it seemed every couple of miles was a little town with oyster bars, farms, cheesemakers, bakeries, etc.  So much tasty artisan food being produced to feed the ever growing culture of California locavores.  It seemed that no matter how tiny the town, all along the coast, there would be a co-op or market filled with fresh baked breads, fresh cheese, local meats, and farm fresh produce.  Californians do love their food, and they definitely take advantage of the climate and year-round growing opportunities.

Next up, I spend several days exploring the eats and sights of San Francisco!

*title features the feelings of Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg, not necessarily the author

Luckily, while I was in Seattle I caught a friend’s Facebook posting about a festival in Astoria, OR commemorating the 25th anniversary of the release of the classic 80’s film, The Goonies.  Sadly, it was too late to get tickets to the screening of the film (with appearances by many of the stars!!) or a lot of the events, but I decided it was worth a stop in Astoria anyways since I was passing right through there on my drive.

I have no idea why I remember this with such detail, but in the summer of 1985, I was 10 and my sister and I were camping in Oak Harbor, WA with our parents when we decided to go see a movie on a Saturday evening.  I really wanted to see the re-release of E.T., which I had loved when it first came out (this was generally before VHS made it affordable to watch movies at home all the time and sometimes they would re-release popular movies in the theater…oh and VHS is a tape, kinda like a cassette…oh nevermind), but as luck would have it, E.T. was sold out and the only other movie playing at this theater (theaters in these days generally only had 1-2 screens…sometimes 3, I know it’s hard to imagine) was The Goonies, so we decided to check it out.  I really didn’t know anything about it, but it had one of the Coreys, and was some sort of pirate adventure thing, so how bad could it be? To say I loved it would be a big understatement. I was mesmerized by the story of some outcast kids trying to save their homes from fancy developers and striking out on a huge exciting adventure underneath their town.  All of a sudden I wanted to check my attic for treasure maps, and we didn’t even have an attic!

So I stopped in Astoria ready to wander the streets with my camera checking out all the sights and people of the Goonies Anniversary festival.  First stop was at the Goondocks, the festival headquarters where you could buy merchandise (picked up a sweet t-shirt), maps of local sites, and tickets and schedules of the events.  Then, map in hand, I headed into the main town area and saw some dedicated fans:

Local businesses cashing in on the theme:

And even one sorta celebrity cast member! Sadly I didn’t have time to snap a pic.  I also drove a bit out of town to see the main house where the movie was filmed:

Astoria is a beautiful little coastal town, and had I been able to get a place to stay, I would have loved to have spent more time there, but it was quite busy with events and people so I pressed on down the coast for the night.

Beautiful Astoria, Oregon

Next stop was Seaside, OR, a cute, touristy town on the beach with all the stereotypical beachy touristy things like seafood restaurants, saltwater taffy shops, and throngs of bored teenagers in the summer.  I stopped for dinner at one of the aforementioned seafood restaurants and enjoyed a crab melt sandwich with fresh, local dungeness crab – which is, in my humble opinion, the best crab in the world.  Then I walked up the street a bit and came across The Buzz, a candy store with an extensive selection of new and retro treats.  I was able to resist most of the temptations, but one thing did catch my curiousity…the chocolate dipped Twinkies.  Sadly, I had to sample the regular chocolate dipped, as they were out of the bacon flavored chocolate dipped, but it made for a nice dessert anyways.  Twinkies are one of my junk food weaknesses, and well, dipping them in chocolate certainly doesn’t make them less appealing.

Just south of Seaside, I hit Cannon Beach at sunset and walked along the shore for a great view of Haystack Rock (which was also featured in The Goonies, to stick with the theme of this post).

I continued on down Highway 101, sleeping somewhere on the side of the ocean in my truck and waking up to the beautiful site of the coast in front of me.

It was a drizzly, rainy day so not ideal for beach walking, and I drove to Newport for lunch.  Craving some good clam chowder, I stopped in at Mo’s on the water side of the street (there are two).  Sitting in the windowed dining room watching the fishermen haul in fresh crab right below me, I couldn’t help but eat another crab melt for the 2nd time in 24 hours.  Tangy fresh crab, buttery toasted bread, and smooth Oregon Tillamook cheddar made for an awesome sandwich, and I practically licked the cup of chowder (with the added touch of a pat of butter on top) clean on the side.  The perfect lunch for a drizzly day on the ocean.

Mmmmm, seriously good eats

Pulled over to take a scenic shot and heard a lot of noise, looked down and saw this - sea lions!

Getting a little discouraged with the weather, I decided to seek out a motel for the night where I could relax, get some writing done, and hopefully have a nice view of the ocean from my room.  I came across the Sunset Motel, which was right on the ocean in Bandon, OR with a variety of room types to fit many different budgets.  I opted for a budget-friendly “rustic room” in the older part of the motel with some sweet wood paneling and access to a deck that was perfect for watching the sun go down over the water.  I was a nice break from camping/car sleeping and a chance to watch a little TV and take a shower, which is always a nice thing.  I walked on the beach breathing in the salty air and getting my feet wet and took some time to enjoy the beauty of where I was.

Me - gettin fancy with the self timer and looking contemplatively at the ocean

Next up? The northern California coast!

So, you may notice geographically that Portland is south of Seattle and yet comes before the Seattle post on this blog.  This is because due to what you might call “meandering” I didn’t allow myself enough time to stay and hang out in Seattle on my way to Portland because I was meeting people there.  But I did have time in my schedule to go back to Seattle after my visit to Portland, so I headed back north and spent a few days in the Emerald City.

I grew up in Washington, about 100 miles north of Seattle.  When I was a kid, trips to Seattle were a BIG DEAL. It was going to the CITY and not just Bellingham, the largest city close to us, but the real city.  There were professional sports and a place that had carnival rides year round – not just the kind that they put up for the county fair and take down in a week, there was more than one movie theater, and even more than one mall!  It was a magical place where I got to go a few times a year if I was lucky for Seahawk games, Mariners games, concerts, school shopping trips, and visits to the zoo, aquarium or science center, etc.  It’s the default in my brain for a city, and naturally when I was 23 and ready to move somewhere on my own and make a life for myself, it’s where I ended up.  I lived there for nearly 10 years until I decided that maybe I should see what life is like somewhere else and took a job in Nashville, Tennessee.

I’ve gotten back to town quite often though, as my family is still in the area, I have many friends in the city, and my job required me to be there at least once a year for meetings.  Living in Nashville, there were a lot of things about Seattle that I missed – the food, the water, the mountains, the Seahawks, and more of the food. So when I get back there my plans often include eating, and this trip I wanted to make sure I got to a few favorites for the blog.

I was put up graciously by my best friend since I was 5 years old, who just happens to live right up the street from Top Pot Doughnuts on Capitol Hill, so not surprisingly I ended up there just about every morning for delicious coffee, a doughnut (or two) and free wi-fi.  I know Top Pot has or had an agreement with Starbucks and you can get their doughnuts in other cities, but I’ve usually been disappointed unless they come right from the source in Seattle.  Their doughnuts are amazing, simple, but so good.  Rich, dense cake doughnuts that aren’t too sweet but glazed with just the right amount of icing and topped with a variety of goodness.  I like the feather boa, a cake doughnut glazed with either pink or chocolate icing and topped with coconut flakes, the best, I think.  Their maple bars are also fantastic.  I know parts of the country swear by Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme, but to me, Top Pot is where it’s at.  They remind me of being a kid and getting to go into work with my stepdad at his restaurant if I got up early enough before school.  The chef would be frying fresh cake doughnuts for the morning, and I would get to choose one fresh from the fryer and get to ice it myself.  Warm and crisp on the outside with cakey goodness in the middle and icing melting just a little from the heat.  As Homer Simpson would say, “mmmm doughnuts.”

But of course there are more delicious things to be found in Seattle, and as being there with free time on a weekday is a rare treat for me, I had to hit up one of my favorite lunch spots, Salumi.  I blogged about Salumi on a previous blog, and much has been written about it nationally as the owner, Armandino Batali, who in addition to being a master of meat curing, also happens to have quite the famous son.  But famous last name or not, Salumi is a magical place.  It’s tiny and despite its national popularity has not gotten any bigger since it opened, which is very charming.  To enjoy the reward of the food at Salumi, you must almost always wait in line in the narrow space and squeeze into a crowded community table, where you will converse with tourists from all over the world, local foodies, regulars, and the very friendly staff who will pour water and wine and offer you samples of all kinds of Italian eats.

Where pigs go to heaven

Choices were limited on the Friday afternoon I reached Salumi, but I was able to get my favorite salami sandwich with a salami I hadn’t tried before, the Tuscan Finocchiona.  Spicy, rich, and full of flavor, it was delicious with the smoky and tangy provolone cheese and fresh, thick bread.  I also sampled some of the Coppa, a spicy marbled pork shoulder cured in sugar and salt and then rubbed with cayenne.  I’m kind of a wuss when it comes to spicy heat, but this had a nice balance and strong flavor.

Word to the wise - get to Salumi early

What sandwiches aspire to be

Goodbye to an icon

The Pike Place Market sits at the bottom of Pike Street in Downtown Seattle overlooking the Elliot Bay waterfront and is one of the oldest continuously operating farmer’s markets in the U.S.  Its sign and bronze pig statue appear in many tourist photos, and the sound and sight of the fish throwers at Pike Place Fish appear in just about every television show, movie, sporting event, etc. set in Seattle.  I remember when I moved to Seattle being so excited to get to shop there as if it would become my new grocery store.  Sadly the lack of parking and crowds of tourists did not make the market my regular shopping destination, but I did treasure the times I had time to stroll the shops and bring home fresh seafood and produce to make a fantastic meal.  Also sadly, I did not have time to do any cooking on this trip, so my trip to the market was simply to look around and browse the stand after stand of fresh food.

I didn’t get to have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle on this trip, the Dahlia Lounge, but you should if you are ever in Seattle.  Chef Tom Douglas is a master of seafood and fresh Pacific Northwest cuisine, and sort of my culinary idol.  If anyone ever wants to pay to send me to his culinary summer camp, please feel free to email me  However, I had been craving one of the Dahlia’s signature desserts: the triple coconut pie. Lucky for me, there is the Dahlia Bakery right next door where you can get your fix of the pie and other tasty baked treats to-go.

That's not the price per slice, FYI

The weather on this visit was not ideal; it rained pretty much every day.  I know you’re thinking “duh, it’s Seattle,” but really it’s not as rainy as people think, I promise.  Anyways, the crappy weather made it perfect to stop in at Than Brothers for some pho.  Than Brothers was the first place I ever tried pho, the traditional Vietnamese soup of rich, usually beef, broth with rice noodles and a variety of toppings served on the side, so it wasn’t until I ate it somewhere else that I realized the creme puffs served with the pho at Than Brothers are not standard.  I don’t know why they serve creme puffs with their pho, but it’s a nice little treat to have a pastry puff full of soft, creamy filling after a satisfying bowl of hot soup.  Than Brothers is also insanely cheap and the portions are more than generous, so a “small” bowl of soup makes for quite a nice lunch.

A "small" bowl of pho and young coconut drink at Than Brothers in Seattle

My visit to Seattle ended with a meal that is not native or unique to Seattle but one that I discovered in Seattle and has been a “must eat” on all my visits due to it being largely unavailable in Nashville – dim sum!  Sadly I can never remember the name of the place we go and internet searching has not helped me find it, so, um, this is not helpful to anyone looking to eat at the same place. Sorry about that.

Anyways, dim sum is a Chinese breakfast/brunchy type meal (although several places serve all day and I find it good any time of the day) consisting of small plates made up primarily of dumplings.  Servers make their way around the dining rooms with steam carts containing a variety of small servings of the different foods.  You select what you want, and a ticket is kept on your table marked with how many plates of each size you’ve ordered.  The plates are usually between $2-$4 each, and the total is calculated at the end.  Not only is dim sum delicious, but I love the instant gratification factor of selecting from the cart and then the food being placed on the table instantly.  This can also make for situations of ordering too much when you sit down hungry and everything looks good, so dim sum is usually best enjoyed in a group where you can select one or two of everything and know that someone will have room to eat it.  One or two people need to be more picky with their selections.

our tasty assortment of dim sum

No rain in sight....as I'm leaving the city

I left Seattle full of dumpling goodness, in a truck pointing South and West towards the ocean for a drive down Highway 101.

*Quote courtesy of Todd Snider’s song Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues, a brilliant commentary on the Seattle music scene of the early 1990’s

A rare shot of the author, enjoying one of Portland's many food trucks

I was really looking forward to this part of the trip for many reasons, food-related and otherwise.  When I set up my route, I coordinated with my family and my girlfriend for us all to meet up in Portland for Memorial Day weekend.  So Cassie flew in from DC, my sister and brother-in-law flew in from Colorado Springs, and my mom and her partner took the train down from Bellingham, WA. It was great for me to introduce Cassie to my family and to get some much-needed time with her about a month into my trip.  Whenever I travel with my family, there is always great food involved, so we had some great meals planned as well as some time to explore some of the food trucks that have made Portland such a unique culinary destination over the past few years.

We started the day Saturday at the Portland Saturday Market, a weekly food/music/art extravaganza that takes place in downtown Portland.  Vendors sell art, jewelry, clothing, food, beer, and all kinds of unique handmade items, and there is live music and a lively atmosphere for wandering and shopping.  It was hard to choose from food stands serving sandwiches, gyros, burgers, hot dogs, and rice and noodle dishes from all over the world, but I had a huge plate of sausage with cheese and potato dumplings topped with bacon and sour cream along with a cucumber and tomato salad while zig-zagging through the booths and shopping.  Even in the drizzly rain, the market was alive and crowded with people and dogs.  It was a great way to start out our visit to Portland.

One of things I was looking forward to most about Portland was sampling the city’s many mobile food vendors.  It has become something Portland is known for on the national food scene, and we were not at all disappointed with the variety and quality, as well as reasonable prices, at the little food trucks/shacks/carts/etc. scattered throughout the downtown area.  For about $5 a meal, we sampled plates of tacos, huevos rancheros, Thai food, falafel, sandwiches of all sorts, and I even experienced pink colored Thai iced tea for the first time…for $1!

It wasn’t all food in Portland; I had a very important thing I wanted to get while I was there.  I wanted a permanent and very visible marking of this journey that I’m on…Not just the road trip, but the entire journey of changing my life and finding my direction in the world.  Early on in my planning I settled on the image of a nautical star as the perfect symbol of taking a journey and finding one’s way home.  My sister and brother-in-law were getting tattoos on the trip with our “family tattoo artist”, Mary Jane Haake, so I looked through star designs and picked out one that was perfect.  A simple black nautical star with a small blue star in the center on my left wrist, it matches color and sizewise with the small crown on my right wrist that symbolizes the meaning of my name, Ryan: a little king.  Both are very visible and personal reminders of who I am, where I’ve been and where I’m going.  I’m happy to have them.

One of my favorite meals in Portland was a Happy Hour stop at The Original, which Cassie made fun of for calling itself a “dinerant” but I think the term describes it perfectly.  A modern looking restaurant space with the menu and feel of an updated diner.

They had great Happy Hour specials on food and drinks, and we sampled several things from the menu including my favorite….the poutine!

It was not traditional, as they use melted cheese instead of the correct cheese curds.  But the fries were delicious and the gravy had great texture and really melted cheese is not a *bad* thing, just not traditional.  I enjoyed it very much with my $1 PBR draft.  Also delicious was the pig in a blanket fondue…a fancy name for a delicious pastry-wrapped hot dog with warm cheese sauce for dipping.  Yes, please.

Of course no visit to Portland is complete without a stop in Powell’s Books, a.k.a. book nerd heaven.  I browsed the bargain books and the food reference and cooking sections to my heart’s content and managed to get out of there without emptying my wallet – a miracle.  All in all, it was a great visit to a city that I wish I had spent more time in when I lived out west.  Portland has a lot to offer, and despite the rainy weather on this visit, I gained a whole new appreciation for it.

*Quote courtesy of the brilliant and timeless Miss Loretta Lynn’s song Portland, Oregon from the Van Lear Rose album

I was heading west on Highway 20 (North Cascades Highway) to Highway 9 and north to Whatcom County to see my family.  I ate a light breakfast anticipating a stop at one of my favorite burgers places – The Marblemount Drive-In in Marblemount, WA.  As I got closIer I got word from my family that they had discovered a new place to eat in Marblemount, the Marblemount Diner (apparently folks in Marblemount just have to work the name of the town into all the businesses), however as I drove into town on Tuesday afternoon both the drive-in and the diner were closed.  My stomach was prety growly by the time I rolled into Concrete, WA a little further up the road and it turns out that was a good thing because I was about to find a more than satisfying lunch.

Cascade Burger in Concrete, WA appeared to be recently opened or under new management and I was a little hesitant, but hungry so I pulled in to give it a try.  I ordered the namesake burger, the Cascade w/cheese.  Two patties, melty American cheese, and something the chef called “goop” (yes, he did) between a bun that was enough to hold it all together without getting in the way.  Crinkle fries on the side were perfectly fried and crispy on the outside and soft and creamy in the center and the best part – they came with tartar sauce on the side, as fries should, without me asking for it.  Was it the best burger I’ve ever had?  No, but it was perfect for the moment and something I would definitely stop back in for.  Later that afternoon I was at my grandma’s house talking about the burger and she asked me what was so good about it, I couldn’t really name it but my mom stepped in and helped me figure it out, she said “was it like Chuck’s?” and a lightbulb went off in my head.  Chuck’s Drive-In remains my standard of excellence for a roadside burger.  It was the burger joint I grew up eating at, and the gold standard to which I will forever compare a burger and fries. 

Chucks’s was a simple burger joint that also had fried chicken and fish n’chips along with ice cream cones, sundaes, and very creative milkshakes for their time.  I’m pretty sure I gained about 30 pounds the first year I lived on my own because it was so easy to grab dinner at Chuck’s rather than cook.  When my parents divorced when I was 5, my father came and picked me up for dinner every other Wednesday night and more often than not, this is where we ate.  You could pull up front, order your food at the window and wait in your car for them to signal you to come pick it up or eat in the back where they had a small dining room.  The dining room had a stand-up Popeye video game that no matter how hard and how much I tried, I could never make the high score list on.  When they closed down it was like a piece of my childhood had died.  No more can I drive out there on a summer night when I’m home to grab a double meat-double cheese with ketchup and mayo only, small fries with tartar sauce, and root beer float or peanut butter banana shake.  It’s kind of silly to say it but it’s one of the reasons that pushed me towards food as a passion and hopefully career choice, I hate the idea that things can just disappear like that.  I hate the idea of that great food not being available anymore and no one telling the story of it.  A Google search for Chuck’s Drive-In shows nothing, once the last generation to eat there is gone, will anyone even remember it was there?  The building is still empty and was listed for sale when I was home, God I would love to buy that place and serve up fresh burgers and ice cream to a few more generations of Blaine folks.  If anyone wants to back me in this, I’m accepting investors  

It’s a wonder I could eat anything after that lunch…but the blog must go on! And on my way to my hometown I had to make a spot at Dutch Mothers Restaurant in Lynden, WA.  When I was growing up, Lynden was a cross-county rival in most sports with my school in Blaine.  Lynden was the only of the “county” schools (Bellingham, the county seat is much larger) to support TWO high schools and in general thought themselves better than everyone else (or so it seemed).  Lynden is a Dutch town and the downtown is done up in a Dutch theme, most people there are blonde and last names start with Vander-something.  It was illegal to buy liquor in Lynden until a few years ago, there were no bars, everything closes on Sunday, the city mows your lawn and sends you a bill if you don’t keep your yard tidy, and rumor had it growing up that Lynden was the reason that the rest of the county could not get MTV on our cable package until well into the new millennium.  So yeah, I guess it doesn’t sound like I’m too fond of the town….but if there is a reason to go there (besides to the county fair in August which is always a good time) it’s to have a piece of pie at Dutch Mothers, specifically the bumble-berry pie.

I feel a little like the drill sargent in Full Metal Jacket here when I say that two things come out of Lynden…dairy and berries.  And the bumble-berry pie combines the best of both of these local stars.  Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries are all grown in abundance in the surrounding areas, all four are combined to make the filling of this amazing pie.  Sweet, tart, rich berries bursting out of a flaky, buttery crust with a hint of cinnamon.  Warmed, topped with two scoops of fresh, simple vanilla ice cream.  It is what pie aspires to be. My mouth is seriously watering as I look at the picture again (not even so good because it was taken with my phone) and write this descripti0n.  Although I haven’t had a lot of pie on this trip, I have eaten a lot of pie in my day and I’m fairly certain that I’m not going to find a better piece of pie on this trip.  But I’m totally going to have fun trying!

I think that photos can tell the story of driving the North Cascade Highway better than words can so I wanted to share some of my favorites from the stretch of driving.

To keep this food related….I also want to highly recommend the chocolate-hazelnut croissants (and just about everything else!) from the Mazama Country Store, well worth a stop if you’re passing through.

When weather made me head south from Canada and change my plans, I knew exactly where I wanted to go.  The North Cascades Highway in Washington. It has been named one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the U.S. and while I’m biased, being from the area, I have to agree.  It winds through mountains, along streams, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls and there is something to look at from about every point along the way.  To get there, I crossed the border from British Columbia into Eastport, Idaho.  It was probably the easiest border crossing I’ve ever had – handed the agent my passport and explained that I had gone up the day before to drive the Trans-Canada highway to Vancouver but was dropping South due to weather.  He said, “Yeah, still lots of snow up that way” and then “Have a good day.” Done. Welcome to America. 

I hit the town of Bonners Ferry, Idaho when I was more than ready for a good breakfast and thanks to a tip from a friend who is a former resident I found what remains the best breakfast I’ve eaten on this trip.  The Panhandle is in downtown Bonners Ferry, just a simple family style restaurant, much like the one my family ran when I was growing up.  I chose the basic two egg breakfast with smoked sausage, hashbrowns, and an english muffin.

It was perfect. Eggs a perfect over easy with yolks for dipping, hashbrowns with a crispy exterior and warm buttery potato goodness inside, and smoky, flavorful sausage a nice addition to the whole thing.  I cleaned my plate and enjoyed a couple of cups of coffee and was ready to get back on the road.  Sadly, I was too full for pie but I’ve heard that is wonderful as well.  Hopefully I’ll get another opportunity to pass through and try the pie.

From Idaho I headed west into Washington, my home state.  There is a feeling I get whenever I come back here, like something opens up inside me and the air feels lighter, cleaner, I can breathe deeper. This feeling comes easier when I enter the state on a scenic mountain drive than say landing in Seattle…but it always comes none the less.  It’s the feeling of being home.  I love Washington.  I love the variety of landscapes and climate that you get in one state – ocean beaches on the far west, dense rainforests, lush valleys, rugged mountains, fields of wheat and berries and grapes, and the desert of the east.  So much to love and right on cue, it started raining almost as soon as I entered the state! Even hit a little snow and hail in the first few hours, but luckily it was dry when I hit my destination, Winthrop.  Winthropis a little frontier themed town in the Methow Valley near the North Cascade Mountains.  It’s touristy, popular with motorcycle riders because of the gorgeous drive to get there, and a great little vacation spot.  I found a campground just outside of town with hot showers and on a lake for fishing and set up camp for two nights.

I had good weather for most of my stay, slept in, spent the days sitting by the lake reading and trying to catch some fresh trout for dinner (not successful) and cooked some great dinners over the campfire at night.  I discovered my new favorite camping food – fresh asparagus on a stick, grilled over the fire, and eaten with melted butter.  Also made some polenta in my cast iron skillet with some local smoked gouda cheese to have with the asparagus, some fresh trout would have made an excellent addition to this meal…but alas, it was not to be.  I’m getting pretty damn good at the campfire cooking – sadly the nature of this cooking (in the dark, by the fire) does not lend itself to photography so you’ll have to imagine how good the food looked. 

The fish were not biting for me in Winthrop

Wandering through town my second day there I made a great find – the Old Schoolhouse Brewery  It’s no secret that I love a good beer, in fact I love several good beers.  The Old Schoolhouse is good beer.  I wandered in mid-afternoon (perfectly acceptable drinking time on vacation!) and stayed until dinnertime sampling several of their hand crafted brews and chatting with people.  It’s a family run brewery in a stunning location next to the river in downtown Winthrop.  I didn’t sample the food, but the menu was definitely tasty sounding and the food I saw coming out of the kitchen looked great.  I’m looking forward to getting to enjoy their beers when I get to DC since they are also available in the MD/DC area.  If you see some where you are, definitely give them a try.  My favorite was the Blazing Amber.  I’ve recently discovered that I’m an amber fan after years of drinking them without really being aware.  The Blazing Amber is a much richer amber than I’m used to, a strong caramel smell and darker color with a smooth rich taste.  A very nicely made beer.

Fields everywhere as far as the eye could see.  Every 10 miles or so, a “town” made up of a grain elevator and a few scattered businesses that have survived near it – a cafe, a bar or two, general store, and of course at least one church and a library.  For my whole life, my grandfather was a businessman, a salesman specifically.  I always remember him in a suit and tie, entertaining clients, bringing them home for dinners at their home.  My grandfather never met a stranger, and so many memories I have of him are him seated at the head of their large dining table  entertaining everyone with a story or manning a grill or pot of crabs outside making sure everyone had a drink and plenty to eat.  I’ve never thought of him as a boy living on a farm until I saw where he came from.  My whole life he never lived more than a couple blocks from the water and here in Saskatchewan all there was for miles in any direction was wheat fields.  Makes me understand why he loved spending time on his boat, why he felt drawn to the ocean and loved to watch the sun set over the harbor in the evenings.  Saskatchewan is a beautiful place but I can imagine what it was like for him the first time he saw the West Coast where the water goes on as far as you can see until it just drops off into the horizon.

I knew going into this trip that there would be times where I would be pretty lonely and have too much time with my own thoughts and start to doubt or wonder if I was doing the right thing with my life.  Sure enough that time came somewhere in Saskatchewan as I got close to the Alberta line and the cold rain turned to snow and I realized I hadn’t prepared for much (or any) bad weather and there was no way I could camp in that kind of cold, also I hadn’t remembered it was a long weekend in Canada and hotels were going to be hard to come by, and I hadn’t really thought about how little phone/internet service I would have there and how expensive the service I could get would be.  All these things added up to a minor anxiety attack and a couple hours of panic where I was unsure of what to do or which direction to go next.

Welcome to where it snows in late May

Alberta wasn't a total disaster - I got to see the world's largest tee-pee

After the panic subsided and with some help with my girlfriend I was able to remind myself that yes, I had a route planned on this trip but the world isn’t going to end if I deviate from it.  This is my adventure, my time to see things on my terms and I set the rules, decide where to go, how long to stay, etc.  Deep breaths and some Tim Horton’s coffee and donuts and I consulted the map to make a decision.  I decided to head South and go back to the U.S. to what Cassie refers to as “the little strip of Idaho!” and through the North Cascade Mountains in my home state, Washington.

On my way south I got to see some prety stunning country in British Columbia and even stumbled upon the World’s Largest Truck!

The Titan - The World's Largest Truck

ya know, except for those who have to like, actually do it.

Sadly I didn’t eat much in Canada…except for Tim Horton’s   It was hard to think of Canadian food that I really needed to try while in Canada, mostly because I grew up on the Canadian border and whenever we went there to eat growing up it was to get the good Chinese food.  Everything I associate as “Canadian” is actually from somewhere else…first place I had sushi, first place I had Greek food, the best Chinese and Italian, etc. was always in Canada when I was growing up.  What is Canadian food?  If anyone can enlighten me I will gladly try some when I hit Eastern Canada later on this trip.

*Quote courtesy of the hugely underrated (outside of Canada) group The Tragically Hip’s song Wheat Kings