Visiting Neskowin Ghost Forest at Super Low Tide

July 14, 2021 by Leave a Comment

As mentioned in my previous post, there are a few days, for a few set months, every year where you can experience super low tide. In these cases, the super low tide, also called minus tide, is often in the negative 1.5-2 foot range, revealing more then usual from what is usually hidden by the sea. These super low tides tend to occur across a 3-4 days during those few set months. In June, the first day of super low tide I spent exploring the sea stacks and tidepools by Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, as covered in detail before along with the other 24 hours I spent in the area. For the next super low tide, the plan was visiting Neskowin Ghost Forest.
Neskowin Ghost Forest in the early foggy morning at Neskowin Beach Neskowin Ghost Forest in the early foggy morning at Neskowin Beach Neskowin Ghost Forest in the early foggy morning at Neskowin Beach Neskowin Ghost Forest in the early foggy morning at Neskowin Beach Neskowin Ghost Forest in the early foggy morning at Neskowin Beach Neskowin Ghost Forest in the early foggy morning at Neskowin Beach

Logistics

Neskowin Ghost Forest is located at Neskowin Beach in Neskowin. For visiting Neskowin Ghost Forest at super low tide, that may be early in the morning (around 7 am during my visit). Knowing that you want to be there at least an hour or so before that lowest point, you may want to stay over in Neskowin, or Lincoln City, or Pacific City, if you want to stay conveniently close and save the 2 hour drive from Portland. But, it is possible to make this a day trip too.

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Camp 18 Restaurant – a must stop on the way to the Oregon Coast

July 13, 2021 by 1 Comment

As you were reading my last post in which I shared what I did with a 24 hour trip to Cannon Beach, you may have wondered where did breakfast go, as I only showed what I had for lunch and dinner on the beach. The answer to that is Camp 18 Restaurant is a coast must stop on the way to the Oregon Coast. Even before moving to Portland, when I first visited Oregon as a tourist and was taken to the Oregon Coast, it’s pretty become tradition that if we can, we stop for a meal on the way. Camp 18 Restaurant is located on US-26 between Portland and US-101, in Elsie. Almost every time, we stop here for breakfast or lunch and to appreciate the cat (no petting though, per request of the signs up). The classic American menu here serves breakfast until 2pm, but and also has a lunch and dinner section available after 11am. Camp 18 Restaurant is also a roadside attraction of history of the logging industry with a logging museum and loggers’ memorial. Note: the photos for this post are over multiple years of visits and may not reflect current Covid setup.
Camp 18 Restaurant, a must stop on the way to the Oregon Coast on US 26 on the way to US 101 Camp 18 Restaurant, a must stop on the way to the Oregon Coast on US 26 on the way to US 101 Camp 18 Restaurant, a must stop on the way to the Oregon Coast on US 26 on the way to US 101

The name of Camp 18 Restaurant comes from its located at milepost 28 on Highway 26. In Oregon’s logging history, logging camps were usually numbered – and there you go. Camp 18 Restaurant has been offering family dining since 1986, but was a dream that started construction in the early ’70s by Gordon and Roberta Smith and logging friend the late Maurie Clark. Gordon, who with his own experience and knowledge of the logging industry (the story on the menu and Camp 18 website tells us he was called “Riggin Boss”), logged all the timber used in the 14,000 square foot log cabin himself and was hauled in, hand peeled, and draw knifed with help of his family and friends. Almost all the lumber used in this log cabin was cut in Goddon’s saw mill, set up on the property across Humbug Creek, that he had been running since 1966 and before the restaurant opened.

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Low Tide at Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach

July 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment

A few months a year is when you can find super low tide – you can look up online almanacs for daily tide charts for the year. They list daily high and low tides both in terms of the time and amount of feet that is predicted, and what you are looking for are negative numbers. Super low tides tend to be very close to negative 2 feet. It may easier to search for your area (say Oregon Coast or Cannon Beach, or any beach city in the world) and “super low tide” or “minus tide” – to find them. They usually occur for 4 months, over a few days in those months. In 2021 for the Oregon Coast these were April 29, May 27, June 25 and July 24, according to predictions by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, with May and June being the lowest of the entire year. So I planned a trip specifically to check out the super low tide at Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach in June.
Haystack Rock and The Needles in Cannon Beach at low tide Haystack Rock and The Needles in Cannon Beach at low tide Haystack Rock and The Needles in Cannon Beach at low tide Haystack Rock and The Needles in Cannon Beach at low tide

Planning

It worked out that it also happened to be during a crazy heat wave in Oregon where we were over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and it’s always much cooler at the Coast. Good thing I planned months ahead of time before all the rentals were sold out. Many places during the summer high season want you to stay 2 days, so keep that in consideration if you are going to stay overnight that you may need to stay longer or you will have some limited choices of where to stay. You can drive early in the morning, but as the low tide was early in the morning (around 7 am) I didn’t want to drive in that early, even if it is only 1.5 hour from Portland barring any traffic or accidents.
Haystack Rock and The Needles in Cannon Beach at low tide Haystack Rock and The Needles in Cannon Beach at low tide Haystack Rock and The Needles in Cannon Beach at low tide

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Republica PDX Dinner – Again

June 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Although it’s only been 2 week since when I had my 5 course Chef’s Tasting Republica PDX Dinner, I went back again this weekend. They aren’t kidding around when they say that their menu is always changing and has new items. In the week in between my last dinner and this one, they had dishes highlighting escamoles and huitlacoche that I missed out on. As soon as I realized I could make a dinnertime this week, I set up a reservation. I was able to enjoy 3 different dishes from the Meat and Fish forward menu that I did not get 2 weeks ago, and I was able to switch out to a new dessert that had appeared on the Vegetable and Fruit forward menu. So 4 of the 5 dishes I just had were different!

You can compare this Republica PDX Dinner to the last one that I recapped for exact dishes, but for this visit I opted to start with a cocktail as a reward for a hard-working week before dinner even began. This is one of many drinks crafted by Adriana Alvarez, with most cocktails highlighting mezcals and tequilas though there is a bourbon and a rum option available. The one I picked was the Where Without Whom, with Banhez Espadin & Barril (Mezcal), Ver Liqueur, Poblano Liqueur, Pineapple, Citrus, and Candied Pineapple. It was surprisingly easy drinking despite all the liqueurs.
Where Without Whom cocktail by Adriana Alvarez at Republic PDX Dinner, with Banhez Espadin & Barril (Mezcal), Ver Liqueur, Poblano Liqueur, Pineapple, Citrus, and Candied Pineapple

To Snack

Republica PDX Dinner Menu for June 18, 2021: para picar, Maiz ancestral, chipotle, queso fresco, nopalitos. The corn masa boat with everything but the olive oil and queso fresco representing historical native ingredients from Mexico, and a nod towards colonialism and modern ingredients such as the oil and cheese being added to the indigenous diets.
Republica PDX Dinner Menu for June 18, 2021: para picar, Maiz ancestral, chipotle, queso fresco, nopalitos

I opted to try a distilled agave pairing along with the meal instead of wine pairings this time. Angel Medina, one of the co-owners (along with Chef Lauro Romano and Chef Olivia Bartruff) was the guide here. He explained where each bottle came from, the native plant and sometimes a bit about the distiller. The tastes were provided not so much to pair with the food while eating it, but as tastes in between.

I felt a little guilty in that I had wanted to come on a weekday so it was less rushed to enjoy it, but here I was on a Friday dinner seating. I would recommend to get the most of Angel’s knowledge, to try to come when he doesn’t have to balance your table with the rest of the full house on a weekend dinner night. We started out the first tasting with Derrumbes San Luis Potosi Mezcal, which I remember having a sweet fruit with highlight of salt, and not smoky. I had assumed mezcal had smoky undertones, so this was a surprise for me, and good learning.
Distilled Agave Pairing at Republica PDX Dinner -

Savory Courses 1-4

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Tasty Lake Oswego Brunch

June 15, 2021 by Leave a Comment

One of the casualties of 2020 in the Portland food and beverage scene was the end of the Tasty restaurants: Toro Bravo, Tasty N Daughters, Tasty N Alder, and Plaza del Toro. It was a sudden end where one week they were doing so much good working with nonprofits and offering pay it forward and free food bags to feed people with financial concerns during those initial shock of Covid-19 shutdowns. Then came a mix of seemingly outbursts of frustration of the times, and poor choices of words on both sides, that ultimately led to the end of the Toro era under the Gorhams. Other restaurants without the Tasty or Toro in the name were sold off, while it seems the Tasty/Toro portion is being redirected by a couple former employees and bolstered by new blood via former baker from shuttered Bar King, opening anew under the name Tasty, out in Lake Oswego. They open in that space starting with previews this weekend and official open July 1, but last weekend I had a chance to reminisce with old Tasty classics and try new tastes as they popped up for a Tasty Lake Oswego brunch temporarily at the old Bar King space.
Popup of Tasty Lake Oswego at the former Bar King space Tasty Lake Oswego Smoked Trout Board with cherrywood smoked trout, 8-minute egg, horseradish cream, onion dip, kettle chips, rye crostini, house pickles, and it is perfection with the assortment of salty, creamy, crunchy, sour, a little spicy, savory.

If you were a fan of the Tasty N Alder brunch the Potatoes Bravas, Bambino Plate, Bibimbap Bacon and Eggs, Steak and Frites, Tasty Steak and Cheddar Eggs, Tasty Mary and Dim Summore cocktails, are back. From dinner menu the Low Hush Puppies with jalapeno honey butter are back as are also, thankfully the Radicchio Salad. From Tasty and Bravo and Tasty and Daughters returns Shakshuka and Biscuit Sandwich. During my visit, I had the Tasty Steak and Cheddar Eggs with corn cake and jalapeno honey butter, and a taste of my friend’s Hush Puppies, and both were wonderful. Tasty Lake Oswego Tasty Steak and Cheddar Eggs with corn cake and jalapeno honey butter Tasty Lake Oswego Tasty Steak and Cheddar Eggs with corn cake and jalapeno honey butter Tasty Lake Oswego Low Hush Puppies with jalapeno honey butter

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