LUNCH pages

We stopped for lunch in Bandon at Tony's Crab Shack and had a crab salad out on the pier as a sort of anticipatory stopgap, because we knew that the real point of the day was another dinner at Local Ocean Seafood in Newport.

After a short walk, we found Wild Pear Restaurant where we were welcomed like brother and sister, and fed a delicious grass-fed local burger, salad, and Key Lime Tart.  

Simple fare at a place with impaired ambiance (Tides Family Restaurant) but the hand-breaded fried oysters were great and the onion rings were possibly the best I've ever had. A nice hard cider from Corvallis, and we were relaxed enough to travel onward.

In addition to the cidery, Finnriver Kitchen prepares and serves produce from the farm and neighboring producers – that's a local bratwurst and the Finnriver Salad – and most evenings and every Saturday and Sunday during the summer other vendors show up to offer their specialties: Hama Hama oysters, pizza from a large navigation buoy converted into a pizza oven ("The Dented Buoy"), and this busy Saturday of Labor Day weekend, ice cream, popcorn, chai, hamburgers, and crepes. 

Hama Hama oysters are too good to pass up, so we had half a dozen grilled with jalapeno butter, and gobbled 'em up before I could take a picture ...and then for dessert, chai and a superb local strawberry and rhubarb crêpe made with blé – buckwheat – in the best French style. The crêperers were a family of French folk who gabbled together in French while they created their delights.

While all this eating was going on, so was Deep Squeeze, an accordion festival sponsored by the local FM station ...I'm guessing because at least one of the radio station luminaries is an accordionist. The two guys that played while we stuffed food in our faces were amazing. "I didn't know that an accordion could be played like that," said Rochelle, who's only been exposed to the blind lady that plays (not very well) at the Fort Bragg Farmers Market. (Yah, but she's blind. That she plays at all is amazing and to be encouraged.)

Almost every tune had a collection of folks, from very young to very old, out on the dance floor having a fine time.

Meanwhile, in the adjacent field, two huge tractor tires were getting the expected attention from young ones – this always tickles me in the Caspar playground.

Rochelle was especially impressed with the general crowd management. For example: discards. Separated into four distinct barrels, with thoughtful explanations of what's meant by "paper" ... lots of dishes used by the several vendors, but all collected in appropriate bins that helped folks separate their cutlery from their glasses from their plates, then washed in a single central facility.

When ordering something that took time to prepare, a buzzer was issued, and when it buzzed, it was time to go get your food. 

Rochelle: "Wouldn't it be fun to have an event like this – music, plus the local food trucks and mobile vendors..."

"...and we could make pizzas and run the bar..." 

Here's Rochelle (getting ready with the Demerara sugar), her cappuccino, and my Fruit Shrub ("fruit-infused vinegar with botanicals and soda"; yum) ...and then out came our Breakfast Hash. Nourishing.

next group : Salt Spring Island