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Locke, California Don and I learned about the historic town of Locke, during a recent visit to Sacramento. The historic town is located in the California Delta, about 30 minutes south of Sacramento. We ended our memorable visit to the town, with a sweet little meal at Locke Garden. Saturday in Locke In July, Don and I visited our son and daughter-in-law in Sac, when they asked if we'd heard about the Chinese town of Locke. We hadn't, but we were intrigued. We arrived on a warm Sunday morning. The little 10-acre town was very peaceful. We wandered and wondered about what this community was like, when it was established in 1915. Locke is the only existing town in America, built and inhabited almost exclusively by Chinese. At one time the town was bustling with markets, canneries, shipping wharves, a post office and an opera house. There were also slaughter houses, brothels, a speakeasy and gambling houses. It was amazing to see how little most of these building had changed, over time. Sadly there are only a few Chinese residents left, but luckily the community has been preserved. People Encounters We spent some time in the Museum Visitor Center, which was located in what had been a boarding house, for the seasonal labor workers. We met photographer (and Locke resident) James Motlow, after we bought his book Bitter Melon, in the gift shop. This fascinating book includes photos he took of the Locke community, about 30 years ago. Now that I've read the book, I have so many more questions. Two Options While we explored the town, we worked up an appetite. As far as I know, there are only 2 places to eat in Locke. Al the Wops, was on the Main Street. It looked like an intriguing old bar, (offering steaks and cocktails) but it had an awful name. The place had some history for sure. Al Adami opened the first non-Chinese business in Locke, in 1934. Today, I think the place caters to bikers, which seems extra odd in this sweet community. But Al's was closed for a private affair. Locke Garden This was our other option and this one made a lot more sense, in this historic Chinese town. The sign on the side of the building was enough to lure me. I wonder when that sign was first hung? First Building in Locke This building was a little hidden. We found it between the Main Street and the River Road. Evidently it was the first building in Locke. It opened as a beer hall, in 1912. The sign said the restaurant opened at 11, but the dear woman who seemed to be running things herself, asked us to come back later. I believe her husband had a toothache and she was a little behind. Ordering Inside We returned and entered the colorful restaurant/shop. There wasn't an option for inside dining, due to Covid. But we studied the menu and placed an order for carryouts. I so wanted to peek around, to see what was for sale on the shelves, but the dining tables were moved to make a protective barrier. We paid up and headed outside to wait. Dining Under the Metal Roof The old building looked more like a storefront from the old west. We found a couple tables on the porch under the tin roof. The old crooked tree in front added lots of character. I wonder if that tree was there, when the old beer hall was first built. Lunch in a Box The dear woman who took our order (and most likely cooked it) finally arrived on the porch carrying a cardboard box. We pulled the Styrofoam containers, plates and plasticware out of the box. The food would have been tastier if it hadn't been served on Styrofoam, but we were happy to have our freshly cooked feast. Our Moo Shu Pork was a treat. The Kung Pao Chicken was good as well. But, next time we need to remember to order rice. As we enjoyed our little porch feast, we peered up the wooden walkway and wondered about the buildings beyond. It looked like we were peeking into the " backyards" of the 2-story buildings that faced Main Street. I wanted to wander up those steps and snoop. Chop Suey But that seemed pretty intrusive, so I didn't. Instead, I let my zoom lens peek up there for me. What a sweet old neon sign! What pretty purple flowers, growing over the red pipe. Not Enough Time We clearly didn't have enough time to absorb this wonderful community. The pandemic also limited our ability to interact. We definitely need to return to Locke! Who knows, maybe the Moon Cafe will reopen someday and we can have another dining adventure!
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Lunch at the Harbor Here is another look back to a memorable lunch... back when we could do road trips and eat at quirky diners and cafes. It was last October, many months before the world turned pandemic. Don and I stopped at this curious, blue restaurant at the far tip, of the South Harbor Pier in Crescent City. Posing Time Don and I gave ourselves some added entertainment, before heading in. I posed with the shark and Don posed with the mermaid. We always make the most of our dining adventures. Welcomed by the Cowboy Once inside, we were greeted by a cowboy statue, holding a sign. He told us to seat ourselves. We passed under a collection of flags and headed towards the wall of windows. Corner Table The best table was taken, in the corner. It had a view of the docks and boats as well as the sea lions. Table with a View There were a couple of other window tables open. We took a seat below a display of maps and globes and other curious nautical knickknacks. As soon as Don finished checking his phone for some trip route info, we hunkered down to check out the view. The window offered us a fun peek at about 20 sea lions, lounging on 2 floating docks. We also had a view of the distant lighthouse, with its light blinking in the foggy sky. The sea lions mostly lounged like giant slugs. Now and then one barked and the others chimed in. We watched one big guy nudge another off the platform. Poor guy just swam to the other platform. Luckily we witnessed nothing worse from that aggressive guy. Since 1988? The menu and placemat reminded me of the old seafood places my family enjoyed when we lived in Florida. I love a good retro, seafood joint. I was surprised to see on the menu that the biz had only been around since 1988. A quick internet search told me the place had once been a boat engine, machine shop business. So there probably were some interesting stories. But the young servers (none looked over 20) wouldn't have known them. Food I ordered a half of a grilled tuna salad and cheese sandwich, with a cup of smoked salmon chowder. Yum! It was just the right amount. The soup was thick and chunky, with a little spice. Don had cod fish tacos. He wasn't overly delighted, but I loved his slaw. Quick Explore I took a quick peek around, on my way to the Ladies Room. I took in all the nautical decor. I do love a theme. The bicycles and kiddie car didn't exactly fit the them, but I'm always happy with some entertaining nostalgia stuff. There was a little reminder near the front door. I used to hate signs like that when I was a kid. Bathroom Art! My best surprise came when I opened the door to the ladies room! You have to love this special piece of art! Birth of Venus, modified to include the very lighthouse that we had been studying across the harbor. On Our Way We finished our meal and headed out. We wandered a bit before getting back on the road. We spotted a few fishing boats. We especially enjoyed a trio of snowmen, made with circular fish traps. Or something! The Lighthouse Before leaving the little coastal town, we drove out to get a better view of the lighthouse. What a pretty little building, with it's glowing light! What an odd little town and restaurant. Worth the stop!
Cozy Cafe in Mount Shasta, California I love a little stone building! The air was chilly, but sunshine was warming the outside garden area. We headed inside to see about lunch options. Coffee The little cafe had three rooms. The first room was all about coffee and ordering. We ordered and moved into the middle room. We would have sat by the boarded up fireplace, but the table was occupied by 3 policeman. I wish I'd been able to join in some of their socializing. The 3 policeman chatted up a storm with each other, as well as a number of locals who wandered over. One employee grabbed a baby from a customer and introduced the tot to the cooing officers. It was very entertaining. Soup, Salad and Sandwich We ordered just a light bite. Don had bean soup and BLT sandwich. I had a mixed green salad for less than 6 dollars. It was actually pretty tasty, along with a big, fat yeast roll, that made me feel I'd gone back to the grade school cafeteria. I mean that as a compliment. It was heavenly. Old House? I wondered about our little building as I looked out into the garden from a side window. Had this once been someone's private home? When we finished and stepped outside, I looked at the entrance and it looked more like a shop than a home. Old Grocery If our little cafe had not been so busy... or if there had been someone older than 30, who might have known some history... I would have asked. Instead, I crawled in the car and Googled. Our little cafe had been a grocery store!
Our teeny tiny dining adventure was a pleasant stop along our road trip. Our food was tasty and cheap. Our little stone building was pretty adorable! Burger Memory Sometimes you just have to go back and remember a good burger. Don and I found Jenny's, when passing through Fort Bragg, about 9 months ago. We had just driven through the Redwoods. We were headed over to Noyo Headlands Park, to hunt for colorful treasures at "Glass Beach". We had no picnic packed, so we decided to pick up a little something at Jenny's "Old Fashioned Quality" I'm not exactly sure what old fashioned quality means. But I liked the little retro burger joint, when we pulled up. We passed a dad and son and the patriotic flag on the window, then headed for the side entrance. Inside There were plenty of stools, if we wanted to sit at the counter and watch the cook doing his thing. But we decided to stand in line and order to go. That gave me some time to look around and absorb a little quick history on the place. Jenny and Herman Kreienhop opened the place in 1982. This place looked a lot older than that. I'm not sure what it was before. Behind the Counter I watched 3 men working away. All 3 had some interesting tattoos, especially the guy with the shaved head. All were friendly and efficient and before long we had out warm bag and drinks and we were off. Noyou Headlands Park We found a picnic table, not too far from the water. I didn't get a photo of the raven that tried to join us. A man walking by, said that raven frequently visited people at that table. Cheeseburger & Fries The burger and fries reminded me of fast food when I was kid. It was nice and hot and yes, a little bit greasy. It was darn good! After we ate, we wandered on the rocks along near the water. There's not a whole lot to say about our Jenny's experience, except the food was cheap and decent. However, the combo of our carry out picnic and the beautiful scenery, was perfect. We even found lots of tiny, colored pieces of glass. What a fun burger and beach memory!
Italian Feast at Noon Don and I don't usually eat big lunches, especially when we're traveling. But when we saw Occidental on the roadmap, we knew we needed to add it to our route... and prepare for a little feasting. As we headed into the 5-block town, we tried to remember the name of the place where we'd had an amazing Italian meal, about 38 years ago! Since 1879 We spotted a couple of Italian restaurants in the small town. We weren't absolutely sure if the old Union Hotel was the place we remembered, but it was open and it looked pretty charming. Quiet Patio We parked and headed towards the gate with the Union Hotel clock. The patio area looked lovely on a September day, but it didn't seem to be open. Lots of Doors We headed towards the 2-story hotel. I loved the words up near the roof. "1879... Union Hotel... Italian Dinners" I liked everything about those words. I love old restaurants and I love old hotels. Sadly, I don't believe there are hotel rooms upstairs anymore. The Saloon I believe the saloon is the original structure from 1879. It began as a general store and meeting house. Then it became a saloon and eventually a hotel and restaurant. I was tempted to ask the bartender, since he had no customers. But, he didn't look like he was up for a talking history. We moved on down the hall. Hallway Entrance It was an adventure searching for the dining room. I loved the stairway with the funny little "baby gate" thing. There must have been 50 coats of brown paint on the stairs and railing. I later learned a little history about those brown stairs. A man named Carlo Pannizera, bought the building in 1925. He reopened the saloon as a rooming house and restaurant. One day he ran to the rescue when his waitress, Mary fell down the stairs. Carlo carried Mary to the doctor and before long, they were married. Their descendants own and run the Union Hotel today! Half-Door I don't know if there's any history about this swinging half door, with a shelf. It was doing a good job holding a wine glass, when we passed by. I love stories about the families behind historic restaurants and hotels. The Main Dining Room I had to grin when I saw the red and white checked curtains and table cloths in the dining room. Candlelight! I grinned even bigger when I saw the classic, wax-covered Chianti bottles on all the tables. Better yet, the candles were lit at the tables where there were diners. I can't think of the last time I had lunch by candlelight. I know that breaks some kind of dining etiquette rule. I'm all for breaking that rule. Family Style Our server (Terry, I think) was wonderful. She seemed excited to know we were from Texas, since she'd lived there a while herself. She gave us some ordering suggestions and then the food started coming... family style! Before the Main Course The bread and oil arrived first. A plate of salami and cheese came next, with serving bowls of minestrone and salad and kidney beans. Lasagna and Ravioli We had to order a little Chianti to go along with our lasagna and ravioli. Don looks happy about that. But actually we were just happy about the fun of this cozy place, where the food kept coming. Don and I love to eat, but neither of us can actually eat all that much. It's sort of embarrassing sometimes. But, Terry was happy to wrap up about all our leftovers. Usually that doesn't work well when we're traveling, but we actually microwaved them for dinner, in our hotel room that night. My Kind of Cozy I had a great view from my chair of the cozy dining room. There is just nothing better than comfort food in a comfy-cozy setting. Not all people love the red & white checked look, or even the dark wood paneling, but this is my idea of comfort dining. From Doors to Barrels I loved the kitchen door with its little square window, balancing on point. I loved the barrel supported shelf, holding pumpkins, flowers and the Virgin Mary. Off to Explore Don took care of the bill and I told him I was heading to the restroom. He knows those words actually mean, "I'm going exploring... with my camera." The retro pink bathroom was worthy of a photo. I love pink tile. Bocce Ballroom I took a little peek into the Bocce Ballroom with its own bar and raised stage. Flowers and decorations told me a wedding had been celebrated recently. The Dining Room From the Bocce Ballroom, I looked back at the dining room. The dining room was actually built in the 1940's to connect the original Union Hotel and the Bocce Ballroom. As I looked at the candles and lights strung from the ceiling, it made me hope to return sometime for a dinner, at night. I'd love to see the place filled with families and romantic couples... and maybe a little Italian music!
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The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
April 2024
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