I’m new to Oregon, so the entire week I spent road tripping across the state was full of first impressions. Here, however, I have chosen to share the saltiest.
Not the gentle fumes of cow manure or the colorful hills and streaming rivers of western Oregon, nor the exciting possibilities and overwhelming array of food options in Portland. No, instead I chose to reflect on a Memorial Day weekend spent on a sea-sprayed section of Oregon’s rugged coast. On Memorial Day weekend, Lincoln City and Pacific City were bustling with tourists eager for their first taste of summer. Yes, the hoards were out. Jackson knows what I’m talking about. By this time of year you must have seen them clogging the streets of your tourist community. They come in droves. Them, their kids, the jalopies and the beach towels.
Between the creaky boardwalks, and the sweaty tourists who pound their summertime plywood, I found some culinary treats. Mainly good fish-and-chips, but also an old tavern or two, which at best resembled a pirate ship and at worst lived up to a classic description of a dive bar. There was a bit of fine dining, and a lot of great beer.
Sunday night, our first day in Lincoln City, the sea-green beauty of the coast, clamped between layers of blue-grey sky and damp sand, brought everyone out despite the gusty wind and drizzling rain. With sand in our toes and salt water taffy in our teeth we sipped champagne on the beach until deciding to try and get a seven thirty reservation. This turned out to be ill advised on Memorial Day weekend. Scrambling for a reservation, however, is a great way to take in a town. Lincoln City, which sits on highway 101, has a 1980s, or is it 1970s, boardwalk turned strip mall feel. Weathered sea shacks line the infamous coastal highway, and at first glimpse the town is no competition for the beauty of the coast. After much deliberation and a soft-promise of an 8:15 table, we found a great dive bar to pass the time.
The Old Oregon Tavern sits at the heart of Lincoln City’s strip. A woman named Jocelyn, who we suspected of being a mermaid, served us dirty martinis and Oregon beers before whipping up a fish and chips appetizer. I particularly enjoyed the Road Wrecker IPA from Lincoln City’s own Rusty Truck Brewing, and the fish and chips ended up being among the best I would try that weekend.
Decidedly funky and possibly a generation or two behind, the Old Oregon Tavern opened up to us gradually, pint by pint if you will, but by the time we left we were glad fate had brought us together.
Things had settled down at The Blackfish Cafe, a fancy seafood restaurant, when we returned around 8:30. Safe inside the warmly lit restaurant we watched as wind and rain thrashed the lush Oregon foliage outside. Pan seared scallops served with chanterelles and a white cheddar and bacon risotto were the indubitable highlight. However the surreal coastal photography and friendly service were close seconds.
The next day we headed north up U.S. 101 for a hike in the Nature Conservancy’s Cascade Head Reserve, and afterward stopped in at Pelican Pub & Brewery, which sits beach-side in Pacific City, for well-deserved beers and, of course, more fish and chips. My favorite thing about the Pelican Brewery was their beachside location, although the beer was not bad either. Where the brewery’s patio ends the beach begins. The sand drops to the cold Pacific water, which is studded with rugged rock isles and the dramatic bluff of the Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area. After beers and lunch, we jumped in the crashing surf and fell asleep between the sand and sun.
By the time we returned to Lincoln City Monday night, the tourists had gone and the town had reverted to what seemed its natural state – a sleepy fishing village. This perhaps was underscored byPier 101. Walking into Pier 101 was like stepping aboard a creaky pirate ship. Heavy duty rope lined one wall, the peninsula shaped wooden bar was worn and slightly damp, and the company was salty and old. At any moment I expected the whole building to yaw violently or some dark stranger to walk in from the cold and light a pipe talking about long lost treasure.
I was a little disappointed by the fish and chips, but in fairness I maintain a pretty high bar. I probably should have tried a bucket of Washington steamer clams, the house special. Also deserving a mention is the decidedly 70s cocktail menu replete with coastal classics like the Rum Runner, the Stowaway, the Sea Breeze and the Oregon Surfer.
I have, however, held my strongest recommendation for last, and alas it is not only my recommendation, but also the recommendation of a handful of Lincoln City locals. J’s Fish and Chips ain’t much to look at from the outside, but it specializes in fried sea food, so you should probably wonder if it did.
That is what I like most about fish and chips, it’s the cheeseburger of the coast. It’s humble and blue collar and seldom tries to be more than it is, and in my not so humble opinion it is a fitting match for Oregon coast.
