Seattle to San Fran, on the road

[sawsee]

Hello All! My wife and I are planning a two week driving trip from Seattle to San Francisco and would love to hear recommendations of where to stay and eat.

We love small, quaint establishments with simple good food. We strive for local, organic food and enjoy most ethnic cuisine, and will detour to find memorable locations.

Any ideas would be most welcome.

[MaryMc]

What route are you planning--US 101, I-5, or some combination?

[sawsee]

What route are you planning--US 101, I-5, or some combination?

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Hi! We are planning the I-5 one way, the 101 & 1 on the way back.

It's been a number of years, but enjoyed Mendocino, Sonoma in the past.

Cheers!

[onehsancare]

I've been trying for (literally) years to coordinate our trips to San Francisco to include dinner at New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro, in Talent, Oregon (just north of Ashland). Their schedule is limited: Thurs- Sun 5pm to 9pm, so it just hasn't worked out.

You probably won't need lunch by the time you hit Olympia, but we had the most wonderful garlic fries of my life and excellent barbeque at Ranch House BBQ on our last trip up to Seattle.

There are lots of threads already on eGullet with suggestions for the Oregon coast and the Willamette Valley. You may want to do some searches (use the "Search" function at the top of the screen for best results).

Unless you're on a leisurely trip and want to visit the wine country, there isn't much exciting food directly on or close to I-5 in Oregon. My family insists that we stop for ice cream at Rice Hill, which has very good grocery-store-type ice cream in very large servings.

Have a great trip and report back.

[bbqboy]

How are you splitting up your time?

Edited November 1, 2007 by bbqboy (log)

[sawsee]

How are you splitting up your time?

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Hi bbqboy! Roughly, we are planning:

Day 1: Seattle to Astoria area

Day 2: Astoria to Eureka

Day 3: Eureka to Sonoma

Day 4: Sonoma to San Francisco

Day 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13: San Francisco with day trips to Carmel, Sonoma, Marin or?

Day 14: San Francisco to Sacramento or Redding or?

Day 15: Redding to Bend or?

Day 16: Portland

Day 17 Seattle

[MaryMc]

Hi bbqboy! Roughly, we are planning:

Day 1: Seattle to Astoria area

Day 2: Astoria to Eureka

Day 3: Eureka to Sonoma

Day 4: Sonoma to San Francisco

Day 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13: San Francisco with day trips to Carmel, Sonoma, Marin or?

Day 14: San Francisco to Sacramento or Redding or?

Day 15: Redding to Bend or?

Day 16: Portland

Day 17 Seattle

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[rockdoggydog]

Would you be interested in taking a day or two out of SF and hitting the Willamette Valley on your way back up?

Rocky

[sawsee]

Thanks MaryMc!

Your story reminds me of a time we had in Montecatini, a small town in Italy.

It was Christmas Eve and all the restaurants were full, except one with a fixed menu. We had no other choice and entered, while my wallet quivered.

The place was like a Felini movie set: the height of the room, was at least 30 feet

with long red cloth banners draping off the marble columns. We both had not packed clothes for such an occasion and I tried to walk formally in my nylon blend sweater.

The first course was a nice shrimp salad. Next came an artichoke soup with a light pastry, covering the luscious broth. Then an amazing salmon ravioli, followed by sole and asparagus spears. By this time we thought the next course would be desert; we were wrong....a large platter covered by a silver dome arrived. It was the main course! Turkey and vegetables, including a toasted mash potato--in the shape of a mushroom!

Desert was a log cake with chocolate sauce and finally a large fruit selection. We were stuffed and couldn't finish our bottle of wine!

The next evening we were faced with the same dilemma: all restaurants were booked, yet again. The only place open was the same restaurant from the night before. Bravely we entered. We were greeted very warmly and brought to the same table we had previously gorged at. And to our amazement, there sat our unfinished bottle of wine! What a memory!

Hi bbqboy! Roughly, we are planning:

Day 1: Seattle to Astoria area

Day 2: Astoria to Eureka

Day 3: Eureka to Sonoma

Day 4: Sonoma to San Francisco

Day 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13: San Francisco with day trips to Carmel, Sonoma, Marin or?

Day 14: San Francisco to Sacramento or Redding or?

Day 15: Redding to Bend or?

Day 16: Portland

Day 17 Seattle

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I can make a couple of suggestions--not haute cuisine either of them, but a good meal if they're your kinda place.

Near Eureka, the Samoa Cookhouse is a 100-year-old logging camp cookhouse that serves good, basic American comfort food (fried chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, biscuits, pie, etc.), and tons of it. You sit at long plank tables, and they serve it family-style, and keep bringing more until you're beyond stuffed. The French Laundry it ain't, but it's a slice of the history of the region, and a pretty good meal for the price. Might make a good breakfast (one that will last until dinner) before you head down the coast.

In Redding, Jack's Grill is another blast from the past. Make no mistake--this place is a dive. They've been here since the 1930's, when California Street was the place where the miners and railroad men and construction workers building Shasta Dam came for booze and women and fights. Jack's prides themselves on not having changed much since then (except the bordello upstairs is gone), and you'll find few frills. The menu couldn't be much more basic--steaks, prawns, scallops, and fried chicken. The salad is iceberg lettuce with a few canned green beans on top. But the steaks...OH MY GOD. I got the "small" filet mignon (10 oz.--there's also a 16 oz.), done medium, for $23.45. It came charred just enough on the outside, pink and tender beyond belief on the inside, and the flavor was out of this world. I grew up in Redding, always hearing about Jack's, but I never got there until I went back for my 30th high school reunion. All I can say is, why did I wait so long?

Have a good trip!

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[sawsee]

Hi! We considered going that way for our next trip. Is there some place we should check out?

Would you be interested in taking a day or two out of SF and hitting the Willamette Valley on your way back up?

Rocky

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[rockdoggydog]

There are plenty of restaurants worth trying and of course all of the wine. There are also some really great B&Bs to stay at as well.

Rocky

[bbqboy]

Sawsee, the 2 main food & wine areas of Oregon, both growing and consuming, are the Willamette

Valley and the Rogue Valley. You are managing to miss both on this trip.

Also, there is no way you will make it from Astoria to Eureka on 101 in 1 day.

[LEdlund]

Also, there is no way you will make it from Astoria to Eureka on 101 in 1 day.

My husband and I did it quite easily a couple of years ago. We thought it was going to be a killer day and ended up getting to Eureka around 3 PM.

[bbqboy]

sorry, I thought this was an eating trip.

pedal to metal.

Edited November 11, 2007 by bbqboy (log)

[sawsee]

Well, I guess it is a bit of a "pedal to the metal" trip, although good food and great wine is a nice reward after sitting in the car for hours.

Our 'destination' is SF but want to make the 'fast' journey as good as it can be.

I was just told of Polmerderos (sp?) in the Noe Valley, as a place to check out (check in?).

Any breakfast places of note on Filmore?

sorry, I thought this was an eating trip.

pedal to metal.

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