NorCal Eats

[yafb]

As a companion thread to dashtrash's SoCal Eats, and as a Northern Californian GA flyer, I'm starting a NorCal Eats thread -- even though I don't actually have too many recommendations right now. Two that I do have, off the top of my head:

1. Arcata (KACV) -- most GA fly-ins seem to end up at Murray Field a little bit down the coast in Eureka, but for my money the food at the restaurant on the second floor of the main Arcata terminal is worth the extra effort (and the ILS at Arcata comes in handy during the 95% of the year that Arcata seems to be below VFR minimums :-) ). I particularly recommend the fish and chips there -- rather better than the original British version, if you ask me (and I'm a typical Berkeley food snob).

2. Not quite the conventional $100 hamburger recommendation, but if you get the chance, take a nice picnic lunch up the coast to Shelter Cove (0Q5), land on the decent paved strip next to the coast, and eat your lunch on one of the picnic tables next to the water or by the old restored lighthouse. The Mendocino coastline -- called the Lost Coast around here -- is breathtaking. A very pleasant way to spend the day, but watch out for the coastal stratus coming in without warning -- no approaches or SIDs here...

[Glenn Calvin]

Having eaten at the KACV restaurant that yafb mentions quite a bit while waiting for flow delays into SFO, I can vouch for his accurate account of it's fine airport cuisine.

Don't forget Peter Chu's chinese restaurant! It's located in the airline terminal in Redding and has the BEST General Tso's Chicken on the planet!!

And if you get into Crescent City, don't forget to buy fuel! They give you full-sized candy bars when you do!

[yafb]

Finally, a reason to fly to Crescent City :-).

Anyway, another recommendation: the on-airport cafe at Red Bluff (RBL), called something like the Blue Sky Cafe (can't remember the name exactly at the moment). Haven't been there for a year or two, but it's another of these airport cafes that's also popular with the local non-flyers. Typical hearty stuff -- almost a diner -- and relatively cheap.

-- Hamish

[dashtrash400]

Heh, I keep a menu for Peter Chu's next to RDD's 10-9 chart in my Jepp Manual. Our turns at RDD tend to be a little short, so I pass my order through Ops with the inbound call & run to pick it up once I arrive. Great chinese...just make sure the Lav isn't MEL'd!

[jr]

A few other additions, gleened from my flight instructing experience, and most are at small GA airports. Hey, a flight instructor has to eat, too!

Manny's at STS used to be great, but I just heard today that Manny passed away and the restaruant is now closed.

If you land at Boonville, walk into town and visit the deli for a sandwich.

At Auburn, the Wings Grill is pretty good and has decent espresso, too.

At Napa, there's Jonesy's Famous Steakhouse - yum!

At Petaluma, I'm told the Two Niner Diner is good, but I've always been there on a Monday when they're closed.

Decent fish can be had a short walk from transient parking at the Halfmoon Bay airport.

The Lodi Cafe at the Lodi Airport has a nice breakfast - get there early.

At Columbia, you can walk 10 minutes into the historic Gold Country town and have a good sandwich at several small restaurants (sorry, can't remember any names).

There's a pretty good restaurant at Lampson Field near Lakeport and it's right next to transient parking. If you go there for lunch in a small plane, be sure to use the tie-down chains as CDF Huey's have been known to land on the ramp and they create quite a stir!

I'm told the Ding-a-Ling Cafe at Holister is good, but haven't been there myself.

Towards the bottom of the San Joquin Valley:

The famous Harris Ranch Restaurant and Resort has an airport and you can get a great steak for a good price. The A/C helps you to recover on hot days, too.

You can get a good burger at the Woodlake Airport cafe.