Eating locally on the cheap

From our friend and Siskiyou County advocate, Joanne Steele –

So, when this #$%^& recession is over, do you really want to live in a town where only the McDonalds has survived???
That looks like where we’re heading folks. I just heard a report that McDonalds is doing so well, they’re planning on opening 1000 NEW STORES THIS YEAR! But it’s really our choice. We all love to eat out, and the reality is that we’re probably going to do it as long as we possibly can, so my suggestion is vote with your dollars for the restaurants you love and want to see around for a long time.

Those value meals are really tempting, but if you’re careful you can do ALMOST as well financially at one of Siskiyou County’s locally owned, charming eateries.

Here’s how:
First of all, if you’re going out to drink, then eat at home and go out for good wine or beer. When you go out to dine, save money by drinking water and enjoy your food.
How about these “watering holes” for great beer and wine…

Stage Door Cabaret, 414 Mt. Shasta Blvd. Mt. Shasta – huge selection of imported and microbrew beers for the cost of two biggie fast food drinks!

Mt. Shasta Brewing Company, 360 College Ave., Weed – Go to their tasting room and get 6 tastes for $5 – much more fun than a value meal and probably more nutritious as well!

diVino Wine Bar, 201 S. Mt. Shasta Blvd, Mt. Shasta – Again, go for fun and still walk out with money in your pocket. A glass may cost you $5.00, or splurge and do a tasting for $9! There’s always good company, so instead of renting a movie on a Fri. or Sat. night, go taste wine and join the party!

Okay, you want to go out for a meal. PLEASE! Even if you want to order at the counter, go to a place where they’ll at least deliver to your table. In most of our restaurants someone nice will come to your table, take your order, tell you a little about their town, and all for just a little added tip (they’re trying hard to make ends meet too.) Here’s a sampling of places in Mt. Shasta Country that can offer you a little break and great food while still maintaining a reduced budget. You’ll be supporting the businesses we all want to see around after this ridiculous recession is resolved.

To save money anywhere, always check out the appetizer, salad and sides sections of the menu.

For dinner, here’s what’s possible, even at some of the most expensive places:
Vivify Japanese Restaurant, 531 Chestnut St., Mt. Shasta, vivify.com
The best miso soup ever – $3 & a choice of 4 gourmet salads for under $6

Sengthongs Blue Sky Room, 5853 Dunsmuir Ave., Dunsmuir, sengthongs.com, order from their appetizer menu for an affordable night out. On some weekend nights a few dollars cover will get you in to listen to live music as well.

Michael’s Restaurant, 313 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd., Michael features a light meal menu which still offers enough food for most people to share. Pay the small extra plate charge and Michael will serve your meal split. You get an excellent Italian dinner, a great night out and your budget is still in great shape.

Lunch, which is always easier to eat well for less:
Ellie’s Espresso & Bakery, 79 S. Weed Blvd., Weed. Nearly everything on Ellie’s menu is  cheaper than a value meal AND the bread is made there AND much is organic and as they like to advertise, “Made with Love”. Also, check out the local art on the walls.
The White Mountain Café in the McCloud Mercantile, downtown McCloud, mccloudmercantile.com. So you like quarter pounders? Check out their version. It’s a little more money, but really wonderful. Unlike certain other quarter pounders around, if you were blindfolded you wouldn’t accidentally eat the wrapper.
Nature’s Kitchen, 412 S. Main St., Yreka. Order a bowl of their homemade soup or chili which comes with bread they bake right there for under $6. Or forget lunch and order dessert – their homemade sticky buns, $2.50, are addictive, or have  a lemon bar with a cup of organic coffee, under $5.
Ms. Lynn’s Tea, 120 eleventh St., Montague, mslynnstea.com. Go here for a tea party. It’s not exactly lunch, but at Ms. Lynn’s, tea for two with scones, Devonshire cream, and lemon curd for $10.95 will feed your soul!

Breakfast
Seven Sons Coffee & Café, 1011 S. Mt. Shasta Blvd., Mt. Shasta – Their breakfast burrito for 6.75 is big enough for two which leaves you money for coffee ($1.50 if you bring your cup).
Cornerstone Café, 5759 Dunsmuir Ave., Dunsmuir – Order from the sides menu for eggs (2) and their  yummy potatoes or polenta for under $6.00.

It’s hard not to feel better after passing up the drive thru, heading to a really good restaurant, having a great experience and doing a little economic stimulus of your own.
Cheers!
Joanne Steele

Celebration at the Weed Brewery!

In celebration of winning its battle with the feds over its “Try Legal Weed” bottle caps, the Mount Shasta Brewing Company (in the town of Weed), is hosting a victory party Sat, Nov 8th from 4-6pm. Earlier this year the Brewery was contacted by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau with the command to stop using the bottle caps because the message was inappropriate. Go to the Weed Ales website to read an account of the battle.

Owner Vaune Dillman will be pouring beer at Happy Hour prices and selling “Weed Fought the Law and Weed Won!” t-shirts. Folks have been enjoying the Weed beers for a couple of years now, with the Shastafarian Porter and Mountain High IPA as tap room favorites.

The Brewery is just west of Interstate 5 (take the central Weed exit) at 360 College Ave. Everyone over 21 is invited.

4th of July music in Etna

The Etna Brewery and Pub was the scene of a fairly impromptu performance by local band Slapshoe Fly on Independence Day. Plenty of folks were in town to hear the band, a favorite from last summer. We enjoyed a nice evening at the Brewery, where you can get a slew of locally made beers from the favorite of the night – the double IPA – to my favorite, the pale Blackberry Blonde. The Brewery fills growlers, so you can take home your favorite if it happens to be one of their in-house specials that they don’t bottle. The Old Grind porter and Mossback IPA are award-winning beers and local faves. We’re talking true microbrew here – the Brewery turns out just 700 barrels of beer a year. There are a number of beers on tap that aren’t bottled for distribution, and you never know when the master brewer will share a new creation.

The return of Slapshoe Fly to the Brewery was well received by their fans. The Brewery is one of the few live music venues in the Scott Valley, where the locals love their music. If you’re in the area, check out Corrigan’s and the Callahan Emporium for live music (see details below).

Coming up later this month people come from all over northern Cali and southern Oregon for the Scott Valley Bluegrass Festival on July 18th, 19th and 20th. The Festival kicks off Friday night with Jammin’ on Main Street, when anybody with an instrument can sit down and play with the bands. Saturday and Sunday feature music all day long under the shade trees of Etna’s City Park. Visit the SV Bluegrass Festival site for a list of bands and info on purchasing tickets.

If you plan on heading over the Scott Valley for a getaway, check out the Gold Country page of VisitSiskiyou.org for area attractions, or click through to Western Siskiyou County lodging info.

Corrigan’s Bar (412 Main Street, Etna, 467.5899): Tuesday night open mic
Etna Brewery & Pub: (131 Callahan Street, Etna, 467.5277): Thurs night music
Callahan Emporium: (Main street of Callahan – can’t miss it, 467.3395) occasional music on Saturdays and Sundays, call for info.

Scott Valley music

We went out to Callahan in the Scott Valley on Wednesday to see SV resident David Waymire who builds custom guitars. David grew up in the Valley and has been playing music since his school days (not that long ago in his case). He’s been building guitars for about a year and a half under the label Old Etna Guitars, creating his own designs, like the Bolivar Baby Jumbo. He prides himself on shaping the neck specifically to the hand of his client, and he’s heard back that his guitars are very comfortable to play. He’s using some exotic woods, like rosewood and ebony on the sides and backs, with Cali woods: western red cedar and redwood, for the top panel. It takes him 2-3 weeks to build a guitar. He’s currently experimenting with organic finishes, so the process will get quicker as he gets those products dialed in.

David’s in a band called The Sundown Poachers with another local boy – Johnny Callahan, who plays one of his guitars. The band plays regularly at the Etna Brewery (530.467.5277) – home of the Old Grind porter and Etna Rootbeer – on Thursday nights during the summer and at the Callahan Emporium. The band is also playing gigs in the Mt. Shasta area, with some unplanned appearances lately at the Billy Goat Tavern.

The Scott Valley is big on music, with plenty of its citizens playing together and some reaching beyond their local setting into the greater music world. In the summer they come together to celebrate with the Scott Valley Bluegrass Festival in July. This year’s event, from July 19-20, will include Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain, The Anderson Family Band, Alhambra Valley Band and the Piney Creek Weasels. It all kicks off in downtown Etna on Friday night with the “Jammin’ on Main” event from 6-9pm where anyone who brings an instrument can play. Some of the bands join in, so you can play with musicians you’ll be watching on stage the next day. It’s a low-key, family-friendly festival set under the old oak trees of the City Park, and well worth the visit. Plus, it’s a great excuse to visit the Scott Valley, a real through back to rural living.

To learn more about visiting the Scott Valley, use our website at www.visitsiskiyou.org.