Seaside, OR

This morning we packed up and checked out, getting ready to seaside where….the sea is….but first we had two make two last stops before leaving Portland.

It was the first day of our vacation that it was chilly and rainy. It actually felt great and I loved those kinds of days where you can really enjoy your hot cup of coffee. We went to screen door, a very popular southern restaurant somewhat similar to country cat. The food is cheap, wonderful, and they give you way more than you can handle. I ordered chicken and waffles and Zach got the biscuits and gravy so we could both share our plates. It was so hard just to choose one thing off the menu.

 The chicken and waffles were ridiculous. You need three very hungry people to be able to eat the whole plate. There were three large fried chicken breasts stacked on top of a giant sweet potato waffle, served with a side of syrup and a dash of powdered sugar. The biscuits and gravy were also delicious; I don’t know how else to describe it. The gravy was similar to the one I make from scratch (like any normal person should do), where you fry up the sausage then add the flour and milk to the remaining oil. 

 

We also stopped at the PSU farmers market which was mandatory. I was so incredibly stuffed from breakfast but everything looked good. I bought some fresh cheese, chilies, strawberries, and two different kinds of potatoes. I was able to sample cardamom cheesecake and pick up a gift or two.A cook's dream, especially one from rural Utah.

Where to start with seaside? Well it was packed, which I wasn’t so surprised but I was almost wondering if I had ended up in California if it hadn’t been for any sun. Our hotel was right on Broadway where the shopping strip was located. The beach was just a two minute walk down the street. It was also packed with people but we walked a little further and avoided a majority of the crowd. I can’t say anything horrible about the Ocean itself. I could spend days staring out at the Ocean and building sand castles so Ziggy can destroy them (which is what we did for two days).

The first night we ate at this restaurant called Maggie’s on the prom (named after a cat). It was okay. The view from the restaurant was beautiful but like just about everything I ate in Zeaside I was disappointed. It was fine dining, and I ordered the hazelnut crusted halibut. It was just all right, not really a thirty dollar plate of food. I had the clam chowder which was also okay.

The second day we visited Cannon Beach fifteen minutes from Seaside. It also had a big main strip of tourist shops. The access to the beach was a little crazy trying to park. The beach was crowded but not too bad. There was definitely more sand castle building going on. Cannon beach hold an annual sandcastle competition that hopefully one day I will have the pleasure of visiting. It is also known for haystack rock, a giant rock formation right off shore. 

We ate at long established restaurant called Driftwood in Cannon Beach. There clam chowder was really good, some of the best I've had. The fish and chips were okay: I'm not sure why I ordered it because it was too much. I should have just ordered a giant bowl of clam chowder and would have been happy. 

Cannon Beach: Haystack Rock

 Overall I am very disappointed in the culinary experience Seaside and Cannon had to offer. Everything is mediocre family dining for the price of a five star restaurant. It actually makes me appreciate Moab a lot more and how much I spend there. Every one complains how expensive it is (including myself), but there are a lot more crazier places! However, it was so difficult to turn my back to the ocean and leave.