I first began visiting Mount Shasta to fish, camp, hike, climb, boat, and snow ski nearly 40 years ago and can still remember a magical evening sitting on a restaurant patio enjoying a meal and a drink as the sun set, creating alpine glow on the mountain. That evening and several others similar to it started my wife and me thinking about moving to the area. It has been 17 years ago now since we made the move, and we still enjoy having a fine meal while watching a magical sunset on the mountain that leaves us in awe. One of the few things that we do miss has been the different dining options that our previous home in Chico offered.
The city of Mount Shasta is a charming small community at the foot of Mount Shasta with exits off Interstate 5 about an hour south of the Oregon border. Small towns often have limited dining options, but Mount Shasta has more choices than most its size, because it serves as a playground and tourist destination for skiers, hikers, climbers, cyclists, whitewater boaters, and fly fishers. Summer temperatures are typically 10 to 20 degrees cooler than the Central Valley to the south and the Medford Valley to the north, making it popular as a base camp for folks vacationing and pursuing adventure in the shadow of Shasta.
Mount Shasta is also a Mecca for fly fishers, who are able to head almost any direction and within an hour (sometimes within minutes) find perhaps the finest year-round angling for trout and steelhead in the state. Fabled rivers include the upper and lower McCloud, the upper and lower Sacramento, and the Klamath, Pit, and Fall Rivers, as well as Hat Creek. If still waters are more your game, then check out Lake Siskiyou, which is a sleeper for trout and smallmouth bass and can be fished without leaving town, while Castle, Gumboot, and Mumbo Lakes are a short drive through some incredible scenery. If you are willing to walk, you’ll find countless high lakes, tributaries, and little creeks with hungry trout that see very few anglers each season. Destinations a bit over an hour’s drive away, but within day-trip range, include Baum Lake, Medicine Lake, Ahjumawi Springs, Eastman Lake, Manzanita Lake, and just over the border in Oregon, Klamath Lake and the Williamson and Rogue Rivers. There is more water than anyone could possibly fish in a lifetime. let alone during a visit to the area. In the time we have lived in Mount Shasta, with family and friends we have sampled most of the fare offered in local restaurants while witnessing many restaurants come and go. This small mountain village took the recent downturn in the economy hard, and several of our favorite restaurants closed, but a couple of new ones have recently opened that we now enjoy regularly.
Several restaurants I visited prior to moving to town have retained their charm and are popular with tourists and locals alike. A few restaurants since I moved to town have changed their operations with a new look or new location. Some new restaurants have opened recently and have become instant favorites. I’ll review the old standbys first, then those featuring a new look, concluding with those that most recently opened their doors.
Old Favorites
The Black Bear Diner features classic diner fare and has been successful to the tune of 63 franchised locations. Bruce Dean and Bob Manley opened the first (and still the best?) Black Bear in 1995 in what is still its original location in Mount Shasta just off Interstate 5. The Black Bear features fresh ingredients, friendly service, and huge portions. You can get your bacon and eggs cooked the way you like them as early as 5:30 A.M., but plan on drip coffee. You’ll have to go elsewhere for a double latte. It’s open every day until 10:00 P.M., Friday and Saturdays until 10:30, so you can grab a bite long after your drive back from the evening hatch on the lower McCloud. For dinner, I favor their simple offerings, a burger and fries or a chef’s salad, while my wife prefers their classic comfort food, such as old-fashioned meatloaf, pot roast, chicken pot pie, or their liver and onions cooked the way her mother use to make it. I’ll sometimes opt for a sirloin steak and baked potato and would normally order a glass of red wine or a beer, but they do not serve alcohol. When blackberries are in season, we share an old-fashioned blackberry milkshake for desert. Meals run from $9 to $19, with beverages extra. We often wait for a booth to open to enjoy a view of the mountain. The Black Bear Diner is at 401 West Lake Street; phone (530) 26-4669.
Casa Ramos is another local franchise. Casa Ramos was opened in 1997 by Yreka local Marco Ramos, who now has 13 franchised locations in Northern California. The restaurant features a full bar and, in the summer, an outside patio with a sunset view. This is a popular place for groups, so it can get crowded during the peak season, but the service is quick, and tables turn fast. Casa Ramos offers standard Mexican fare: fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, and combinations, but the “Mexican Favorites,” which are Ramos family recipes, are the real deal. Try the Molcajete — sautéed chicken and beef strips with vegetables in an outstanding spicy sauce that can be eaten like stew or fajita style with tortillas, avocado and sour cream. Their carnitas Uruapan, a marinated pork dish, is another favorite. Portions are sizable, so try not to fill up on the complimentary, all-you-can-eat chips and salsa with your beer or margarita. Casa Ramos is open for lunch and dinner from 11:00 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. weekdays and Fridays and Saturdays until 10:30 P.M. Meals are typically $8 to $18, plus beverage. The Mount Shasta Casa Ramos is located on the south end of town on the main drag, 1136 South Mt. Shasta Boulevard; phone (530) 926-0250.
Mike and Tony’s is not a franchise. This local favorite has been serving Italian-American family-style dinners since 1945. Their offerings are served in courses, beginning with their homemade minestrone and antipasto plate, followed by entrées including a variety of pastas, veal, steaks, and seafood. Our favorites include veal piccata, eggplant parmesan, and the stuffed portobello mushroom. Entrées are also served à la carte from $11 to $22. Mike and Tony’s features a full bar, with modest wine and beer offerings. It is open from 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Mondays and Thursdays, until 10:00 P.M. on Fridays and Saturdays, and Sundays from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. It is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Mike and Tony’s is at 501 Mt. Shasta Boulevard; phone (530) 926-4792.
Favorites Revisited
The Goat Tavern opened in the fall of 2006, located at the Y intersection in downtown Mount Shasta, where a number of restaurants have come and gone. This is our favorite local dining option. They advertise “the Goat” as a “watering hole for Bohemians, Mountaineers, Fishermen, Skiers, Snowboarders, Rich Weekend Bikers with no felonies (Misdemeanors Overlooked), and Chimney Sweeps. You should fit right in.” Not everyone does, but we do, and locals pack the place nightly, with patio seating open from the end of March until mid-October. In the winter, inside seating is very limited, so it’s best to arrive early and stay late to catch up on the local gossip, including the skinny on the area’s fishing from the guides and fly fishers who have bellied up to trade lies with the friendly and entertaining bar staff. Bill Truby, also the owner of the Trinity Café, has created a menu that he describes as upscale pub grub: finger foods, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and specials. Our favorites include “possibly the best burger in the world,” (a Kobe beef burger), grilled portabello and pulled pork barbeque sandwiches, fish tacos, and a grilled chicken spinach salad. They often have specials, including grilled steak or seafood. Specials and sandwiches come with a salad, fries, or onion rings (with chipotle mayo) and are priced at $8 to $16. There are a dozen beer taps to choose from, along with a small, but adequate wine list. The Goat Tavern is open every day from 11:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. at 107 Chestnut Street; phone (530) 926-0209.
The Trinity Café has for years been the best choice in Mount Shasta for fine dining. This local bistro was originally opened by chef Brett LaMott, who then purchased Cafe Maddelenna in Dunsmuir, and his assistant chef, Billy Truby, has been largely able to preserve the Trinity’s reputation for service and exceptional dining. The Trinity is the only restaurant in town featuring white tablecloths, but in Mount Shasta, you can comfortably dine in your fishing clothes, though you may want to take off your hat and comb your hair, provided you are not still fishing in cutoffs and Converse tennis shoes.
The setting is intimate, but seating is limited, so it’s best to make a reservation, particularly in the peak season. Menus change weekly. The Trinity is located on the north end of the downtown area and can be a bit tricky to find, particularly if cars are parked in front of their sign. It is one block north of the Alma Street stoplight, one of only three in town. Appetizers typically run from $7 to $15, entrées from $17 to $28, and they do not include a salad or sides. The Trinity Café has beer and the most extensive wine list in town. It is open from Wednesday through Saturday from 5:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. Reservations are recommended. It’s at 622 North Mt. Shasta Boulevard; phone (530) 926-6200.
The Wayside Grill, formerly named the Wayside Inn, has had a complete renovation and reopened in the summer of 2007. If you have a group and want to party, this is the place. They have plenty of room for dancing, with a jukebox and weekly live music, a fireplace, shuffleboard, and big-screen televisions. They also feature a full bar, wine, and a dozen beers on tap. The Wayside is also known locally as a likely locale to pick up a DUI, so be certain to have a designated driver to avoid arriving on vacation and leaving on probation. Their menu offers something for nearly everyone, including finger foods, pizzas, burgers, salads, seafood, Southwest specialties, and steaks and ribs. Our favorites include brick-oven pizzas, fish tacos, salmon salad, and their award-winning lobster bisque. The Wayside Grill is open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Dinner is served from 4:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., Fridays and Saturdays until 10:00 P.M., and ranges from $8 to $18. The Wayside has have a great patio to catch the sunset. It’s at 2217 South Mt. Shasta Boulevard. They are on the far end of town. Just before Highway 89, turn left as the I-5 overpass comes into view. Phone (530) 918-9234.
Berryvale is a longtime natural foods grocery that opened a deli-style café a few years back. They feature great soups, wraps, salads, and sandwiches and vegetarian options. We on occasional stop in the morning on the way to the river for an espresso, muffin, pastry, or quiche. Berryvale is open every day from 8:30 A.M. to 7:00 P.M., although the grill closes at 4:00. It is at 305 South Mt. Shasta Boulevard; phone (530) 926-3536.
Poncho and Lefkowitz opened in 1992 as a taco wagon, then moved downtown to become a full-service Mexican Restaurant and Blues Bar. They have returned to their roots and reopened as a grab-and-go taco wagon with burritos, tacos, tostadas, tamales, sausages, and hot dogs. My favorites include the plain rice and bean burrito and the Big Kahuna, which features chicken and pineapple. They have an outside patio with an awesome view of the mountain with no need to change out of your waders and boots to order or eat. Poncho and Lefkowitz is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at 401 South Mt. Shasta Boulevard; phone (530) 926-1505.
New Favorites
Mount Shasta Pastry is a breakfast and lunch bistro opened by chef Steve Hector so he could follow his passion to create world-class pastries. After a recent visit to Europe, where we sought out the finest bakeries and their pastries every day, my wife and I agree that he has succeeded. Steve’s bear claws and almond croissants are as good as any we have enjoyed anywhere. Besides pastries, breakfast offerings also include outstanding oatmeal, egg dishes, frittatas, breakfast burritos, French toast, and a couple of scramble options, including my favorite, the California with three eggs, mushrooms, avocado, spinach, and cheese, served with tasty breakfast potatoes. Try Steve’s quiches — they are out of this world. Espresso drinks are available, but we usually opt for a hot cup of their featured Peet’s coffee. Lunch offerings include croissant or focaccia sandwiches, wraps, salads, bakery items, quiche, and fabulous freshly made soups and range from $2 to $12. Mount Shasta Pastry is open daily from 7:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. at 610 South Mt. Shasta Boulevard; phone (530) 926-9944.
Phuket Thai Café offers good food at much more reasonable prices than the other Thai options in the area. Thai cuisine is a favorite in our household, and we typically indulge at least once a week. Since the new owners have taken over Phuket, has become our favorite. It’s nothing fancy, but there is lots of room for a large group and rarely a wait to be seated, even on the busiest of holidays. Service is always friendly, but not always the speediest, so we most often call in an order to go. Prices range from $7 to $15. Phuket Thai Café is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., Sundays until 6:30 P.M. It’s at 1328 South Mt. Shasta Boulevard; phone (530)926-4444.
Other dining options are available in Dunsmuir, about 10 minutes down I-5 from Mount Shasta, but I’ll save those for a future “Foraging Angler” piece.
Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company
Truckee and Tahoe City
Only a couple of years old, the Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company is making a name for itself among those who live in or visit the North Tahoe area, and its well-crafted brews have been garnering awards at beer fests. Year-round offerings consist of a lager, three types of India pale ale, a red ale, and a porter, but the brewery’s ever-changing list of specialty beers is what gets foamheads especially excited. These include Belgian-style saisons, American “wild ales,” barrel-aged sours, as well as other brews that incorporate fruits, berries, nuts, herbs, spices, or coffees. None of these in any way resemble your father’s Lucky Lager.
The best places to taste Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company’s selections are at their brewery taproom at 10990 Industrial Way in Truckee (a warehouse tucked into a nook of an industrial district; open from at least 3 P.M. to 7 P.M. daily), and at their brewpub at 475 North Lake Boulevard in downtown Tahoe City. Growlers and bottled beers are available for purchase. On the Web at: http://tahoebrewing.com.
—Richard Anderson
