Illustrations by Ben Engle
PICKLED PORCH CAFÉ – $$
1192 S Main Street
Angels Camp, CA 95222
(209) 890-3650
Open Wednesday–Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Owner Gretel Tiscornia
This place is a gem hidden in a small downtown rainforest. Trees and plants surround it, and the food is good. It is located right on Main Street (CA Highway 49) at the corner of Raspberry Lane and Main Street. This cool little dive is a place where I could eat all my meals. I have only been here a handful of times, but every time I visit, it is great!
I’ve had multiple sandwiches here, and they’re all delicious. But my favorite is the Emerald Bay BLT. This sandwich is to die for. I order mine on sourdough toast; it comes loaded with sweet-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado, plus crumbled blue cheese. I add some extra mayo, and bam—you’ve got yourself a winner. This bad boy comes with your choice of sides, and I get their homemade potato salad. Kirsten’s favorite is the Classic Ma Rita Tri-Tip Sandwich. It’s served on a sourdough roll with red onions, tomato, and lettuce. The tri-tip is better than my smoked tri-tip. Kirsten loves the rub they use on it.
ANN’S FISH & CHIPS – $$
2413 3rd Street A
Hughson, CA 95326
209-542-7400
Open Tuesday–Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Owner Ryan Donnelly
I love fish and chips!! There is a place in Redding that I like to go called the Lighthouse. Ann’s is just as good. I like going to places that don’t have a huge menu. Everything turns over quickly, and everything they serve is always fresh.
This place is special not just for its great food, but because they are proud of what they do—and it shows in every serving. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Ann’s is the fresh-cut steak fries. They are, in a word, perfect!
Both Kirsten and I like everything on the menu. We’ve had it all. Our usual order is a side of mushrooms and a side of shrimp. Many places don’t carry scallops on the menu. Ann’s does, and they’re amazing. Sometimes we go for the scallops rather than the shrimp. Then we order a two-piece fish and chips. We usually bring back leftovers. The fish are large, portion-sized slabs with a light batter. I don’t care for really crusty fish. I like a crunch and perfectly cooked, hot fish! This three-generation joint is rocking it in everything they do.
SHIVELY’S BAR & GRILL – $$
10461 Valley Home Road
Oakdale, CA 95361
209-847-2877
Open Wednesday–Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday–Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Owner Mike McFarren
I have to admit we found the place purely by accident. Kirsten and I were coming home from Yosemite, and she needed to use the ladies’ room. I saw this place on my phone, and we stopped. The restaurant is at the intersection of CA Highway 120 and Valley Home Road. If you didn’t know it was there, you would drive right by it.
Shively’s is truly a neighborhood hangout. Just sitting in the restaurant, listening to different conversations, I was waiting for the group to yell, “Norm,” but they didn’t. I like places like Shively’s. It’s not some fancy five-star restaurant; it’s a mom-and-pop place that works their backsides off to make it a great place for folks to eat!
The first time Kirsten and I were there, they had a special on their ribeye steak. We were both hungry, so we each ordered one. They came out—big steaks smothered in onions and mushrooms, with French fries. We split a salad beforehand, then the steaks. The steaks were cooked perfectly; everything was fresh, and we both agreed it was a great joint. The last time I was there, I was coming back from a fishing trip. My timing was great because they hadn’t run out of the catfish. I’ve been dying to try it. It was fantastic. They cooked it perfectly in a light batter, with homemade tartar sauce and fresh coleslaw. The coleslaw was just as good as, or better than, Putah Creek Café in Winters.
Everything I’ve tried at Shively’s has been good. The prices are great, and the folks are friendly.
MANDY’S BREAKFAST HOUSE – $$
22267 Parrotts Ferry Road
Sonora, CA 95370
209-588-8020
Open Monday–Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m
Owners: The Mendell Family, Cindy Mendell
Mandy’s is my kind of place. They only serve breakfast and lunch. What’s better than biscuits and gravy and a nice bacon cheeseburger? Kirsten and I love breakfast. Often, we’ll have breakfast for dinner. I am writing this segment at the Gray’s Cabin here at Lake Almanor, and I am thinking maybe breakfast for dinner tonight.
The first time I walked into Mandy’s, I felt like I was at home. It’s a small joint with blue upholstery covering the booths, tables, and chairs. The blue upholstery reminded me of my parents’ 1964 Chevelle Malibu Super Sport; I loved that car. Kirsten and I settled into a booth, and I looked at the menu. I found my quarry in an instant. Right under the “Favorites” section was Pork Belly Benedict. My cardiologist would have a hissy fit if she found out I ordered this. Let me tell you, it was awesome. Let’s start with the homemade hollandaise sauce, creamy with just a hint of lemon. That was just the topper of this art! Yes, I said art. Man, whoever came up with this is my hero. The muffin was toasted, with three thick slices of pork belly on each, topped with a perfect poached egg and that homemade sauce.
Kirsten’s favorite at this joint is Jeff’s Omelet. She loves an omelet we call the Mary’s omelet, which Carol’s Café up here at Almanor makes. Jeff’s is pretty close. The Jeff’s omelet has bacon, avocado, mushrooms, onions, and Jack-cheddar cheese. The Mary’s is just bacon, avocado, and cream cheese. Kirsten has ordered the Jeff’s omelet with cream cheese, and, don’t tell Kirsten, but I think she likes the Jeff’s better.
The other item worth mentioning is Mandy’s chipotle gravy. It is great.
I ordered the Biscuits Diablo, a huge buttermilk biscuit with chorizo and two eggs, covered with chipotle gravy. Mandy’s has some great eats going, folks!
SAINT CHARLES SALOON – $$
22801 Main St.
Columbia, CA 95310
(209) 288-2258
Open Monday–Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Owners Jeremy Hodge, Jim Hodge, and Leif Kruger
The Saint Charles Saloon is in historic downtown Gold Town of Columbia, CA. Housed in a brick building, it serves up great pizza, sandwiches, and calzones. Kirsten and I found this place a while ago while traveling in the Gold Country with Kirsten’s folks. We took a three-day weekend and just took our time exploring. Kirsten’s dad and I found Saint Charles Saloon on a warm afternoon. While the ladies shopped, Dave and I enjoyed a cocktail, and when we regrouped, we all had dinner.
We ordered two pizzas. One was the Yard Bird, with pesto garlic ranch sauce, chicken, mushrooms, red onions, black olives, and tomatoes. The other was the Islander, with red sauce, bacon, Canadian bacon, red onions, pineapple, and green onions. Both pizzas are made with the saloon’s light, homemade pizza dough. The Yard Bird is Kirsten’s and my usual when we go there now. We have also had the Yard Bird made into a calzone. That was great, but we usually order the pizza.
The wood-fired brick oven is what makes all the food so good. It gives the food a very rich taste. I have asked several times which woods they use. Every time, I get a smile, and they laugh!
