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Corvallis Top Recommendations:
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And: Great place for a slice and a salad. Single slices on weekdays around lunch time can be a bit limited in the selection (actually, the selection is wide, but who really wants a broccoli, green olive pizza?) The Crowbar is very good. Recommended (The Crowbar is ^ÑHighly Recommended^Ò).
And, another point of view: I give it a little better grade. I judge the sushi and sashimi to be relatively safe (I eat it). Pretty average, but if you crave Japanese and you're in Corvallis, your choices are limited. Recommended.
Aomatsu: Good sushi and tempera. I know several people who love the Aomatsu bowl but it isn^Òt for everyone. I^Òve eaten sushi in a lot of places around the world and while it is not the best, it is definitely good (and I love sushi). The donburi, katsu and other dishes are not to my taste (though I haven^Òt liked them anywhere else either). Recommended (if you like Sushi).
6/17/07: One of my favorite sushi joints. If you go at the begining of the week you are more likely to get more fresh sushi and faster service. Recommended
On a recent visit (7/9/08), the food was quite tasty, with excellent presentation. One favorite of mine is the ravioli appetizer. The chicken also seems popular. The Mahi Mahi entree was cooked to perfection, and I even liked the Salmon (I don't normally like any kind of Salmon) Service is fast and attentive. The Key Lime Pie got my attention, since it wasn't too sweet like many interpretations. The Ganache was simply amazing. The only minor glitch in our great experience was that my son had to ask for a replacement fork when his original one was cleared away with the appetizer dishes. No big deal. We briefly met Chef Adam, who is a good fellow and great chef.
There are two or three tables that have a very nice view of the waterfront. When making reservations, I'd recommend asking for one of those tables. Aqua is a bit pricey, but you very much get what you pay for. Iain and company's Le Bistro and Aqua are running neck and neck for best food in Corvallis. Try both, and tell us what you think! Highly recommended.
6/26/08 PT: Highly recommended! We had the pleasure of dinning at Aqua tonight with our children. This was a pleasant surprise. My boys loved the fish tanks and the coloring pages and crayons kept them busy. However, there was still an intimate atmosphere for my husband and my self to enjoy. The food was amazing. I enjoy cooking, therefore, we are very reluctant to eat out because no other restaurants meets our standards. Aqua has change that. "Melt in your mouth" food is the best way to describe it. A surprise in every bite. Thank you Aqua for the spice you add to Corvallis! Every one must try this delight!
5/15/08 FR: Fancy Hawaiian food, Yum! The dining room is a bit small and the wine list very limited, but the food is outrageously good. I spent the first 10-15 minutes studying the menu; you know youâ^À^Ùre in heaven when everything on the menu looks good and it takes forever to decide! We had the tuna and the Oregon kobe beef. Who knew a seafood place would have the best steak in town! The beef was perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth, buttery soft, medium rare, slightly crunchy on the outside, oh so good!! The tuna was also spectacular. While I usually donâ^À^Ùt like my fish blackened, it paired nicely with the creamy/buttery burre blanc sauce that accompanied it. Again, Yum! The crab stuffed shrimp appetizer was great too. Hopefully they will expand the wine list. Anyway, we will definitely be going back. Highly Recommended.
5/14/08 KM: Aqua is highly recommended. The food is great and the atmosphere is wonderful. I'm not a seafood person but the seared mahi mahi is outstanding. It, literally, melted in my mouth. There is a burst of flavor with each bite. The butternut ravioli appetizers are so good they should be dessert. Even the butter for the bread basket has a taste good enough to forgo the bread. The chocolate pyramid cake with white ganache filling is outstanding. This is a place to go with friends so you can share plates. The fish tanks and artwork are a wonderful visual and help if you take children. Yes, children are welcome and even get a menu of their own. This is a place Corvallis can, finally, be proud of. I plan to go back until I've tasted everything on the menu.
And 5/28/07: We have been waiting and waiting for Baguette's to open and our long wait was worth it. What fantastic food and the prices are so reasonable. I've had several of the different sandwiches and have not been disappointed yet accept for one time when they were out of white rolls and we had to have whole wheat. I like whole wheat bread but in this venue it totally overwhelms the filling and isn't as good as having it on white.....do the healthy thing with some other type of sandwich. Love the Curried Beef! Good eats at a great price.
3/22/08 GC: It's a busy week for food. I went to 101 with the same friends I went to Block 15 with. We went because a different friend had suggested them for their skillet cookie. No one was in the mood for drinks, so we can't comment on the quality there, but we can comment on the food. We originally had only wanted to order desert, but we got there and saw the menu and just couldn't resist. My friend ordered the lettuce wraps, which we all snacked on and enjoyed immensely. I ordered their Pomme Frites with a mustard dipping sauce that were quite delicious. Letting temptation getting the best of us, the three of us decided to order both the Skillet cookie, and their Banana Split, both were amazing. Big river knows how to make deserts, so I would have hoped their bar deserts would be just as good. If you are in the mood for a light meal I would recommend going to 101 instead of Big River, I liked their food a lot better; their menu was much more creative. It is recommended by the three of us definitely, and we plan on returning now that the weather is starting to turn. Their fries could be a bit better if double fried for that extra crispness, but that's not everyone's favorite so perhaps the option to double fry. Recommended, we have some really nice bars in Corvallis.
3/13/08 BC: We kind of stumbled on this newer place's Happy Hour as we needed to eat an early pre-movie dinner and intended to go to Big River but it opened at 5 and 101 opened at 4:30. The place is very nicely put together with a nice water feature behind the bar. For Happy Hour (4:30 - 6:30 I believe) beers on tap were $2 and you could get $2 off on cocktails. The food is of the "small plate" variety and it was good and fresh and well-presented. Not cheap bar food -- most items were around $10 I had the Asian chicken wraps which were delish and more than enough for dinner. Since it was early, we were almost the only ones there but I'll bet it gets pretty busy in the later evening. I'd recommend it as a good place for a small group of friends (I think it was all booths and they seat 4) or as a decent date sort of a place. It is kind of a nicer version of Cloud 9 but I cannot tell you if the drinks are as good as I did not have one.
2/11/08 [Ed Note: the following response is from the owner / GM of Big River. We encourage responses and comments from restaurant onwership and management!!] As local business owners living in Corvallis, we appreciate the opportunity for community members to share their experiences at local restaurants on this site and the many other review forums out there. Not only do these types of sites give people a chance to see different viewpoints to help them make decisions on where they will patronize, it also provides the opportunity for business owners to hear candid feelings about their establishments. While the Internet is one venue for people to express their feelings, in the best interest of both local business owners and their patrons, a good old-fashioned conversation with business management can often go a long way in turning a bad experience into a great one. As responsible business owners who make every attempt to retain customers and make every visit enjoyable, please give us the opportunity to do so by informing us of the issues you experience while at either of our restaurants.
1/31/08 RM: It's a pretty upscale restaurant that makes you feel like your living in Portland. Very upscale atmosphere and wonderful location nest to Big River. I have been at 101 five times for drinks and light food and would not recommended it for a few good reasons. The cocktails and food were over priced for what you get. The appetizers have been cold by the time they make it to the table. The service is less than desired I feel. The big screen tv's are distracting. I have chatted with lots of friends about the service and food and they agree that it's a artsy place but the service is slow and not worth the price unless you have the income to blow on bad service. The only reason to go as far as i'm concerned to 101 is to sit in a pretty bar and feel like your not in Corvallis. And since I like Corvallis so much I think I'll keep going to places like Squirrel's, Cloud 9 and Bomb's Away Cafe for better service and drinks. Suggested only if you want something new to do.
12/17/07 CJ: This is our favorite restaurant, hands down. We've been enjoying meals here since they opened about 10+ years ago and have VERY rarely had a less than spectactular time. Please note, we are both vegetarian. Service is great to wonderful. It does get quite crouded though so patience is required. I don't think it would be too much for me to say we LOVE Big River. Many birthdays, Thanksgivings, anniversaries, etc. have been celebrated here and we've even brought our Belgiun cousin by to blow her socks off. ;-) We are also delighted with the ultra fresh food and the obvious commitment to the community. And, yes, they are loud. But that's something I like aobut it. Fun and lively. Highly Recommended.
Another point of view: (Big River is) Usually pretty good, and one of the few imaginative menus in town. I agree about the noise. Recommended.
And: Reasonably good "California Cuisine". Overpriced for what it is, but the best place to go out for a group dinner. Recommended.
And: Very, very loud. We called in a reservation, and asked for a private, out of the way table. When we came in, we were seated right next to the door. Bad. Service was great, though. The cheese plate, at $12.95 is way overpriced. The cheese is boring, and the fruit an odd selection and not very fresh. Avoid it. Fish and steaks were fine, but the potatoes and salads were sub-optimal. For the prices Big River charges, you can go other places (Le Bistro, Magenta, Sybaris in Albany, etc), and get better food and atmosphere. Kinda suggested if you have lots of $$$ to waste, and like a very loud scene. We won't be returning any time soon.
And: Decent food, fun & busy ambiance. Not too creative, a bit overpriced. Live jazz in the bar is nice. Suggested.
TP 07/08/07: We took some folks to Big River Thursday evening. We arrived right at 5:00P, opening time. It was as hot inside as it was outside. The place was nearly full by the time we got finished with our meal, and the noise reminded me of a school cafeteria. No way to have a quiet conversation. The food was okay, but over priced. We turned down coffee because it was still uncomfortably hot in the restaurant. Won't be returning anytime soon.
YA 09/29/07: Amazing selection of drinks, kinda spendy but so worth it. Delicious fresh flavors. We tried the bloody mary (vodka from Bend distillery and Tanqueray), salty chihuahua (Sauza hornitos, grapefruit juice and cilantro), and something with orange / tangerine and mint. Loved them all. Can't wait to go back and try more. Recommended.
4/15/08 TN: Having been to Block 15 numerous times I would highly recommend this LOCAL BREWERY any day. Lets start with the beer, being a home brewer for 6 years I'm grinning ear to ear having block 15. Corvallis was in need of a brewery other than Oregon trail and i don't even count Mcmenamins, their beer is terrible. Not trying to diss on Oregon trail but their selection is low. The variety and quality of beer at Block 15 is what we needed in C-town, just look at their brewery! Printmasters Pale: great beer brewed to style, good hop aroma and flavor. great citrus hop finish...Highly recommended IPA: Bitter, truly hoppy and intense. Northwest hop lovers will love this beer. Recommended Ridgeback Red: Great red beer with good hop tones and nice malt background. Being at 6.5% percent alcohol (website Block 15.com) ... hardly a mild beer. Highly recommended Stout: I'm pretty sure the brewer is medal winner in this style and everyone I know that's had it has loved it. I haven't tried it yet but i will next time! Belgian: Great malt and yeast flavor and true to style. Recommended GLO: Great session beer, crisp clean and refreshing. On the lower side of alcohol content so i can have a couple and without feeling too tipsy. Recommended These are the beers I have tried so far. The food is good, they have an amazing pulled pork sandwich. If you like smoked meats then this is a must. Great local brewery with a laid back atmosphere. I would highly recommend trying this restaurant and then write your review. Support your local businesses.
3/27/08 SG: Tried the new restaurant in town for lunch and I would give it a "recommended" rating. I had a small "BBQ styled dressing" salad with chicken and it was good, although maybe an extra piece of garlic bread would have been nice. But, it had good flavor and the greens were fresh and crisp. My lunch associate had the pulled pork sandwich (for the second time in a week there) so it must have been good the first time around too. The fries looked very good, and there were plenty of them. The place was clean, although a little cool inside. I can't wait to try the beers next time.
3/21/08 GC: Last night (the 20th) I went to Block 15 with some friends, and my wife. It was slow to start, but once our food came to us, it was good. The chalkboard tables help pass the time when you initially wait for service. Once service came, the waitress was really nice, and knowledgeable about other bars in the area. I had the lasagna and enjoyed it immensely. My wife had the fish and chips, also a great meal. The Pub nachos are made with fresh ingredients, and in no way are velvetta-craptastic, my wife, who has hated nachos since a bad experience in New Zealand, enjoyed them as much as the rest of us. My friend said the chicken sandwich was the best he had ever had. Quite the feat, he is picky in his food stuffs. My only complaint is that when wandering out of the bathroom into the game room, you walk directly in front of the dart boards. I almost had a dart thrown at me, but luckily they saw me coming. They should put up a bar to block passage in front of the dart boards. Especially being a bar, and everyone being intoxicated. All and all it was a great experience. Definitely recommended. I forgot to mention that my friend had the beer sampler, and enjoyed it as well. His girlfriend ordered the Block 15 Ice Tea, quite the stiff drink, but definitely worth the money. Our meal came to 48.25 with everything, which is pretty well priced for the area.
3/13/08 RM: Been to Block 15 three times now. The beer really is wonderful and even better since they make so much of it on location. Be ready to relax and not be in a hurry, slow service. The golden and IPA stand out as great beers. Dig the simple and understated atmosphere. Having a chalk board as a table is a nice creative twist for downtown Corvallis. McMenamins watch out because the staff service is so much better for a new restaurant/pub, they seem to care. But they need to be careful about the cold food that should be hot! Two out three times is the food has been cold. No one should eat a cold burger! Not so cool and the staff seems embarrassed about it. The last time we told them and the owner responded and for that reason I will try it a few more times. Squirrelâ^À^Ùs has the best burgers and better bar service in town for the right price. Block 15 needs to ramp up the service and work out some of the kitchen problems, then I think we will have another great place to hang out, eat and drink great beer. Recommend trying Block 15.
3/13/08 HD: I have tried this place twice in the last two weeks. I am not favorably impressed. Last week I spent $7.50 for a turkey sandwich that was nothing special; I was expecting better turkey on the sandwich, not the thin sliced deli turkey. If you order the turkey sandwich, ask them to leave the onions off, who really wants a thick slice of onion to overpower a turkey and cheese sandwich? Today I spent $6.50 for chicken tenders. The chicken tenders were fine, the fries were greasy and limp. I know some people like them that way, though. I also had a $3.00 root beer (specially brewed onsite). It was very disappointing; I think A & W and Henry Weinhard's both have better root beer. The wait staff is friendly, however both times I have had to hunt the waitress down to ask for my check after my meal. Finally, their price on growlers seems very high to me at $11 to fill during the week, $13 for IPA, and on weekends the special price is $7 / $8 for IPA. Go to the Ram in Salem; they have $4.50 growlers on weekends, and a punch card that gives you the 7th growler free.
3/12/08 DB: We went to block 15 after Rhapsody in the vineyard this weekend and even though it was very crowded, the beer was good! We had a double belgium, their IPA, and their golden. All were great. We didn't eat anything but entertained ourselves playing darts and shuffleboard.
3/7/08 KM: After anticipating the opening of Block 15 for so long, I am saddened to report it is a mediocre place to eat and drink. The atmosphere and decor are great for family dining. The wait staff friendly. The pasta dishes are OK but nothing to go on about. Pesto pasta is merely OK. The marinara sauce more like spaghetti sauce. We looked forward to drinking some great tasting beer and and were greatly disappointed. The red was too mild and the dark, while better, just didn't compare to most. All in all I would rather spend an evening at McMenamins. I would, however, rate this as suggested and intend to go back to try the burgers.
7/8/08 BC: I felt like I had to give a more positive spin to Bombs Away. We go there fairly regularly, especially on Tuesdays for $2 pint night, but I have to admit that part of the allure is that it is fairly close to home. I like their wet burritos with Christmas sauce, their tofu shitake nachos and the fact that I always see people I know there. My friends enjoy their other cheap drink nights. My only complaint is that I think they serve their beer a bit too warm although they say it is the "optimum temperature". Bombs also features some good bands at night during the school year. Not the best place for music but practically the only place in Corvallis with good rockin' music and some room to dance.
And: Food is not great but a nice casual atmosphere. Suggested.
And more: Their tex mex style food comes with good seasoning and generous portions. Daily specials sheet is the place to turn to for some of the most creative food in town. Pork quesadilla is usually one of the dishes we get if we don^Òt get specials. Soups are hearty and a cup with bread or tortilla is enough for a light dinner.
And: Many good veg. options, and the food is mostly locally grown. Almost always like what I get. Recommended.
6/17/07: The smoothies are alright. The service is less than desired. If you don't mind waiting around and being asked several times what you ordered, try it. Not Suggested
7/8/08 BC: I agree that they are improving although the service there is always a bit "odd". One time they could not make change for a $50 bill! We've never experienced having to wait for a table and we have only gone on the weekend. We like the decor and the food is good and they try to use local organic ingredients when possible. We've only been there for breakfast and our one complaint is that they do not have real maple syrup for pancakes. We'd be willing to pay extra for a real syrup option. The potato scramble dishes are good and they give you a lot of food. I'd recommend this as a decent spot for breakfast downtown
4/1/08 WM: Broken Yolk did not have it together when they first opened. They received lots of (deserved) bad reviews and they have responded. I've been back recently and BY and Sam's are my two faves for breakfast in Corvallis. Broken Yolk definitely has the larger menu and is a little more accommodating, service has improved dramatically and wait time has decreased. Give them another chance, it's worth the trip.
12/16/07 CJ: My husband and I stopped by this past Saturday for a holiday lunch. It was the first time we've ever been by and got excited reading the menu in the window. When we rushed in hoping for some tasty times, we were told to sit wherever. We did so and got our menus and were surprised to see 'Breakfast' on both sides. We asked for lunch menus, it was 1:30 in the afternoon, and were told they don't do lunch on weekends. Only weekdays. That's fine to do what you want with your business, but no lunch at all on weekends? She also felt the need to say it's printed on the door...along with about 6+ other papers, menus and postings. We're not stupid, just wanted some lunch. She told us to go next door to Zia's. We did. Not Recommended.
12/11/07 YM: NOT SUGGESTED! The Broken Yolk has a wonderful location, charming decor, and atrocious food. I ordered the eggs benedict after the server assured me they made the hollondaise sauce from scratch. What came out were two untoasted english muffins with overcooked eggs smothered in a powder-mix hollondaise. The slices of ham didn't even cover half of the english muffin. Basically, they charged me $10 dollars for $1 worth of product that left my stomach in knots. If you have no standards and money to burn, there is plenty of bland, overpriced, overprocessed food waiting for you.
And: Sold a while back and food is slowly declining (and it was never that great to begin with). Best Chinese food in Corvallis, but that's not saying much. Suggested.
7/23/07 ED: China Delight has the best Chinese food in Corvallis. The service is usually good. The setting outside is absurdly pathetic with the adjacent econolodge blocking what would otherwise be a nice river view. If you like Chinese food, the setting is the worst thing about the place, which you quickly get over. The menu is large, and there are a lot of healthy options like brown rice and the vegetables are always good. The best stuff in my opinion is the Chinese food prepared without breading. Standards like fried rice and appetizers are pretty solid, too.
7/28/07 NM: Forgot that they sold the place. Went there for takeout because I can't have MSG, and Peter Leung (former owner) didn't add it. If it wasn't a Friday, and I wasn't so tired, I would have taken my order back. Since when is Fried Rice steamed rice colored with soy sauce? The ginger beef had so much soy sauce, I couldn't eat it. The kung pao chicken was the worst I've ever tried. Dumped all of it. Forgive me for not sugar-coating this. My husband & I will never go back there.
3/8/08 BC: Cirello's makes a great pizza! I get the Mr C where you can pick your own 5 ingredients so my fave is pesto sauce with artichoke hearts, feta, olives and sundried tomatoes. I like Curello's even better than American Dream but that may be because I do the campus Dream at lunch a but when the slices are not so fresh.
And: I absolutely agree on Cirello's, an easily overlooked storefront at 9th and Circle. My wife and I usually order the Pizano. If you had told me before that a broccoli, feta, garlic, and black pepper would become one of my favorite pies, I'd have called you nuts, but so it is. Cirello's makes what I classify as a thick and sloppy pizza. Not a deep-dish, but a relatively thick hand-tossed crust. Still crispy on the outside, though. Plenty of sauce and cheese. You'll need extra napkins. Highly recommended.
And: I've eaten most of the pizza types here as I used to work there. Good pizza if you eat in. Crust gets very soggy for the takeaway. Suggested.
And: Recommended: love their 'RJC' with extra garlic.
5/9/07: One of my favorite pizzas intown, but do not think it works to order it to go. I love Meg's Specail with 3 kinds of cheese and the salad bar with a local cold beer! Suggested for sure.
6/17/07: Best pizza I have EVER had. Highly Recommended
Hamburgers are 'OK'. Definitely not the best place for a burger and beer in Corvallis, but does have sports coverage. Suggested.
Cloud 9 / Downward DogCorvallis is fortunate to have another hip dining option. C9 offers an extensive appetizer, small plates, and entree menu. Of course, they have a large cocktail/bar offering as well. There is both restaurant seating, as well as bar seating. The food at C9 is good, and the service is good as well. Although, it can be quite loud when the restaurant is busy. We would recommend some sound-deadening enhancements. Prices are in line with the area. Cloud 9 now has lunch. Cloud 9 has opened a bar next door (in the former Chippery location). The bar (named the "Downward Dog") has a warm feeling, quite opposite of the restaurant. We like the feeling of the bar. Our choice would be to have dinner in the bar instead of the restaurant if no minors were part of the party. Recommended.Here are their updated hours:
7/8/08 BC: We finally made it to Cloud Nine and we are glad we did! Went for a workday lunch so we did not have a chance to try out any of their drinks. We had great personalized service as we were the only customers there the whole time! We tried the grilled fish tacos which were good and the 5-bean burger which was great and came with a nice fresh greens salad (I think you can also choose fries). There were quite a few interesting sounding dishes on the menu and we plan to return when we can try a drink or two. 12/16/07 CJ: We've been here three or four times and have loved the drinks. The atmosphere is cavernous and cold feeling. The food is...okay to not too good. I had a cabbage salad that had no flavor at all. A black bean burger was just okay. The stuffed peppers were pretty good. Generally, the food isn't improving unfortuntely. I'd recommend paring it down to croud pleasing eats they can do REALLY well and consentrate on great beverages and night fun. It's a perfect venue for partying. Want to Recommend but...[Ed note: some of the menu items mentioned have not been offered for some time, so some of this review may be outdated - Ed] And: I liked the service overall, but felt the food was okay not great. I have been to Cloud 9 twice and had hit and miss on the cocktails. I really liked what Cloud did with the Crow Bar drinks, he seems like a fantastic bartender and is super creative with his drinks. So when I spend over $7 for a drink I would like it be wonderful and I have yet to be impressed with Cloud 9's drinks. When the appitizers are small and the drinks are not great, it will be a hard sell to make me go back, but I will try a few more times! 5/29/07: I really really like the Sazerac they do there. I have had others in Bars/Restaurants in Portland and one particularly sticks out as being horrible in comparison. I had it at the Bluehour in Portland. Also they have added new drinks to the drink menu within the last couple of weeks. One of them that i have tried and like is the Lotus Blossom. It is a great drink with sake in it of all things. Also I really like the Oregon Bay Shrimp Melt and for only $9 it is a steal. The best shrimp i have had in Oregon. There is also outdoor seating now. I agree that it can get loud with a lot of people in there. I agree that some appetizers are small. 6/17/07: Fun place to hang out. The food is good and there are a variety of choices available. Recommended
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3/8/08 BC: Henry would be disappointed as the two sisters who used to own it sold it. It is not as homey and friendly as it used to be but they do sell my drink (soy Oregon Chai) and since I get that to go, it does not matter much to me!)
And: Great place for greasy diner food. If you're craving a standard US diner breakfast this is it. If not, stay away. Suggested (for what it is).
And: It^Òs been many years since I've eaten here (OK, it was the Beaver hut before that and I never went there). That should say enough. Not Recommended.
And: It has good chips and salsa. After that it is completely unremarkable. Not Recommended.
3/8/08 BC: El Tapatio is now another El Sol de Mexico. They have always been owned by the same people. For some reason, the 9th street location has better food imho and the wait staff on Circle is never very friendly. I like El Sol's chicken mole.
And: El Tapatio is probably the most reliable Mexican restaurants in this town. You can always count on prompt, friendly service and much better than average Mexican food here. As a native Californian who has some knowledge of what good Mexican food is, El Tapatio serves at least that!
6/17/07: Great mexican food, very very poor service. If you can handle not having great service, go. I feel the food is worth it. Suggested
And: Not good. A bit expensive and the food is very run of the mill (or worse). Might be recommended.
And: This is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants between Corvallis and Albany. Good service, nice, relaxing atmosphere, clean, and the best chili relleno's around.
And 5/29/07: I really like El Sol. I had no idea others disliked it until i saw the review on your site. I took my friend from Mexico and he told us that this is what food tastes like in Mexico or at least the closest he has had in the States.
6/17/07: Amazing prices on their meat and good sandwiches. Emmons also has frozen dog bones for great prices and they always have samples of jerky and smoked salmon to try before you buy. Highly Recommended
7/9/08 TB: I just found your web site the other day and I was amazed at how frequently your reviews mirrored my own impressions . I must disagree with your review of Evergreen Indian Restaurant . I find their food is exceptional both in flavor and value . The Tikka Masala is great. We usually order the Tandori mixed grill thali dinner . It feeds my wife and I with plenty left over . Their sauces are superb . I'm not a fan of Buffet so I haven't tried theirs . A gentleman who I believe is one of the owners was helpful in helping us choose various meals .
And: The Chicken Koorma was very tasty because of the light and not too spicy curry. We also enjoyed the presentation of the Chicken Tikkikabob. The Mango Lassi was SO delicious. We all had it and it was sweet and refreshing. If you don't like spice, be sure to order the Masala Dosa, which is delicious but not too spicy. Highly Recommended
3/8/08 BC: I agree the service is the worst. I'd love to go there for just a beer outside on the patio in nice weather but that is where all the smokers hang out. If you want a smoke-free beer there, you have to go inside which has zero ambiance. They even took out the dartboard where I got my first ever bullseye!
And: What can I say about this place? At one time it was OK. That was three owners ago. My last dining experience there the whole place reeked of urine (no I did not stay). If you want to have a beer sitting outside watching people go by at the waterfront, great. Other than that, stay away. Not Recommended.
And another point of view on the Fox and Firkin: I must agree on the Bangers & Mash. Service is uniformly poor. I like the location and outside seating. I'd love to be able to recommend this English pub wannabe, but I can't.
And: When they first opened in '95 or '96 (so long ago I can't remember), the food was great, the ambience was great, the owner wasn't so great, but the consistency of food quality was, well....consistent. >From what I understand now, everything on the menu sucks....the customer service is non-existent (I know first-hand)...and the turn-over of employees is so fast that there's no way to keep any sort of consistency of the quality of food. It's too bad, too. Such a prime piece of real estate that's being taken up by a restaurant with a dwindling reputation. I do NOT recommend going to the Fox & Firkin...not even to use the restrooms.
7/15/07 ED: I think the Fox and Firkin has the best fish and chips in Corvallis. I also find the place clean and the food is pretty good on the average. Avoid wing night (Monday's) unless you like tiny wings and stressed out servers.
6/17/07: Always good food. Generally the service is good as well, but it is a bit slow since they want you to enjoy the ambiance and your meal. Excellent if you have the time, don't go if you need a quick meal. Highly Recommended
11/7/07 JM: The Gables Restaurant on 9th street is by far the best steak and seafood restaurant in the entire Corvallis and Albany area. We have lived here, Corvallis, for 37 years and have found none better. The Chicken Bisque soup is to die for. Entree`s are prepared perfectly and served in a quiet and home style atmosphere. The bar is second to none, should one be tempted by the evil drink. All is all I would highly recommend this facility for special ocassions, birthdays, anniversarys, and just because.
SC 8/30/07: Overpriced for very low-quality food, poorly prepared, some under-cooked, some over-cooked. It made us wonder why someone would invest the money, time and energy to open a new restaurant that is so far below the level of most restaurants here. We would rate this lower than most chain restaurants.
DC 8/31/07: Went here on a Monday night recently and the place was fairly empty. We were in a hurry to get to a movie and the service was very quick and friendly. I had Spicy Pork and it was unbelievable. I wasn't super impressed with the menu, but what I got was so good I will go back and have that again. My husband got Battered Halibut dinner and he said it was ok, but I gave him several bites of mine and he loved it and wants to go back for that too. Recommended for the Spicy Pork (by the way, wasn't too spicy)
Editor's note: we received more than 3 reviews for Intaba in 30 minutes one recent Saturday morning, and they are below. Seems fishy, but they all check out. You decide.
And: Consistently very good, wood fired pizzas to die for, grilled salmon is amazing (also cooked in their wood fired oven). Though I don't eat red meat, my friend said the rib eye steak with chanterelle sauce was the best he ever had. Their new bar has lots of local microbrews and fancy cocktails.
And: My husband and I have lived in Los Angeles and Corvallis. We have eaten at all the Corvallis restaurants over the last 30 years. We would give Intaba's a "Recommended" rating as the food supports sustainable farming practices. It is the only restaurant in Corvallis with several "raw" dinner options. If you are not use to buying organic in the grocery store, then the prices at Intaba's Wildfire might surprise you. Being that we only buy organic, we find their prices quite reasonable. The atmosphere of the restaurant is a "local, welcoming" one--unlike the stuffy (referring to the greeting at the door), barn-like atmosphere of The Big River. We love Intaba's food.
And: We have been dining there since it first opened. Whenever we have guests from out of town Intaba's is the place we take them to. When our adult children show up, they too, look forward to a visit to Intaba's. We have dined at a wide variety of highly rated restaurants in the Portland to Eugene area over the years. We have yet to find one that matches the unique offerings of Intaba's. Most restaurants provide a nice entree surrounded by mundane side items (potatoes, rice, steamed or sautéed vegetables). Generally each item served at Intaba's could stand on it's own. I can remember times we ordered dessert, just so the dining experience would not end. Their oven-fired pizza's are great. We order ours on a spelt crust. This is the first place we have found where we had that option. The toppings are anything but typical. We find the prices to be within the same range as other fine dining restaurants. When we are on a more modest budget, we order their salads or pizza and come away just as satisfied. We also reserve for their special occasion meals (which includes local entertainment) such as Christmas and Valentines Day.
And: OK, this place started out poorly, with some too-healthy, and too-bland choices. Bet that was their first month or two, and was years ago. Nowadays, as WildFire, they are really a great, consistent choice. MAny vegetarian options, but name meat options too - seafood, and over variety. Wonderful atmosphere, and the price always feels about right for the quality of the cooking and attention to detail. Recommended.
6/17/07: Good food, friendly people, high prices. I enjoy eating organic, but have discovered Nearly Normals has better prices. Suggested
3/12/08 DB: Iovinos afterward [visiting Block 15] however was completely subpar. Their service was immediate and acommodating (we had 6 people instead of our reservations for 4) however I had to call our babysitter after 2 hours because we had not yet recieved our food. We waited 2 hours from the time we ordered until we recieved our food. When the food finally arrived our pork was overdone and definitely not worth the money we paid. They did end up comping all of our appetizers and drinks but it's very fortunate that we were not more demanding or had a show to go to afterward.
2/17/08 GR: After reading the other reviews for Iovino's, we were somewhat hesitant to keep our reservation. But we dined there last night and were impressed overall. As for service, it was as good as most Corvallis restaurants, where the labor pool consists mostly of OSU students. Knowing this, we didn't expect a truly professional waitstaff. Our server was pleasant and marginally competent. The ambiance is so-so - we think it could use a little help from a professional decorator. The food, however, was superb - wonderfully complex and well-seasoned. And served piping hot, as it should be. Our foursome all liked what they got. We would recommend Iovino's if you are OK with adequate but not sparkling service.
2/2/2008 JS: Had dinner at Iovino's with three business associates on 1/15/08. I hadn't been in since they moved to the new place, which I personally like tons better than the cave they used to be in. I don't know -it seems like usually end up being harder on a place than most of the other correspondents, but in this place the I find myself on the other end of the argument. We had drinks, and a very nice dinner. The server was pleasant. I don't recall having to wait particularly long for service. It wasn't very noisy, but then it also wasn't very crowded. I had the pork tenderloin, which was served with cheesy (no slam intended) mashed potatoes and a vegetable. I thought it was quite good. My only complaint the whole evening was the spumoni I had for dessert. It must not sell well, because it tasted as though it had been in the freezer too long. Still, I'd recommend them.
12/07/07 GJ: I took a friend to the new Iovino's Restaurant in early June for her birthday. The food was good but the service was the worst I've experienced in a long time. The server didn't come to the table unless we could get his attention and we were the only table on the second tier of seating. The food runner brought our food and served mine first instead of the lady at the table. The server did the same thing with the cocktails. Isn't that taught in "Serving 101" or is that something you only learn if you grow up in the South? The bottom line is that the service was terrible and we were prepared to spend much more money on cocktails if only someone had come around to offer them. I contacted Regina Iovino via email (The staff won't let you talk to her if you call with a complaint.) and explained my disappointment. She responded, apologized and offered a gift certificate to give her staff another chance. I accepted her offer and promised to give Iovino's another chance. As I mentioned, this was in early June and as of today (November 7) I still have no gift certificate and my two reminder emails have gone unanswered. I will never cross the threshold of that place again. Definitely NOT RECOMMENDED! Update: This customer *did* finally get the gift certificate in late November/early December. It took six months, but they got it.
And: What a bummer. I really use to like Iovino's with the smaller location and wonderful bar. The folks who ran the bar in the past were very professional and had outstanding drinks. I thought it was one of the best bars in town then. I did not order dinner often because the prices were high considering the food was never that good. Unfortunately, I never found the service very good when not being served at the bar. I have been to the new location 3 times for the bar and drinks. I am not sure I will want to go back. It took forever to be served or helped and I have many friends who have been telling me the same thing. 2 hours before you get your dinner! I was made to feel guilty about wanting to sit at the bar, darn! The first time I went I was with a group of 8 friends who love to eat out and enjoy being together. Iovino's is not a good location for gathering for drinks durring the weekend, to busy and to loud. This makes me sad because the new loaction is large and could be a wonderful place for celebration and a great drink. At this point I would say it is very disappointing and I would rate it about a 4 out of 10. The people who work at this restraunt seem very unhappy and have told me so. It sounds like the owner was not ready for a big restaurant. Corvallis is to small to not do it right! I can only hope it gets better for everyone with this business. Why do something if you can not do it well?
And: We've eaten at the old location many times and always enjoyed ourselves. Really - the place was fine, and the prices always struck us as better then Big River's. The new location seems to have Iovonos thrown off balance, but I think they are working it out. Loud? Yes. Service slow and inconsistent? Yes. I think they will have this solved within a month or two.
And: DP 10/3/07: I go three or four times a year to Iovino's for dinner. I have been to their new establishment four times since they opened. I have always had great service (at both locations) from extremely pleasant and professional staff. Although not Boston grade Italian, it is still very, very good. Sure, it may be a bit expensive, but when has a fine dining experience with a nice ambiance been any less? The service that I have always received, although not at the speed of lightening, has also been very good. My theory is this: if speed of service with the goal of a fast dining experience is my desire, I try to avoid the pleasurable, relaxed meals served at fine dining establishments like Iovino's. If, however, I wish to recollect the relaxed dining pleasures I experienced in Venice, Rome, and Pisa (yes in Italy), I'm heading straight for a fine dining establishment... and to date, in Corvallis, Iovino's fits that bill. Recommended for a relaxed, enjoyable meal with a great glass of wine and followed by outstanding Tiramisu.
8/7/07 JB: I just saw the previous review for King of Falafel (we're talking about Crystals on Monroe right) and I have to emphatically disagree. I'm not sure when Paris became the authority or originator of the falafel, and maybe if you're used to pita pit Crystal's is not for you. Anyway, their falafel sandwich is great, and its huge, all you need for a meal.
3/8/08 BC: They recently opened another restaurant where Grempsey's used to be. I have only eaten at their Philomath dive but I think their food is great and inexpensive, especially the chicken tamales.
5/9/07: La Roca is a small and yummy mexican joint that works. The price is right and the service is always nice. The tacos are really great and many other items are also. I like how simple the menu is and is a perfect choice for a mid week cheep treat. If you have a chance try the locations in Tanget and Philomath for a fast lunch you should. Not fancy but Highly Recommended!
And: GP 11/09/07: La Roca's more expensive dishes, with sauce and rice and beans are also excellent. The enchiladas and Chili Verde burrito plate are worth exploring, once you have done the burritos and tacos a few times. The only Mexican place in Corvallis that stacks up with a good California Mexican place. Highly recommended.
7/8/08 BC: They are open and even better than they were in their old location! Located in the Richie's Market area, they did a nice job of taking a crummy shopping center storefront and creating a nice cafe ambiance. Their croissants are wonderful, a bit pricey but this should not be an everyday indulgence anyhow! I am looking forward to trying one of their specialty cakes for an upcoming birthday.
Update 03/11/08: The offical word is: Their website is updated now: http://www.lepatissier.net/ Our address: 956 NW Circle Blvd. Corvallis, Oregon 97330 Our tentative opening first week in April, 2008, please call 3rd. week in March to confirm exact date
Update 02/21/08: The unofficial word is that they are going to open shop in the Richey's market area (not by Cirello's) in what was some kind of pharmacy. They have to put in a kitchen, but hope to open in March. Funny they haven't made any changes to their website, though.
Update 12/29/07 SC: i am a friend of the owner of le patessier[sic] and i would just like to add to your review site that they did not lose their lease they got evicted because [the landlord] was having a bad hair day and decided to serve 30 day notice for no reason. leaving one of the nicest cafes in Corvallis out in the cold. they are looking for a new location and have not yet found one to my knowledge. [Ed Note: original spelling and punctuation retained, but removed name of landlord for privacy reasons]
4/24/08 HD: Le Bistro: Have yet to be disappointed! From intimate, special dinners with my wife to larger family occasions, it has always been an exceptional experience to dine at Le Bistro. The staff is absolutely first-rate --- polite, professional --- they know their menu and their wines. We have sampled many dishes from the menu over the past couple of years, and have always been extremely pleased and satisfied with all. Hors^Ò d^Òoeuvres (lobster and seafood crepe our favorite), entrees (filets and veal always perfectly done pleasers, and every sauce has been delicious....coq au vin fantastic) and the crème brulee our favorite way to end the meal. Definitely a special occasion/very fine dining place to experience!
3/08/07 MJ: I've never before written a negative review of any restaurant. However, this one definitely deserves it. We tried Le Bistro years ago, and thought it aweful then. Unfortunately things have declined since then. It's the same place - looks identical, actually, just older and a bit dirtier. Here are a few of the highlights: 1) we waited an interminably long time in the cold doorway for anyone to even know we were there; 2) the restaurant is basically a converted retail store, complete with cheap ceiling tiles, fluorescents, etc divided up by some cheap looking partitions capped by (dusty) fake foliage, and needless to say no ambiance whatsoever; 3) while the plates are fairly nice, the extra cheap and uncomfortable diner quality flatware and glasses are (or should be) a source of amusement - we've probably all heard the story that the quality of a restaurant can be anticipated by the quality of such items because they are a reflection of the respect that the owner holds for the patrons. Then there's the food! The beet salad was good, although with a bit too much cheese. The onion soup was passable, although a bit gloppy. Trouble began with the meal itself. The coq au vin arrived scalding hot - probably having been in the broiler for a while - but contained a chicken breast that was astonishingly tough, dry, and flavorless and completely unpermeated by sauce. This led me to suspect that the chicken had not been cooked in said sauce at all. I could not have accomplished this feat in my own kitchen in any other way. My wife's meal was average, at best. Then came dessert. Two layers of hard as rock "cake" enclosing some rather flavorless pink stuff. The bill? Over $100.00 including a (far too) generous tip. I realize that this is Corvallis, which is notably lacking in quality dining. However, McMinnville, which is a town of approximately the same size, supports three restaurants of astonishingly high quality - our favorite being the superb Bistro Maison. They are a lot less expensive, too. Why is this? Corvallis is home to an educated population, and one that presumably should demand better food. I'm mystified. I'm anxious to be fair to any restaurant. However, this one has been around a while and should have worked out the kinks by now. I left feeling ripped off as well as disappointed.
11/17/07 LB: We had the pleasure to go to Le Bistro for our anniversary in October (we tried to make reservations at Sybaris in Albany but they were full and recommended Le Bistro). This was one of the finest dining experiences we've ever had living in the United States. When we lived in Kaiserslautern, Germany (for eight years) we were only 40 miles from the French border. Often we'd drive south to Boulay and have dinner. We also made a number of trips to Paris and especially enjoyed the Latin quarter restaurants because not as many tourists frequented them and the food was superb. Most American restaurants cannot duplicate the "essence" of a foreign restaurant but Le Bistro made us feel like we were back in Boulay. The food was exquisite! But...without great service, even great food can suffer. Our server, Francesca, was the other half of our dining experience. She was very professional and after a "million" questions about how the food was prepared, we found her to be one of the most informative servers we've ever had the privilege to meet. We have lived around the world (Italy 8 years; Greece 2 years and Okinawa 2 years) and are so fortunate to have Le Bistro so close. We shall recommend it to friends and will, of course, go there again ourselves. Thank you for letting me tell you why I think Le Bistro is a wonderful restaurant.
And: LeBistro is hands down the *best* restaurant in Corvallis.. and possibly in the mid-valley between Portland and Eugene. We have had many dinners there over the past 10 years and have never been disappointed. Under new ownership since early 2006, it has actually gotten even better. The restaurant has been nicely redecorated and new additions have been added to the menu. Iain Duncan is creative and innovative chef. We are very lucky to have him in our midst.
And: The food was poor. I had lamb, and it tasted of raw alcohol. I've heard it said that a chef should taste every dish before it leaves the kitchen. This cannot have been done in the case of my lamb. Our desserts, clafoutis and creme brulee, were disappointing. The former was tasteless, and the latter had an odd texture. My plate was chipped. I'm sure that having to replace damaged crockery is expensive, but damaged plates should never be used. When I contacted the chef, he asked me what I wanted him to do. This is not the way to handle a complaint. He, assuming he's interested in maintaining good customer relations, should have offered a remedy for this situation. I find it fascinating, although bizarre might be a better word, that people who have travelled widely should be so loud in their praises. I have eaten at countless restaurants whose food was infinitely better. Le Bistro would not survive in a city like Portland. [Ed note: this review seems to be far out of my experience, and the experience of other people we trust. You make your own decision]
And: In the mood for some meat? This is the place for you. Cheap, quick and guaranteed to make you sleepy after lunch. The 5a and 7a are good bets for first timers.
6/17/07: Tried it recently and the food was terrible! Low grade meat with minimal choices. This food screams clogged arteries! Not Suggested
MagentaMagenta has moved to 1st street (former location of Oregon Museum/Kells/AJs). They reopened on 7/7/7 at 7PM. The new digs are pretty slick! The food is, for lack of a more specific term, a french/vietnamese influenced northwest cuisine. Magenta is recommended. We congratulate Magenta on their 10 year anniversary (June 2008)! We wish them another good 10 years.3/8/08 BC: The place looks great! I think the food is good if you order the right thing but it is too expensive for what you get, even though the menu is creative; not sure if they are a lot cheaper at lunch like the old Magenta. They have a great cheap bar menu but you must sit at the very small bar or at the nice-looking but uncomfortable modern tables by the fireplace to order from the bar menu. The weirdest part was that we were at a table and it was vibrating the whole time. We hypothesized that this was some new-age technique to add good vibrations to the food. Turns out the vibration is from the downstairs refrigerators! 2/20/08 GL: My husband and I went to Magenta last night, and I feel compelled to add our two-cents worth. We had only eaten at Magenta when it was located on Monroe, but we both had favorable memories of the food, the cocktails, and the service. I should also note that our previous experience with the menu had been the bar menu only, not the entree menu. When we arrived, we were greeted and seated quickly. We looked over the menu and felt mortified. There was not one entree that either of us found appetizing. I am an adventurous eater, but not when it comes to meat. They had only 7 or 8 entrees, which included rabit ravioli, elk, emu, buffalo, wild boar (!), and duck. They were all expensively priced, on par with Big River or higher, but we didn't order from the entree menu, so for all I know, the Emu medallions are worth every penny. The waiter came over to get our drink order. I ordered a Magenta martini, and my husband ordered a beer. It took almost 20 minutes to receive our drinks. As a former waitress, I compulsively watch the waitstaff at every restaurant I go to. I can't help it. In the case of poor service, I am usually totally understanding because it is almost always due to circumstances beyond the server's control. Unfortunately, this was not the case last night. I am afraid our server was just incompetent. 10 mintues after ordering our drinks, he came over to let us know they'd be right up. The problem is, there is no bartender there~the servers mix their own drinks. I watched him mill about, check on other tables, flirt with the hostess, and stare off into space before he actually made us our drinks. When he came to take our order, I explained that we had only ever seen the bar menu, and asked if we could order off of that. He said it was kind of against the rules since we were seated at a table, but since the bar was full, he'd let us order from the bar menu. I definitely have to give the guy credit for bending the rules for us. The bar menu is (was?) really snazzy~they offer 20 or so plates at $4.00 each with an $8.00 minimum drink purchase per person. They are small-appetizer size, so between the two of us, we ordered the Pad Thai, grilled lemongrass-pork meatballs, the shrimp salad roll, a shrimp and goat cheese baguette, potstickers, and the steamed mussels. The food took quite a while to arrive, at least 30 minutes, and when it did arrive, our server only brought the pad thai, salad roll, and potstickers. All three were good, if not run-of-the-mill. The mussels arrived five minutes later, and then the meatballs arrived shortly thereafter. The meatballs, I kid you not, were 3/4 of an inch in diameter, and came 6 to a plate. It was the epitome of stereotypical pretentious French food: tiny portion on a big plate with lots of garnish. They were delicious, but their tiny size made us both crack up. 15 minutes after that, the shrimp baguette arrived. It was also pretty good, but again, small. We pretty much knew what we were getting into when it came to the modest size of the bar menu plates; after all, they're only $4.00 each. However, the portion sizes of some of the bar menu items is just insulting. Our server did not come to check on us the entire time until the end of our meal, when he asked if we wanted anything else. I fear we may have been written off as poor college kids, which couldn't be farther from the truth, but that doesn't matter. It was just plain uncomfortable to sit waiting for a $4.00 bottle of beer while other tables were being doted upon. We will not go there again, and I would never recommend it to anyone. Magenta seems to want to be a Portland-esque restaurant, but just doesn't cut it. It has all the pretension with none of the special little things that make going out in Portland worth the price. We love Far East, which I have heard is owned by the same person, and has a much more traditional -but-quirky Vietnamese menu with far more reasonable pricing and outstanding service. And as far as Magenta's cocktails go, my martini was decent, but at $8.50, don't even bother. Save your money and go to Cloud9 for a Lotus Blossom or the Crow Bar for any one of their Kamikazes~you'll even have enough to leave the awesome bartenders the big tip they deserve. There! Thanks for keeping your site impartial and up-to-date. It's always reliable, and fun to read. 1/4/08 BP: [Ed note: this reviewer is only speaking of the bar, not the restaurant] I cannot speak for the food at Magenta for the service at the bar made me worry too much for the quality of the food coming out of the kitchen. The "bartender" was extremely slow, and didn't know her drinks or her booze. We were extremely let down and will probably never return to find out if the food is even worth trying. 100% not suggested! And: Very hit and miss. It seems mostly to do with whether the owner is in the kitchen. A lot of original dishes, though some can be easy to screw up through over cooking. Fairly expensive. Recommended. And: Don't bother with this place. Overpriced for mediocre food. How this place stays in business is a real question. We had lunch there and what really got to me was their charging $2.50 for a one cup pot of tea with a 2 cent tea bag in it! The food was, to be kind, simply unremarkable. The owner responds: thank you for placing your reviews on the web. we appreciate all and any feedbacks we can get and to change for always the better and perhaps the best. we have always strive to be the best in what we do. time and time, we may have problems with our performance which creates a negative quality in our services. in this regards we apologize to whomever is affected. 100% of the time, we will offer some kind of credit or refund once learned. we feel bad of the very negative feedbacks turned into you without us hearing about them first. we will learn from the feedbacks placed on your web site with hopes we can change these people's mind and perhaps give us another chance. thank you and best regards, kimber hoang 6/17/07: Great food. Very creative, nice ambiance with a cozy feel. Highly Recommended. KJ 9/6/07: I've had dinner at Magenta's new location twice since it opened, and the experience was excellent both times. Service is much improved over the old location, and the quality of the cooking itself seems to be more consistent. Among the appetizers, the "Vietnamese coconut Pancake Ball halves with king crab and kafir lime creme" and the beef Carpaccio stand out as superb. For the mains, I thought that the lamb and beef Filet Mignon were very nicely done indeed; the elk Filet Mignon seemed (to me) to be slightly overwhelmed by the wine-based sauce / marinade. But that's a quibble -- it was still enjoyable. The wine list still seems to be a bit of a work in progress, with some bottles still listed despite being unavailable, and some bottles available but not yet listed, etc. But again, these are very minor issues, a few more months at the new location may resolve them. Highly recommended.
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And: Reasonable deal for lunch. Too expensive for pretty much the same thing at dinner. Recommended (for lunch).
Among our group, we ordered several cake slices, coffee, hot chocolate, and an Italian soda. The Chocolate Mousse was especially good, and all of the food excelled in taste and affordability.
Our server was very nice and we didn't wait too long to get our orders taken. The atmosphere of the bakery was overall comfortable and very enjoyable. The décor matched well.
We would recommend if you haven't checked out the New Morning Bakery, you should do so soon. The servers were nice and the food was good quality. This also is a great place for family and friends to meet for all types of situations. Recommended. +
7/26/07 RB: When my wife and I have been in (3 times now), there were no waiters "ready to take orders", rather there was a very long line that we had to wait in (i.e., we were the wait-ers). That's not a problem in itself, but standing around in line while the food was prepared - in stages - was annoying (my black bean soup was cold by the time my Panini was prepared 5 minutes later...) We had to clean off our table before we sat down (with the provided spray bottle and paper towels), and bus our own tables when finished. No one checked back with us to make sure everything was OK. In short, there were no discernable "servers", or service for that matter. (We did feel sorry, however, for the staff member who was yelled at loudly behind the counter, in front of customers (?!?)) The food itself was mediocre: watery soup, Panini sliding apart, small house salad was nothing special. Desserts looked nice enough, but it was lunch and we didn't partake. Décor would have been pleasant were it not for the numerous bossy signs covering nearly every surface: "Bus your Table!", "No not here!", "Don't play the piano!", "Don't take this sign!", "Don't use this door!", "Don't use the electrical outlets!", and my favorite: Flush Gently! (How about "fix your toilets!") Anyhew, given the number of good restaurants in Corvallis, I give NMB a strong Not Recommended.
1/16/08 BN: I would like to suggest upgrading the rating for Mexico Lindo from "somewhat recommended" to "recommended". Mexico Lindo, and it's sister restaurant Ixtapa in Philomath, are two of my family's favorite restaurants. Their food is fresh and tasty, their service is fast and friendly, and their prices are very reasonable. They do have some "zesty" choices if that's what you're looking for, but also offer milder dishes for those of us that appreciate things not quite so spicy.
And: Food is a pretty standard selection of steak, pasta and seafood. Ambiance, cooking and choices are very last generation. Good place to take your grandma. Someday they'll sell this building to McMenamins. Suggested.
3/8/08 BC: Normal's has so many great choices, it is hard to choose what to order! The food is always so fresh and the outdoor area is great in good weather. If you go for lunch arrive pre-noon as you wait in line to order before you sit down and the line can be long. Be sure to check the specials board as that is where you find the best dishes. I love the Guido's Italian (a "not-meatball" sandwich), the Tofu Potato platter and the mini shepherd's banquest a lot (salad, soup and bread)
And: Always good, locally-grown and usually organic veg. food. Know what you're ordering though, or you might not like what you get: some of their interpretations on otherwise typical concepts are a little wild. Recommended.
6/17/07: Interesting food, but eveything on the menu is great! I am not a vegetarian and their food was very filling and tasty! Breakfast is better than lunch. Highly recommended
And: One word, shawerma. Yum! Other than that, the falafel is good as are the stuffed grape leaves. Service can be slow. Get a beer and take your time, not a place to be in a hurry. Recommended.
And more: Chicken schwarma is wonderful! Have cravings for it sometimes.
And: (from a girl scout troop) It takes a while to get your order, and the food is expensive, but if you choose the right meal, it is delicious. The Shawerma dish is good, however the sauce is very strong. I recommend the shish kabob, and the pita with hummus is delicious! Recommended.
And: Simply a wonderful place for a town Corvallis's size. Not for the hurried, I agree. Not authentic Lebanese. Recommended.
And, another point of view: Good place for a vegi sandwich (the Mighty Meatless), other than that the food is very run of the mill. Also has the downside of only serving Oregon Trail beer on tap (though I appreciate the alliance from a community perspective). Suggested.
And: My wife and I love to go to Old World Deli. Their sandwiches are a good value for the money. The chili is hearty and the soups are flavorful. We also like the atmosphere and go to many of the events held there. We especially like the Ginseng Porter. I would highly recommend them if you're looking for a reasonably-priced sandwich place.
3/8/08 BC: Average Mongolian place but great if you or one of your dining companions is on a diet as the only high calorie thing is some of the sauces and you get to be in control of that!
And: Good place to go if Local Boys didn't fill you up. Seriously though, I have not been here is years. A fairly standard "Mongolian grill" (all you can eat, assemble it yourself stir fry). Suggested.
And: I went there about a month ago, just after they opened the bigger kitchen. The service and food was horrible. My group of 6 waited almost an hour for a cheese fondue order. When we finally got the fondue, it was close to refrigerator cold and had clearly been sitting for some time. We sent it back to be heated - it was barely brought above room temperature. Same story with a chocolate fondue order. The excuse the waitress gave us was that the new kitchen had a large fan that blew on the food under the warming lamps. I don't buy it, nothing hot we ordered was even remotely close to warm by the time it made it to our table. The cheese and fruit plate was tiny, especially for the $10 price tag. The service was molasses slow, even with the restaurant not overly busy and the only food items ordered being "heat and serve" type dishes. Everything on the food menu is overpriced for the portion size. Having been to Sahalie before, I was sorely disappointed in this experience. So much so I would now rate them as Not Suggested.
2/1/2008 ME: Sam's Station is the only place, other than the occasional Sunnyside Up, where we will eat breakfast in Corvallis. We enjoy simple breakfasts - potatoes and eggs or omelettes, usually with greek fillings, and they always meet our expectations. The prices are average or slightly higher, but the ingredients they use are worth it - good eggs and Yukon Gold potatoes - sliced fresh, not from a frozen Sysco bag like many local restaurants use. I havn't tried anything other than eggs / omelettes, but these are enough to keep me coming back. Plus, it's fun to look through the little window in the back and watch the owner baking everything! It's nice to see an owner actually working hard in his business. Strongly recommend.
And: Best breakfast in town. Generous Yukon gold potatoes with most dishes, wonderfully browned and seasoned. Breakfast IS served every morning except Monday when they take a break. Lunches, pastries and bread are also very good.
And: By far, the worse service I've ever had. I continue to go back, due to the lack of breakfast places. My girlfriend and I were in there last weekend for breakfast, it took two reminders to bring us our coffee after 20 minutes. The food is tasty, but we noticed several other tables sharing our experience. This has happened to use 80% of the time we have visited, and after the last, vowed to eat elsewhere. Not recommended.
And: Sam's Station has probably the worst customer service of any Corvallis restaurant. My partner and I have never received good service at this establishment. The food is okay...where else can you go for breakfast in Corvallis? I wish I didn't have to remind the folks at Sam's that I ordered coffee or watch as their friends are served with amazing quickness while our water glasses are empty. We have eaten their several times due to a lack of good breakfast places in Corvallis. I am about ready to drive to Eugene to get a decent breakfast! Sam's Station needs to adopt a service oriented culture instead of ignoring its patrons. Not Recommended.
12/17/07 SC: Just wanted to throw out an update on Sharon's Cafe in South Corvallis--They've expanded into twice the space so waiting isn't a problem any more. The staff seems just as efficient, the food just as diner-food good.
2/9/08 NS: Highly recommended. The soup shop is clean, and fairly priced for the portions. Their price also takes into consideration that the soups are fresh and homemade. I watched a worker go through greens, leaf by leaf, and throw out the bad ones. They cook in an area clearly visible to everyone in the restaurant which shows their pride in their ingredients and methods. Their soup is ALWAYS delicious, too. The owner was there the day I ate lunch there and he was incredibly friendly to all of the customers he spoke with. His employee wasn't as friendly, but that's a common undertone in Corvallis service. All of the artwork on the walls is for sale, painted by the shop owners' wife. One nitpick: it was a sunny day (suprising! i know) and without some sort of window shades, the tables by the window were really uncomfortable. Regardless, this is a great community restaurant that embodies what Corvallis is about. I hope it's around for a long time.
FM 4/25/08: I recently decided to try out Southeast after reading a previous review posted on the site. The atmosphere and setting was very welcoming although it was a bit too tight for my taste. The waiter had my date and i wait while our table was being cleaned and even then he failed to escort us to our table. Pretty unimpressive. Once there, the waiter took a bit too long to attend us...which i understood with the fact that there was one waiter attending practically the entire place. I did like, though, the fact that he was able to split our plate in two without any questions asked once were able to make our order. Overall, very good food (hot lemongrass curry a must try) and very inexpensive. Overall service was somewhat slow but enough room for improvement. Southeast is very recommended...for food and atmosphere.
SC 12/17/07: I'll add my "Recommended" for SouthEast in the old Magenta spot. Yummy lemon grass curry dish on the menu, wine at $3.50 a glass is a bargain.
YA 9/29/07: All the meals we tried were delicious, full of fresh variety of veggies, great sauces, great prices (dinners were $7). I loved the spicy edamame appetizer and lemongrass curry with tofu. Atmosphere was really nice and relaxed, beautiful artwork, comfy couches. Only minor bummer was mixed drinks are a bit spendy and not that incredible, but decently priced wine - I'll have to try it next time. Highly recommended.
And: Yes it is a tavern, but that doesn;t mean they don't have good pub food (and if Clodfelter's and McMenamin's makes the list, it should too). Best place in town for a burger and beer. The Chicken Little (Chicken breast with shredded cabbage and hoisin sauce) is tasty as well. Cheap, good bar food. No credit cards. Highly Recommended.
And: Squirrel's burgers are pretty average. Avoid their fries.. the times I've had them they were oily, limp and only partially cooked.. in expired oil. They should learn to double-fry them!
And: MS 10/17/2007: Squirrel's. Squirrel's burgers are way better than average. They are the best around, and some of the best I've had anywhere. They are a hand made patty, not a pressed food service disk. They come with cheddar, Swiss or provolone. My friend says they have the best Rueben around too, although I haven't tried one cause I can't seem to order anything but the burgers. I agree that the fries would be better twice cooked, but I still like them and get them every time.
June 2008 Update: the food is now better than fine. As we had hoped and expected, Strega is improving. We were very happy with our Mother's Day experience. I was worried our Mother's would not like the place. I was dead wrong: they loved it, and can't wait to go back. Mission accomplished. The only element still lacking is the service. Our server was very nice, and all that, but was quite slow. When my son asked her what's on the cheese plate, her reply was "fruit and cheese". Come on. She did go back to the kitchen to find out what the cheeses were. The cheese plate was great, though. We also had to *ask* for more drinks (wine, cocktails, etc). This is surprising, since getting drinks to folks makes customers happy, and helps out the bottom line. I'm a big fan of the sausage dish, as well as the white beans and ham. The Chicken Satay still falls flat, but there are many tastier dishes. Again, the fish was great as was the baked Chevre. I give Ian (the main man/chef/boss/etc, not to be confused with the Iain at Le Bistro) a thumbs up.
Our (chowgeeks) older review: The food is fine: nothing to write home about. The Satay is a bit different than I expected. It's more like a Kabob, with the meat in a bit-bigger-than-bite-size chunks. We're used to Satay with flat "strips" of meat. The peanut sauce was a bit flat, with seemingly raw peanuts. The house-made sausage is quite good, some of the best I've had. Fish was good. Service was a bit on the slow side, which was fine since we were not in a hurry. We didn't try many mixed drinks, so I can only really comment on the Gibson I had: it was made correctly. The wine list is a middle-of-the-road selection, which seems to fit with the Corvallis scene. For dessert choices, we had Ganache and Creme Brulee. Both were fine, but nothing special.
Strega is now recommended, with the caveat that we've been told that sometimes they do not honor reservations. I sincerely hope they fix that unexcusable problem.
6/08 MG: I travel frequently from San Francisco, where I live, to Corvallis and was very excited on my latest trip to find out that there are several new restaurants in town. None sparked my interest more than Strega, so I went there to eat Monday night. I know there has been some comment on this site about the decor, but I h ave to say that I think the place is fabulous and worthy of a San Francisco addr ess. I say this about the facility, though, and the facility alone because ther e were a lot of problems with our meal. My biggest complaint is that we were waited on by servers who looked and acted l ike high school students, high school jocks to be specific. They had no idea wh at they were doing, not a clue, and for a restaurant that looks this good and ch arges the prices they charge, I found this inexcusable. To start, our server di dn't even know the food on the menu. He had to read off a list and couldn't pro nounce much of what was written on his cheat sheet. This was a little worrying, but I've found this to be the case in most of the better restaurants I've eaten at in Corvallis. Why don't the chefs educate the servers at these places? It' s a shame. Anyway, on to the meal. We ordered our meals and quite quickly our drinks arrived. I had to pour my own beer, but it came out fairly quickly. Our first course, however, took a longer time to arrive, but it was served in an acceptable amount of time. We ordered a cheese plate, which I was curious about. What we got was pretty good for Corv allis. It was inspired and thoughtfully arranged. I didn't think the cheeses w ere especially interesting. They were also cold, which is a big no no in my boo k. They were paired with dried and fresh fruit and nuts, which I did find to be a nice touch. Our main courses, though, were a different stroy. Our next course arrived while our first course was still on the table. We were done eating. It was just that the plates hadn't been cleared. To solve this pr oblem, our server placed one plate on the end of the table, stacked our first co urse plates and silver in front of me, served my friend, removed the stacked pla tes from in front of me, and then served me. Oh, he then took my dirty cheese k nife off the stacked plates and placed it on my new plate because he knew I'd ne ed it. I didn't know what to think of this other than how much I was paying for the plate that had just been placed in front of me. I was also wondering who t he chef thought was eating the gargantuan chicken breast in balsamic reduction t hat was now before me. It had to have weighed one pound. Really! My friends v egetable pasta, on the other hand, that was not cheap, was served in a small cer eal bowl. It would have been perfect for a child or as a primi course. It was listed in the Large Plates area of the menu, though, so we had thought it would be more substantial. Luckily, my friend wasn't very hungry and I had more than enough to share. My chicken was a little overdone and, hence, a littel tough. It was tasty, though. The mash on the plate was quite good, as well, and the tw o complimented each other well. The dish was also served with grilled radicchio . This wasn't so good, though. It wasn't grilled long enough and was, hence, r aw in the center and too bitter to be paired with balsamic in my opinion. My fr iend's pasta also wasn't cooked long enough, which made the dish a little dry. The flavor was good, though. But I digress. Back to the service. While the server was still at the table, my friend ordered a second glass of win e with the expectation that it would be good with the small dish of pasta she or dered. FYI, we didn't see this glass of wine until both of use were done with t his course and the desire for it had expired. An apology was given to us but ou r server didn't admit that he had made a mistake, the appropriate thing to do in a situation like that. He had to have forgotten this glass of wine because he only had a few tables and the restaurant wasn't very full. He had a large table outside with us on the balcony, but they were done with their food and were jus t gabbing, loudly. In a perfect world, this glass of wine would have been deliv ered to us with compliments of the house. But the world was not perfect that ni ght and my friend had a glass of wine with dessert. I've skipped ahead here, th ough, so back to the main course. While we were eating our meal, my friend dropped her fork. Why? Because she wa s trying to eat out of a cereal bowl with silverware that was completely unbalan ced (bottom heavy) and too large for the bowl. I noticed two knives fall off a plate that was being cleared next to us earlier, so I knew what had happened whe n I heard the fork drop. There was no one around to notice this and replace the fork, so I took it off another table next to us. I guess the manager saw me do this, so after a minute or so our server came out and asked whether he could ta ke the dirty fork that I picked up off the ground and placed on the table. We d idn't have an objection. After several more minutes, our server returned and st acked our plates in his usual manner and asked us if we would like dessert. We opted for the creme brulee and two spoons. No coffee was offered. We didn't wa nt any anyway, so not being offered it wasn't a disappointment. For the price o f the meal, though, it should have been offered. Quite a few minutes later the creme brulee arrived. It looked typical and was nothing special. Digging in to it, though, revealed a custard that was too firm and a topping that was too thi n. It had a good flavor, though. Fresh. Once done with dessert, we didn't fee l like waiting for our server to bring us our bill, so I went inside to pay. An anti-climatic end to a mediocre meal. PS: Why isn't the downstairs balcony used as the dining area and the upstairs us ed as a hip and cool bar? This is such a wasted opportunity. [Ed Note: This layout seems to change from day to day. Also, the Kitchen is located downstairs]
5/22/08: BE: We were part of a party of 6 at Strega on 5/21/08. We did not have reservations, and the place was VERY busy. The hostess was helpful, asking us if we wanted to have a seat in the upper level while our table was prepared. The upstairs is VERY LOUD, hard to have a conversation if you are more than 3 feet away, but within a couple of minutes our table was ready, and the noise dropped immensely going into the main dining room. And yes, the interior LEDs were still pulsing, which became even more apparent as the night went on and darkness set in. My wife and I ordered and tried to share with the rest of the group the papas brevas ($4) (potatoes in smoked paprika), stuffed paquillo (sp) peppers ($4), white beans and pancetta ($6), and the baked chevre ($8). As this is tapas, the plates were quite small. The chevre was a 'small plate' (read small ramikin and 5 small pieces of bread), which I thought was pretty good taste wise. The white beans were the best of the group, followed by the peppers. Other members of our party ordered the scallops, halibut, and the chicken satay. The chicken was ok at best, the peanut sauce was very bland. The halibut was probably the best tasting of those three dishes. Unfortunately, it took a long time to get anything, but our waitress came by our table to apologize a couple of times, saying they were unprepared for that kind of crowd on a Wednesday. They ended up not charging for the chicken as it didn't make it out of the kitchen until we almost were done eating. Our four dishes, a draft beer, and a soda ended up around $28, but still left us hungry for a snack afterwards. The bottom line: good atmosphere, small portions, bit pricey for what you get, but a nice place to go have a nibble and a drink with friends.
5/5/08: MG: Not recommend! [sic] On Saturday night I was taken to Strega for a date-night fancy dinner. Granted, it was Mom's weekend at OSU, and the place was busy until very late, but the noise level in the bar and in the restaurant level was painful. The combination of the waterfall, twinkling lights and high decibel chatting, left me with a sensory-overload headache. Our waitress was slightly surly. The bar did not seem to have many top-shelf liquors and the drinks we did order were not good. I had one of the house specials and sent it back once to be re-made. We ordered two tapas and three small plates. The salad was excellent, but the others were poorly prepared. The dates were burned and the tandori chicken was two tough thighs with an inedible strong spice paste. You would think that dessert could not possibly be ruined...coffee was transparently week and the chocolate mousse that was promised to be "light and more like a ganache" was nearly frozen and could barely be pried out of the cup with a fork. Oh, and the silverware was stylish, but sized too small and the shape would not allow it to balance on the plate's edge, causing more than one drop to the floor.
4/19/08 GJ: I made a reservation on a tuesday for a long awaited "date night" with my wife. We were very much looking forward to this newly opened restaurant as we had heard a lot of encouraging things about it's food and ambiance. It is situated in a new condo tower on the 5th and 6th floors and offers both indoor and outdoor seating (weather permitting). The view looks out over the small city of Corvallis and along the lovely Williamette River. We arrived into a modern lobby and took the elevator to the top floor. We were greated by a well trained staff and shown to our table... in the bar area. This was not expected and so I asked if we were simply waiting for our table to which they responded that this was our table. I inquired whether there might be another table available and I was told no. Sitting on a low stool with no back support is not what I had in mind so we gatiously made our exit unable to try out the cuisine. The moral here may be to be sure and request a tablle downstairs or next to a window away from the bar.
4/16/08 HK: Tried Strega last night and was delighted with the food, the décor and the wonderful view. The two tapas I tried were generous enough that I could only finish half of each. The andouille sausage was scrumptious and the papas brevas (potatoes in smoked paprika) delicious. The menu was eclectic and one could order tapas, small plates or full meals. It's like nothing else in Corvallis when it comes to the interior design and the VIEW. I highly recommend Strega and I'm sure you'll see us there over the summer often relaxing on the expansive deck overlooking downtown.
4/14/08 DL: Frankly, I don't know how this one is going to make it in our little backwater town. Yes, the plates cost $15-30, but they serve you about 1/3 of what you'd get at any other eatery in town! Presentation is beautiful, but the beef satay tapas plate I ordered medium rare was closer to medium well and had a fair amount of gristle to chew, and chew, and chew... And for $9 I got about 3 oz of steak - sirloin cut, if that good? Then a couple days later I checked out lunch, ordered the "butter fish" (black cod). Granted, this was cooked to perfection, but the 4oz portion came accompanied on the plate by its lonesomeness and cost $13. Add a bacon wrapped fig starter and a couple glasses of wine and my total ticket was near $40. I left the place hungry and wanting more money left on my VISA to buy a baguette around the corner! I'd git this restaurant a "barely recommended" review...
4/11/08 CM: unbelievable view. can see Mary's peak and the sunset. gorgeous. food was excellent, particularly liked the butterfish with leeks. portions are very small, moderately expensive, but wonderful. kind of a swanky place, lots of grey and metal and wood, but families came with kids and didn't seem too out of place.
4/11/08 FM: I took my date out for a casual dining experience and to see what the whole tapas thing was about. Strega's atmosphere is very chill, giving a lounge type of feeling. It offers a bit of an upscale-hip experience overlooking Corvallis from the top floor of the Elements Building. We were promptly escorted to our table. Our waitress was extremely well trained. She brought me a sample of their Calapooia Amber upon requesting a sample taste. My date requested to sample two of their wines. Surprisingly the waitress was not bothered at all, and very much encouraged it. Before ordering, the waitress was extremely helpful when undecided. My date and i shared the Thai Sirloin salad from the small plates and the Thai peanut chicken skewers from the tapas menu. Extremely delicious and very generous servings which was satisfying. Our total date including the tapas, small plate, glass of wine and a pint of beer came to about $30. The atmosphere was definitely a plus and the feel of the restaurant was well worth it. It's not your everyday date outing but if you feel like experiencing an upscale dining experience in Corvallis, this is definitely the place. I will be making another trip very soon after waiting for soo very long for it to open.
MJ 4/9/08: I would give Sweet Peas a Highly Recommended for a few reasons: Plenty of entertainment for your kiddos, lots of toys and safe, friendly atmosphere. Good, healthy, made-from scratch food. The panini and homemade spaghetti & meatballs are good, but Saturday's crepes are the best. Good coffee, fair prices. Lots of choices for healthy sides. Thanks.
4/3/08 KM: I had heard this wasn't the best place to eat but decided to give it a try anyway with my 2-year-old for the sake of something new. There were a few things for my son to play with but overall not much out. He did, however, enjoy the chalkboard walls. I ordered a Thai salad. I guess they must pick the broccoli from the garden and shell the peas, which is what the entire "salad" part of the meal consists of, right before they bring it to the table. It took nearly a half hour for my bowl to arrive and my party of three was the only customers when we arrived. My son got chicken nuggets. Although they are healthy and homemade, there was little taste and the consistency bothered my child. I tried to make them into smaller pieces and it was like pulling apart chicken covered in glue. Not yummy and not fun. The third person in our party sent the kitchen into total confusion by asking for her ham and cheese sandwich to be toasted. This evidently was beyond their capabilities and they had to change it to a panini instead of simply toasting the bread and cheese. She received ham and cheese on a big piece of bread and wondered where the rest of the sandwich was. She suggested maybe Subway would have been a better choice. By the time the food arrived my son was "done" playing and ready to go. I am left to wonder why Corvallis restaurants have such difficulty getting it together when it comes to service.
3/23/08 GR: Highly recommended. Visited this new little cafe (next to All About Kids on 4th street) and was very pleasantly surprised. What a great idea - a place where kids can play while you eat and they aren't trapped in a high chair. Great toys, great ambience. Pretty much designed for me -mother of a higly active, picky-eating toddler. The food was all healthy and tasty and homemade. The best dining experience that my 21-month old daughter and I have had since her birth - I'm not exaggerating. She was able to play with legos or the little play kitchen while I either played with her or actually ate some food - a miracle. My only complaint is that they are only open 10-4 Monday thru Saturday so as a working mom this limits visits to Saturdays. But for parents of young children it's wonderful - while not exactly gourmet food, it was well worth it to be able to sit and eat a meal rather than racing to shovel it in before my daughter throws a tantrum. LOVED it.
And: One of two Mexican places in Corvallis I really enjoy. Pop in on Friday for the soup special. Very traditional and cheap. Recommended.
5/16/08: AB: The food here is quite good. No, it's not 'authentic,' but it is worth trying to find a parking place for. The decor is pleasant and the service good. It can get a bit loud when they're busy, but isn't that the sign of a good restaurant? I have several friends who don't enjoy spicy food, and the menu is diverse enough that they can find something to satisfy them as well. They are also good about making adjustments to dishes as requested (leaving out the peanuts). I've enjoyed experimenting with the different meat variations they offer for some of their dishes.They have some of the best Pad Thai that I've had, in several countries. Other dishes I would recommend: black curry with squid and asparagus, Num Tok- very spicy grilled beef salad, glass noodle soup, mussman curry- chicken and potatoes with coconut milk, the grilled chicken with spicy honey sauce, and the crispy fish with chili sauce. If you are looking for a decent Thai meal, then I would High Recommend the Tarn Tip.
[Ed Note: this below review seems a bit fishy, but here it is] NH 4/25/08: Just to let you know that we just had dinner at Thanh-Hien Vietnamese Restaurant last night (4/25/08) and the foods and service were excellent. I love the Chicken Pho and other meals are good as well. If you like to eat Vietnamese foods, you should check this place out, it is so good...... The restaurant is locate in the Timberhill Shopping Center near to the Starbucks and WinCo Foods. Highly recommend.
11/19/2007 SJ: Our friends had tried Tokyo Steakhouse right after it had opened and did not have a good experience. We chalked it up to the restaurant being new and hoped that by this point they would have improved. Our night at Tokyo Steakhouse started off well enough, as our server promptly took our order and brought our soup and sapporo. Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there. The restaurant (for sushi) was not exactly crowded, as we were the only people at the sushi bar and there were four chefs behind the bar working. Yet, forty minutes later we still did not have any sushi from our order while a group seated at a table that came in after us was already midway through their meal. At that point, another man joined us at the sushi table, where he too had his order promptly taken. His experience, however, was quite different from ours. While our waitress had informed us that the bar was currently four plates behind, he was s erved a plate of sashimi within the next ten minutes. Five minutes later, he was served a plate of rolls, while we still waited for anything from our order to appear. After the table that came in after us finished and left, and the man who came in after us was served yet a third dish - we paid for what we had eaten (not much) and left. As we left, we informed the man who was thanking us for coming of our experience. He was indifferent and let us leave without even an apology. Needless to say, we will not be going back to Tokyo Happy Steakhouse again, and cannot suggest this restaurant to our friends.
JK 07/20/2007: I recently ate lunch at "Tokyo Steakhouse" aka "Tokyo Happy" with a friend. It is clearly still suffering from the kinks that come with being newly opened -- I think there is reason to hope that the service and organization will improve. The following comments apply only to the sushi, and particularly to the Nigiri sushi -- we did not sample any of the other dishes (though the person next to us ordered tempura, which looked quite good at least). The fish in the Nigiri sushi seemed to be of very poor quality. The salmon and tuna both tasted "off" -- somewhat bitter and rather fishy; the other fish were no better. If this wasn't just an bad day, they really need to find another source for their fish. Until the quality of the fish improves, I cannot recommend eating the sushi.
9/8/07 GC: Tokyo Happy has the worst idea as what a sashimi plate is. Aomatsu has two great options for their sashimi, their smaller plate has a nice selection of some of their best fish, the $32 plate has all of their best, they really try to give quality. Tokyo Happy had two types of Tuna (everyday tuna, and 'super white' which is super white, but tastes very fatty), Squid, Octopus, Salmon and Clam (I think, it was so bad I can't remember), and to top it off, Imitation Crab. Who in their right mind puts imitation crab (not even made of fish) on a sashimi plate. It was the worst Sashimi plate I have ever had, I left feeling ill. My wife's experience for the non sushi left her just as unimpressed, and the sushi side she ordered left her feeling ill as well. I do not recommend Tokyo Happy at all. The sushi restaurant the now closed 'Library' bought out was better then TH, despite its boat sushi style. Why did they close, it makes me sad.
10/12/07: HG - We'd been talking about visiting the new Tokyo Steakhouse ever since it opened and finally made a trip there for Friday night dinner. I was pretty disappointed. The place is bit of a cultural train wreck when it comes to décor. It's furnished in a mixed bag of Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asian and Western style and many details are "poorly executed" (another way of saying tacky I'm afraid). Anyone who really cares about Japanese food and culture knows that presentation is important. I felt that the atmosphere and serving elements were just too unrefined and confused to be appreciated or even believable as a truly Japanese restaurant. The service was friendly, and marginally acceptable for a fairly busy Friday night, but not at all remarkable. (This was a social outing for a group of friends, so we weren't in a hurry, which was good, as the whole process took right at 2.5 hours.) We ordered sushi and entrees from the teppanyaki menu. The teppanyaki was okay but I've had much better. (We sat at a regular table instead of one of the grills, so I can't comment on the quality of the teppanyaki "performance".) The sushi I had was fine, not great, but not bad. One member of our party commented that the ama ebi was really good. My assumption about this place is that the folks who own and run it feel they can be more successful with a Japanese restaurant rather than one of another style. In other words, they feel justified charging a higher profit margin for Japanese food than for food of another culture. I think this is a mistake if they are not going to make the effort to do it properly. What I saw on my visit will only satisfy those patrons who are unfamiliar with Japanese culture and probably mislead them into believing that what they see is actually authentic when it is not. I'm sure the folks who own this business are nice people and well deserving of success. I only hope they will take a cue from the Japanese and embark on a process of ongoing improvement of their work. Without the quality and refinement that is a highly valued characteristic of traditional Japanese culture, their restaurant and its patrons will continue to suffer. In regard to the teppanyaki grill style of cooking...while there is some modern precedent for its association with Japanese food, it isn't truly a Japanese style of cooking in a historical sense. Of course, this is a confusion that Tokyo Steak shares with many other establishments. -not suggested
And: Nothing fancy but has good size portions, mighty tasty and friendly people. Give them your phone number and they keep track of how much you spend when you reach $50, you get $5 off.
WM 4/1/08: The Woodsman in Philomath Oregon is no longer Benton County's best kept secret - word is getting out. The new owner Nang, (rhymes with "tang") has kept the old American style food such as prime rib, chicken fried steak, baked potatoes etc. The big surprise is it's also the home of the best Thai food this side of Portland! Nang's Thai menu (pages of it) includes Asparagus w/basil (your choice of meat, shrimp or tofu, our fave is beef) is sweet and perfectly balanced you can't go wrong with this choice, Other items include Mango curry (the medium is fairly spicy depending on your taste, so choose accordingly), Crispy Trout with garlic vegetables, and Ginger or Basil Duck. Nang's Pad Thai is different and superior to any other Pad Thai I've eaten. The interior has been recently remodeled with an emphasis on clean and tidy, and still features the old logger memorabilia. There is a moderate, but acceptable wine selection and bar. (Can't remember about the beer.) Children are welcome on the "family side". Prices are reasonable, servings are rather large (we often split an entree) and don't forget to try the Fried bananas with home made coconut ice cream. Bananas are wrapped in squares of dough, fried crispy, served alongside Nang's own coconut ice cream, then drizzled with honey and topped off with crushed peanuts. Feeds 2- 4! Nang often shyly checks in to see how you liked your order - she's a real sweetheart! Go!
KJ 2/7/08: The service was fast and friendly. The food was, well, just ok. We are used to fantastic Thai food (Air Thai and Thai Ginger for example). The Woodsman just isn't at the top. I tried several dishes, and the tastes were muddled, and a bit bland. Sure, we'll go back: somewhat recommended. Reasonably priced.
MS 10/17/07: The Woodsman in Philomath. Their Thai food is fantastic. They have a Thai cook. There is American food too, it's your average bar food but the Thai is the thing. We've had Pad Thai which was excellent and 1 other Thai dish with wide noodles and basil. The Pad was better, but just because the basil was a little too strong and spicy for my tastes. The portions are huge. For $7 or $8 we can get 1 order of the Thai food and the 2 of us can get at least 2, usually 3 meals out of it. They have mixed drinks but don't seem to know a lot about it. The waitress had never heard of Canadian Club. Stick with beer.
And: OK pizza. Favorite for the after softball crowd. Suggested.
And: What can I say? Great piz