Places worth eating on Hwy 5 from SF Bay Area north to Canada?

[alixschwartz]

Hi all,

My partner and I are planning a road trip for July. The destinations are Lummi Island (where we will feast on spot prawns one night and the next night the chef's 5-course tasting menu at the Willows) and Vancouver (where we already know where we want to eat). We want to plan our route so that we are near somewhere good to eat each evening around dinnertime. I already know good places on the Oregon coast and Arcata, but this time we are taking Highway 5 to save time. Suggestions? it doesn't have to be fancy, and in fact it's probably better if it's not (given the chances of fancy food being overpriced crap once one leaves civilization), but we would like food that is well prepared from scratch--any genre.

Thanks in advance,

Alix

[jwbarth]

Billy Goat Tavern in Mt. Shasta City is very good for a quick sandwich and good beer.

[The Chowhound Team]

Please feel free to start additional threads on the Seattle, Portland and Pacific Northwest boards for those legs of your trip. Food found outside of California is out of scope for this board.

[wolfe]

Where is your end point? The 5 north of the Bay Area is the California Board. Above the California border check Seattle, Portland and the Pacific Northwest Boards.

[alixschwartz]

Thanks--good suggestion. We are going as far as Vancouver, so those boards will be a big help!

[wolfe]

I think you will be off our map before your first dinner. It should have read where is your starting point.

[bbulkow]

Yes. For example, if you're flying in to SFO and have time for dinner or lunch near the airport, one would suggest one of the fine chinese places in Millbrea, like The Kitchen. But if you're starting from, I don't know, your partner's house in Oakland, you might just want to hit the road.

[Windy]

I have a recent trip report on Ashland and vicinity on the PNW board. A fine stop is Vivify in Mt. Shasta, a sushi and macrobiotic restaurant run by one of San Francisco's best known sushi chefs. You should also stretch your legs at the Sundial bridge in Redding, the only design by Santiago Calatrava in North America.

And of course you should eat in Portland. Pretty much anywhere.

Although Thistle in McMinnville is a fine dinner detour if you can spare an extra day in Portland.

[xanadude]

Second Vivify. Ashland's cool too.

[alixschwartz]

Thanks--you all are on the right track. We liked Vivify last time we went through Mt Shasta. Have not tried Thistle, but will check it out.
Portland is easy--it's those small towns that might be a good stop on the road that I don't know about.