The Lighthouse Serves Up Fine Fish

We are still a nation of meat-and-potatoes men and fish-and-salad women... I can't even tell you how many women have told me that the one thing they'd like to change about their man's eating habits is to get him to put down the hamburger just once and take her to a seafood joint. So guys, there it is: a really easy way to get on her good side. You're welcome. - Ted Allen

Fish afficianados may find Redding a barren desert when it comes to seafood restaurants. There's mega-chain Rosy Crustacean out in Big Boxland, the special occasion place downtown, and the fish-n-chipperie discussed previously in this space. Unless you drive out Hartnell often, you might not be aware of the unassuming little Lighthouse Restaurant at the edge of a strip mall, near a union hall and pet groomers.

The Lighthouse is well-kept with a bright, clean interior, colorful murals on the walls, and comfortable, if utilitarian, tables. While this isn't really a spot you'd spend all day hanging out with your BFFs, it's a good place to enjoy lunch or dinner and not break the bank. Order at the counter; they'll bring the food out to you.



Small cup of clam chowder, $3.29

When the waitress brought the clam chowder, she issued a warning: "It's really hot, about 160 degrees," and she wasn't kidding. M. de Joie first learned to appreciate clam chowder at the gone-but-not-forgotten Weatherbee's in Eureka, and still holds that as the standard. Chowder at The Lighthouse meets that standard - creamy white, thick with potatoes, clams, and minced vegetables. Wait a minute or two before you dig in or you'll burn the roof of your mouth.



1-piece fish and chips, $5.79

When Femme de Joie ordered a 2-piece fish and chips, the woman at the counter asked, "Is this for you? How about if we downsize this to a one-piece? It's really a big piece of fish and if you're still hungry, we can get you more." It turns out that they always give you an extra piece of fish. That's just how they roll here. The waitress said they use pollock, a member of the cod family. It's mild but not bland, and lends itself well to deep-frying - here, the batter was thin, crisp, and not at all doughy or oily. The fish was cooked through and not dry or overcooked. French fries were definitely above average, cooked to order and not sitting under a heat lamp. Cole slaw was forgettable - the cabbage had lost some crunch and the sweetish runny dressing slid off the slaw back into the cup.
When the fish arrived, the waitress asked, "Do you want any Tabasco or anything?" When M. de Joie demurred, she added, "OK, if you do, you know where the tartar bar is." Tartar bar? "Oh, you don't know about our tartar bar? Welcome to the Lighthouse. It's through that opening and on the left." The tartar bar was a self-serve table with (of course) tartar sauce, ketchup, cocktail sauce, Tabasco, malt vinegar, and lemons, "everything except horseradish and ranch, we have that at the register."



Oysters and chips, $8.19

Uniformity in size and shape indicated these oysters came in a frozen box, but were still quite good - better than some that are breaded by hand to order, with a tender crust (they'll ask if you want them fried extra-cruncy) and briny, juicy interior.





Charbroiled salmon meal, $14.49

Charbroiled meals (swordfish, halibut, mahi mahi, etc.) come with a dinner salad and a dizzying array of choice of sides - onion rings, hush puppies, and fries are the only ones M. de Joie can remember. The waitress making the salad made sure M. de Joie was OK with the toppings being added (hard-boiled egg, mushrooms, tomatoes, shredded cheese, croutons) before she prepared it.

A six-ounce portion of salmon was unfortunately dry and tough, and without a lot of taste. It may have been in the freezer too long and then dried out further with too much heat. However, the hush puppies - crunchy spheres of deep-fried cornbread batter with a few flecks of parsley - were addictive.

The Lighthouse staff is very friendly and accomodating, they're family-friendly, and the prices are right. The menu is focused on just a few standard items, so you aren't going to find Calamari Stroganoff or Flaming Shrimp Diablo there. Most of the food is well-prepared; a little attention to details like the freshness of the coleslaw would bring all the items up in quality. Overall, Femme de Joie likes the Lighthouse and would definitely go there again the next time she's craving fish and chips.

The Lighthouse, 1109 Hartnell Avenue, Redding, CA 96002. 530-223-9200, fax 530-223-9264. Open Saturday-Thursday, 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Friday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM. Closed Sunday. Credit cards, no checks. No alcohol. On-site parking. Children's menu.

Yama Sushi – Slow Boat or Pleasure Cruise?

It was financial necessity of one Yoshiaki Shiraishi that morphed the traditonal sushi bar from a tiny space with few seats into a novelty production that coincidentally involves food. The owner of a sushi restuarant on the outskirts of Osaka in the 1950s, Shiraishi was going broke paying master sushi chefs during times of slow business, as well as trying to please a customer base who demanded high-quality food. After visiting the Asahi brewery and observing the efficiency of conveyor belts moving beer bottles, he thought he could keep costs down by slowly moving plates of sushi past customers, allowing them to quickly choose and eat without ordering via waitstaff. (At first, Shiraishi also eliminated tables and chairs - an unpopular move he had to rescind.) If the sushi chefs were in the center of the conveyor belt, they could keep an eye on which dishes were most popular and make them up as needed. During slack times, the chefs could make up some of the most popular dishes in advance and be prepared for the next rush.

Fast forward to 1991, when Len-Sun Lai of Milpitas was issued a patent for "Interlinked watercourses for sushi boats," and the sushi floating boat theme restaurant boom was on. It's been good for the sushi business - but how good is it for the food?



Yama Sushi opened in 2008 in the space vacated by Pellegrini's Brazilian Steakhouse (a victim of the Cypress Street Bridge construction). Though there is table service available, there's no doubt that the floating sushi boats attract most of the attention. There are photo charts around the bar to guide diners through the offerings, as well as pricing guides (match the design of the little plate to the picture on the chart to see what it costs).

Rather than keep careful watch on the chart, it's more interesting to just grab a likely-looking dish from the boat and see if you like it. Though M. de Joie made an attempt to catch the names of these little plates, she was not near a chart and so just grabbed a few plates to try a variety of dishes.



Those little orange dots: tobiko, or flying fish roe. Not too salty or "fishy," they offer a nice little pop on the tongue. However, the sweet sauce drizzled on the plate tended to mask the delicate taste.



This vegetable egg roll was not quite as delightful as it could have been, as some of the ingredients had been mixed too far in advance and were on the mushy side.



M. de Joie enjoyed the surprise of a hot and spicy dish amongst the sushi and sashimi, but her dining companion was put off by the heat packed in these little meatballs. It appeared there was an attempt to add some sort of cooling sauce on the plate (see squiggles of mayonnaise-like goop on plate) but the it didn't disguise the heat.



This was a generous portion of teriyaki chicken for the price, but the bits were on their way to drying out by the time the boat came by. A last-minute light brushing of sauce before plating could have preserved the moisture.



After dining at the sushi bar, M. de Joie came back to try an off-the-menu item. Donburi is a lesser-seen dish around Redding, but one worth seeking out. Katsu don - breaded pork strips, mixed with egg and onion and made into an "omelet" on top of rice and topped with shredded carrot and scallion - made a surprisingly light lunch. It was accompanied by excellent miso soup with seaweed and a very good salad of spring mix with delicate miso-ginger dressing.

The floating sushi boats are an interesting way for sushi novices to see if they like it. There are some delicious dishes drifting around, but very often they are covered in honey sauce or a mango sauce. They're visually appealing and the sauce keeps rolls from drying out - but that extra sweetness obliterates the delicate taste of fresh fish. It's as if Disneyland had invented sushi.

It's fun to sit at the sushi bar with a friend and take guesses at what each morsel might be. Most of the food is tasty, and it can be a meal that doesn't break the bank if you order carefully. M. de Joie's one meal ordered off the menu was a delight. But with brightly-colored sauces and over-the-top tastes that resemble the subtle textures and flavors of raw fish about as much as Cheez Whiz resembles Stilton, this is not sushi for the purist. And unless you personally witness the chef slice and roll your sushi, it wasn't made to order. If you get there toward the end of a serving period, that lonely little plate could have been floating around and around for a while. It's tarted up to appeal to a wide audience.

Femme de Joie wouldn't complain if she was cajoled into eating at Yama Sushi, but there are more authentic sushi bars in town.

Yama Sushi, 40 Hartnell Avenue, Redding, CA 96002. Phone 530-223-6868, fax 530-223-6888. Cash & cards; no checks. Open daily 11:30 - 2:30 for lunch, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM for dinner. Beer, wine, sake. Vegetarian and vegan options. Ample onsite parking. Website at www.yamasushi.net

The Best Little Sandwhich Shop Really Is

Some strip malls, no matter how well located, seem to have problems keeping long-term tenants. Today there's a parakeet groomer, tomorrow there's a spatula sharpener in their old spot. Despite plenty of cars in the parking lot, few of those little storefronts stay long. The strip mall on Eureka Way, once anchored by Safeway and now by Ace Hardware, has been one of those places where someone's hopes and dreams for a successful little business bloom and then fade and disappear.

But The Best Little Sandwich Shop has been sitting pretty for well over a year in that little shopping center. When Femme de Joie first saw the marquee change, she figured it was just another little enterprise she shouldn't get attached to because it would be gone soon. After all, it's a recession, and who is foolish enough to start a sandwich shop when times are hard? Who's going to buy sandwiches when you can make them at home?

As it turned out, plenty of people are buying at TBLSS. They offer up something different from the standard deli sandwich and far more options than the mega-Hoagie-chain. Though there's no hiding the young hipster vibe of the staff and many customers, M. de Joie has seen numerous non-hip customers waiting for their sandwiches too. It doesn't matter if you're for the waltz or for Lady Gaga; TBLSS has something for everyone.

TBLSS is very small: in the entrance are a couple of small tables (on a winter day, you're likely to get frequent icy drafts from the doors opening constantly). There's a small counter with a few barstools inside, but it really isn't a place to stay to eat. Best to get your food to go.



Rainer's Reuben ($9.00, including a bag of chips, a bottle of water, and tax) was the most elaborate Reuben sandwich Femme de Joie has ever come across. In addition to the pastrami (what, no corned beef?), sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and 1000 Island dressing on rye, "everything" included lettuce, tomato, onion, pepperoncini, avocado, and their "Silly Sauce" (a blend of mustard, mayonnaise, and a couple of secret ingredients). Although this wasn't a Reuben for purists, it was incredibly delicious with multi-layered flavors and textures. The rye bread, however, didn't have the strength to hold everything together and eventually collapsed into a soggy heap.



Military Pride was served as a submarine on a roll - a good idea, since ordinary bread could never have stuck together as long as the roll did under the onslaught of juicy fillings. Meatballs, marinara sauce, Jalapenos (which got lost amid all the other ingredients) and jack cheese combined to make one of the messiest sandwiches ever created. If there's a criticism, it's that the basic meatballs, sauce, etc. were competing with the lettuce & co. for attention. This might be better served as is, without the usual sandwich toppings.

Macaroni salad on the side was nothing special to write home about - while the macaroni was not overcooked, the dressing was one-note sweet with only a few random dice of red bell pepper to give it any character.



Miss Mercy, a vegetarian combination with sprouts plus cheese, instantly took M. de Joie back to her college days, when students believed that you could easily live on ramen, doughnuts, and chips, as long as now and then you had an avocado sandwich with sprouts - you know, for balance. This was a taste of the 1970s that may have gotten lost for a while when foodies got obsessed with artisinal cheeses and home-cured meat on kamut & farro bread. If you think this sandwich looks messy now, it's nothing compared to how it looked after a few bites. Femme de Joie loved it and would definitely go back for another one.

Alongside was a cup of butternut squash soup, a thick, smooth puree accented with curry flavors - a sophisticated flavor you wouldn't expect to find in a small sandwich shop. The cole slaw was one of the better ones M. de Joie has found around town - the cabbage was still crisp and the dressing didn't puddle down in the bottom of the cup.

The Best Little Sandwich Shop is one of Femme de Joie's favorite very small businesses around town. They're filling in a couple of culinary thin spots in Redding by offering not only gluten-free breads but a vegan menu including vegan turkey and soy cheese. That may not be important to most people, but local celiac sufferers and vegans can attest it's very difficult to find that kind of food available in restaurants. Their regular menu has something for any taste - if you don't see what you like, they'll make a special sandwich for you. They'll text your bill to your cell phone (which is something M. de Joie has never seen). And they often have specials such as any sandwich for 50% off.

There is, however, one drawback. TBLSS is SLOW. They do encourage customers to call or fax in their orders ahead, especially during lunch, but it's M. de Joie's experience that they are slow even when business is slow. Each sandwich is made to order, and it appears that each sandwich-maker is making several sandwiches at once, which may account for the delay. So if you're in a hurry, take this into consideration - call or fax in your order ahead. WAY ahead.

The Best Little Sandwich Shop, 2255 Eureka Way (between Magnolia and Orange), Redding, CA 96001. Phone 530-227-6590; fax 1-888-382-0882. Open Monday-Saturday, 9;30 AM - 12:30 AM, Sunday 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Cash, cards. No alcohol. Ample on-site parking. Vegan and vegetarian options; gluten-free bread. Website and menu here.

A Little Slice of Paradise at El Paraiso

Generally Femme de Joie doesn't linger long in Anderson. It's a place she passes through on her way to someplace else. But recently she was bopping around the environs looking at thrift stores and second-hand junque places (junque being high-class junk) when, feeling peckish, she decided to take a chance on El Paraiso.

That location has seen a number of establishments come and go over the years. The only one M. de Joie recalls was The French Cafe, and since she never set foot inside it, couldn't say for sure if it was actually French or not. There were a few others since then, none of which seemed enticing, but the colorful, lively exterior of El Paraiso called her in. Inside was apparently refurbished within the last couple of years: pleasant and clean, booths lining the eastern and southern walls under the windows, a few tables in the center, and a shiny bar across the room.



Quesadilla de cameron, $9.99, was well worth the money. An extra-large flour tortilla was filled with plenty of rock shrimp and a modicum of Monterey Jack cheese, then grilled just enough to slightly crispen the tortilla and melt the cheese. Too much cheese is a sin against fish dishes, but here there was just enough to hold the quesadilla together without obliterating the sweet taste of the shrimp. Serving size was generous enough to take part home. The refried beans were especially good - about half mashed and half left whole - and along with the rice was house-made.



The menu said that if you don't see what you want, to ask and they'll make it. M. de Joie asked for fish tacos and the friendly waitress said yes, sure, they could make that for $2.39 each. This was one of the better non-deep-fat-fried versions around, loaded with fresh chopped tomatoes, lightly grilled fish, onions and cilantro, and a spicy salsa verde on the side. Like the shrimp quesadilla, there was no unpleasant "fishy" taste. The grilled green onions were a great accompaniment to each bite of fish.





Amico del Signore was eager to try out El Paraiso with M. de Joie. Being a chile rellano afficiando, he ordered the special of the day, a chile rellano burrrito. The chile rellano was made from a fresh green chile (not the somewhat slimy one out of a can) and filled with cheese, deep fried and wrapped in a flour tortilla along with rice and beans, then covered with a chunky house-made tomato sauce and cojito cheese. Ridiculously cheap at $5.99, it may not have been authentic Mexican cooking, but each taste was distinct and flavorful, not at all greasy, and good value. Alongside the burrito, A. del Signore chose a shredded beef taco - made here with a flour tortilla, so if you prefer corn tortilla (as he does), be sure to specify. Still, it was packed full of tender shredded beef in a not-too-hot savory chile sauce with cool guacamole and sour cream.



Sometimes leaden chimichangas come to the table oozing oil, but this chicken chimichanga ($9.99) was light and crisp without any greasy overtones. Packed with beans, rice, and lots of shredded chicken, and topped with guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo & cojita, this was a very filling lunch that did not feel heavy.

El Paraiso is a great little place for lunch or dinner, offering a family-friendly atmosphere with daily specials that make dining affordable. The fare isn't weighted down with too much sour cream or smotherings of cheese; tastes are light, fresh, and distinct. If you're in Anderson, check it out; if you're in Redding, take the drive south and enjoy this homey little place with good cooking.... or enjoy the same food in Redding, more about which soon.

El Paraiso Restaurant, 3310 West Center Street, Anderson, CA 96007. 530-378-1355. Open daily, 11:00 AM - 8:30 PM. Beer and wine. Cards, cash; no checks. Parking on-site. Vegetarian options. El Paraiso is on Facebook. Website and menu here.