Cowlitz County Restaurants Draw Loyal Customers From Throughout Region
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It’s hard to miss the 28-foot boat that appears to have washed up at the corner of Commerce Avenue and Florida Street in Longview. That’s where Fred Kamp‚ a successful stockbroker-turned-restaurateur‚ opened Freddie’s Just for the Halibut in January 2005.
Inside the popular seafood restaurant‚ Kamp has created the feel of an inland wharf with an authentic fishing boat built into the dining room ceiling and crab pots that serve as chandeliers.
“We’re getting customers from all the way up and down the coast. The response has been so positive that we’ve more than doubled our menu since opening‚” says Kamp‚ whose restaurant is known for its clam chowder and fish and chips as well as its homemade donuts and espresso for morning drive-through customers.
Nearby‚ Rick Carns and Don Maki also serve up memorable meals at the Masthead Restaurant on Ocean Beach Highway. What began as a roadside tavern in 1971 has expanded into a popular family dining spot serving seafood‚ 14 varieties of hamburgers and homemade desserts. For three years in a row‚ the Masthead Restaurant has been voted the best family restaurant and best local restaurant by readers of The Daily News.
“We made the change from tavern to restaurant when all of our baby boomer customers started having kids in the 1980s‚” says Carns. “We have a lot of longtime customers who don’t even have to look at a menu when they come in.”
In downtown Longview‚ Keli Coscia is adding a tasty new twist to traditional favorites at Country Folks Deli‚ a lunch and dinner restaurant located in the historic Lumberman’s Bank building. Coscia recently hired chef Bryan Burt from Seattle to breathe new life into the menu.
“We’re now doing fine dining every Wednesday through Saturday night in our back dining room with an innovative menu that changes monthly. The food and wine is on par with what you’d find in Seattle or Portland‚” says Coscia‚ whose parents founded another area institution‚ Papa Pete’s Pizza‚ in 1974.
For sushi‚ Fuji Teriyaki in Longview is a favorite among locals and visitors alike‚ while fans of Mexican fare flock to El Charrito in Kelso.
According to Dean LaRoque‚ the head chef at Rutherglen Mansion in Longview‚ regional cuisine also remains popular with local diners.
“We’re serving more northwestern dishes including wild salmon‚ trout and sole. There’s more of a regional emphasis on our menu‚” says LaRoque‚ a classically trained French chef who recently joined Rutherglen Mansion.
Diners and visitors to the historic bed and breakfast drive up a hillside through a 50-acre estate to reach the 15‚000-square-foot English colonial home built in 1927. Listed in the Encyclopedia of Haunted Places‚ Rutherglen Mansion is best known for its Sunday brunch.
Story by Valerie Pascoe
Photo by Michael W. Bunch
