Tidal Raves Seafood Grill, Depoe Bay, Oregon – John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog
Nancy and I flew into Portland, Oregon, bound for adventure in the southern Oregon and Northern California. With flight delays we got in very late, but rose early the next morning and headed down I-5 for a ways before veering west to the coast. It was a lovely drive through forests and fields and vineyards. Then we hit the coast and headed for Depoe Bay to try Tidal Raves, which had been reviewed by one of my favorite food bloggers, Dining with Frankie. People think I travel a lot, but Dining with Frankie makes me look like a hermit. Frankie also tends toward tasting menus, which the Tanner family exchequer won’t support, but which I enjoy reading. And I eagerly grab at the more modest recommendations. One of these was Tidal Raves, so to Depoe Bay we went.
Actually, I would have stopped there regardless once I saw this view.
That pulled us into the waterside parking lot and we walked into a sleek restaurant with a long dining room facing the water — and that view. Acoustic guitar music played softly in the background. There were two tiers of tables so that every table had a stunning view of the water. Alas, the bright southern sunlight prevented photographs at the diners’ view angle.
The view included boats, and once we realized that they were whale watching boats we paid attention and saw a whale spouting. One of the staff members gave us a heads up, or we would not have been watching. Mainly, though, we paid attention to our food. (Speak for yourself, John.)
Although Nancy wasn’t hungry, her brute of a husband forced her to stop for lunch. It was indeed an early lunch, and Nancy only had a cup of smoked salmon chowder
and a house salad, which I didn’t photograph. I blame the whale. Still, she did full justice to the chowder.
Meanwhile, the aforesaid brute started with a cup of clam chowder.
The wretch expressed enthusiasm, noting that it was rich and creamy with lots of chopped clams. The viper.
Let’s calm down. I was listening to Great Expectations in the car, and … Anyway, I ordered a Rockfish Po’ Boy as my main.
It came with a very lightly dressed slaw, which was very nice, and with the inevitable but useless tomato slices. Why do we tolerate them? It came on a baguette that was not really crusty, but it had flavor and a good texture.
The glory of the sandwich was a beautiful piece of fish fried with a cornmeal crust. Nothing compares to a cornmeal crust. It adds a wonderful flavor and a perfect crunch to fish or just about anything else you might fry except chicken.
The rockfish was fresh and local. It’s not the same fish as the rockfish here in the Chesapeake region, but people name fishes whatever they like, especially in France. It was a firm white fish, moderately flaky, and delicious, especially with that cornmeal crust and a squeeze of lemon — that’s heaven on earth. It was a fine sandwich indeed!
I’m so glad we stopped at Tidal Raves. The food, the space, and the view, plus the service, thanks to the staff and to you, Helen (of Dining with Frankie). It’s always good to check her blog before you travel. Tidal Raves was a hit. If you go to Oregon, try it. And stay tuned. I’ll have more Oregon recommendations.
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