Quincy Trip Food & Lodging: The Good, The Bad, and the OMG!
In this post find out about food and lodging from our Feather River Weekend trip...
Right on the river, lots of parking, and very casual. They knew we were coming, so they were prepared for enough that 50 people in jeans and leather jackets didn't throw them for a loop. The pulled pork sandwich was great. No fries on the menu because the restaurant is actually on a houseboat -- no fryers on floaters. Learned something new on that one.
Healthy stuff and a hippie vibe, it reminds me of something I'd find in Santa Cruz. As the website and menu say, "A place where vegetarians and carnivores alike can enjoy delicious, grass fed, organic, locally grown food made from the heart!" The beverages -- sodas, wine, and beer (on tap and bottled) -- are all small label, healthier varieties. I had the hummus plate, but the sandwiches, short ribs, and other morsels looked plenty tasty.
Pretty standard small-town coffeeshop, complete with the requisite local nostalgia artwork on the walls and lots of tables in a small space. Lots of the usual eggie things, pancakes, and such with the added benefit of the Love Boat. Yes, the Love Boat -- potatoes, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and avocado. I consider it a good sign when I can find something eggless, yet substantial on a breakfast menu. Many in the group went back again the next day.
A cute house-turned-restaurant with tables inside and out in the front garden. Pretty good food and friendly service, but they really weren't prepared for the whole lot of us -- even with groups in previous years and the whole place reserved for us and lots of advance notice. Some of the food was good, some so-so, and the menu seemed to change from table to table. For those who arrived too late for an indoor table, they brought out blankets to keep them warm. Nice people indeed. The dog chasing the cat through the garden was pretty good entertainment too.
Woodsy and homey with generous portions of good breakfast stuff. I have a thing for biscuits and they had giant, fluffy monsters that fit the bill. The breakfast burritos were huge and looked tasty.
Quick service for lunch basics, even for a large group that arrived in four waves as the different groups cruised into Penryn. Salads were massive and sandwiches were hearty. I could have gone without Court TV or whatever it was blaring, but after a long weekend, an uneventful lunch is just fine.
I should have known something was tweaky when I called to make reservations at the Spanish Creek and they didn't want a credit card to hold the room. Heck, they even gave us room keys and TV remotes without credit cards. Very trusting. Not all of the rooms had been cleaned even by 4pm, so several of us had to wait at least an hour. "Lucky" us, we got one of the spiffy, recently re-carpeted rooms. Yeah, you still couldn't pay me to put anything other than my boots on the floor. Even after two showers in the morning, the water was running rusty. And did you know they still make those little postage-stamp-sized bars of soap? They do! Or these were left over from 1967. As a wise woman named Betsy once said, "at least the Bates Motel had shower curtains." In a word: Don't.
Cute. Clean. Comfortable. We stayed in "Ruth's Garden Cottage," a tidy little half of duplex behind the main house with a nice little porch overlooking a garden with a fountain. Big windows, a separate sitting area and breakfast nook. It's the kind of place where you're immediately comfortable and relaxed, almost like staying with friends. They have plenty of amenities to make a multiday stay comfortable, including stereo, tv, wi-fi, full kitchen, and all sorts of books. They've nicely compiled a binder of local menus, trails, and attractions, plus a nice article about the history of the cottages. And if you're keen on being green -- the owners have done most of the remodeling and decorating using recycled and (nice) yard-sale finds. It turns out that the pond for the waterfall is a satellite dish. :-)
Natomas
Food: Virgin Sturgeon
Quincy
Food: Pangea Cafe and Pub, Courthouse Cafe,
Cafe Le Coq, Morning Thunder Cafe
Cafe Le Coq, Morning Thunder Cafe
Lodging: Spanish Creek Motel, Ada's Place
Penryn
FOOOOD!
Virgin Sturgeon
Natomas, CaliforniaRight on the river, lots of parking, and very casual. They knew we were coming, so they were prepared for enough that 50 people in jeans and leather jackets didn't throw them for a loop. The pulled pork sandwich was great. No fries on the menu because the restaurant is actually on a houseboat -- no fryers on floaters. Learned something new on that one.
Pangea Cafe and Pub
Main Street, Downtown Quincy, CaliforniaHealthy stuff and a hippie vibe, it reminds me of something I'd find in Santa Cruz. As the website and menu say, "A place where vegetarians and carnivores alike can enjoy delicious, grass fed, organic, locally grown food made from the heart!" The beverages -- sodas, wine, and beer (on tap and bottled) -- are all small label, healthier varieties. I had the hummus plate, but the sandwiches, short ribs, and other morsels looked plenty tasty.
Courthouse Cafe
Main Street, Downtown Quincy, CaliforniaPretty standard small-town coffeeshop, complete with the requisite local nostalgia artwork on the walls and lots of tables in a small space. Lots of the usual eggie things, pancakes, and such with the added benefit of the Love Boat. Yes, the Love Boat -- potatoes, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and avocado. I consider it a good sign when I can find something eggless, yet substantial on a breakfast menu. Many in the group went back again the next day.
Cafe Le Coq
Main Street, Downtown Quincy, CaliforniaA cute house-turned-restaurant with tables inside and out in the front garden. Pretty good food and friendly service, but they really weren't prepared for the whole lot of us -- even with groups in previous years and the whole place reserved for us and lots of advance notice. Some of the food was good, some so-so, and the menu seemed to change from table to table. For those who arrived too late for an indoor table, they brought out blankets to keep them warm. Nice people indeed. The dog chasing the cat through the garden was pretty good entertainment too.
Morning Thunder Cafe
Lawrence Street, Downtown Quincy, CaliforniaWoodsy and homey with generous portions of good breakfast stuff. I have a thing for biscuits and they had giant, fluffy monsters that fit the bill. The breakfast burritos were huge and looked tasty.
Cattle Baron's Cafe
Highway 80, Penryn, CaliforniaQuick service for lunch basics, even for a large group that arrived in four waves as the different groups cruised into Penryn. Salads were massive and sandwiches were hearty. I could have gone without Court TV or whatever it was blaring, but after a long weekend, an uneventful lunch is just fine.
SLEEEEEP!
Spanish Creek Motel
Highway 89/Crescent Street, Quincy, CaliforniaI should have known something was tweaky when I called to make reservations at the Spanish Creek and they didn't want a credit card to hold the room. Heck, they even gave us room keys and TV remotes without credit cards. Very trusting. Not all of the rooms had been cleaned even by 4pm, so several of us had to wait at least an hour. "Lucky" us, we got one of the spiffy, recently re-carpeted rooms. Yeah, you still couldn't pay me to put anything other than my boots on the floor. Even after two showers in the morning, the water was running rusty. And did you know they still make those little postage-stamp-sized bars of soap? They do! Or these were left over from 1967. As a wise woman named Betsy once said, "at least the Bates Motel had shower curtains." In a word: Don't.
Ada's Place
Jackson Street, Downtown Quincy, CaliforniaCute. Clean. Comfortable. We stayed in "Ruth's Garden Cottage," a tidy little half of duplex behind the main house with a nice little porch overlooking a garden with a fountain. Big windows, a separate sitting area and breakfast nook. It's the kind of place where you're immediately comfortable and relaxed, almost like staying with friends. They have plenty of amenities to make a multiday stay comfortable, including stereo, tv, wi-fi, full kitchen, and all sorts of books. They've nicely compiled a binder of local menus, trails, and attractions, plus a nice article about the history of the cottages. And if you're keen on being green -- the owners have done most of the remodeling and decorating using recycled and (nice) yard-sale finds. It turns out that the pond for the waterfall is a satellite dish. :-)
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