In the Mood for Food: Bay Front Restaurant

The Teppanyaki chef at Bay Front Restaurant prepared vegetables and salmon while he entertained guests/ Photo by Justine Wiltse, TRT contributing writer

By JUSTINE WILTSE, TRT Contributing Writer

If you were born and raised in the Trinity County/Humboldt County area, you are probably aware of our local dining choices. The Pizza Factory, Subway, The Bigfoot Restaurant, Raging Creek, Gonzales, The Aztec Grill, Laura’s Kitchen Joe’s Deli and the occasion fundraiser food stand.

If you are like me, you have probably tried them all. Needing something different, my fiancé surprised me by making reservations at a secret hot spot. He told me to dress nicely and we drove to the coast.
As we pulled into Eureka, we made a turn into what looked like condos. I laughed and asked “what are we doing here?” He replied, “wait and see.”

We walked through an entrance. It was like stepping into a five star restaurant right out of San Francisco. It was beautiful, with a bay view from all of the front windows. We were then escorted to where there were three tables, all of which had seating for six. In the middle was a grill and at one table the chef was already at work. I could not believe it; they would actually be cooking right in front of us.

That wasn’t the best part; the chefs were entertaining too. Tossing eggs with a spatula and catching them without a crack is just part of the show. I don’t want to ruin it by telling you all the fun things they do, but they do some really amazing interactive things with the entire table of guests. We were seated with people we didn’t know, but by the end of the meal, we were all laughing and enjoying each other. The second time my fiancé took me there for Valentine’s Day; but it is suitable for any occasion, graduation, birthday, or even a family get-together, including children.

It is located at One F Street, in old town Eureka, directly across from the Waterfront Café. Dining on the boardwalk is available and window seating overlooks Humboldt Bay, with the boats coming and going. The Bayfront Restaurant offers a variety of food, including: Fushion Japanese food, Italian food, Teppanyaki, and Sushi. They also offer a full complement of wine, beer, and soft drinks.

They also do take out, and reservations are not required, though I recommend you make reservations if you are planning on attending the Teppanyaki dinner.

Teppanyaki is a new attraction here in the Humboldt Bay Area, but it has become more popular in the United States recently. North America was the first country outside of Japan to embrace the Teppanyaki style. Teppanyaki, a traditional Japanese cooking method is thought to have developed about 200 years ago using only a small iron griddle.

The literal translation of Teppanyaki is ‘iron plate’ (Teppan) ‘grilled’ (yaki). There are now over 80 Benihana Teppanyaki restaurants around the globe and the Teppanyaki experience has been enjoyed by millions. Benihana is one of the best known Teppanyaki restaurants. Many local eight graders have enjoyed visiting the Benihana restaurant in San Francisco on their eighth grade trip.

There are simple recipes to follow at home for the Teppanyaki experience. I have included an easy one that we can all enjoy in our own homes.

Have a good meal! Douzo Meshiagare!