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| The Crab Vera Cruz is a Latin-flavored appetizer served for lunch and dinner at the Schooner, in Netarts. OCT photo. |
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The Schooner in Netarts
The Schooner's New Tune
[Related story]
By Niki Price
OREGON COAST TODAY
Published July 2007
Right now, in the prime of summer, the days stretch long over scenic Netarts Bay. Looking out at the expanse from a pine booth inside the Schooner, you might find yourself thinking about light — eating light, that is, with fresh flavors and simple presentations that make the most of the season’s bounty.
The redesigned menu at the Schooner Restaurant in Netarts Bay has just the ticket: Crab Vera Cruz, an appetizer served at lunch and dinner. They combine fresh Dungeness crab, tomato and avocado with mild chopped onions, cilantro and lime — for a refreshing seafood cocktail, served in a martini glass.
“Those Latin flavors really send it over,” said Tom Flood Jr., the owner and manager of the Schooner. “It’s top notch.”
In the spirit of the season, Flood and his chefs, (brothers Jerald and Joe Ellison), have added two new salads. You might not be surprised to see an Arugula Salad, with spicy greens tossed in house-made balsamic vinaigrette with whole toasted almonds and fresh Parmesan cheese ($6.50). They plan to turn a few heads, however, with their Grilled Romaine Salad.
“We take half a head of Romaine lettuce, the heart portion, and we grill it in olive oil and salt. Then we cover it in the same balsamic vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts. It’s not a wilted salad. It really keeps nearly all of its crunchiness and texture, with a little browning that adds a great flavor,” Flood said.
The Grilled Romaine Salad is served with a succulent grilled tomato and fresh Parmesan cheese for $6.50.
Since they installed a wood-fired pizza oven last year, the Schooner has become known for its pizzas and flatbreads, baked to order. Now, they’re using the oven to create new Schooner favorite entrees like the Cornish Game Hen, a 20 ounce portion baked with fresh herbs and pears ($15), or the Cedar Plank Salmon, which is dressed with lemon and herbs before it’s roasted on an aromatic slab of wood ($22).
“That salmon is turning out phenomenally — it’s done in 10 or 15 minutes, and it really smells great. It’s about the cleanest way you can cook something,” Flood said. “That’s the reward, for me.”
In the Schooner menu redesign, Flood tried to trade heavy cream sauces for tasty, direct presentations like the Blackened Prawns on Angel Hair Pasta ($16.50). This dish is tossed with “deconstructed pesto” — that is, basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and pine nuts that haven’t been blended into a mush. The halibut is also simple and elegant, poached with white wine, lemon and fresh herbs ($18.50). The menu features a rotating vegetarian special, to keep some of his favorite customers from getting bored, as well as the alluring entrees on the chalkboard, which change based on the catch of the day.
Despite all its attention to light flavors and modern presentations, the Schooner hasn’t forgotten the hearty eater. There are fish and chips, clam chowder and steaks, plus a new Oyster Po’ Boy, with extra crispy hand-battered oysters, blue-cheese coleslaw and barbecue sauce, served on fresh-baked flatbread ($9.50)
The pound Schooner Prime Burger, another addition to the menu, is 50 percent prime rib and 50 percent top round.
“We’ve always ground our own burgers, but we decided to shake things up a little bit. This new grind gives us about as tender a burger as we can possibly put out, without it falling through the grill,” Flood said.
The basic burger with fries is $9, with add-ons like Tillamook cheddar, bleu or Fontina cheese, red pepper, avocado, applewood smoked bacon or house-smoked Canadian bacon starting at $1 extra.
Flood is also bringing back the Schooner Pig Fest, a pit-roasted party that sold out completely in 2006. This year’s event, which will be hosted again by Pig Master Rick and the Schooner Crew, is set for Saturday, Sept. 22, and will include a drawing for a new boat, trailer, motor, cover, crab pots and life vests. The prize, courtesy of Greg’s Marine of Garibaldi, is designed to help encourage patrons to bring a donation for the Tillamook Food Bank – four cans of food or $4 cash. Tickets to the celebratory roast, $30 each, will be available soon.
But the autumn pig roast still seems ages away. For now, you can enjoy the longer, more illuminated days, with a menu to match at the Schooner.
The Schooner Restaurant, just off the Three Capes Scenic Route four miles southwest of Tillamook, is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The bar is open from 7 a.m. to close on Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to close Monday through Friday. Reach the Schooner at 503-815-9900.
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