Oregon Coast by © Brandon Elijah Scott.
It was day six of my expedition from San Francisco to Portland, which has me touring the famous and magical Redwood forests of Northern California, before I started north on the 101 along the dramatic coast of Oregon. Finally seeing the redwoods made the trip, but my goodness, Oregon has some of the coolest natural places I’ve seen, and I’ve toured over 25 countries and almost every state. The photo opportunities came quick and effortlessly, making my job easy as every scene was gorgeous and striking, and the light painted every leaf and crevasse with a magical brush.
In the morning, I left Crescent City and visited Brookings briefly, before spending most of my time adventuring at the many eye-catching and dynamic stops of the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. I loved how the morning golden light made everything beautiful, full of emotion and history, and time. I couldn’t take my eyes off of every ocean wave that lapped onto the silky smooth beach, or crash with a blaze or glory against the crumbling rock formation. For the rest of the day, I continued north, stopping every few minutes to explore or take photos, or to simply sit and vibe with the great force that drives the ocean.
For dinner, I stopped at the Harbor Light Restaurant in Reedsport, Oregon because the local renown and reviews made it seem like the place to be. I pulled up at dinner time and nearly every table was full of delicious looking meals and every seat had a patron. I sat outside, which was lovely as the weather was perfect at around 70 degrees with low humidity, which was a far cry away from Ohio weather where it was peaking with days peaking at 85 degrees with moderately high humidity. The place was hopping with dozens waiting hungrily to be seated.
For dinner, I stopped at the Harbor Light Restaurant in Reedsport, Oregon because the local renown and reviews made it seem like the place to be. I pulled up at dinner time and nearly every table was full of delicious looking meals and every seat had a patron. I sat outside, which was lovely as the weather was perfect at around 70 degrees with low humidity, which was a far cry away from Ohio weather where it was peaking with days peaking at 85 degrees with moderately high humidity. The place was hopping with dozens waiting hungrily to be seated.
I had the pleasure to meet the chef and he was such a nice guy! Young, ambitious and obviously doing something very right. When I perused the menu, my eyes locked in and my heart leaped at the sight of elk shepherd’s pie. In my family, I’m famous for my lamb shepherd’s pie, which I slow cook for hours into a delicious gravy, then top with mushrooms, corn, carrot, mashed potatoes and cheddar. Now, if you’ve never had elk, I like it better than beef, bison and lamb. I’ve had a rack of elk in the Grand Tetons and I still dream of how amazing that meal was. I’ve also had elk steaks and they are always more flavorful and more tender than any other. So, of course I opted for the elk shepherd’s pie!
To start off, I ordered a small cup of clam chowder and it came with garlic bread, which was lovely and very creamy and flavorful. The garlic bread was juicy and buttery, with the right amount of strong garlicky goodness, cooked just how you want it, crunchy but soft inside. Mmm. The chef wanted me to try their fresh fried halibut and prawn, which was the absolute best I’ve ever had. And I’ve had fish 'n chips in a dozen different countries, and it was awesome. Yes, even England. So juicy and crunchy, and excellently prepared. The batter was spot on.
Speaking of perfectly prepared… Finally, the main event arrived. The mashed potatoes were piped on top, and they had a wonderful crispness. Traditional shepherd’s pie has no cheese on top, so that’s just a flourish of my own, and trust me, this dish didn’t need cheese. The flavor of the elk meat gravy was astounding. There were mushrooms inside and everything coalesced into a magical dining experience, where I may have overeaten because I gave in to the inner struggle of making myself stop taking bites. It was a brutal battle. But I had to stop. Seriously, the food was spectacular, so when you find yourself on the Oregon coast, don’t overlook Harbor Light in Reedsport. You won’t be disappointed!
To start off, I ordered a small cup of clam chowder and it came with garlic bread, which was lovely and very creamy and flavorful. The garlic bread was juicy and buttery, with the right amount of strong garlicky goodness, cooked just how you want it, crunchy but soft inside. Mmm. The chef wanted me to try their fresh fried halibut and prawn, which was the absolute best I’ve ever had. And I’ve had fish 'n chips in a dozen different countries, and it was awesome. Yes, even England. So juicy and crunchy, and excellently prepared. The batter was spot on.
Speaking of perfectly prepared… Finally, the main event arrived. The mashed potatoes were piped on top, and they had a wonderful crispness. Traditional shepherd’s pie has no cheese on top, so that’s just a flourish of my own, and trust me, this dish didn’t need cheese. The flavor of the elk meat gravy was astounding. There were mushrooms inside and everything coalesced into a magical dining experience, where I may have overeaten because I gave in to the inner struggle of making myself stop taking bites. It was a brutal battle. But I had to stop. Seriously, the food was spectacular, so when you find yourself on the Oregon coast, don’t overlook Harbor Light in Reedsport. You won’t be disappointed!
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