Some of my best days in life are those when I take my beloved doggy Oakley out to Manzanita for a romp, usually on the spur of the moment. I try to go at least twice a month, but am happy if I can make it happen even more than that.
A few weeks ago, I was doing the loop to Manzanita from my favored Route 6 via Tillamook. It’s a little longer, but worth it because it’s more scenic, and because there’s less traffic than one would encounter on Route 26. I took a side road that passes a little private drive called Bullshit Lane, and was sorry to see that the artichoke farm nearby had no artichokes growing yet, or stand where one could buy a few. They’re usually gigantic, and really cool to see growing, especially with the mountains as a backdrop. You pass the Tillamook Cheese factory and then some pretty cool islands off on the driver’s side north of Garibaldi, buzzing through Rockaway Beach and then the cute little town of Wheeler, before you hit very picturesque Nehalem Bay. The next town up is Manzanita, and it’s my favorite beach of all. Oakley is always patient on this drive. It’s worth the time for a dog or a human, but especially both (I think he’d have a hard time doing this without me).
I’d never stopped at Wanda’s but was always curious about it. So, as my first realization that I must do this in the name of “research” (I say this half seriously but always with salivating tongue-in-cheek), I stopped in for a small lunch. It’s a lot cuter inside than you think it’s going to be from the outside. It reminded me of a bed and breakfast we once stayed at in Calistoga years ago. Blue and white chairs, campy decorations but tastefully done. There was a TV doubling as a fake aquarium.
The menu is a breakfast/lunch deal, and is full of delicious choices. I wasn’t too hungry, so I ordered the half club sandwich with avocado (the server asked me if I wanted that added) and soup–tomato garlic. The sandwich was everything you think of when you think of the bounty of Oregon food. Delicious seemingly homemade wheat toast with rich red tomatoes, large chunks of avocado, romaine, and thick peppery bacon, with a touch of mayo. The soup was quite special, although it could have been a bit hotter. All this for six bucks. And it was quite enough to fuel a great walk. (We ended up doing six miles, as I could verify from my MyTracks app on my Droid.) The day was great, and Wanda’s was a part of it.
During the next t
rip out, I stopped there with Austin. We surely could have been more adventurous in what we ordered, but the same delicious half-sandwich and this time, the Peasant soup, were exactly what we felt like. The Peasant soup was overflowing with chunks of sweet potatoes and vegetables, and was extremely tasty.
A friend told me that the Huevos Rancheros at Wanda’s were amazing, and it wasn’t until we were walking the beach that I remembered. No problem. Leaves me another reason to stop in.
Again, a great little spot. Great to know about.
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