Nearly Normal's: All the Flavor, Without the Meat

What: Nearly Normal's "Gonzo Cuisine" - hearty vegetarian cuisine

Where: 109 Northwest 15th Street Corvallis, Ore.

Who: Anyone who wants to try something different, tasty, and healthy

Hours: Hours differ from summer to winter

Why: To try something a little different that won't clog your arteries

If you are looking for a place to eat that is out of the ordinary but isn’t a heart attack on a plate, Nearly Normal’s Gonzo Cuisine should definitely go on your list. With hearty food that fills you up, and flavors that tease the taste buds, this place has filled a niche that few have been able to fill in Corvallis.

The cool, creamy avocado complimenting the spice of the chipotle sauce that the Arizona tempeh (a soy product that is similar to tofu) is covered with creates an explosion of flavor. The crispiness of the lightly toasted white corn tortillas mixing with the crunch of the shredded cabbage and carrots as you bite into the taco gives this meal a firm texture that belies it’s “missing” ingredient.

The only thing that could be considered missing from this beautiful Mexican concoction is meat, but as a raging meat lover, I couldn’t even tell.

Hiding behind the Circle K on Monroe in Corvallis is Nearly Normal’s, a restaurant specializing in “Gonzo Cuisine.” Nearly Normal’s has been serving up this specialty of original recipes, including fresh and organic (if available) ingredients since 1979. Although they started off with a limited number of items on the menu, and even more limited eating space, through the years the menu and dining area have expanded.

Jamie Winter, a student at LBCC, highly recommends Nearly Normal’s. One of the cooks was her roommate for a while. “She surprised me a lot with her delicious leftovers.” Jamie says that her favorite was the chipotle tacos.

If “meat-aterians” give it a chance, they can find something to enjoy at Nearly Normal’s. The food is hearty and filling, with real flavor. Winter says, “I think if you are a lover of food at all you should definitely try it out! It's a fun new experience and no doubt about it the best vegetarian cuisine I have ever had.”

In the Dawg Haus

Tucked away in the little shopping centers that line the main drag of Corvallis called 9th street, there is an eatery that specializes in that American favorite, the hot dog.

AJ's Dawg Haus has a selection of ten different specialty hot dogs which you have your choice of an all beef hot dog or a Polish sausage, along with sandwiches and wraps. For those who are over 21, they also serve beer and have video poker machines.

Some of the specialty dogs include the Fire Dawg, served on a sandwich roll with hot sauce, jalapenos, onions and mustard, insuring that you will not have a date that day. There is also the Boston Dawg with ketchup, mustard and cheese. I tried the old standby of a Chili Dawg and was quite impressed.

All of the dogs and sausages come from Costco and are about a foot long. The Chili Dawg came piled with meaty chili, shredded cheddar cheese and diced onions. Also sitting on the side, even though there was almost no room for it, was a side of macaroni salad. This was not the kind of chili dog that you can just pick up and eat, it took a fork and knife to get it down.

With prices ranging from three dollars to four dollars for the Hot Dawgs and the sandwiches and wraps going for no more than $4.50, you can get an inexpensive lunch that will fill you up quite nicely.

Visit AJ's Dawg Haus at 1420 9th St. Corvallis, OR 97330.

On a Pillow of Egg

Beth's Cafe on Aurora in Seattle has been around since 1954 and they are famous for their omelettes. They only have two sizes there, the six egg and the 12 egg and each omelette comes with toast and all you can eat hashbrowns. Although I have never tried the 12 egg, I have had to split the six egg with a friend.

Beth's does carry a full menu of diner fare, including sandwiches and burgers, plus breakfast that is served 24 hours a day. As you sit down at a table, you can look around at the artwork on the walls. The walls are coated with crayon art from patrons of the restaurant. Blank paper and crayons are available at the front counter.

The omelette that we ordered came on a platter sitting on top of a slab of hashbrowns with four triangles of toast sitting on the side. You have your choice of white, wheat, sourdough, rye, or English Muffin. The sourdough smelled and tasted like it came straight from San Francisco.

The eggs of the omelette were fluffy, giving way to my fork easily. The cheese inside was melted and the veggies were soft without being over cooked. The hashbrowns were crispy on the outside without being too greasy on the inside.

As I said, although I have never attempted the 12 egg monster, I have had the luck of being at Beth's when someone has ordered it. Although he made it through the throw pillow sized egg concoction, he didn't quite finish the toast and hashbrowns. I give him a lot of credit for getting as far with it as he did.

Before: A pillow of egg.

After: Just some hashbrowns and toast left.

Hattie's Hat

Hidden in the Ballard district of Seattle is a wonderful restaurant and lounge called Hattie's Hat. As you walk into the door, the first thing you notice is the hand carved wooden bar that reaches to the ceiling. According to the website, it was carved in France and shipped to Seattle and installed in 1904.

The staff is very friendly and the environment is laid back. You seat yourself, grabbing a table or a place at the bar. The brunch menu contains the usual things such as Eggs Benedict, Biscuits and Gravy and Pancakes with Eggs.

The biscuits for the Biscuits and Gravy are large enough that one biscuit split in half covers the whole plate. You have your choice of white country gravy or the chicken gravy. I opted for the chicken gravy, with chunks of onion and a light spiciness, it complimented the large, fluffy buttermilk biscuit.

On my next visit, I tried the Chicken Fried Chicken and Eggs. Or as they call it, "the mother and child reunion". Although the humor was a little twisted on that one, I couldn't help myself. The Chicken breast was juicy, as I was able to cut it with a fork, and covered with the spicy chicken gravy. The hash browns still had the skins on them, being freshly made from real potatoes in the kitchen, instead of being dumped out of a bag into the pan. The reunion of the mother and the child was quite successful, as they both met in my stomach.

The crown jewel of the brunch menu is the Eggs Benedict. They are offered with your choice of ham, spinach/basil/garlic, or smoked salmon. The first bite of the Eggs Benedict was a wonderful mixture of creaminess from the hollandaise sauce, the salty flavor of the smoked salmon and the distinct flavor of the egg yolk. The English Muffin underneath was soaking up all those flavors together.

If you happen to be gluten intolerant, as my friend Wendy is, they will gladly make your Bennies without the muffin and throw some extra hash browns underneath the eggs for you.

I would recommend Hattie's Hat for anyone that would like to try something other than IHOP, Shari's or any other chain restaurant that can spit out heated up frozen food that tastes the same every time.