Egad . . .

Just before beginning to write, I changed TV stations and found a movie starring the actor who played (murder victim) Laura Palmer’s father in Twin Peaks. Eerie, isn’t it?

A few things you need to know about the Roadhouse, that Twin Peaks den of iniquity and the location for nefarious deeds and illicit assignations. First, when the series was filmed the restaurant was called The Colonial Inn. Second, only the exterior of the building was used. Interiors were filmed somewhere in Seattle. Third, if you are going to eat in the Fall City restaurant now named the Roadhouse, don’t wait until you are hungry. The kitchen is so-o-o-o-o slow that you will be ready to eat the paper napkin before the food arrives. Arrive before you are hungry and be assured you’ll be hungry when the food arrives.

The restaurant wasn’t busy when we went in, so we were immediately seated. Our server was prompt with water and menus, took our drink order, returned with our drinks, and took our food order all within a reasonable period of time. Then our wait began and went on and on and on. Our server came to our table twice to say that our food should be right out. And we waited. And we waited.

So what did we order that took so long? Nothing at all complicated. The lunch menu lists half dozen appetizers, some salads, and maybe a dozen sandwiches and entrees. Some looked intriguing like: the meatloaf made with beef and spicy Italian sausage and served with salad, mashed potatoes, and gravy; the four cheese (cheddar, jack, parmesan, and boursin) mac and cheese topped with buffalo chicken with a side salad; and the Asian tuna burger with wasabi mayo and Bibb lettuce. But we decided to enjoy an appetizer mélange – black bean chili with grilled flat bread, salt and pepper calamari, and the garlic shrimp quesadilla.

Well, the chef/cook finally came back from his lunch break and we finally received our food. Let’s start with the chili. I would have liked more chili heat, but this was still a delicious combination of black beans, ground beef, onions, and green peppers and was gently seasoned with cumin and topped with grated cheddar cheese. With the chili came an ample number of grilled flatbread triangles. These could be used to scoop portions of the chili, or as we did, to spread on large spoonfuls of the soup and used as a conveyance between bowl and mouth.

The quesadilla contained a large measure of sweet and juicy split shrimp and whole roasted garlic cloves. But could someone make a quesadilla and not use what must be a whole pound of cheese? One really does not need that much cheese to glue two flour tortillas together – even when trying to trap shrimp and garlic. With the quesadilla came small cups of sour cream, guacamole (very good guacamole!), and pico de gallo.

And I don’t know why the calamari was described as salt and pepper, since I discerned neither in the coating. And a few of the rings were a bit on the chewy side. But I am particularly fond of the very tiny (they almost look like spiders) squid pieces, and at least half of this order was the baby squid. The coating, while lacking the salt and pepper, was still thin and crisp. And the accompanying remoulade sauce was full of spicy Creole mustard that made me think of New Orleans.

This is a restaurant with possibilities, but too many were missed on our visit. So I am only awarding the Roadhouse a generous 3.5 Addies.

On our way back to our campground, we passed this building which seemed to be a residence now.

There was a notice placed in the wooden case out front asking for old photographs of the building when it was a Methodist Episcopal Church.