Yippee! The VI Resaurant and Tavern is off an running. The photo shows a very happy group of guests on opening night, which was December 2, 2009.

The remodeling included an all new kitchen and face lifts to the Tavern and Dining room, and the food is now receiving rave reviews...virtually from every diner.

We are open 7 days a week, from 8:00 AM until 9:00 PM, serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Here's a partial list of some of our Menu items (but there's a lot more):

SOUPS:
CLASSIC FRENCH ONION CROCK 7
GARDEN VEGETABLE TOMATO Bowl 8 Cup 6
NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER Bowl 8 Cup 6

SALADS:
VI HOUSE GARDEN SALAD full 8 half 5
Butter lettuce, romaine, carrots, beets, cucumber, and tomato

VI CHOPPED SALAD full 9 half 7
Iceberg lettuce, corn, black beans, cucumber, tomato, egg, green beans, bacon, and crumbled blue cheese

DRESSINGS: ranch, blue cheese, thousand island,
green apple vinaigrette, and Italian balsamic

UN-CLASSIC “SESAR” (named for our executive chef, Jeff Sesar) full 9 half 6
Romaine lettuce, radicchio, zesty Caesar dressing, croutons, and shaved Manchego cheese

BABY SPINACH SALAD full 9 half 7
Baby spinach, walnuts, red onion, bacon, figs, goat cheese, and pomegranate vinaigrette

Add Grilled Chicken 4 Add Grilled Shrimp 6

APPETIZERS:

NORTH PACIFIC OYSTER TRIO 8
Rockefeller style, gazpacho shooter, green apple vinaigrette
Additional oysters 2

SWEET POTATO CRAB CAKES 12
Chili Citronet sauce

BAKED STUFFED PRAWNS 12
Scallop mousse, tomato vodka cream

GRILLED VEGETABLE TART 8
Roasted red and yellow pepper puree

ROASTED VEGETABLE TOWER 8
Apricot curry glaze and couscous

AHI TUNA MARTINI 12
Seaweed salad, ginger ice, crisp wontons, and cucumber wasabi dressing

SMOKED CHICKEN AND WILD MUSHROOM TERRINE 10
Dried fruit chutney, red onion jam, and whole grain mustard


SPECIALTIES:

PAELLA PORTUGUESE 24
A savory delight with sausage, chicken, clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, and saffron rice

ROASTED PUMPKIN GNOCCHI 21
Duck confit, pancetta, brown butter, and sage

SMOKED SALMON & GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI 20
Black trumpet mushroom scallion broth

BROKEN ARROW RANCH ANTELOPE SHORT RIBS 24
“Osso Buco” Style with pappardelle pasta

CHERRY MARSALA GLAZED HALF CHICKEN 24
Wild mushroom risotto and butternut squash puree

COLORADO LAMB DUET 28
Pistachio-crusted rack chops and slow roasted leg with sundried tomato polenta and ratatouille

PORK LOIN BRACCIOLA 20
Tenderloin, aromatic vegetable stuffing. Capellini tossed with a pomodoro sauce

THAI STYLE BARBECUED DUCK BREAST 25
Coconut curry vegetable noodles and crispy spring rolls

STEAKS & SEAFOOD

FILET MIGNON 12 oz 32 / 8 oz 26

N.Y. SIRLOIN STRIP 14 oz 26

IRON SKILLET SIRLOIN 9 oz 17

BONE-IN RIB-EYE, COWBOY STYLE 16 oz 34

PACIFIC SEA BASS 10 oz 24

KING SALMON 10 oz 24

COLD WATER LOBSTER TAIL 8 oz 33


All Steak and Seafood are served with a green vegetable sauté, choice of side, and sauce

Sides: butter herb linguini, roasted bliss potatoes, rice pilaf, or twice-baked potato

Sauces: red wine demi glace, tomatillo sauce, porcini mushroom butter, or lemon caper sauce

OK! So now, come stay with us and enjoy the culinary delights of the VI Restaurant and Tavern.

A New Restaurant in the Inn!

After October 10th, 2009, Curley's Grill will no longer be the restaurant in the Victorian Inn. He intends to find another venue for his "friends of fine food", and we wish him the very best.

The Victorian Inn will be featuring its own restaurant, named The VI, after some renovations and up-grading to the premises. Curley's will definetely be a hard act to follow, but we intend to do our very best to meet the challenge, with the help of some great talent in the culinary world.

We'll keep you up-dated as we progress!

Coming Soon: Happy Birthday, America!

This photo reminded me of the patriotic nature of our city of Ferndale, Ca., and of the two bald eagle that have taken up residence here. (See our earlier Ferndale blog, below). Also, our recent annual observance of Memorial Day, with its great parade and the townspeople following it up to the cemetery to participate in our Memorial Service, has placed me in a mood of great appreciation for our American way of life.

This has prompted me to suggest that if you plan to be in this area in the next month or so, why not make it on July 4th, and get a taste of how small town America celebrates our national birthday? If you're nearby anyway, enjoying a California Redwoods vacation or simply reading a redwoods blog, treat yourself to a side trip and come on in to town...and get a patriotism fix! Here's the line up:

Rides - Parade - Picnic - Show - Fireworks!

Independence Day Fire Engine Rides. Ferndale Volunteer Firefighters celebrate with an old-fashioned treat for the kids: a free ride on a gleaming fire engine. 10 a.m. to noon.

Parade. Ferndale Repertory Theatre, assisted by Ferndale Kiwanis and the Chamber of Commerce, organize an artful Independence Day parade at noon.

Picnic. Ferndale Rotary Club cooks up an Independence Day picnic after the parade. Hot dogs or burgers (including veggie burger option), potato salad, beans and Humboldt Creamery ice cream with chocolate syrup. Hot dog meal, $4; burger meal, $6.

Patriotic Musical Revue, "Celebrate America." This very popular 4th of July show begins at the Ferndale Repertory Theatre at 3 p.m. and features the Scotia Band under the direction of Michael McClimon and Betty Diehl conducting the Chameleon Singers.

Fireworks! Bear River Casino organizes a fireworks display for the family to watch from the grandstands at the fairgrounds in Ferndale.

On second thought, don't just come for the day..,come and stay with us in The Victorian Inn or Redwood Suites for the whole weekend! You could sure do worse in celebrating the 4th of July! And if you're a visitor from another country, you are especially welcome. We would love to share this colorful and wonderful holiday with you.

Here comes the Kinetic Universe!

The Kinetic Universe! That's the new name for the folks behind our 40 year old Kinetic Sculpture Race, founded right here in the city of Ferndale, Ca, way back then. We thought we'd add the information to our Ferndale blog to give you a heads up. The Kinetic Racers will "roar" into town on the third and final day of the race (Monday, May 25th, Memorial Day Weekend). Even though we recently purchased the Hobart's Gallery building, it was formerly the home of the Glorious Founder of the race, Hobart Brown, and has been the traditional finish line for the race. And so it is again this year! If you're anywhere nearby, maybe on a California redwoods vacation or whatever, you should take a side trip into Ferndale and witness this over-the-top event.

Come into town a little earlier on the same day and you can join us in watching our Memorial Day Parade, following it up to the cemetery where the town holds its Memorial Day Service. Folks, this is small town America at its best!

This info isn't exactly our usual redwoods blog, but we hope you enjoy it. And we know you'll enjoy Ferndale if you're here on Memorial Day Weekend.

The Candystick Building is Restored

As many visitors to our Ferndale blog already know. the historic Candystick building was a total loss to an early morning fire last September. Now, its' restoration is nearly complete and should be occupied by new tenants by mid-June, 2009. This restoration has been a labor of love to prevent the city of Ferndale, Ca. from losing one of it acclaimed beauties.

DCI Builders have been the contractors for most of the work, while the beautifully re-created architectural accent pieces have been lovingly restored by Marc Daniels, the son of Victorian Inn owners.

The new retail occupant will be Karen Pingitore and her Ferndale Clothing Company, as she combines her current three locations under one roof. So now we have a great new building and a great new tenant. So, on your next California Redwoods vacation, stop and take a look at an old new building. And stop in to say hi to us, too!

North Coast Cuisine at Curley's, Victorian Inn

Our guests are almost 100% interested in "where do we eat?" and "where's the best place to eat?" So, to help them out, our Ferndale blog and our Redwoods blog may now be referred to as our "Foodies blog".

Humboldt County is a secret haven for hard-core foodies, even if they're on a California Redwoods vacation. Do you crave Asian fusion? You can find it here in the city of Ferndale Ca. Do you dream of succulent treats drizzled in mystifying reduction sauces? Say no more. Does seafood tickle your fancy? Well...you get the idea.

Recently, our lovely local public television station (KEET) has been airing a special series called “North Coast Cuisine". Last weeks episode of “North Coast Cuisine,” a six-part series featuring local chefs and food producers, was hosted by Curley Tait and Dustin Valance of Curley's Grill in Ferndale's Victorian Inn, with a feature from the Farmers Market.

In 1995, Curley Tait opened the doors to Curley's Grill in the Victorian Village of Ferndale. Today, filling the ground floor of the historic Victorian Inn, Curley's Grill is known for its elegant yet friendly atmosphere and consistent quality. Meals are skillfully prepared and presented, while desserts are showcased tableside.

So, whether you're an Inn guest or not, you now know the "best place to eat".

(Some of this text was excerpted from the Times-Standard April 9 issue)

"The Secret Garden" at the Rep

Here comes a great thing to do when visiting Ferndale this spring. Starting April 2 and continuing until April 26, The Ferndale Repertory Theatre will be presenting "The Secret Garden", a beloved family musical full of breathtaking songs. Set in 1906, a young girl is forced to move to England from colonial India. She discovers a hidden and neglected garden, and, bravely overcoming her uncle's resistance, nurses it back to life, bringing love and hope to her invalid cousin and uncle.

There will be a preview and actor's benifit on Thursday, April 2, followed by performances every Friday and Saturday evening. Each Sunday will feature a matinee performance, with it all ending on April 26.

Let us know at the front desk and we'll arrange tickets for you. Its a "do not miss".

For Doubting Thomas (or "Roby") at Wowi Zowi

By Golly, that's a good question. (See comment to previous posting) Especially coming from someone living down in San Clemente where they actually put fake owls with pre-recorded screeching on roof tops to scare off the seagulls. Of course he would doubt that we would have "real" Bald Eagles here in Ferndale. So, just to allay his suspicions, we are including a close-up of another photo we took at the same time which shows the birds heads and bodies in slightly different positions. Besides that, they flew off soon after...so they must be real!

Spring and New Residents of Ferndale

The spring-like days here are absolutely gorgeous! After the long and much needed rains we've had recently, it's wonderful to enjoy these beauty filled days. Everything's green and fresh.

One of the coolest things we have right now, in my opinion, are the two new residents of the Eel River Valley shown in the photo. That's right, we now have our own pair of bald eagles. I can't say I blame them for moving here! To me, it's extra inspiring when you consider their ability to literally choose any place they want to live, and they chose Ferndale. Well, so did we! Now that I think about it, that's what we want you to do for your next getaway.

The Victorian Inn & Ferndale...Our New Blog!

OK. Let's get started. Starting now, we will be posting items we think will be interesting to our Inn guests and/or other visitors to Ferndale, The Victorian Village. And we trust that you will be motivated to add your posts from time to time, covering your personal experiences or observations about this, one of the truly special places on the planet. We may share some anecdotes about our positive experiences with our guests, or some funny ones, or perhaps some pensive ones. We also plan to keep you abreast of up-coming events and happenings in Ferndale, the Eel River Valley and Humboldt County in general. We may also report on some recently held events that we hope will prove interesting too. Our Inn and our village are small in comparison other areas (Ferndale has approximately 1400 residents) but our capacity to share and enjoy life, often including our guests in key roles, is huge. Let's see if, over time, we can find ways to convey, in print, that way of sharing and enjoying with you.

Two Fun Events Next Week...Both Invigorating!

If you're a lover of the great outdoors, this next week in Ferndale ought to be just your cup of tea. On March 7th & 8th come out to the Fly-Off Weekend at Humboldt Wildlife Refuge and live the breathtaking experience of watching tens of thousands of Aleutian geese fly off at sunrise. The gates open at 6 AM, and there will be ongoing events for children and adults throughout the weekend. Call 707-733-5406 for more info.

Also, on Sunday, you might get a kick out of joining in on the Foggy Bottoms Milk Run, a family event with the courses running flat on roads surrounded by beautiful farmlands and Victorian homes. Or just come and watch. The start and finish lines are right in front of the Victorian Inn. Call 707-822-1861 for more info.