The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: cheese

  • Queso is king in Loleta

    Queso is king in Loleta

    Nobody is re-imagining one of America’s classic foods as deliciously as the Queso Kings.

    Now and then, life gets hard. Our jobs, our studies, hell, even our passions can wear us out. When it comes to getting away from it all and finding our happy places, there are all sorts of way to do it. One of the ways to de-stress is with some good old comfort food. Sometimes, finding that perfect meal can feel impossible.

    Comfort foodies, your search is over. Nestled in a modest farm town of 750 people lies Humboldt County’s cheesiest secret: Queso Kings Grilled Cheese Bar in Loleta.

    What could be so special about a piece of melted cheese between toasted bread? Queso Kings is delicious, and it won’t hurt your wallet either. Any sandwich on the menu is $7, unless you want a meal, which comes with soup for $11.

    Walking in to the cheese bar there is a chalkboard menu with names like “Mardi Gras,” “Smokin’ Pig” and “After School Special.” Around the corner, cheese samples line the walls, creations from the Loleta Cheese Factory who supplies the grilled cheese bar with their queso, with a variety that will make you happier than a hungry college student at Costco on a Saturday.

    The first was “The Divine Order,” a simple and yummy combination of herb and spice havarti with grilled chicken on rustic country bread. The havarti was gooey, sweet and buttery, pairing perfectly with the chicken. The toast was crunchy and light, but the cheese was just bomb. The “Divine Order” tasted like it was anointed by the pope and kissed by Jesus before it was put into the basket.

    Next up was the “Bay Area Brisket,” made with tender and juicy brisket, roasted garlic jack and smokey cheddar on sliced sourdough. The combination of garlic jack and smoked cheddar brought together a savory flavor that will send your taste buds on a vacation. It is the perfect comfort food with the brisket to top it off, adding an extra layer of flavor and heartiness to the sandwich.

    Next to the “Divine Order,” the brisket was the absolute winner. The gooey jack cheese mixed with the sharpness of the cheddar made that sandwich and you will definitely be going back to get another bite.

  • Pondering on Pizza

    Pondering on Pizza

    By | Phil Santos

    Do it well or don’t do it at all. That’s what I’m thinking everytime I go out for a slice of cheese pizza. This town has a surprising number of pizza joints (six), but they all have one thing in common: their cheese pizza game could use some work. With so many places to get pizza, why can’t my cheesy needs be met?

    It’s my suspicion that this is because Arcata is a rural town. Most HSU students hail from urban areas, be it Los Angeles, San Diego or other metropolitan areas. As someone who has lived in LA and San Diego, I can say that one of the perks of city life is the range of choice you get. Finding a place that bakes a a top-tier slice of cheese pizza is a lot easier if there are more places to choose from. It seems like we have choices in Arcata, but it’s an illusion and you can’t get away from it. In a city, you can go somewhere else if you don’t like what you find. However, if you don’t like what you find in Arcata, you quickly realize that you’re six hours away from any well- established city. This is the rural trap that HSU students are stuck in.

    Sometimes the cynical side of me wonders if this is why the pizza game in Arcata needs improvement. Is the pizza here subpar, because business owners recognize that HSU students have no other options but to buy their pizza? I doubt that’s the sole driver behind the issue in pizza quality, but I’m sure it’s a factor. Regardless, it doesn’t change the reality that we are residents in a rural area who are essentially confined to the limited choices offered by Arcata businesses.

    What I would like to see change in Arcata is much in alignment with my opening statement. With understanding the need for price diversification, I’d like to see less pizza places and better quality pizza. I understand that some establishments wouldn’t be able to “do pizza” at all if they had to do it well. But I don’t think that justifies why several of them get to “do pizza” okay-iish.

    Bill Withers once sang a song that might’ve been about this very issue where he says, “Just do what you do, and do it good.”