Since we moved to Birch Bay eight years ago, CJ's Beachhouse (and its predecessor) has been the place we take visitors. The Black Forest is now our place for special occasions. We will continue to go to CJ's. (Last Tuesday we were there for two meals – the Chamber luncheon and again in the early evening with Eli Friedlob, Matt Krogh of RE Sources, and Robin Everett of the Sierra Club who were responsible for The Coal Hard Truth event later that evening. Also there was Lindsay Taylor, formerly of N-SEA and now part of the RE Sources team.)
Our special dinner at Black Forest was August 13 for our 201st lunaversary (we celebrate months of marriage). After we split a garlic prawns appetizer, we both had small filets Oskar, a very good use of artichokes, followed by Black Forest Cake – just one piece with two forks, and we took half home. This meal called for two glasses of wine. First a Pinot Grigio, then a Malbec from Argentina. The price, over $100, was well worth this meal.
This past Saturday we went to the art show at Birch Bay Square. Should we eat at the burger place? But we had seen the Black Forest Happy Hour Bar Menu in the Northern Light. Between four and six we could eat as inexpensively as burger prices. When we sat down in the big dining room where we had eaten the week before, we were quickly told that the Happy Hour menu is only available 
in the bar. There we found more people than in the dining room, yet Bob the bartender was prepared to treat us well.
This time we split the Scallops Christina and three glasses of the same wines as the week before.
Ruth ordered Olympic Crab Cakes and Al a “nake
d burger” (no bun) with mushrooms. For each of these items we paid less than $10, bringing the total to $45.60 with tax before tip. When we got home we found a little piece of last week's Black Forest Cake in the fridge. We both had enough with glasses of Citra Merlot from Rite Aid.
For someone who started his first restaurant in White Rock in 1968 and now has 49 of them, Jack Niemann may be the most modest owner in the world. The hostesses are dressed like LA, the waiters wear black pants and white shirts with ties, but Jack sports worn jeans and a simple golf shirt. And he enjoys talking with people – no airs.
He quickly agrees that the room, converted from a bank building, is too noisy (he is hiring an acoustal expert to change that), and he is delighted with success: “Friday night was crazy!”
“Bob, the bartender,” Jack says, “was explaining to a couple that we have this nice little local wine; the couple said 'That's us; we own the Dakota Creek Winery'.”
P.S. Steve, the master waiter who used to work at CJ's – he smoothly served the BBCC luncheons by himself – is now at Black Forest.
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