Coho Charters & Motel sits on the Ilwaco waterfront.

Passionate is a perfect description of Bob Neroni, who thrives at what he calls the dinner show, demonstrating his culinary skills in three acts at EVOO — an acronym for extra virgin olive oil – in Cannon Beach.

The restaurant, a local mainstay for nearly 20 years, is where Neroni deftly orchestrates epicurean evenings with three farm-to-table entrees, each paired with wine, to the delight of guests.

“He’s amazing,” said Lenore Emery-Neroni, co-owner and restaurant partner, admiring her husband. “Bob has to do most of the prep himself, as well as his chef role. Through it all, his energy has not flagged. I don’t know how he does it.”

Welcome to the show

EVOO’s unique chef’s table dining experience seats guests at a bar, facing an open kitchen. The restaurant’s dinner shows are not only a gastronomic adventure — a sample of the North Coast’s bounty — but a learning experience as well. Bob and Lenore have a long background in teaching in the food industry, and through the years, their mission has remained the same.

“We want to encourage everyone to savor local flavors and fall in love with cooking themselves,” Neroni said. “We both enjoy teaching the craft of cooking and our goal is to entertain and inspire. Delicious food does not have to be complicated.”

During Neroni’s show, guests look on, sipping wine as he prepares a seasonal entree. An evening menu may include act one: a coastal stew featuring poached calamari, steamed clams and mussels, a pan-seared salmon and rockfish, or grilled wild shrimp atop “zucchetti” with parsley fennel.

Then follows act two: grilled eggplant timbale filled with spicy lentils; smoked gouda and roasted chanterelle mushrooms; cucumber yogurt mint and feta salad. And act three is grass-fed lamb shank; truffle potato gnocchi; spinach salad with apple, pomegranate and maple vinaigrette.

Each entree is paired with wine. Then, of course, every show must have a finale, which may include chocolate almond cake with wine-ganache glaze, topped with whipped cocoa cream.

While cooking, Neroni maintains an amusing platter that includes tips on nutrition, food selection and preparation, as well as advice on kitchen equipment and food safety. And it’s not all one-sided entertainment — guests engage in lively discussions as they savor each plate.

“We love interacting with our visitors,” said Neroni. “We hope that by demonstrating cooking with whole foods from scratch is not only delicious and satisfying … that guests leave inspired to take what they’ve learned home with them.” 

EVOO Cannon Beach

188 S. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach

Dinner show reservations can be made by calling 503-436-8555 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, by texting 503-440-2793 or by email at chefbobneroni@gmail.com.

Reservations must be prepaid to hold the seats and cost $225 per person, plus a 10% gratuity. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination must be provided upon arrival. If you are unable to attend the dinner shows, advice and recipes are generously shared in Bob & Lenore’s cookbook online.

Want to see Neroni in action? Check out Bob Neroni on the North Coast Food Trail on YouTube.

www.evoocb.com

It’s a family affair

If you see a little guy toting a bag of ice down the dock at 4 a.m. in the misty Ilwaco fog, no worries, it’s just 8-year-old Peyton, doing what he’s been doing since he was 5 years old. That is, helping his grandpa, Butch, and his dad, AJ, known as “mooch,” prepare for the day’s fishing.

“He’s got our fishing genes,” said Butch Smith, owner of Coho Charters & Motel in Ilwaco. “I did the same thing when I was a kid,” Smith said. “At 5 years old I would get up early to go down to the boat to help my grandpa. I was paid 5 cents for each fish I hauled for a customer from the boat to the shore. Peyton continues the tradition, although today’s fishermen tip much better. And Peyton will even take your picture.”

Peyton represents the fifth-generation of the family-owned charter business, in operation since 1956. Fishing has come a long way since then — see their fleet of three boats equipped with the latest in electronics, providing respite from inclement weather with large, heated cabins and private bathrooms.

The charter company operates from May to December, offering a variety of catches depending on the season. Trips can be at the mouth of the Columbia River or “over the bar” into the Pacific Ocean, generally lasting six to eight hours.

Catching sturgeon and halibut is constrained to a limited number of days in early spring, whereas salmon make up most of the summer trips. Crabbing commences later in the year.

“During summer, when the runs are plentiful and they’re really biting, it can be pandemonium with all the excitement. Helping people land very spirited fish becomes what I call organized chaos,” said Smith.

“It can be a crazy frenzy, each boat with a deckhand and a skipper making certain 12 to 14 people are landing their catches,” he said. “Heading into (the) crabbing season is when I relax. We’ll have 10 people on board, and they are more leisurely, not having to do anything but ride along, unless they want to help.”

On crabbing trips, guests can enjoy the ride and savor the scenery without the hassle of rods and gear. They have the opportunity to join in the fun if they wish, reeling in baskets full of crab, helping sort, measure and count “keepers” to toss into the holding tank.

Not to worry if someone does decide to help: the skipper gives a lesson on how to handle a crab without getting snipped by pinchers. Back on shore, the crabs are boiled up, cooled down, and divided up to customers to take home — a dozen each.

“You don’t have to be experienced to fish or to go crabbing,” said Smith. “We welcome rookies and kids. It’s great seeing the elation of beginners when they land that first fish. “By the way, women always out-fish the men,” added Smith, chuckling. “They listen to instructions. They don’t have bad habits. And they don’t have any ego involved. I welcome every day as ladies day on my boat.”

“The life of a fisherman,” concluded Smith. “It couldn’t be better with the whole family involved. My son, Mooch, doubling as skipper, my wife, Terri, running the office, my daughter and daughter-in-law helping out too. And we’ve got another little one ready to follow his big brother, Peyton. We’re ready to help.”

Coho Charters & Motel

237 Howerton Way, Ilwaco, Wash.

Crabbing tours cost $125 per person, while sturgeon and salmon tours are $160 per person and halibut tours run at $300 per person.

Licenses can also be purchased in the office. Group rates and on-site accommodations are available.

www.cohocharters.com