((530) 926-1050
Good friends, good food, good coffee and a relaxed atmosphere are my recipe for the perfect evening out. So a few friends and I headed for Mount Shasta in search of a kick back place to have a nice dinner and a few laughs. A sweet young man at local grocery store suggested a unique little place called Stage Door Cabaret. We found it easily at 414 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd. right downtown. A coffee house that also serves beer and wine and fine dining under one roof, my kind of place.
Hurrying in from the cold we were delighted to be greeted by the scent of fresh brewing coffee . A crackling fire burned in the woodstove of the front dining area. A couple was curled up on one of the sofas in front of the woodstove with their mocha lattes chatting about their day. It was almost like walking into a friends house for an evening get together. There is a shelf in the corner full of board games and several cookie jars full to the brim with an assortment of sinful treats. The cookies, brownies, muffins, cakes and pastries were all fresh baked and very inviting.
We started our evening meal with an excellent medium French roast coffee. Our menus came with fresh baked bread complimented by a sun-dried tomato, pesto, garlic butter that was just to die for. I ordered the Dungeness crab cakes as they are the house specialty of Chef Bryan Bailey. Served with a citrus aioli sauce on a bed of organic mixed greens this light, delicately crispy homemade sensation inspired me to eat myself way passed stuffed. Our table also enjoyed the chicken fettuccini alfredo made with local fresh pasta. The traditional garlic, nutmeg cream sauce was so rich and delicious that every drop got mopped up with the last slice of bread. Our third selection was the honey mustard pork medallions served with roasted red potatoes and fresh grilled veggies. The very tasty house marinade was sweet and tangy, perfect for the tender medallions you could cut with a fork. The price of each of the wonderful meals was $14.95. Stage Door Cabaret has excellent food at a hometown price. The most expensive dinner item is the filet mignon at $17.95. Marinara and alfredo pasta dishes start at $11.95. The Cajun pasta with shrimp, linguica, clams, tri-peppers and red onion with a light, mildly spicy Cajun cream sauce is $ 15.95. Being a seafood lover, I plan to try this spicy delight on our next visit. Several garden fresh salads, two Fusilli dishes and a couple stir frys offer plenty scrumptious healthy choices. The breakfast and lunch menus are also full of special treats such as homemade quiche with hashbrown potatoe crust and ingredients that change daily. Yummy. The Roasted Portobello Rueben, with melted swiss, sauerkraut and Russian dressing, was another selection I plan to try. A Panini Grilled Albacore Tuna Melt, A Wild Salmon Burger and Greek Wrap with feta cheese, hummus, tomatoes, olives, cucumber and organic spring mix of greens are just a few of the selections that offer something different from the every day. All lunches come with a choice of potatoe salad, corn chips or side green salad. No french fries at the Stage Door Cabaret but you can get an organic Prather Ranch Beef burger for $8.95. Sticking with a delicious and affordable menu lunch sarts at $4.00 for a cup of the piping hot chili or homemade soup of the day and tops out at $11.95 for the huge Club Sald packed with turkey, ham ,bacon and and a ton of fresh greens and veggies. The breakfast menu consists of all those wonderful baked goods I mentioned, Frittatas, a Breakfast Wrap, Bagels with a variety of toppers, yogurt with fruit and Stage Door Cabaret’s own homemade granola. Breakfast prices start at $1.50 for a plain Bagel and top out at $8.95 for the Frttatas with the works. For those of you who prefer the traditional American breakfast ham or bacon and eggs with roasted red potatoes is still just $6.95. Several dessert options were offered by Danielle, our lovely and bubbly server, including my favorite creme brule, but we were just to full to try them. Maybe next time.
Not only does Stage Door Cabaret have a New Age feel and great food they also have live entertainment regularly and open mic poetry nights. The back room has a professional stage and plenty of candlelit seating for the easy listening and poetry nights. When musical artists of the dancing variety perform the backroom transforms to accomodate those of you who like to cut a rug. Variety is the spice of life and Stage Door Cabaret understands that. Their events calendar really mixes it up. Please visit their website at www.stagedoorcabaret.com for upcoming guests and events. Check often as they update the events page regularly and you never know what or who may be coming next.
Owner Tom O’Hara is also an artist and several of his paintings are on display and available for sale. My favorite was a southwest scene that reminded of a place I once visited in New Mexico. Mr. O’Hara prices each one by request. There are several to choose from and each is drastically different. He is quite talented and also has a great eye for the unusual. The front dining room wall sports a print of a Tyrannosaurus Rex in pajamas and night cap reading a book of bedtime stories. All in all Stage Door Cabaret is a unique experience that is far more than just eating out. Next time you are up Mount Shasta way drop in and check it out. It’s like nowhere you’ve dined before.
