Dory Cove: Down But Not Out

As a child, every other year or so we ventured out from the Colorado mountains for the pebbled beaches of Lincoln City, Oregon. My favorite beaches are those along the Oregon coast. I'll take their rugged, rocky, frigid-lapped stretches over a white sand California or Florida beach any day. Even as an adult, no trip to Oregon to visit my family is complete without the Lincoln City pilgrimage.

And the pilgrimage itself is unthinkable without a visit to Dory Cove, the little seafood place on a bluff overlooking the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean where I always ordered clam chowder and The Captain's Plate, a massive mixture of fish, shrimp, clams, oysters and scallops. Opened in 1973 (the year I was born) by a retiring Air Force Master Sergeant who'd never before operated a restaurant, the Dory Cove quickly became a staple of Lincoln City.

I just learned this afternoon that the Dory Cove was gutted by a fire at the end of November and completely destroyed.

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In just a few weeks, Lincoln City will hold a fund raiser for the beloved eatery. The owners intend to rebuild on the original site.

And when they open, I will be there. Maybe not on opening night, but I will be there. And for many years to come.