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Harbor Bar and Grill: a culinary halfway house

Coleharbor, North Dakota, is a different kind of place. About halfway between Minot and Bismarck on U.S. Highway 83, it has about that same number of residents (83), and from the looks of it, every single one of them must have been at the iconic Harbor Bar and Grill last Saturday, June 6. An all-wood structure, it has a prominent sign on the front, a deck with tables and chairs on the side, and looks like an old country saloon that has seen its share of stories. What was amazing was the number of cars parked in front of it and on both sides of the service road beside U.S. 83, for a block or more both north and south.

When we entered the front door, there were a couple ladies in line at the women’s restroom, so we asked them if it was possible to be served outside on the deck since it was a beautiful day. One of the ladies said no, they didn’t have enough staff to cover the exterior of the building. To the right of us was a room not much bigger than your living room, and there were four tables seating maybe 15 people. We ducked left and entered what looked like a very busy bar with a half wall in the middle. On our side of the wall were four tables. This was the “family area.” On the other side of the wall were six more tables, in the “bar area.” Other than the low wall, it was all one big room, and the bar had eight stools. The “kitchen” was in full view, with only a rack of plates between us and two people working furiously in a tiny space between the grill and a shallow counter, which was the only work area.

The dining room was crowded, and the first thing I noticed was that virtually all wall and even ceiling space was covered with various signs, mostly advertising various brands of beer, punctuated by an occasional attempt at wit, such as “Do not drink water. Fish crap in it.” The walls, ceiling and floor were all of roughhewn wood planks, mostly 1-inch by 12-inch. The room would have been crowded, even without people in it, with six tables, some wood octagonals and others square and Formica-topped. Lots of stools. Nothing fancy. However, none of the wall space was wasted, and pull-tab machines, popcorn machines, and even a dealer’s blackjack table crowded in. This was all relevant, as we were soon to learn. We sat at a table that would have accommodated six, but we had barely sat down when guests began to squeeze behind us in order to access the pull-tab machines. We changed stools a couple times before we figured out how to get out of everyone’s way.

Sauerkraut soup

Our server, Christine, who divides her time between here and another restaurant in Underwood, was as nice and friendly as she could be, and we soon had Mules served in shiny and very chilled copper cups. A Peach Mule, with Stoli peachik vodka, ginger beer and lime, and an Irish Mule, with Jameson Irish whiskey, ginger beer and lime, prove to be cold, refreshing and unique combinations that immediately set the mood for a fun experience. Carolyn had a salad, and I experimented with sauerkraut soup. This dish definitely tasted of sauerkraut, but was creamy and light, with a hint of lemon, slices of sausage and an edge of salt – a delightful and unexpected surprise. All the soups at the establishment are homemade and change every day.

Since the Harbor Bar and Grill is famous for its steaks and prime rib on Thursday through Sundays, we knew what at least one of our entrees would be. The prime rib – advertised as 12 oz., but looking more like 20 – was priced at $21.95 and was different from most prime ribs I’ve ever had. I did not have the opportunity to verify this with anyone, but it appeared that it had been marinated and slow cooked, almost like a roast. It was slightly overcooked for my taste, but it was fall-apart tender.

The jumbo shrimp stuffed with three kinds of cheese, crab meat (imitation) and shrimp, were crunchy on the exterior, with a creamy, sweet taste on the interior, almost like a dessert.

You have a choice of potatoes: baked; creamy potatoes; or a special mashed potato with carrots, scallions and sun-dried tomatoes that tasted like it had cream cheese in it, too.

The Harbor Angels

Even though the place was quickly filling up, I still couldn’t account for all the cars and pick-ups outside so I went exploring out back to investigate. Much to my astonishment, there was a full-scale auction going on with perhaps another 30 or 40 bidders and onlookers. There is a local group that call themselves the Harbor Angels, and about eight times a year they hold an auction for the benefit of someone in need, often a cancer victim. The families of these individuals are responsible for contacting merchants in the county and soliciting donations of brand new goods, which are then auctioned off.

The Harbor Bar and Grill is handicapped accessible and is well known for its steaks and burgers. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, gets crowded and noisy, and has mature and friendly servers who hustle without making you feel rushed. Depending on what sport is showing on the television monitors, your conversation may be occasionally interrupted with loud cheers and a rush towards the bar. It caters to the locals as well as the tourist trade at Lake Sakakawea, and the Minot-Bismarck travel corridor. Also, there is a plate sharing charge of $3.50, a practice I understand but am not fond of. The owner, Michelle Pfeiffer, who hails from Zap, tells me she has the place up for sale. Anyone with a hankering to become a restaurateur?

The sovereign consumer

Have you ever wondered how restaurant owners, or their chefs, decide what to put on their menus? If they are smart, and want to stay in business, they will sell what their customers want to buy, want to eat. That is why many restaurants, especially franchised operations, keep an iron grip on the menu. Some restaurants are hampered by their success; they are so busy with their current fare that no one has the time to be creative and experiment. Then there is the budget barrier; experimenting can cause waste in both time and ingredients. Leyla Javadov, chef and co-owner of the remarkable Cafe 21 in the Gaslamp district of San Diego, is a rare example of what can happen at the intersection of creativity and opportunity. I consider her to be the Michelangelo of the kitchen. You can read her story on the Food page of greatplainsdrifter.com. On that same page you can access all of the N.D. restaurant articles that have appeared in this column so far.

A correction

In an article about the Tombstone Steakhouse and Lounge in Stanley, I made the very erroneous statement that Stanley and Williston have the only two golf courses in the N.D. Bakken region according to the North Dakota Golf Courses map. Well, actually, that is what that map said. But the map was wrong. I got an overwhelming response about golf courses. Not everyone mentioned the same golf courses, so finally I made up a list of all the courses mentioned by readers. I admit, it was gratifying that all of you respondents read these articles, so thank you for that, and for writing in. I even got a very polite letter from the Williston Convention and Visitors Bureau about this. For a list of all the golf courses that had to be added to Williston and Stanley, and to get the link to the map that gave me the wrong information, please go to the blog page of greatplains

drifter.com. In the meantime, I still hope you check out Mark Higgins’ Tombstone Steakhouse and Lounge before or after you golf in Stanley.

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