Given America’s love affair with burgers, the major hit of last year’s Feast@316 Burger Contest and the fact that Kris Cavin, aka @KCFreshInc eats three to four burgers a week, it’s fitting we came to this collaboration — and production — of a new Lacamas Magazine Web Series we’re calling “@KCFreshInc Meets Burger.”
The series will star Cavin, a Country Financial insurance agent, and local photographer extraordinaire, as he visits diners, restaurants, and burger joints across the region in search of the best burgers.
“We have so many great restaurants in the area,” said Cavin. “And some get overlooked, and these places have amazing burgers. We’re gonna shine a light on some of these places, and also cover the ones people know about. There’s a lot of love going into food preparation here in Clark County, and beyond, and we’ll have fun covering this, and maybe we’ll even break some news. I’m grateful to Lacamas Magazine for making this happen.”
Cavin, better known as @KCFreshInc to all his Twitter followers volunteers his time as a photographer capturing images at area sports events, and people often refer to him as KC these days.
“I absolutely love Camas,” said Cavin. “We raised our kids here, they went to Camas schools. We’re proud Papermakers, and love promoting the great things happening here and around SW Washington.”
The Jalepeno Burger with Cream Cheese was featured at Grains of Wrath.
The series already filmed the first episode, which featured the Build Your Own Burger at Washougal Times (formerly called Hellers) in Washougal.
“I had no idea they serve such a great burger,” he said. “Guess I better not give away anymore details.”
In each episode, Cavin will visit each establishment, meet the owners and operators, and tell a little about the place. The burger’s rating is based on the following criteria:
Burger quality
Quality and ratio of condiments
Quality of bun
Quality of sides
Value to price
Each area will receive a star and an ultimate ranking.
“It really is just about having fun,” said Cavin. “We love burgers — so let’s talk about what makes a great burger.”
The first episode will appear on the Lacamas Magazine YouTube Channel in the coming days. Stay tuned. To learn more, visit www.youtube.com/lacamasmagazine
Camas, WA — On Saturday, September 14, the Camas Athletic Boosters Club will hold its annual Tom Wallenborn Golf Tournament and charity auction at Camas Meadows Golf Club.
This will be the 13th annual golf tournament and charity auction, which raises significant money for local athletic programs. Registration begins at 7:15 am, and the tournament begins at 8:30 am.
“It’ll be another great event,” said Ryan Dickerson, of the Camas Athletics Boosters Club. “Last year, about 150 players came out for a fun round of golf supporting our local athletes. Last year, we raised a little over $58,000 and are hoping to beat this number this year. Also this year we will be having a meal after the golf tournament. At the meal we will be having a live auction and many different raffles to raise money. Tickets will be on sale at the event. If people are interested in coming to the lunch and auction please email the boosters — we’d love to see you there.”
The objective of the golf tournament is to raise funds to supplement any needs of the student athletics programs from middle school level up through high school. The club also provides money for scholarships that the boosters gives away each year for seniors who are continuing to college.
Dickerson said community members are free to come walk around and enjoy the afternoon.
“We have many local businesses that have sponsored this tournament and many of the different sports teams have put together baskets and different items for the auction,” he said. “We have some great trips, vacation homes, football games, and reserved 50 yard line seats with parking at the remaining Camas home games.”
When we found out the much-respected, consistently delicious, and community-oriented brand was returning to Camas we were ecstatic! Tommy Owens, his son, Josh, and team went right to work modifying the small space into a workable restaurant to fit the local ambiance and carry on the tradition we all know and love.
Now, two months plus into their new location, Tommy O’s at the Camas Hotel has mastered the tiny space by modifying — with great success — their fine offerings.
During our review session, we happily sampled the Thai Garlic Chicken Drumsticks (the biggest surprise of the day), Lobster Pot Stickers, Ahi Sashimi — all three are small plates — as well as the Miso Sake Butterfish (see featured photo), Kalbi Salmon, Teriyaki Chicken, Steam Coconut Forbidden Rice, and the Spicy Wok Green Beans.
Tommy O’s at the Camas Hotel serves many of their signature dishes, but due to space limitations, they’ve streamlined the menu. The interior matches its menu with a Hawaiian flair.
“We tried to adapt the menu to take the best flavors from the downtown Vancouver restaurant and make them work in this location,” said Josh Owens. “This restaurant has some unique characteristics as far as the footprint, which is a third the size and then the kitchen layout has a big, beautiful brick oven, but we don’t have a grill so that changes what we can do. Most of what you see here, the teriyaki chicken, the butterfish, the cedar plank salmon, those things all come out of our above ground brick imu. It runs at 600 degrees and allows us to get a nice crispy skin on that chicken, food sears really quickly, so it’s a great tool to serve a great number of people very quickly in a small footprint.”
Head Chef Jonathon Betts makes it all happen.
“I feel that the smaller kitchen is easier to work around because you’re not turning as much,” said Betts. “The public response has been very positive. They love the things that are different about this new space. We don’t have the Kalbi Ribs because we don’t have the grill. Some things just don’t work here, but we’re always looking for ways to bring those flavors here.”
What’s new?
“Just about everything you see here on the table,” said Betts. “The way we do things is much different. The butterfish is seared in the cast iron pan, and you get a different range of flavors. We do a half chicken here, and at Vancouver we just do the breast. I want things to be as good here as downtown if not better.”
The Kalbi Salmon! Why is it so good?
“The oven! Plus we soak the cedar planks,” said Betts. “We have the Kalbi marinade (same as the Kalbi ribs) with soy and sugar, and it’s in there for 24 hours, then while it cooks in the 600 degree oven it becomes caramelized.
Kalbi Salmon.
Teriyaki Chicken
A customer favorite, a lot of time and research went into perfecting their Teriyaki Chicken, which is locally sourced.
“We wanted an opportunity to set us apart and offer great flavors,” said Owens. “We wanted to find a high quality chicken we could bring to the customers in Camas. We found this free range chicken that is both high quality and makes for a nice presentation. It makes a good meal. Our goal is always to put the challenge out there to have the best teriyaki chicken in town.”
Teriyaki Chicken.
The Tommy O’s Brand
“We’ve been in Vancouver for nearly 26 years,” said Owens. “We went from a lunch place to what it is now. For me, our success is all about focusing on a great customer experience. It’s about consistency and a focus on quality. Your dining dollar is stretched farther than it has ever been, so it’s making sure the experience is a good one. We make so much of our food from scratch, and it takes days and days to make that happen, but the end result is something you can’t replicate anywhere else. For us it’s about finding the sweet spot of going the extra mile and making sure we source the best ingredients we can find at the right price point.”
“We invite you to dine with us.”
Tommy O’s at The Camas Hotel is located at 405 NE 4th Avenue in historic downtown Camas. And, if you want to learn more, visit https://www.tommyosaloha.com
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/07075836/CFCD7A78-02BA-4F9D-B610-44AA9AA855A2-scaled.jpeg11872560Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-08-29 11:07:272019-08-29 11:08:48Tommy O’s Reunited With Camas — And Yes It Feels So Good!
Shangri-La Farm in Camas invites you to a country style fundraising Hootenanny event to benefit Artstra. Enjoy a fabulous western BBQ Cowboy Dinner and homemade pie! Wear your cowboy attire and try your luck at a game of chicken poop bingo! The fun begins at 6 pm this Friday, August 30.
Artstra rented the airport parking lot (ADA parking only at the farm, 26300 NE Third St., Camas.) From the airport, follow the meandering trail 1/4 mile through the woods to Shangri-La Farm or take the free shuttle service to the farm. Park at Grove Field in Fern Prairie, 632 NE 267th Ave., Camas, WA 98607.
Suggested minimum donation: $50 per adult. Kids are free! Your donation is tax deductible. All proceeds will benefit Artstra programs in our community.
Vancouver’s Own Fadin’ by 9 The FUNdraiser will be accompanied by bluegrass-rock-folk fusion band Fadin’ by 9. What happens when you bring together a bass-playing attorney, guitar-strumming bilingual reading specialist, fire-on-the-fiddle volcanologist, and a banjo-picking elementary school principal? Join the Hootenanny and find out for yourself. Or listen to a sample from their latest CD.
Yumm! Thanks to artist, master gardener, beekeeper, and (as she calls herself) “recovering politician,” Liz Pike, attendees will be treated to a delicious BBQ Cowboy Dinner, along with her famous homemade pies. Liz is the owner of Shangri-La Farm and a participant in Artstra’s Clark County Open Studios Tour. Her amazing generosity and positive spirit have made this Hootenanny for the Arts possible. Brews from Mill City Brew Werks, wine from Pomeroy Cellars plus dinner are all covered with your registration.
How the Game of Chicken Poop Bingo Works There are 24 squares on the bingo board and attendees have at least two bingo games. Game 1 tickets are $10 and Game 2 tickets are $20. You will have the opportunity to buy tickets when you register online, or you may buy them at the farm. Half the cash collected for each game goes to the holder of the winning ticket and the other half goes to Artstra. This is a super fun game that can get pretty wild, so be prepared with extra $10 bills and/or your credit card to make sure we fill up the pot and support the arts!
On Wednesday afternoon, the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office released the name of the Vancouver teen who drowned at Lacamas Lake Tuesday evening.
The victim was 14-year-old Anthony Huynh, who was swimming with friends and jumping off the Lacamas Park walking bridge Tuesday as part of fun summer day outing. According to friends, once they noticed Huynh was missing they went looking for him and eventually called 911 for assistance.
Police quickly found his belongings, including his cell phone.
The cause of death is accidental drowning.
Shortly after 9 pm Tuesday, divers from Multnomah and Clark counties recovered the teen’s body from the lake after a 10-minute search. The Medical Examiner was called to the scene.
Through the day Wednesday, many have stopped by the bridge to pray, ponder and leave balloons, flowers and kind notes to the deceased and to his family.
Drownings have occurred in summer months at Lacamas Lake throughout its history.
Anthony Huynh, 14, of Vancouver, drowned at Lacamas Lake.
In Washington, there were 98 unintentional drowning deaths of residents in 2017. Drowning along with fire/burns, were the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children and teens ages 1 – 17 in Washington. Source: WA Department of Health, Washington Tracking Network Data, accessed June 2019
In 2017, there were 4,508 drowning deaths in the United States, an average of 12 deaths per day. Source: CDC, WISQARS Injury Mortality Report, accessed June 2019
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/07075923/649B141D-4460-4E30-99A9-6D0C8EF802C2.jpeg12062373Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-08-21 19:39:212019-08-21 20:11:32County Medical Examiner Releases Identity of Lacamas Lake Drowning Victim
Camas Police confirmed a Vancouver teen drowned at Lacamas Lake Tuesday evening. He was just 14.
The police say the teenager had been playing with friends, jumping off the Lacamas Park walking bridge shortly after 6 pm when they noticed he had not resurfaced. They then called 911.
Friends weren’t sure if he had left them behind, so the police canvassed the the area, and quickly found the teen’s bag, clothing and cellphone on shore nearby.
Shortly after 9 pm, divers from Multnomah and Clark counties recovered the teen’s body from the lake after a 10-minute search. The Medical Examiner was called to the scene.
Police say the teen’s family has been notified. His identity has not been released, but it is believed he was an incoming Union High School freshman.
We will update the story as more information becomes available.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/07075929/0106ABD7-F8D6-46EF-840A-B0589C7F870B-scaled.jpeg12202560Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-08-20 23:34:582019-08-20 23:35:12Police: Vancouver Teen Drowns at Lacamas Lake Tuesday Evening
Nuestra Mesa, located in historic downtown Camas, recently launched a new brunch menu that is creative, beautiful, and tantalizingly delightful.
“Brunch is a fun meal period,” said Mesa’s Executive Chef, Zach Capoccia. “Everybody is looking for something fun and outside the box, and I feel we’ve done that here.”
Our review sampled three dishes: Pork Tinga Benedict, Steak and Eggs Hash, and the Carnitas Omelette.
Pork Tinga Benedict
This twist on the Eggs Benedict is creatively designed with a Jalepeno-Cheddar biscuit, habanero-cabbage slaw, poached cage-free eggs, chipotle hollandaise, and served with papas bravas. It’s alive with flavor and the favorite of our sample plates.
“This is a creative Benedict,” said Capoccia. “It was made with love. I cook with my heart, and I wanted to bring that here. It’s such a complex cuisine and it’s in-depth and complex. With brunch, I want people to see what this is all about. For the most part it’s Mexican flavors. Mexico is surrounded by ocean. You see a lot of seafood and people don’t realize that. The slaw is made with lime juice and starts fermenting itself and we let it do its own thing, which gives it a little bit of kick.”
Capoccia says his style is different, even for Mexican food.
“I have massive respect for their cuisine even though I’m not from there,” he said. “It’s more than greasy food. We love our tinga meat.”
Steak and Eggs Hash, Carnitas Omelette, Pork Tinga Benedict.
Steak and Eggs Hash
The hash is created with a marinated carne asada, papas bravas, onion, April Joy Farms cherry tomatoes, jalapeño, chipotle, crema, and two cage-free fried eggs.
Mesa uses a wet marinade with orange and lime juice, which creates the flavor, along with soy sauce, cumin, oregano, chili powder blended like a vinaigrette.
The grilled carne asada dominates this dish, and we’re fine with that.
Carnitas Omelette
This wonderful omelette is made with poblano peppers, onion, salsa verde, queso oaxaca, and served with papas bravas.
“I wanted to have an omelette and then wanted to use Mexican ingredients,” said Capoccia. “Some is traditional as they do with onions and peppers. The papas bravas has a lot of the same seasonings as our chorizo. It’s our house seasoning with the potatoes.”
Nuestra Mesa welcomes everyone to try their new brunch menu and experience the creativity and heart that goes into their food.
The new BurgerIM restaurant in Camas, near Costco, really is more than a place to get a good burger. It’s also a story about two immigrants, Chanly Va and Sang Quach, living the American dream.
The new restaurant opened its doors on June 13, as part of a larger BurgerIM franchise (based in Encino, CA) that specializes in gourmet-style burgers made fast.
“The food tastes really good, and we do have good burgers, and lots of variety,” said Va. “We have so many choices: Angus, Dry-aged, Spanish beef (spicy), crispy chicken, salmon, falafel burger, lamb, and the Impossible Burger, which is plant-based. It’s not GMO.”
“We also have gluten-free buns with lettuce options. As a customer, you can order a favorite or build your own. You don’t have to stay with a classic style. You can build whatever you like on the burger. We offer all the menu items that corporate offers. Whatever you can think of, and we have the ingredients, we can do it.”
The restaurant offers the aforementioned big burgers, and you may also order classics as duos or trios. You can match up your favorites and add your choice of toppings.
Sides include regular fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, half and half, and styled fries with either garlic aioli, jalepenos and cheese, or bacon and cheese.
BugerIM also cooks up a lot of chicken wings, which are available in buffalo, BBQ, and sweet crunchy garlic.
“People always say we have the biggest wings in town,” said Va. “We have really good milkshakes made from fresh milk and real incredible cream. Each are made fresh. We are not fast food, we make gourmet food fast.”
Customers can also order two types of salads: House and Caesar, and they, too, can be customized.
BurgerIM offers a variety of fountain drinks, as well as beer and wine. And, you can purchase the Family Box that comes with eight small burgers, eight wings, onion rings and fries. The Party Box has 16 burgers.
Hawaiian Salmon Burger.A duo order with dry-aged beef, the UNCUT, and onion rings.
Chanly and Sang have been working hard, studying and saving for many years to get to this point.
“It took about eight months from franchise agreement to opening day,” said Va. “There’s one in Bend, OR but they haven’t opened yet. This ended up being the right location.”
So, why BurgerIM?
“I always wanted to own my own business, but didn’t have the drive until now,” said Va. “I visited my cousin in Texas and saw him doing a doughnut shop, but didn’t want to wake up at 2 am. We wanted to do something local and I saw the BurgerIM Facebook ad, and it sounded interesting.”
And, they really like BurgerIM’s business model. The chain first opened in 2011, and has expanded to 200 stores nationwide. BurgerIM means “many burgers” in Hebrew.
Chanly previously worked as a pharmacy tech at Wal-Mart, while Sang currently works as a Reliability technician at WaferTech, where he’s been employed for 21 years. After business hours, and during weekends, he works atBurgerIM. Their son, Tony, just turned 12.
“I love America,” said Sang, a refugee from Cambodia. “There’s so much you can do here, so much freedom!”
Sang escaped the Cambodian genocide that took 3 million lives, including his father.
“I was young, a little 3-year-old when I lost my dad,” he said. “We stayed there waiting for our acceptance into the United States, and we came here to Vancouver (in 1987) where I attended Fort Vancouver High School. I went to elementary school in Cambodia, and I didn’t get a chance to go to middle school. I went to Clark College and got my associates degree in Electronics. I tell my son to work hard and do your best. Now, today we’re opening this and take this lesson to do your best, work hard, be honest.”
Sang said coming to the United States was a real shock — in a good way.
“I was young, and it was like landing in a dream land. Even going to the restroom was a surprise with running water.”
Chany, also a Cambodian native, was born post-genocide. Sang returned to Cambodia briefly, they married, and returned to the United States in 1999. She learned English and started a production job that she kept for a decade, then she went onto school and became a pharmacy technician.
What has surprised them about being business owners?
“It’s great how local Camas supports business,” said Va. “I keep seeing people in Camas and they keep coming and supporting us. We keep seeing returning customers. They recommend us to their friends and family. We are a franchise but we are locally owned and operated. We live in Vancouver.”
The restaurant is located at 155 NW 192nd Avenue, Suite 107, Camas, WA 98607. 360-952-8656. To learn more about the company, visit www.BurgerIM.com
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/07080015/56A510B6-0301-439C-9643-54C6A19527EC-e1565893220758-scaled.jpeg12342560Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-08-15 16:28:432019-08-15 16:47:09The New BurgerIM: The Amazing Family Story Behind The Restaurant
The 11th annual Camas Vintage & Art Faire will return to the charming tree-lined streets of Downtown Camas this year on Saturday, August 24th, from 9 am-3 pm. This event brings over 60 vintage and art vendors that fill the downtown streets with vintage, antique and repurposed items as well as many local artists bringing a wide collection of art offerings and styles.
Vintage vendors will showcase a large variety of home and garden items and indoor and outdoor furniture and decor as well as clothing, jewelry and accessories. Art selections include professional quality paintings, metal work, ceramics, garden art, photography, handmade jewelry, fiber art, recycled art, and more. The faire is on 4th Avenue and Birch Streets, near Camas Antiques, 305 NE 4th Avenue.
New vintage vendors this year include Cascade Vintage with eclectic Boho 70’s style vintage home accessories, furniture, textiles and décor; Meraki Woods with vintage smalls, old wood items (boxes, shelves, magazine racks), kitchenware, art, furniture; reclaimed handmade wood items – totes, trays, state signs, cribbage boards, boxes, rehabbed cutting boards and laser engraved wooden spoons & cutting boards; and Dora Lou with silver heirloom rings hand crafted from rare antique demitasse spoons, sold from a colorful restored vintage trailer. Returning vintage vendors include crowd favorites My Shabby Passion, Good Things Twice, Vintage Mama Roost and many more–all with a large varied selection of antiques, vintage, upcycled, painted and repurposed items. For a full list of vintage vendors, visit https://downtowncamas.com/event/camas-vintage-art-faire
“This event is a great mix of relaxed and energized,” says Carrie Schulstad, Executive Director of the Downtown Camas Association (DCA). “It has a comfortable, strolling feel but there is always an excitement when you are looking for vintage treasures or experiencing beautiful new art. The artists and vintage vendors love to chat with people about their art and unique offerings. We have so much local talent and it’s wonderful to see it showcased. We have live jazz music throughout the day that adds to the festivities. Our local shops are all open as well so it’s the perfect way to spend the day in Downtown Camas.”
The DCA hosts the Vintage & Art Faire, sponsored by Camas Antiques. The DCA works year round to strengthen and promote Downtown Camas through partnerships, events, beautification and historic preservation projects, economic development, advocacy, and tourism functions. For information on the DCA and other downtown events, visit www.downtowncamas.com.
https://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/07080023/17A7AE0F-C850-4600-87F6-5486877FFECA.jpeg374841Ernest Geigenmillerhttps://cdn.lacamasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/07074147/lacamas_white_2-300x300.pngErnest Geigenmiller2019-08-15 09:59:262019-08-15 10:01:18Annual Camas Vintage & Art Faire Returns August 24 — to Downtown
It’s August, and Vancouver Laser Skin Care Clinic has some great specials on Laser Genesis, Ultherapy, and laser hair removal.
What is Laser Genesis?
Laser Genesis is a highly effective treatment for targeting enlarged pores, texture and fine lines. Patients often describe the treatment as relaxing and therapeutic. They report a gentle warming of the skin’s surface during the procedure. Patients who incorporate IPL and Laser Genesis treatments as a part of their beauty routine maintain radiant, youthful skin.
Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Genesis
How does it feel?
Patients report a warming of the skin that is quite relaxing.
What is the downtime?
There is no down time.
How long before I see results?
The benefits can be seen instantly with your skin showing a healthy glow and will continue to improve over the following week.
Are there any side effects?
There are no side effects.
The August Laser Genesis special is get a Free Microdermabrasion with the purchase of a Laser Genesis treatment.
Laser Genesis: Before and after.
What is Ultherapy?
Ultherapy® is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure that utilizes the power of focused ultrasound technology, and sound waves to simulate collagen to lift, tone and tighten the skin. The Ultherapy procedure can be performed on the eyes, brow, face, neck and under the chin and chest. This technology stimulates the production of collagen resulting in continuous improvement of the tone and tightness. An Ultherapy procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the area treated. Ultherapy delivers outstanding results without surgery or downtime.
The August Ultherapy Special is Purchase a lower neck treatment get the upper face free ($1,500 savings!)
Visit www.VancouverLaserSkinCareClinic.com
Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is a treatment that safely and effectively removes unwanted hair. It works by targeting the brown and black pigments in the hair, effectively reducing growth with each treatment.
When Vancouver Laser Skin Care Clinic (VLSCC) decided to move its offices to Downtown Camas, they brought more than 30 years of aesthetic laser and skin care experience and an array of treatments and products that rejuvenate skin and restore your youthful glow. They feel good when you look great.
Their office at 715 NE 5th Avenue is charming, and peaceful, and is part of the history and future of Camas, a quaint and successful town that many say is a city about wellness.
“We love being part of this wonderful and historic downtown scene,” said Keller, who owns VLSCC. “And, we invite you to come see what we’re all about. — from pre-teen/adult acne sufferers to mature patients.”
VLSCC offers many services, including: IPL, Chemical Peels, Microneedling, Ultherapy, Face and Leg Vein Removal, Botox, and more!
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