Rate-A-Restaurant #338: Harris Ranch

(Pic by Bunrab.com)

Restaurant: Harris Ranch

Location: 24505 West Dorris Avenue (Coalinga, Calif.)

Type of restaurant: Steak and American



We stipulated: We drive up the 5 at least once a year to visit San Francisco. And every year, we consider visiting Harris Ranch, but never do. But this year, the timing was right to stop at Harris Ranch just in time for lunch. We were ready to stop in Coalinga.

They stipulated: "You will be treated to a mouth-watering menu of Harris Ranch Restaurant Reserve Beef. We have designed the menu around the fruits and vegetables we grow and creatively showcase the West’s Best Beef in classic Harris Ranch dishes such as our Award-Winning Pot Roast, Tri Tip Sandwich and Barbeque Beef Ribs." Also: For pilots flying in for lunch, "For your convenience, Harris Ranch has a 2,800 foot landing strip that is paved and lighted along the south side of the main complex. Self-serve 100 LL Aviation Fuel is available 24 hours a day."



What we ordered: HARRIS RANCH POT ROAST (winning tender slow roasted beef brisket, garlic mashed red skin potatoes, brown gravy & farm fresh vegetables $19.95); SLICED MARINATED TRI-TIP (Seasoned with Kosher salt and cracked black peppercorns,served with garlic mashed red skin potatoes, brown gravy & farm fresh vegetables $23.95); kids pizza.



High point:  The acorn squash side was fantastic. I'd love to eat more.



Low point:  The gravy.



Overall impression: An oasis on the terribly dull I-5 freeway journey to San Francisco. Definitely worth the stop. But food-wise, just OK. The pot roast good could have used a bit more flavor. We appreciated the big menu -- the veggies were probably the best part. (I know, strange to say for Harris Ranch, where the beef should be the star.) Also appreciated the great kids menu.



Will we return: If the timing is right, I'd definitely stop again for lunch or dinner at Harris Ranch. It beats most of the food choices on the 5.

Carmageddon? More Like Car2K

So the cynics might say that "Carmageddon" was overblown hype. Others might note that all the hype surrounding "Carmageddon" is what made things go so smooth. (That's the 5 freeway, near Atwater Village, as seen from a bike bridge above.)

Either way, traffic was smooth around Los Angeles on Saturday, despite the 405 shutdown. We'll see if that convinces people to hit the freeways on Sunday -- creating a belated "Carmageddon." See you on the streets!

If "Carmageddon" still doesn't occur, feel free to use my "Car2K" slogan.

Richard Anrom Re-Creates His Famed Guerilla Freeway Piece '5 North'

For eight years, Richard Ankrom's guerilla art installation "5 North" guided motorists on the 110 in downtown as they figured out, well, how to find the 5 North. Ankrom made a freeway sign identical to Caltrans' actual signs, and one night in August 2001, installed the sign. The amazing part: Caltrans agreed that the sign was useful, and added addition "5 North" signs throughout the 110 North.

Then, in November 2009, Franklin Avenue Caltrans replaced the signs with brand-new ones. The good news: 5 North was prominently displayed on these signs. The bad news: Ankrom's art was lost. (We were the ones who actual first informed him of the disappearance).

KCET's Departures blog is recounting Ankrom's now-legendary piece of public guerilla art (read here. And above, here's Ankrom re-creating the complexities to make the sign.

Caltrans Changes Signs on 110 North; Richard Ankrom's Famed "5 North" Installation Feared Lost

The new sign, heading north on the 110.

If you're driving north on the 110 past downtown Los Angeles this weekend, you'll notice the brand-spanking new freeway signs installed by California's Department of Transportation.

The new signs are much more reflective, and also for the first time give equal weight to both the 5 and 110 freeways. The new signs designate the 5 North for drivers in the left two lanes, and the 110 North for the right two lanes.

Quite a difference from a few years ago, when the signs didn't mention the 5 North at all. Back then, motorists were left scrambling to figure out on their own how to find the 5 North turnoff from the 110 North (if you knew it was there at all).

That is, until artist Richard Ankrom's infamous August 2001 installation "Guerilla Public Service."


(Pic: Gary Leonard/Downtown News)

Ankrom took two years to design an exact replica of the Interstate 5 logo, as well as the word "NORTH" in an identical font to Caltrans signs. Then, in the middle of a sunny day, Ankrom -- dressed as a Caltrans worker -- installed the markers on an existing "110 North" sign.

And then... nobody noticed! The helpful signs finally directed 110 drivers to the 5, and yet Caltrans didn't have any idea. Nine months later, the Los Angeles Downtown News finally broke the story.

Caltrans, amazingly, agreed that the new signs were helpful -- and kept them up! The agency even installed a similar marker on another 110 North sign.

Sadly, these brand new freeway signs installed this weekend -- while even helpful than the old ones -- mean that Ankrom's work has now disappeared. I emailed Ankrom on Friday, and he hadn't heard the news:

Missed the change on the freeway signs until you pointed it out. Immediately went to look, hopefully I can recover the sign.

A little disappointed that it's down, but the new signs are a big improvement. After being up for 9 years and three months it was a good run. It helped my career in a subtle way. Still get surprised when it comes up.

Here's hoping the sign is somewhere in storage and can be saved. I'm a bit sad to see it go -- I often think of Ankrom's installation when I pass under the "5 North" marker on the 110.


Photo composite of Ankrom's installation, by Jim Payne.

Here's how Ankrom described "Guerilla Public Service":

The installation and documentation of missing information on the freeway sign system, guerrilla public service. Exact reproduction of guide signs (Caltrans part numbers G-27, G-47) placed on existing structure (gantry 23100) to aid motorists to their destination and ease traffic congestion.
To prove the integrity of the arts, its place in culture and why civilization needs it. The benefits of the artistic endeavor in everyday life, what we see, don’t see, and take for granted.
For the hundreds of millions of motorists in their commute, in which they use the freeway sign system.