Real depth of flavor

Dive into fine dining at Fathoms in Lincoln City

By Breeana Laughlin

For the TODAY

When Fathoms restaurant in Lincoln City claims to offer one of the best views on the entire coast — it is definitely a view worth checking out.

“We are a penthouse on the very top floor where you can see it all,” said Fathoms’ Food and Beverage Director Yvonne Mendivel. “Each edge, from the restaurant to the lounge, has a different view. I think we have the best view on the Oregon Coast.”

The view isn't the only thing drawing customers to Fathoms restaurant, which is connected to The Inn at Spanish Head Resort Hotel. The team recently unveiled a new menu that incorporates brand new lunch and dinner options, as well as new twists on longtime favorites. The crew at Fathoms also lengthened their lunch hours to stretch straight into dinner.

“Breakfast ends at 11:30, we take a small break and then lunch and dinner run straight through from noon to close,” Mendivel said. “So you can come in at noon and get a filet and lobster. Or you can come in at dinner time and get a sandwich.”

Fathoms restaurant strives to offer patrons the best of both worlds. The view is fit for royalty, yet customers can feel at home in the casual fine dining atmosphere.

“If you want to come with a group and hang out in the lounge with drinks and charcuterie, we have that as an option,” Mendivel said. “If you would like to come into the dining room and have a nice celebratory dinner with your spouse or family, we offer that as well.”

The Inn at Spanish Head has a tradition of longtime customers bringing their children and grandchildren to the restaurant and resort. Mendivel said the team at Fathoms wants to cater to their long-term customers, while incorporating new and fun twists on menu items that will keep the younger generations coming back. Then they can continue the tradition by enjoying the restaurant with their own children and grandchildren.

“There are a lot of brand-new menu items like the lobster mac and cheese and chicken pesto gnocchi” she said, “and some things that we have had and switched up a little bit.”

The chefs came up with a spin on the classic Seafood Louie salad, the Seafood Louie Wedge, a wedge of iceberg lettuce with bacon, hard-boiled egg, cherry tomatoes and locally caught bay shrimp or crab.

“There are a lot of wedge salads on menus these days and people really like them,” Mendivel said. “But you don't really see a wedge with shrimp Louie. It's really fun to offer a classic item with a new spin.”

Salmon and cauliflower rice is another innovative recipe recently added to the menu.

“If you get our pan-seared salmon you get a nice chipotle glaze on the fish and it's served with a cauliflower rice,” Mendivel said. “The rice is so good and it's healthier for you.”

Fathoms offers three different steak cuts, including a ribeye, a Denver steak served over a bed of romaine and a filet mignon. You can also add a lobster tail or sautéed shrimp to any of the entrées to make it a surf and turf.

There are also plenty of seafood items to choose from including halibut, salmon, fish tacos and a seafood cioppino that has an assortment of mouth-watering seafood items including salmon, halibut, shrimp, scallop, clams and a crab cluster in a spicy tomato broth.

The menu has been carefully crafted to offer customers the best pairings that also make sense for kitchen efficiency.

“We just recently went to a format where we don't do a lot of substitutions,” Mendivel said. “We've built our menu around the items that we put on the plate.”

She asks that once patrons give the menu a try to provide feedback so that if something isn't working, it can be taken into future consideration.

Mendivel encourages her servers to have fun while providing customers with the best service they can.

“If you can tell people are happy working here and having a good time, that's going to impact your experience,” she said. “We want you to feel like you are in a nice restaurant, but also come here to enjoy yourself.”

Fathoms Restaurant is located inside the Inn At Spanish Head at 4009 SW Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City and is open daily from 8 am until final seating at 7:45 pm

For more information, go to spanishhead.com or call 541-994-1601.