David Harms didn’t set out to own restaurants.
He’s a land surveyor by training, just like his father.
But the mid-valley native has found himself drawn to eateries for 30 years, including his latest adventure: Mad Platters, in the basement of the Linn County Courthouse.
“I’m excited,” he said. “I named it Mad Platters so we can do things a little differently. We want to offer new menu items regularly and we’re not stuck with one style of food.”
Mad Platters is open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to courthouse staff and visitors as well as the general public.
Harms’ foray into the world of food actually started when he went to work as a valet at the CalNeva Casino in California.
The casino’s restaurant wasn’t doing well, a condition reflected in the poor tips received charge of revamping it.
That was in the late 1990s. Since then, Harms has had restaurants in LaPine, the Oregon Coast and the mid-valley, including Casetta di Pasta and Jo Jo Macs in downtown Albany.
“We want to create new things all of the time,” he said. “The world is full of wonderful ingredients and we want to use them.”
Harms said the name “Mad Platters,” a play on the Mad Hatter of the “Alice in Wonderland” tale, allows him to be a bit “quirky, funny, to do some memorable things as well as use more vibrant colors like purple and yellow for décor.”
Open only a few weeks, the restaurant’s hamburgers appear popular, Harms said, as do the meatloaf sandwiches and Taco Tuesdays.
His son, Elson, 24, enjoys creating new sandwich offerings and they will soon be on the menu.
“It’s a perfect fit for me,” Harms said.
Harms, 50, and his wife, Coral, live in Corvallis. In addition to Elson, they are parents to Brandon, 30, and Conner, 10.
“One of the nice things about being in the courthouse is that we see the same people every day and we get to know each other,” Harms said. “It helps when regulars call ahead since we know they have one hour for lunch. I love the food industry, even though the last couple years have been hard times in the restaurant business.”
Mad Platters serves breakfast and lunch, dine in or take out. A sampling of menu items includes a sausage breakfast sandwich, a meaty breakfast burrito, a garden salad, a Mexican Street corn salad and pesto chicken and Reuben paninis.
To order, call (541) 967-3877.
– Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer