w0x0f's Profile
Return Trip: Help me narrow down my dinners
Word on the Beast move is sometime after Labor Day; I was *promised* by Ms. Pomeroy on our most recent visit (March 2012) that it wouldn't interfere with an early September planned trip. And, it's very easy to ignore other diners at the same table, probably easier to ignore them than to draw them in. So I wouldn't let that stop me (we are also very much NOT communal table people).
Return Trip: Help me narrow down my dinners
We were at Castagna in mid-March of this year, and it was still excellent. Very, very modern; very, very MG. Still, it was >$300 for two with wine and tip for the large tasting menu, so be prepared. We'd go back again, but probably do the smaller menu. If you like places like Manresa (Los Gatos), you'll probably like Castagna.
Also highly recommended: Genoa. Very Washington D.C./East Coast polished. Creative wine choices, well-explained. Not too pretentious: the waiter joined in on a "Portlandia"-inspired joke about the provenance of ingredients in one dish.
Beast: one of our go-to places in Portland. Ignore the communal-table aspect; it's quite possible to ignore one's tablemates and not feel out of place. The food is excellent, but they are very serious about the no-substitutions rules. I think they loosened them up a bit for simple ingredients easily left out (e.g., a sprinkle of cheese left off a salad), but you should definitely call them first. Still, a top recommendation.
Not on your list: Gruner. Amazing modern (read: not biergarten) German. Definitely budget-savvy, as one can get good, affordable wines and appetizers that will dreamily fill but not break the bank. Quiet enough for conversation. Highly recommended.
I *love* the chicken-fried steak at The Original downtown; it's a nice flat-iron steak, not that nasty chewy stuff one usually gets, and is just excellent with a maple-bacon milkshake. Herself usually finds stuff to eat there; there is a broad range. I wouldn't burn a dinner on it, but definitely a brunch or breakfast.
Ned Ludd: we'll go back, if only for the wicked take they do on S'Mores, but the pork belly was just wrong (as in, grilled instead of braised or otherwise slow-cooked, so the fat was just Not Right), but the maple-glazed bacon was exceptional. We've only been once; might be an appetizer-place, or dessert after a Reggie at the (fairly close) Pine State Biscuits.
Two dinners and blow the budget: Tough choice, but probably Genoa and Castagna. A little more budget-savvy, Beast and Gruner. I'd happily eat at any of these again.
Portland: just one night, first time there, one meal, so many choices- help!
I'd say Little Bird; amazing French bistro, great charcuterie, has marrow bones almost every night, usually open Mondays but apparently closed on the 28th.
http://littlebirdbistro.com/
I-5 food from southern Oregon to Seattle
Seconded (and thirded; their portions are huge!). Lunch is excellent. Highly recommended: the rock shrimp omelet (incredibly dark-savory, with the bacon and pepperjack), also the lamb burger (get it "old style", with the tomato chutney instead of the new mint stuff).
Also Smithfield's, up on Second Street in downtown, does great brunches and now lunches. "Neil's Brekkie" or anything with their amazing fried chicken will keep you going for many exits up I-5.
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Yeah, I just don't get the local fascination with Senor Sam's. My friends who like it talk about how healthy it is; maybe that's the case, as the carnitas, at least, the one time we were there, was just in a steam table bucket and was wet with no crispness or fat at all.
I much prefer Agave, although I tell them to leave the pico off as it's way, way too wet. I have yet to find a good source of burritos-the-size-of-your-forearm in the Ashland area, as one would find in the Bay Area almost anywhere, but that's just life.
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Pizza: Martolli's (on the Plaza, in Ashland) does a great set of pies, especially the meat-heavy ones.
Breakfast: Morning Glory and/or Smithfield's. I know some people who swear by Breadboard, but Morning Glory and Smithfield's are where I put my money.
Asian (Japanese/Chinese): Kobe or Taroko, although I think the edge goes to Taroko.
Italian: Cucina Biazzi. Yes, it's prix fixe, but it's excellent.
Hawaiian: NoHo's in Medford. Classic teenage boy food, especially the Korean Ribs; very similar to what one would get at J&J or L&L in the Bay Area.
I've enjoyed a couple of meals at 38 Central, but it's an appetizer restaurant: the kind of place where you'll be happier if you order a bunch of appetizers instead of the mains.
Hana Sushi (after they re-open) for inexpensive sushi, especially the evil, fried stuff like their Michigan roll.
Smithfield's for giant-slab-o'meat dinners. But order the charcuterie plate, and the duck cassoulet or the buttermilk fried chicken, and you'll be a happy eater.
Ashland's best restaurants are geared toward well-heeled tourists from the Bay Area, Portland, and Seattle. There are good places more off the beaten track, but they are harder to find.
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Lela's is no more, R.I.P. Been replaced for over a year now by Playwrights, a British-style pub; although I'm not into them, they appear to be a big hit with the locals. Maybe it's the trivia night?
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Lots of the "dumps" are dying off. Look in Ashland at some of the restaurants that have closed recently, and the ones that are doing well.
I'm mystified by your attitude about Morning Glory; have you never had their lamb burger, or corned beef hash, or chicken fried steak, or any of the other meat-centric dishes that fill the menu? It's not at all like the one in Eugene.
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Amuse is our go-to place when older relatives who want nice wine, white linen service, and predictably excellent but predictable food are in town. It's very, very good, but it's not going to amaze with innovativeness.
I think Coquina (A St., near 4th) is more like the old Firefly (when they were in Amuse's space, before the fatal move to the Plaza). Constantly changing menu, always tinkering with tastes and platings. It's where I'd go with more adventurous diners.
Standing Stone got a new chef a year or a bit more ago, and he's shaken it up a bit. Give them another try.
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Taroko. Seriously, if you haven't been there, you need to try it. It is *not* cheap Chinese. like Chun's used to be, but it is really, really good, especially if you like dumplings.
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
I'd be very surprised if Morning Glory in Ashland has anything to do with the one in Eugene; the owner of Morning Glory in Ashland makes no mention of it in her history (); also, the one in Eugene is vegan/vegetarian, and the one in Ashland definitely isn't.
There are a couple of places in Ashland that go way into the healthy over taste mode, but Ashland is more like Portland: half of the town is vegetarian, and the other half puts bacon in everything. For the flavor-conscious, try:
* Smithfield's: meat-centric, great charcuterie, great brunches, none of it light
* Morning Glory: also great breakfast and lunch, with no real concept of "portion control"
* Taroko: Chefs/owners from San Francisco, and brought that sense of what Asian (mostly Japanese and Chinese) food should be from there. Amazing hamachi collar, only xiao long bao between Portland and San Francisco?
* Kobe: Love the beef tataki, a bunch of the rolls, beef bulgogi
* Coquina: the chef does *amazing* duck, totally nails the moist meat with crispy skin. Also anything she does with quail will be excellent
Ashland is anything but Conservative Republican. It's like being in Berkeley!
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Following up to myself:
For Asian (mostly sushi plus Korean plus dumplings), try Taroko, in the old Kat Wok/Motif space near Oak and East Main. The owners are from San Francisco and bring Asian styles with them (e.g., xiao long bao, chicken salad with spicy mustard dressing). Excellent dishes like hamachi collar and house-made potstickers and dumplings. Definitely a favorite, and open for lunch.
HELP!! Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe - NOT the norm
If you're in the area, try Taroko in Ashland. The owners are from the Bay Area, and have brought this style of chicken salad here with them.
Coquina, Ashland, Oregon
You may be disappointed with Smithfield's if you're expecting a meatfest. They are into the snout-to-tail thing, but the portions are more like Coquina or Amuse. For a steakhouse, you still need to go to Beasy's or Omar's, or the pork chop at Larks.
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Amuse Restaurant
15 North First Street, Ashland, OR 97520
Beasy's On the Creek
51 Water St, Ashland, OR 97520
Omar's Fresh Seafood & Steaks
1380 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland, OR 97520
Coquina
542 A St, Ashland, OR 97520
Smithfield's Restaurant and Bar
36 S 2nd St, Ashland, OR 97520
Coquina, Ashland, Oregon
Hmm, I both agree and disagree.
Yes, it's like Amuse in that it's high-end, high-quality food. Yes, it's expensive, but being on par with places like Amuse (and Smithfield's), I expected that. I thought the presentations were very nice, not overly pretentious--minimal use of sauce squeeze bottles to decorate the plates, for example. The gnocchi is on par with Perbacco (San Francisco), no mean feat that. I can eat at Coquina for a lot less than Amuse or Peerless and be just as happy (happier, really).
It's not pretentious or stuffy, as one might find Peerless. The dining room is fairly bright, lots of off-white and blond wood, and very plain lighting fixtures, totally unlike Chateaulin or Peerless. The service is friendly and warm, not particularly formal, but still very correct.
I'm quite happy to have a good high-end restaurant in the Railroad District. I little closer to town might have been better, the better to walk off dinner.
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Amuse Restaurant
15 North First Street, Ashland, OR 97520
Chateaulin Restaurant
50 E Main St, Ashland, OR 97520
Coquina
542 A St, Ashland, OR 97520
Smithfield's Restaurant and Bar
36 S 2nd St, Ashland, OR 97520
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Try Kobe in Ashland. Trying hard to be authentic Japanese (minus tatami rooms) with some Western influences.
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Coquina (542 A Street, Ashland, Oregon) is much better than Gogi's. More attention to detail on the presentation without being over-the-top with the sauce bottle. Excellent service and attention to the customers. Coquina gives Amuse solid competition.
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Gogi's Restaurant
235 W Main St, Jacksonville, OR 97530
San Francisco Experience
Coi is definitely on your list. For lunch, I'd strongly recommend The House. Asian in a way that only they do. The salmon roll appetizer with mustard sauce and the tuna BLT will keep you happy until dinner.
Second on the recs for Manresa, although you will have to leave the city--it's in Los Gatos, about 50 miles drive from downtown San Francisco.
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The House
1230 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Best Restaurant outside Seattle and Portland
Breakfast or lunch at Morning Glory in Ashland. Possibly the best breakfast on the West Coast.
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Morning Glory
1149 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland, OR 97520
Are there any Klamath Falls Hounds out there?
Deep's is now Taj, and they do a very nice buffet at lunch. Very much recommended.
Best restaurants in Medford, Oregon?
Ashland for lunch: Morning Glory, 7 days, is the best breakfast or lunch in town. Lela's, Wednesday through Saturday, has a really good ladies lunch (lots of salads, especially the shrimp toast salad). Hana Sushi on the Plaza is doing good, reasonably-priced sushi, teriyaki, and tempura. Lark's is always reliable. Harper's is also a good bet.
Ashland highlights & cravings
We had lunch at Sammy's a week ago. Excellent service and food. Recommended for lunch. In Jacksonville, I'd recommend Gogi's based on a couple of good dinners there last year.
Brand new in Silicon Valley: where should I eat?
I'll have to go back--I've been away for a while, so maybe. You're right, he (or his wife) appear to make large batches, freeze them, then cook them (in a wok) as needed.
A three-in-one is just three kinds of dumplings, two pieces of each.
His dumplings are thick-skinned, not thin, which gives them a nice chewy texture. Thin is good too, on XLB, but with the hot sauce these seem more substantial.
Where to take two 20 somethings to dinner in NW DC?
Second on Komi--as fellow SF locals who are used to good food in SF, this place blew our minds.
You could do a lot worse than lunch at Blue Duck, especially for the carnivores.
Oh, but your special guest is a vegetarian? Well, there is good veg fare at both, but the meat-eaters will be happiest at either.
DC Restaurants,Help Me Choose
I've had good lunches at Blue Duck, and excellent--nay, sublime--dinner at Komi. Both are good for carnivores: he braised beef rib with a side of mashed potatoes for lunch at Blue Duck, and the goat at Komi.
Anniversary Trip to DC
Komi really is excellent. It was the highlight of our visit in January. The goat is incredibly good (and not just for goat!) Must...eat...roasted...goat...
Brand new in Silicon Valley: where should I eat?
They're not XLB, so if that's what you're after, you're in the wrong place. I've always liked the three-in-one dipped in lots of hot sauce, the potstickers, and (not a dumpling) the triangle chicken.
Dinner near Eureka Theatre?
Bix is nearby. Good drinks, solid food.
The House is also within walking distance, has excellent food (Asian fusion, but nothing weird), and has really good desserts.
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The House
1230 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Bix
56 Gold St., San Francisco, CA 94133
Molecular gastronomy in Bay area?
Second on Coi. We were just there a couple of weeks ago, and the first course had us applying an essential oil to a wrist before eating the course. Not El Bulli, but what is?
Upscale in SF (But Not Too!)
You titled the thread "in SF", but then said "Mill Valley", which is across the bridge.
In SF, for medium-priced, I'd go to The House, which is Asian fusion but very approachable--no MG, no weird flavors.
Another choice is Canteen, which is very good. It's like a small diner that happens to do fine dining. Location is close to the Tenderloin, so it can be a little dodgy at night; just go straight back toward Union Square and you should be okay.
A higher-end spot would be Boulevard, down next to the Ferry Building. Excellent lamb t-bone, always good seafood and poultry.
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Canteen
817 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109
The House
1230 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
