Thursday, June 23, 2011

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

The main reason for our West Coast visit was to spend 5 days at the OSF( Oregon Shakespeare Festival) in Ashland, OR with our son Raven and his wife Becky. They are part of a group of 10 people who visit the festival each year and we tagged along.
We headed south, Monday morning, from Seattle stopping in Tacoma, to visit the "Museum of Glass". Continuing on to our destination, that day, Lake Oswego, a beautiful southern suburb of Portland, and a meeting with good friends who came from Bend OR to spend a day and evening with us.
That night, along with 8 family members we celebrated the Grandma's ( our friend) Birthday at a downtown, Portland hotel, which houses a pleasant, "old fashioned", Italian restaurant. Meal was fine, company wonderful.

Our Granddaughter is teaching sailing, this summer, in Eugene OR before entering the University of Washington law school, this September. Tuesday morning, around 10 AM we met her and her "boyfriend"( old fashioned term) for breakfast at "Off the Waffle" 2540 Willamette St. Eugene, OR 97405 (541) 515-6926. This small neighborhood spot, run by 2 Israelis, turned out to be delightful. They specialize in Liege (Belgium) Waffles with as many toppings as one can imagine. I was prosaic and stuck with bacon and egg and real maple syrup, but the younger generation went for Gouda, apples and Canadian bacon or another combination of Feta, berries and cinnamon. All with an assortment of syrups and other additives. When we left the line was "out the door". They say they have expanded once, currently about 10 tables, but I feel that another move is in the offing.

We drove on to Ashland, taking the "boyfriend" to his Mothers house before checking in at our hotel. That night, with our son and wife we dined at "Thai Pepper", 84 North Main St. Ashland, OR 97520 (541)482-8058. The place had been touted by a young chef friend of ours, currently working in Seattle. He did not lead us astray. We had a table, outside, by a heavily running creek( snow Melt), which added plenty of ambiance to a wonderful dinner.The table shared; Cucumber Salad, perfectly marinated, Fried Calamari, crisp and firm, beautiful, medium rare lamb strips marinated and served in a wonderful Asian sauce, outstanding, and a Crispy Fish, fresh and succulent, before we piled into a Chocolate Torte and grilled Banana's wrapped in a flaky, light dough ( egg roll wrapper), with the mandatory Carmel and chocolate sauces. What an introduction to Ashland and the OSF. In our opinion the best meal we had in Ashland.

After two plays on Wednesday we took a daytime trip to Crater Lake, about 75 miles East and 4000 feet up. For the last ten miles we drove through cleared highway and piled snow, which eventually reach 6 to 10 feet. The snow doesn't melt till Aug 15 and starts again Oct 15, a short summer. The lake is all it is cracked up to be and the Lodge dining room serves much better food than the average park fare. Our attractive server, DeLacey, was not only helpful, suggesting we split a salad and a Pasta ( "Forest", including mushrooms, cherry tomato's and asparagus) but added a pleasant and polite demeanor to our lunch.
The ride back had to be down-hill for the first 10 miles( what a place for a "soap-box" derby race) but fun seeing the snow recede and spring and summer approach, as the altitude changed.
We stopped in Medford, OR for a visit to "Harry and David" where we stocked up on giant Bing Cherries and red plums, a mainstay for our son.
That night before the play the group ventured to a Greek Restaurant, "Blue" having had Italian, Macaroni's" the night before. If not gourmets we are certainly cosmopolitan.

More reporting in a week or so, after we finish a trip to Northern WI and then Chicago.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Seattle

We have just finished an eleven day trip to the West Coast. We flew to Seattle, rented a car and after several day drove through Oregon, with several stops, to the San Fransisco area before returning late last evening.
I am not going to try to write of all the things we did, places we saw or interesting meals but I will try to highlight those that were really out of the ordinary. As is my custom I will break down reports and thus it will take a few days to cover everything.

Our first night in Seattle we had dinner with Marilyn's niece and her husband. They had chosen a restaurant in the Ballard area, "Staple and Fancy" 4739 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98107 (206) 789-1200. The Ballard area is in the midst of a transformation from a warehouse and manufacturing district to one with several restaurants and multi-housing buildings. "Staple and Fancy" was a hardware retail and wholesale shop, in it's most current life, previous to becoming half of two new restaurants, the other an oyster bar plus "small plates. "Staple and Fancy" is definitely Italian with menu and ambiance to match. It is fun, relaxed and turned out to be one of our better and most interesting meals.
The menu arrived, stapled to a wood shingle. It listed 4 appetizer, 4 main courses and four desserts. In the far right hand portion was a paragraph stating that if the table wished to put themselves in the hands of the chef he would serve a 4 course dinner at $45/person. We, of course, chose that option. A good bottle of Berrolo and we were off for our adventure.
The seven appetizers, all served to accommodate 4 people were; olives, escolar crudo( cucumber slices with chili and avocado), crostini of fish blended with chicken liver into a paste, deep fried oysters( delicious) , buratta(fish) served with prosciutto, and finally grilled asparagus. After this who needed dinner, but we persevered.
Next came the Pasta course: potato gnocchi with morels, fava beans and pancetta with a very light butter and cream sauce and tonarelli( long, thin, wavy noodles) with cuttlefish strips and a squid ink collis.
The two main courses were a perfectly roasted whole chicken with roasted new potato segments and roasted onion slices. All perfectly done and doused with the roasted chicken juices. Also a beautiful Bronzino( fish) grilled with a slightly crunchy skin and a gleaming white inside.
We forced ourselves to devour the cheesecake with fresh rhubarb sauce and a slightly warm chocolate cake served with almond ice cream and carmel sauce.
A simply wonderful eating experience.

The next night 6 of us went to the "Golden Beetle" 1744 NW Market St. Seattle, WA 98107 (206) 706-2977. Incidentally both restaurants were written up in the New York Times Restaurant section which was on our breakfast table Sunday morning. Are we "foodies" or what. There was no way that the "Golden Beetle" could out do our experience the night before but they gave it a fair try. Unfortunately I neither took notes nor translated the listings on the bill but all of the food was mid-eastern and some of the more memorable dishes were the Chicken Tagine( Moroccan), a wonderful dish of sweet fresh clams, marinated and grilled beef strips and two other Turkish dishes that I am ashamed that my failing memory, currently, can't or wont recall. I do know that the shared desserts were Donut holes, with a honey dipping sauce, and Baklava. Also there were plates of pita with the standard humus and other sauces.
I've learned a lesson that I either look at the statement and make notes or that I recall before I hit the sack after food and drink.

We left Seattle the next morning after two days of beautiful weather, great food, excellent company and a full adjustment to West Coast life.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Lobster

This is my 300th Posting since I started this Blog. Many are comments on the same places we frequent, often. Most are here in the Cincinnati area but I have tried to cover our travels from New York to California and Lake Nebagamon to Barcelona. Thanks to you who have braved my writing, poor spelling and grammar, and to the few that have taken time to comment, my special thanks.

A couple nights ago we had an outstanding meal at the "Oriental Wok" Hyde Park. (Sorry about that Ed) Guy Burgess, the chef, had told us that he had been getting excellent, live Lobsters and fixing them Cantonese Style. Guy cuts the Lobsters into manageable pieces, sears them in extremely hot oil, washes off the excess oil and stirs them in a "dry' Wok, with Ginger, Scallions and rice wine. Unbelievably delicious. The searing makes the perfectly firm meat come away from the shell and makes the eating easy, if somewhat messy to those of us who really tear into the crustaceans. Six of us devoured 3 (1.7#) lobsters plus assorted, hot hors d'oeuvres, Halibut stir fried with asparagus and a few green Chinese veggies, plus two orders of Mei Fun Noodles, a more original, true Chinese Chou Mien. As I have mentioned, several times it is a good thing to put yourself in the Chefs hands, especially if you are an adventurous eater.
If you want to have the Lobster give them 24 to 48 hours notice (513-871-6888) so that they can have them on hand, if available, and hold them for you. The night we were there they sold out, of the lobsters, before 7 PM.

We have been out almost every night, for the last two weeks. Most of the time at restaurants. We did have a Birthday dinner prepared completely by our two local granddaughters and one or two other meals have been a friends tables. Eating out that much gives one a large group of experiences and a waist line to match.
Here, not necessarily, in order are some of the spots and a comment or two about various dishes:
"The Bistro" 413 Vine, Cincinnati, 513-621-1465. Decent food but spotty service the night we were there. The apple, endive and Swiss cheese salad was almost entirely apple and should be renamed essence of endive.
"La Poste" 3410 Telford 513-281-3663. Hot spot, good food, interestingly prepared and the Chocolate, cherry bread pudding covered with Carmel sauce is still "outrageous".
"National Exemplar" Mariemont is still easy for the senior crowd and the food and menu changes very little. I usually have the calf's liver but the accompanying bacon and onions are now chopped or minced. In my mind not a positive change.
"The Quarter Bistro" 6904 Wooster Pike ( Mariemont) 513-271-5400 always seems lively with a good mixture of ages if not locales. Service is uniformly good and this apple, endive and Gorgonzola salad had all the items in abundance. The chicken BBQ pizza was overwhelmed by the sauce, too sweet and too much.
"Wild Ginger" 3655 Edwards Rd. 45208 (513) 533-9500. Four of us divided 5 Sushi Rolls and several beers. This, after Pot stickers left no one hungry.
"Bonefish Grill" Madison and Edwards roads, Hyde Park is still in the midst's of their "soft shelled" promotions. Why eat anything else if that what they're pushing.
"Cumin Eclectic Cuisine" 3520 Erie Ave 45208 (513) 871-8714. Noise level drove us outside but it was a lovely night with lovely food. In my opinion that have become much less Indian and more continental.
"Otto's" 521 Main St. Covington KY 859-491-6678. Caught them over Memorial weekend, for brunch, and although it wasn't bad there was something lacking due to people on the staff on holiday.

We're headed to the West Coast this coming week so you may hear about food in the Pacific NW and other spots when next I write.