Ashland, Oregon 2011 (various eateries)

I just finished a visit to Ashland, Oregon the other weekend. It's always nice going to Ashland for a quick getaway. The people are nice, the Shakespeare Festival always has entertaining plays, the air is cleaner, and my boyfriend's mom's lake house where we stay is just like home (just a lot quieter and way more remote).

I experienced quite a few eats and drinks while there, from an Irish pub to an upscale french-inspired restaurant that has a very misleading name. I'll just get right into it.

Mix Sweet Shop

Let's start with dessert. At 57 North Main Street, this place makes their own everything, including ice cream (flavors are seasonal; pictured below is their salted caramel), ice cream cones as well as many varieties of pastries, chocolates and breads. I love their sugar cones, which they make fresh every day. They're crispy and have a wonderful toastiness, which indicates how fresh they are. I could just eat that without the ice cream, but of course I had both. Their almond french macaroons were coconutty, chewy and not too sweet. Almost just like the ones I had in France.

Martolli's Pizza
At 38 East Main Street, this pizzeria serves beer on tap, pizza by the slice and your usual whole pizza to order. They have a super thin, crispy crust. Just the way I like it. Pictured below are meat combo slices with pints of beer. My idea of a perfect snack.

New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro
Just outside of Ashland is this french-inspired restaurant. At 2210 South Pacific Highway, in Talent, the name made me think it was BBQ. I was wrong, so wrong. At the end of the gravel parking lot is a little garden with various vegetables and herbs growing, which I later saw in the food I ordered.

The wine list is vast and a bit overwhelming for a wine novice such as myself. However, the wait staff made it easy by making their recommendations based on your taste and what you plan to order. The restaurant itself looks like a house that was converted. The food was a bit on the pricey side, but very delicious.

The front bar area was very modern and rustic at the same time, while the dinning areas were little rooms with just one or two tables squeezed in.

One starter was a cold cucumber soup served in a shot glass. Very garlicky and refreshing. The other was pate over shredded carrots. I love pate and this one was too small of a portion. I wanted more.





Each course was served on non-matching plates and bowls. I loved this aspect of the dining experience and it's something that I do at home myself.

I had the braised goat with polenta and cabbage salad and my boyfriend had the grilled lamb with risotto. Both were cooked perfectly and were tender, juicy and flavorful.

 


Dragonfly Restaurant
At 241 Hagardine Street, Dragonfly boasts an asian/latin fusion menu. They have an outdoor seating area that provides wonderful ambiance with a multi-level seating area and trees with string lights.

We started off with the Ahi Wontons. The tuna was fresh, the wonton skins crisp and the sweet soy and wasabi cream flavored everything lightly. I could've had another order of this.

The Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos--Three Ways were next.  Each was topped with something different. Pico de gallo, chipotle cream and papaya mango mint salsa. Served with black beans and coconut rice, this was another amazing fish dish.

And finally, the last entree was the Brazil Bowl. A delectable combination of chicken, coconut rice, black beans, papaya mango mint salsa and crispy plantains. I was in heaven.

Paddy Brannan's Irish Pub
I think I've become a regular here, if you can call once a year, every year (starting now) regular. Located at 23 South 2nd Street, this place has great prices for happy hour and very friendly bartenders. They, apparently, also have an award-winning chef. Unfortunately I did not eat here, but will make a mental note to do so next time. As far as beer goes, I do enjoy the ones they have on tap.

Overall, my Ashland food experience was the best of my three (so far) visits to Ashland. I look forward to making more food memories in the years to come.

Miss Pho Saigon--Fremont (Vietnamese cuisine)

As someone who has traveled to Vietnam back in 2002, I consider myself somewhat in the know when it comes to Vietnamese food. Of course, there are some things that will never be the same. But as far as pho and bun goes, the VN food I've had back in the states is pretty comparable. Although I'm still looking for a restaurant that serves central Vietnamese food. That's one type of VN food that still eludes me.

And even though I never had one piece of fried chicken while in Vietnam, I do love this particular restaurant for its fried chicken. Never mind that they have savory broths and fresh veggies and meats for their pho and rice plates. Perhaps it's because I have yet to find a place that makes fried chicken that's both crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Perhaps it's because I can satisfy my cravings for fried chicken and noodles at the same time.

All I know is, if I have a hankering for some down home fried chicken and/or rice noodles, I go to Miss Pho Saigon at 3241 Walnut Avenue, between Paseo Padre and Liberty Street, in Fremont.

Let's talk about the fried chicken for a minute. I'm not too picky about what part of the chicken I'm eating; as long as it's crispy on the outside with moist meat on the inside. At Pho Saigon, they use the whole wing, including that little extra piece that most people cut off and throw away. I love this aspect. One, because I hate waste and two, because the batter on this extra part gets super crispy and it's fun to gnaw on. The wings always come with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce and they are always finger-licking good.

The fried spring rolls are definitely a winner here as well. I'm not sure what's inside, but it taste like a combo of vermicelli noodles, cooked carrots and some other ingredients I can't make out since they're soft and meld together very enjoyably. 



During this most recent visit, I got the shrimp and pork bun as my entree. The great thing about bun, is it enables you to enjoy noodles on a hot day, since you eat it with a sweet fish sauce rather than a hot broth. The noodles here are always soft and cooked till al dente and the seasonings on their meats and seafood is very tasty.

My pick for a local Vietnamese restaurant. Good food, fast service, excellent fried chicken.

Whiskey Butter Sauced Pork Chop & Bourbonade (Recipe)

Prior to the last couple of years, I was never a huge whiskey/bourbon lover. Never thought about ordering it at a bar or drinking it at home. I've always been a Vodka girl (Hangar One is my favorite). I think what changed my mind was my trip to Ashland, Oregon last year. I visited an Irish Pub for a brew and the bartender there decided to invent a new cocktail right then and there, and used myself and my boyfriend as guinea pigs.

Oink oink. It was delicious. Made with fresh squeezed lemon juice, sugar, and 3 different bourbons (including bourbon whiskey and good ol' Jack Daniels). It was very refreshing on a hot July day and since then, I've been a whiskey/bourbon fan and I've recreated this drink at home many many times. I've dubbed my version, bourbonade.

I use 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup simple syrup (plain or cinnamon infused) and 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey. Maybe a little more simple syrup or lemon juice depending on how I'm feeling. Super easy for a super refreshing drink.

I've also discovered that whiskey/bourbon is great for cooking. I actually don't really know the difference between whiskey and bourbon so I use a bourbon whiskey like Jim Beam. For my latest experimentation, I made some pork chops with a whiskey butter sauce. Here's what I did. I took 4 1/2-inch thick pork chops, seasoned them on both sides with salt and pepper, and broiled them for 7 minutes on each side.

While that was happening, I heated 1/2 stick of butter in a small pot over medium heat until it was melted. Then I added 1/2 cup of lightly packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup of golden raisins and about 1/4 cup of diced pear. I cooked it all until the sugar melted and then added 1/2 cup of bourbon whiskey and simmered that for about 1 minute.

By the time the chops were cooked, the sauce was done as well. I just spooned the sauce over the chops and served it with a nice green salad. Sweet and savory all rolled into one.

Food Talk Cafe--Fremont (Chinese cuisine, Taiwanese style)

Since my last post was about Americanized Chinese food and my negative opinion of it, I thought I'd write about one restaurant that does serve "real" Chinese food and make some helpful recommendations. Located at 43755 Boscell Road in Fremont, Food Talk Cafe serves mostly Taiwanese style food. It's difficult for me to explain the differences between the different regional foods, so I won't (I am also not an expert). But just like Chicago is known for hot dogs and New York is known for pizza, each city or region in China have their own regional food. One city might be more heavy on noodles, while another is more heavy on dumplings, etc.

During my most recent visit, a friend and I ordered the Imperial Duck with Mandarin Pancakes and Won ton Soup. The Imperial Duck is another name for Peking Duck, which is roasted duck, after which the skin is separated but not removed from the meat and then the skin is fried so it's nice and crispy. Usually boiling hot oil is ladled over the skin to fry it without further cooking the meat. This is then served with Hoisin sauce, Chinese chives and the Mandarin Pancakes, which are steamed buns made with rice flour. Into the bun, you place a piece of meat, a piece of skin, some chives and some Hoisin sauce and eat it like a sandwich. Delicious.

At Food Talk Cafe, they make this fairly quickly, which probably means it was prepared ahead of time and finished when a patron orders it, but the taste and texture is still excellent. Also, this dish is typically super expensive at other fancy Chinese restaurants, whereas here it is rather reasonable at under $30 for the whole thing.

The won tons here are Taiwanese style, which means they are filled with shrimp rather than a mixture of ground pork and shrimp. I love shrimp, so I have no complaints. The portion is decent for $7.50, the skins aren't mushy and the shrimp on the inside are flavorful and fresh.

So if you feel like venturing out and experiencing good and real Chinese food, Food Talk Cafe would be an excellent choice. Don't be alarmed that everyone there is Chinese; this is a good sign. Plus, they all speak English.

Veggie Chow Mein (Recipe)

Being Chinese, I'm not one to advocate eating Americanized Chinese food. This is typically meat and/or vegetables that are battered, fried and then soaked in a greasy, sweet and/or heavy sauce. These dishes typically sound good with names like Sweet and Sour Pork or Orange Chicken, and it's what a lot of Americans of all ethnicities ate while growing up and have no idea this version was invented by an ingenious Chinese immigrant in the mid 1800's to accommodate the American palate and also to lessen the racist views of Asians. If you are interested to learn more, this presentation is very interesting. http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/brief-history-of-american-chinese-food.html

Also loaded with calories, fat, sodium and all those other bad things, this horrible mutation of my native food is why "Chinese" food gets such a bad rap with health experts. I understand that most people who are not Asian (or even some who are Asian), may not really care, may be hesitant, or even flat out scared to try real Chinese food.

If you are someone who is curious about the real world of Asian cuisine, I would recommend asking around and possibly venturing out with someone who is in the know. With that said, I must add that I do love my noodles, and I'd say my version of chow mein is not so bad (yes, even chow mein isn't real Chinese food). Here's what I did.

I started off chopping everything I needed so I could cook each ingredient with rapid succession. I diced half an onion, sliced on the diagonal 2 small carrots, diced a zucchini and took about 1/2 cup of frozen soy beans out of the freezer. I then made the sauce for the chow mein. In a small bowl I added 1/4 cup of oyster sauce, 1/8 cup of hoisin sauce, 1/8 cup of soy sauce, 3 tbsp. rice vinegar and 1 tbsp, of sugar (all these can be purchased at your local Asian market). I then boiled 1 package of ramen noodles (also purchased from the asian market) as instructed, drained them and set them aside.

In a large wok over medium high heat, I poured about 3 tbsp. of olive oil into the pan, and added 1 tsp. of minced garlic along with the onions and carrots. I sauteed the mix for about 3 minutes and then added the zucchini and sauteed everything for 1 more minute. I then added the noodles, the sauce, the soy beans and, using tongs to move the mix around, sauteed the whole thing until everything was well incorporated and heated throughout. A delicious and not as nutritionally atrocious as your typical Americanized Chinese meal.

Basil & Thyme--Newark (Italian cuisine)

I never thought that Indian food would or could fuse with Italian food. But this place, even though they call themselves an Italian Bistro, have some dishes with an Indian finesse to them. I also think they are not trying to be known as a fusion restaurant, as most of their dishes are strictly Italian. Let me explain.

I've been somewhat of a regular since this establishment opened in 2010 and was recommended by a friend. Located at 5498 Central Avenue in Newark, Basil & Thyme include typical Italian dishes like Eggplant Parmigiana, along with more unique dishes such as their Halibut Filet au Mango Mousleen.

This is one of my favorite dishes. Not only is the fish cooked perfectly, but the mango sauce is made with a mango puree that is used in Indian fare, particularly in a drink called Mango Lassi (which is made with yogurt). As I love Indian food and am somewhat familiar with it, especially since I've traveled to India in 2009, I recognized the Indian ingredients used in some of their dishes. Otherwise, they are so subtle, and work so well with each dish, I don't think anyone even notices.

But I think this is one of the aspects that make this restaurant so unique and also so wonderful to experience. The pure Italian dishes they offer are very Italian and also very delicious (they also make their own pasta), but the dishes that have the Indian finesse to them are the ones that keep me coming back. I can also say this is a very consistent restaurant. With each visit, the food has always been as wonderful as the previous encounter.

During my most recent visit, I decided to venture away from my usual picks, which are the Halibut (as noted above) and also the Pork Chop au Black Funghi. Every piece of meat I've ordered at Basil & Thyme has been cooked perfectly each time. This visit was no different. So for a change, I tried the Calamari Fritte and the Filet Salmon Dore. The calamari was fresh, fried to a crispy goodness without being too heavy and was served with two different sauces. One was sweet, while the other was savory. Both worked for this dish. The salmon was flaky and flavorful, served with a smooth and creamy butter sauce and thyme rice. Yum.

The location is a bit out of the way, so they probably don't get as much business as they should, but once you get there, you will not be sorry.

Dragon Rouge--Alameda (Vietnamese cuisine)

It was unfortunate that I had to work on my birthday. But it was very fortunate that I happen to work in Alameda and Dragon Rouge is there too. So my boyfriend took me there for a birthday lunch. Located at 2304 Encinal Avenue, I was inspired to make a visit after seeing it featured on, "Check Please" on PBS. The restaurant is family owned and operated, with mom at the helm cooking, and the kids assisting and doing the business side. All the reviews on the show were positive and my review will be positive as well.

We got there at exactly 11:30am, which is when they open for lunch and metered parking was plentiful. One quarter bought us 30 minutes and we didn't spend more than 45 minutes for lunch, so it wasn't too pricey for parking. As soon as we walked in, the waitress gave us a friendly greeting and invited us to sit at any small table we liked.

We ended up ordering some Garlic Prawn Imperial Rolls (fried) as an appetizer. It was fresh and crispy, served with a side of soft rice noodles and sweet fish sauce for dipping.

For our entrees we ordered the Bouncing Beef Tenderloin and the Vermicelli Noodle Bowl Combo. The Bouncing Beef was served over a bed of fresh watercress that was tossed in a light, sweet dressing. On the side there was a peppered lime-lemon dipping sauce. The beef was sauteed with onions, lots of garlic and was tender and juicy. Everything paired together very well and was full of flavor.

The Vermicelli Noodle Bowl Combo came with soft rice noodles topped with grilled chicken, shrimp and an egg roll. All was cooked to perfection. The chicken was super moist and tender, the shrimp had that snap and the egg roll was delightfully crispy and satisfying. It was a great birthday lunch and I will definitely make another visit.