Feb 15
2010

The Laughing Clam in Grants Pass

The Laughing Clam in Grants Pass

Hanging out with colleagues while on the road is a rare treat. Especially, when they are locals in an area that is less renowned for gastronomic delights, such as Grants Pass.

As my co-worker Matt and I were making our way north through the Rogue Valley for site visits, we had the fortune of meeting up with our friend and colleague, Kyle, who introduced to us to the Laughing Clam, a place with a healthy number of taps, and then directed us to the Circle J Cafe, with its gypsy vibe, both situated on G Street in downtown.

The Laughing Clam racheted up its curb appeal by having a strategically placed shaggy dog lounging outside under the glow of microbrew neons. The promise of cute dogs plus good beer is irresistible.

The Laughing Clam lived up to its promise: a wide selection of micro-brews, especially from Southern Oregon, were offered. A young, convivial atmosphere dominated. It felt similar to some of the bars in Corvallis that cater to earth sciences grad students (yes, I mean, Squirrels). But, instead of discussing their dissertations on how ecological responses to the eruption of Mt St Helens have completely debunked the theory of primary succession as it was once hypothesized, folks at the Laughing Clam are just winding down from work.

Circle J Cafe in Grants Pass

Circle J Cafe in Grants Pass

The Circle J Cafe boasts the most remarkable collection of vintage and faux vintage figurine lamps I have ever seen in public (scroll to bottom). There were porcelein genies, fortune tellers, and stalking panthers to name a few. The food is a predictable. But, the line-up of sandwiches, pizza and salads is pretty solid. After a number of pre-dinner stouts, Matt and I both opted for salads. My caeser salad was most notable for its epic size and generous use of garlic. Matt thought his spinach salad was huge, but it turned out that the spinach leaves were quite fluffy, so it ended up being a more manageable size.

Overall, I must say that G Street is my new favorite place in the Rogue Valley.  I will be returning to both the Laughing Clam and J Cafe. There will never be another embarrassing Applebee’s moment again in this town (more on that later).

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Trackback  •  Posted in Southern Oregon  


Dec 15
2009

From November 11, 2009:

November through April is what I lovingly refer to in my job as “travel season.” The season typically starts off with a series of regional meetings across the state then moves into sites visits, peaks in January with more regional meetings plus site visits, and then peters out after April with the last round of regional meetings. During this time, I criss-cross the state in both directions and reignite a deep loathing of I-5 between Salem and Portland, which marks the last painful leg of so many journeys. But on the first day of travel season, today, I have no loathing, only the joy of getting out of the Metro area and into the wide spaces and small towns that make up the Oregon of my youth. Let’s call it Real Oregon. As most of the folks outside Portland think of it.

The first stop back in Real Oregon is NoHo’s, which I should probably count as cheating as the small restaurant chain (there are three of them) started in Portland. However, NoHo’s opened its Medford location doors several years ago and has developed its own uniquely Medfordian vibe such that I feel justified in assigning it a place in Real Oregon.

My colleague, Matt, and I had originally intended to eat at the hotel’s sports bar, Characters. Characters features some potentially dynamic live acts on the weekends. However, after walking into Characters on this Wednesday evening, Matt and I were struck by the lack of characters in the bar, the strangeness of only having one of the three giant screen televisions on (and that it was tuned to Dancing with the Stars, which was, well, surprising in a sports bar), the excess of chairs and tables for the five people now occupying the space and the lack of any staff in the barren landscape. Although, to be fair to the staff, we did not wait long to see if they would appear. Before the desolation of the place could permeate our souls we made a bee line out the door.

NoHo's Hawaiian Cafe in Medford

NoHo's Hawaiian Cafe in Medford

Hungry, after nearly six hours on the road, we started circling Medford. There were the many chain and wannabe chain options at the various plazas, centers and malls that line Biddle Road, none of which appealed to either of us. We started back toward Medford’s downtown in search of a fish restaurant I had gone to last fall. The search was aborted when I saw the signs for NoHo’s. The promise of giant plates of hot Hawaiian food was too good to pass up.

Back to the aforementioned Medfordian vibe of this NoHo’s. I have picked up take-out at several restaurants around Medford now and have learned to recognize the uncomfortable foyer of those restaurants as the awkward take-out space. These foyers are somewhat akin to an industrial mud room: no decorations, just carpet and unassuming bench shoved in a corner. In addition to the liminal take-out space, the rooms of the restaurant are a little too open, a little too bright and the decor a little too pastel.

Spicy Korean Pork

Spicy Korean Pork

After a short while standing awkwardly in the take-out room, my colleague and I were seated on chairs painted with smiling suns. As we perused our menus, I too started to smile. The food sounded like everything I had hoped and dreamed of: spicy korean pork, char-grilled teriyaki beef, pupu platters, ribs of all sorts.

My primary recollection of NoHo’s in Portland was that the portions were enormous. I remembered oval platters with enough food to feed a family of four for a day set in front of each diner at the cozy Clinton Street location. Medford did not disappoint in the epic portions arena. Even Matt, who is nearly twice as tall as me, couldn’t finish his spicy Korean pork. I made an impressive showing with the teriyaki beef, but still had to leave some deliciousness behind.

Leaving food on the plate in no way means it was lacking in any respect. The grilled meats are tender. The spices meld into pure joy. The whole thing make my belly feel complete. On the whole, I was deeply satisfied with my first dinner of travel season. It’s going to be a good year.

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Trackback  •  Posted in Southern Oregon  


Mar 24
2009

For the past three years my job has taken me all around our great state, from Pendleton to Coos Bay, Ashland to Astoria and just about everywhere in between. As a sixth-generation Oregonian, who prided herself on her vast store of local knowledge, I was astounded to learn just how little I knew about most communities. And, I was faced with a unique and persistent problem: where do I eat? 

Outside the I-5 corridor and the Bend area, there is precious little information on-line about where to dine. The age-old tradition of asking locals is the best bet. Although, as I sometimes prefer to do after hours alone on the road, picking a place at random and seeing what happens has also been enormously interesting. So, at the urging of my friends and colleagues (and husband, who sometimes joins me on my adventures), I am setting out to document the highs and lows of eating on the road around the Beaver State.

Being a woman road-warrior who primarily eats alone figures heavily in my decisions. For example, I rarely roll-up solo-style to bars in parts unknown. Generally being on a limited per diem has also shaped my decisions. Although, I have certainly splurged on myself (and footed the bill) when an irresistible, decadent option presents itself. As a result, I have cultivated the capacity to eat a four-course meal without any company save a book.

For those of you who live and travel through Oregon (especially outside the Portland Metro Area), I look forward to hearing suggestions!

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Trackback  •  Posted in Information