American/New American Restaurants – Page 21

Bushfire Kitchen (Del Mar)

October 3, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

This is mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is having technical difficulties today, so Cathy is writing this post.

Bushfire Grill is a family owned and operated restaurant with locations in La Costa, Temecula and Del Mar. There's an 'About Us' poster near the condiments: "Farm Fresh Food Made the Old Fashioned Way – affordable, top shelf ingredients, local and organic (when practical) cooked simply with bold flavors". The Del Mar location opened a year ago this month. The Mister and I dropped in for lunch on a weekday. The Northwest corner of Interstate 5 at Del Mar Heights road is the location of this obscure mall. Anchored by Vons, AAA and some other interesting (future posts) eateries, right next to a Starbucks. You are directed to walk along the food preparation area then order and pay. Menus (Breakfast and Lunch/Dinner) with prices are above the open area (and at the bottom of this post) Take a number, find a seat and your order is brought out.

When I saw that Zumbar coffee was sold here, I ordered a press pot ($4) and it was brought out first, with a pitcher of half and half. Zumba is my favorite local roast coffee and this was just so perfect. The Mister ordered the half chicken plate ($11) and it came with a house made peri peri sauce (crushed chillies, citrus rind, onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice, bay leaves, paprika, pimento, basil, oregano and tarragon). It was a bit spicy. The chicken had been coated in a very nice spice blend already…very moist and the addition of sauce 'interrupted' those flavors.

I decided to try an entree portion of mixed sides ($12.95) Clockwise from 12:00: Grandma's Mac & Cheese; quinoa, beet and wild arugula salad; Kaleslaw; baked sweet potato. Each of these sides were flavorful and unique. Of course the mac & cheese was the favorite…each item was so fresh and went with the chicken.

Other sides choices include: bacon & beans; butternut squash; seasonal grilled veggies; garlic mashed potatoes; potato chips; french fries; sweet potato fries; rustic greek salad; caesar salad; spinach & strawberry salad and mixed seasonal greens. Both the chicken and the sides entree came with a piece of house made focaccia-light, fluffy, soft, warm…with a side cup of champagne vinaigrette infused with chopped chives-unique and another burst of flavor.

Service was outstanding, even though it was getting busy. The food was really great. We are planning a follow up visit.

Who else has been here? Soo was here about six months ago, so was Faye, about ten months ago.

Bushfire Kitchen 2602 Del Mar Heights Road Del Mar 92014 (858) 461-0946 open daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Website

2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road testing, breakfast at Aroma Craft Coffee (Walnut)

October 1, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!is a blog about food. Todays post includes activities leading to consumption of food. Cathy is writing.

The Mister and I were on our way to Irwindale at 5 a.m. on Saturday, arriving at Phoenix Decorating Company after 7. Four floats were being road tested for the January 1, 2018 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade, which has the theme "Making a Difference".

The float sponsored by Western Asset, an investment company, with it's title "Oceans of Possibility" will have no riders and will appear to be underwater (see the concentric circles on the larger dolphin nose? There are also a few more at the tips of the taller pieces of seaweed, to depict breaking the water surface) (also, water reflections on the backs of the larger mammals).

"Armenian Roots", sponsored by The American Armenian Rose Float Association (click the link to see the artist rendition of this beautiful float) was in the second phase of testing. You can see the slotted out area where the float 'spotter' will be seated. (The driver looks down, at the rose colored line down the center of Colorado Boulevard; the spotter communicates with the driver with instructions and also has their own set of brakes in case of an emergency). "Transforming Lives with Hope" is sponsored by the City of Hope Hospital system and will be a beautiful with its florals hanging from above.

The United Sikh Mission will have its third entry in the Parade in 2018. (photos of the two previous floats are at this link).
Peeking in the float barn, we saw a bit of construction happening…and then were off to find breakfast.
Last month, after leaving BMC Pho (following float road testing), we stayed on the side roads and stopped at a Starbucks in Walnut before jumping on the 60 to drive home. After leaving the Starbucks, we drove through the parking lot and had noticed

Aroma Craft Coffee, made a mental note and remembered to stop in on Saturday.

The Diedrich coffee roaster in the front window had me intrigued; it was being used to roast fresh, green coffee beans by the time we were leaving.

Walk in, order and pay, find a seat and your beverages and food are brought out to you. A perfect espresso ($3), accompanied by sparking water, was brought out first. This is how an espresso should taste; the strength yet slight sweetness of the beans came through. The Mister ordered the Prosciutto Benedict ($12). The toasted english muffin had a layer of baby spinach 'protecting' it from not getting soggy, being topped with (a generous amount of ) thin sliced, quality prosciutto, topped by perfectly poached eggs, topped with a lemony fresh made Hollandaise sauce.

I saw this item being delivered to a table while waiting in line to order. Avocado Toast ($10). Since I've never ordered avocado toast before, I technically can't give a comparison of flavors. Since I know what I like, I can say this was absolutely wonderful. The toast: multigrain-I could taste rye- there were seeds and texture and flavor to the thick slice of toasted bread, which was protected by a layer of spinach and mixed lettuces and topped with a great portion of soft scrambled eggs, topped with sliced avocado, topped with a mild soy based sauce with fresh dill.

We weren't done:

There were several these Siphon Coffee makers at the ordering counter. We ordered a cup ($7) made with this week's special roasted bean, Columbian.

This turned out to be about three (proper, 6 ounce) cups of coffee. A small shot glass 'snifter' of the grounds was provided. This was a beautiful, clear smooth cup of coffee.

A wonderful meal on a beautiful day.

Aroma Craft Coffee 20265 Valley Boulevard, Suite Q Walnut, CA 91789 (909) 869-0001 Website Open Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat-Sun 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Nutmeg Bakery and Cafe (Scripps Ranch/Sabre Springs area)

September 18, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a San Diego based food blog, with posts usually written by Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy. Kirk is unusually busy with work and Ed (from Yuma) is busy with so much else. Cathy is writing.

I'd been hearing about Nutmeg Bakery and Cafe for years (it's fifth anniversary was this past Friday) and The Mister and I were in the area about two weeks ago, able to stop for a quick lunch. Located at the first signal light east from the Poway Road exit off the 15, in a generic mall anchored by AAA, between a Music Store and the San Diego Bloodbank, the spacious building has both indoor and outdoor seating. Walk up, order, pay and your food is brought out to your table indicated by cleverly recycled (numbers from an old cash register) utensil tin. Condiments and water are self serve. The above chalkboard menu is only Monday-Friday; weekends have a unique (seasonal) brunch menu (another post).
For this first visit, I decided to try the half soup half salad plate($9.50). The tomato-basil bisque was the soup of the day (there is only one soup each day) and that half bowl was quite a lot (sorry the photo is deceptive; it's a deep bowl). Fresh tomatoes and light (not heavy/cheesy or cream laden) basil flavors were just right on that hot day. The salad I chose was the Neptune: organic spinach, organic quinoa, wild albacore, olives, soft boiled egg with a balsamic dressing. A really great salad. The Mister decided to order a Bombay Sandwich ($9)-brûléed ham, curry-apple chutney, cream cheese, shredded sharp white cheddar and organic greens on a (wonderful, fresh, soft) French artisan roll. Served with some house made chips, this was a wonderful version of 'ham and cheese'.

Reading the menu, I noticed many house made or local made condiment 'spreads' (local honey, garlic spread, tomato spread, carmelized pineapple spread, Bleu spread, chipotle aioli, BBQ sauce, the curry-apple chutney and more). Even though we were both satisfied with our meals, The Mister decided to walk up and check out the baked goods on display. He sat down, told me we'd have to wait six minutes for the order to be warmed…this really great berry-apple-almond bread pudding ($4.95) was brought out, accompanied by a very nice vanilla flavored whipped topping (I don't think it was cream, because it didn't have that residual 'fat' coating…and many items are vegan).

A scratch bakery, organic and local sourced products, high quality and reasonable prices. We'll be back.

Nutmeg Bakery and Cafe 12640 Sabre Springs Parkway , Ste 107 San Diego, CA 92128 (858)486-8863 Open Mon-Fri 7:30-3, Sat-Sun 8-2 Website

Boston Market (Revisits to a place never posted)

August 22, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Chains, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy share in writing and posting about meals enjoyed. Today, Kirk is working some overtime and Ed(from Yuma) is busy with things, so Cathy is writing this post.

The Mister and I do not 'regift'. If someone has gone to the trouble of purchasing a gift and a card, addressing, finding a stamp and mailing something to me, I am happy to accept and then use whatever it is. Then my thanks are sincere. So, that's how this post began; a gift card in the mail. Boston Market, since 1985. An American chain with over 450 locations which has the mission "create awesome rotisserie meals, served quickly, by warm and friendly people". How had I forgotten- it's been at least ten years since we had been here. That's the whole menu, which changes with some seasonal offerings. The primary choices here involve rotisserie chicken, turkey and meatloaf… and sides! A plethora of choices: mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, sweet corn, rotisserie potatoes, sweet potato casserole, creamed spinach, fresh steamed vegetables, green beans, southwest rice, caesar side salad, vegetable stuffing, squash casserole and cinnamon apples.

A three piece (dark meat) rotisserie chicken plate ($8.29) with a choice of two sides- creamed spinach and mac and cheese on this one. So nice, decadent, flavorful. The "Market Pair"-soup and half sandwich plate ($7.49) a choice of soups (chicken noodle) and a turkey half sandwich (there are other choices of each item). Again, this was very nice and so very good. Homestyle, not heavy; pleasant, familiar food. A salad with rotisserie chicken ($8.29). Fresh and tasty with a lot of juicy, still warm chicken. Quite a large portion. The meatloaf plate ($8.29) Two thick slices of a very good meatloaf, along with the creamed spinach and rotisserie potatoes (which are nicely crispy yet with a fluffy interior).

The in store meals are brought out to you on real plates, with real (not plastic) utensils after you order and pay. So old fashioned and home style.

The reason I received the gift card? A home bound friend asked me to pick up and order for her earlier this year, during Lent, when I don't eat meat on Friday.

I had noticed this signage and bought myself the seasonal item (which came on a very nice, reusable to-go plate). The baked cod was excellent!

I'm sad that I had forgotten and had stopped dropping by Boston Market, it's a great alternative.

Boston Market, multiple locations, nationwide. Website

Back to Luce Bar & Kitchen

August 21, 2017 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Gastropub

I know quite a few folks who love Luce. They're regulars and keep telling me that the place has really stepped up their game over the last couple of years. I hadn't been to Luce in ages, so while I haven't been wowed by my previous visits, heck the place is in my neighborhood…..

I've always had really great service here and I like the vibe; relaxed, very neighborly, decent beer list.

Looking at the dinner menu; well, other than the salads, it didn't inspire me very much.

I ended up getting the Smoked Tri-Tip Sandwich ($14).

This was not bad; not a particularly large portion of rather under-smoked tri-tip. Of course, I don't expect to be as good as my favorites, nor even like what I make at home. This was ok, a bit tougher than I enjoy. The roll was decent; though a bit dry. The caramelized onions was a nice touch as it added a much needed sweetness to the sandwich, I also enjoyed the horseradish crème fraiche, the sweet-pungency was perfect. I didn't care much for the provolone, which was too mild to add anything to the dish and would have preferred more tomatoes. The avocado added another layer of creaminess which was nice.

I actually enjoyed the fries most of all. Not too much truffle oil, places just kill you with that stuff these days, a nice amount of garlic…..fried to a nice crispness.

And then I noticed the chalkboards…..my goodness; sweetbreads? It seems that there are weekly specials served after 5 pm.

So I met my friend "Al" for dinner. She lives close by. Sadly, they erased the sweetbreads from the menu as we arrived. Still, there were several items to choose from.

Off the dinner menu we selected the Roasted Beet Salad.

The beets were very nice; though there wasn't much of it. The greens crisp and fresh, but a bit over-dressed for my taste. For some reason, both Al and I thought the goat cheese was overkill; there was just too much of it here.

The best dish of the night was the Tempura Shishito Peppers. Nice laquer batter; crisp and crunchy.

The cotija cheese was a surprisingly nice companion to the peppers and what seemed to be a wasabi based sauce. A very nice dish. I'd have this again.

We finished with the Octopus, which was a bit of a let down.

The seaweed salad really clashed with the grapefruit, it was a real odd combination. The octopus, a bit chewier than I prefer was lost in this dish.

Overall not bad, the food was better than on my previous visits. I'll be interested to see what else the kitchen comes up with beyond the regular pub grub. I will be back; the crew here is really friendly. And with the trolley coming in, it seems like places are trying to up their game a bit as the gentrification of this part of Bay Park continues.

Luce Bar & Kitchen
1959 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours
Mon – Fri 11am – 10pm
Sat 10am – 11pm
Sun 10am – 930pm

Revisits to Places I Never Posted On – The Butcher Shop

August 14, 2017 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Sandwiches

So, in need of a getaway from the craziness at work, I decided to take a trip back in time….to another place I hadn't been to in maybe 15 years.

Ah yes, The Butcher Shop……..

Once owned by the De Philippi family, it's a symbol of a nostalgic bygone era….

From the red faux leather booths to the dark wood paneling, and the photos on the wall…Frank here….Dean there……

I knew I wouldn't run into anyone from the office here.

I got the Prime Rib Sandwich….which was probably the last thing I got here way back when; though I don't think it was sixteen bucks then. But, everything costs more these days. My Server was a joy and I ordered my prime rib rare, which is how it arrived.

In a nicely toasted onion roll. The au jus just tasted mainly salty, so I let that be. The horse radish sauce was very pungent….it belonged on the sandwich, in a well measured dose. The meat was tender, but on the bland side.

As I opened up the roll to spread the horseradish on it. One side looked like it belonged on Instagram…Snapchat…or whatever the social media site du jour is these days….

While the other half of the sandwich didn't seem like it belonged on the same plate.

The fries were crisp; but everything, except the horse radish sauce seemed strangely bland.

Though there seemed to be quite a few eating on this day…..I did feel like I was the youngest person in the room. "Old School" isn't always a bad thing, but this tasted and felt dated. Though I'm sure many have great memories of this place.

The Butcher Shop
5255 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

D.Z.Akins- quick breakfast

August 11, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Cathy is writing a short post today; the guys are busy.

Located just East of San Diego State University since 1980, D.Z.Akins is a Restaurant, Delicatessen and Bakery which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. I've written a total of two posts, along with a mention of a sandwich here, but had my first tastes of food from here when I worked nearby and have, indeed, tried most of the (very large) menu.

Earlier this week, the dreaded "Check Engine" light appeared on my dashboard and I dropped off my car before the Service Center opened. The Mister picked me Up (I was walking back home) and said that we should go out to breakfast. Since D.Z.Akins opens at 7 a.m., we were some of the first people in this normally crowded parking lot.
When you first walk in, there is the bakery and deli in front of you, a Gift Shop to the right and the Hostess Stand to the left. The walls are decorated with murals, cartoons, portraits, photos of prior (famous) patrons and all sorts of things that catch your eye.

After perusing the menu, The Mister decided on the Monday-Friday breakfast special ($4.99)
Two pancakes, two eggs, two sausage (or bacon). (Coffee is $3.50 and always kept filled). The eggs were perfectly over easy, the pancakes were not sweet and were quite fluffy and the sausage was really good- spicy, juicy, large. Since I was preparing myself to spend money on this day, I figured I would order what I wanted- the smoked whitefish platter ($16.95). Looks small, you say? Nope. There were at least 6 ounces of cream cheese in the middle/under the cucumber, carrots, onions and olives. The (very large) piece of smoked whitefish was just so perfect- smoky, salty, meaty, filling. It was exactly what I wanted that morning. I did ask for rye toast instead of a bagel and it was so very perfect of a rye…the kind I grew up eating from the corner Polish Bakery in Detroit.

I hope your weekend is good!

D.Z. Akins 6930 Alvarado Road San Diego, CA 92120 (619)265-0218 Open Sun-Thurs 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Website

Soda & Swine (Liberty Station)

August 8, 2017 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Gastropub

**** Soda & Swine has closed

So, the Missus really wanted to try someplace different and She's been missing poutine since leaving Montreal/QC and as a plus, Soda & Swine specializes in meatballs, another favorite of the Missus. I'd been to Soda & Swine before; the Adam's Avenue location and thought it was pretty good. We didn't want to deal with the parking hassle, so we headed on down to Liberty Station.

Remember when this place was Roseville Cozinha? The Missus actually enjoyed the place during it's all too short run.

So now it's the second location of Soda & Swine, part of the Consortium Holdings kingdom.

I really liked the set-up; you can either order at the register right when ordering, or head to the bar for typical bar service. The area is nice a breezy, even on an especially warm day and we've always had good service here.

I started with a beer, but the Missus wanted a cocktail and ordered the "Oaxacan Old Fashioned". She loved the lingering smokey finish to this spin on the Old Fashioned.

I guess She's got a new favorite.

It was also Happy Hour and since we weren't too hungry, we decided to order the two dishes on the Happy Hour menu.

We ordered the Happy Hour specials; starting with the "Dirty Fries" ($5 – Half Order). S&S goes for a rustic approach to serving….it's either in little cast iron pans or metals trays here.

Basically nice and crisp fries, mushroom gravy, topped with a meatball of your choice (smoked pork), lardons, shaved parmesan, and some diced jalapeno peppers.

I gotta say, this wasn't bad at all, the fries were decent, the gravy added some creaminess, not to the level of, say a good poutine, but it wasn't bad. The meatball….well, the Missus does like Her meatballs, was smokey and tender, the shaved parmesan was barely discernable, the pork belly lardon….bacon if you will added a nice textural contrast to things, with the peppers adding a tiny bit of heat. We felt the aioli's weren't really necessary as they tended to detract from the fried loveliness of the dish. Not quite poutine, but it'll do for now.

The Fried Chickpeas ($1) were a nice distraction, slightly crunchy at first bite, then mildly creamy. A decent bar snack.

We weren't very hungry, so this was enough for us on this visit.

Since then we've returned a couple of times and have tried some items on the menu. Here's how they rank.

It's still the Dirty Fries that the Missus enjoys most. We now just get a full order ($9.49) which is enough for an entire meal for the both of us with leftovers. The best combination of meatballs is chorizo and smoked pork.

On occasion we've had a batch that was too salty. And while it won't make the Missus forget about poutine and I'm sure She'll tire of these, we're riding out the craving.

Tied for next is the Skillet of Three Meatballs ($8.29) tied with the Scotch Egg ($4.13).

Feet to the fire; I think the Missus prefers the Scotch Egg….because if there's anything the Missus enjoys more than meatballs, it's a soft boiled egg. The yolks on these at nice and soft, perhaps a tad past where the Missus likes them, but it's wrapped in a layer of chorizo before the nicely seasoned breadcrumbs.

The first time had the meatballs we had sauce and cheese on it which was just too much stuff and took away from the flavor of the meatballs. I'd say, if you're just going with the beef version, which is on the dry and tough side have at it. On our next visit, we decided to have the sauce on the side and stuck with marinara. To me, it's still the smoked pork meatball that's the best; relatively moist, not too salty, mild smoked flavor.

We didn't enjoy the two vegetable dishes we've tried here.

The Broccolini ($4.19) was overcooked and under seasoned, very bland as a whole. I tasted little or no garlic and for some reason it seems the parmesan they use here is very bland.

The Brussel Sprouts ($4.29) were a bit too charred and hard, while the interiors were mushy.

They really didn't use enough fish sauce to provide enough salty-savory tones for us….the best part were the lardons of pork belly.

So, I guess until the Missus needs a break from the fries here, we'll stick with those.

And a couple of Old Fashions…..

Soda & Swine
2750 Dewey Rd. Suite 104
San Diego, CA 92106
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 10pm
Sat – Sun 11am – MN
Happy Hour:
Mon – Fri 3pm – 6pm

Blaze Pizza (Fast Fire’d, customizable)

August 7, 2017 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Pizza, Salads, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog you are reading on this not too humid day. Kirk is busy (with work), Ed(from Yuma) is also busy (even though he is retired) and Cathy (who appears to Have time) is writing this post.

Driving around while getting hungry, The Mister and I were near Native Foods and noticed yet another customizable pizza location (sad that my favorite had closed). We decided to try Blaze.

Ignoring the fact that "fire'd" is not a word, the idea of being able to watch your pizza being constructed, see it being placed in the fiery oven and having it ready by the time you find a place to sit is fascinating; fast food that isn't all fried or particularly heavy.

Even better, the selections here are a bit different. For one, there are four types of pre-made salads to choose from (although you can make a personalized/'Build Your Own' salad from all of the pizza toppings).

There are a variety of sauces and cheeses to use as a base and the amount of ingredients available is excellent; even if you 'Build your own' pizza, using a lot of toppings, the cost is $8.25 (there is only an extra charge if you want a thicker crust or a gluten free crust).
The system here is a bit more organized; when you order, your name and a number that is embossed on a metal tent-shaped piece are coordinated, so that the pizza in the oven doesn't get lost/given to someone else. {Let's just say I have received free pie coupons more than once because another customizable pizza place has given my order to an unsuspecting pick up. It is so easily preventable.}

As I was staring at the menu, "Salad Pizza" ($8.25) had me curious. It's a baked (fast fire'd) pizza dough, topped with pesto sauce and the cooked bread is topped with your choice of any of the four salads available that day. In this case, I chose the tomato and mozzarella salad. Gosh, this was perfect- salad, bread with the garlic-y pesto…a meal. Since it was our first time here, a "Simple Pie" ($5.75) was ordered. Mild tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese-simple. This was pretty much perfect; it reminded my of pizza we got in Naples, Italy, decades ago. On a return visit, the Salad pizza topped with an arugula salad that had fresh blackberries was available. Again, a great meal. There is a "2 Top" pizza available ($7.50) and since I did want to try the sausage here, a sausage and mushroom pie was ordered. This was, also, perfect. So pleasant and cheesy, plus those fresh mushrooms- wow. Being a creature of habit- another tomato mozzarella salad topped pie was ordered. This time I did remember to take a photo of the thin crust with just the basil topping showing. Most recently, a "Build Your Own" salad, using the base of the Caesar salad and adding bacon, chicken and a selection of vegetables ($8.25) proved to be so large that it wasn't finished in one sitting. A good and healthy choice.

Everything is fresh and good here.

Blaze Pizza, multiple locations across the USA, Website

Wine tasting in Southern Oregon

August 3, 2017 ed fromyuma American/New American Restaurants, Sandwiches, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

mmm-yoso!!! is Kirk’s fascinating food and travel blog out of San Diego. Sometimes he lets Cathy or me, Ed (from Yuma), blog here too. Thanks!!!

I wish I could share with folks the great natural beauty and wonderful hospitality Tina and I experienced in Central Oregon. But I am uncomfortable writing about wonderful meals prepared by friends and family, and Tina and I both failed to take photos of the Cascade peaks and rugged scenery we witnessed our way down to Jackson County in Southern Oregon.

We arrived on a scorching (108°+) afternoon in the Rogue Valley too early for our motel room, so we sought the house where I grew up and the nearby house of my grandparents. Pulling into the driveway there, we were greeted by the current owner, who was happy to learn about the history of the house and happy to share some details about living in Medford these days. After he learned that we were interested in wine tasting, he insisted that we drive a short way to 2Hawk winery, nearby on N. Phoenix Rd.

Located about 2 ½ miles from where I grew up, the brand-new winery was built with old wood:

Amazing to see vineyards where there were once empty fields or cow pastures at the edge of town:

The tasting room was modern and attractive, the servers were very friendly and helpful, and some of the folks at the winery seemed like locals who drop by in the afternoons:

2Hawk offered a couple of different tasting flights, but their lineup was limited but good:

In fact, limited supply seems to be plaguing many of the new Southern Oregon wineries. One place we stopped was out of wine to sell, and when I came back two days later to 2Hawk to pick up a bottle of their excellent reserve Tempranillo, which they had kindly let me sample, they had none.

2335 N. Phoenix Road | Medford, OR 97504
541.779.WINE (9463)

http://www.2hawk.wine/

The Rogue Valley with nearly 30 wineries is the center of the Southern Oregon Vineyard industry but I wanted to take Tina over to the Applegate Valley, just to the west, because it is much more rural, very beautiful, and offers some distinctive wines.

But folks gotta eat; so we stopped in at the C St. Bistro in Jacksonville. Jacksonville, now is a very small town, has a historic district that goes back to the 1850s, when Jackson County was founded. It’s in a nice location up off the Valley floor some, but it would’ve been inconvenient for the railroads, so they went down to the heart of the Valley and created Medford.

The C St. Bistro is a small home style lunch and dinner spot in Jacksonville:

http://www.cstbistro.com/

It has a pleasant patio though it was getting awfully hot by the end of lunch:

I had a nice fresh lemonade that I failed to photograph. I opted for the turkey BLT, made with toasted homemade focaccia:

Real roasted turkey – an abundant portion – was the highlight of the sandwich. Being lactose intolerant, I ordered the tomato soup with no sour cream. It was full of red ripe tomato flavors, but the acidity might have been better balanced with the sour cream as Tina’s was:

But the real highlight of her lunch was the magnificent wild mushroom and melted cheese cibatta:

Here’s a detailed photo:

The bill was reasonable:

We headed out of town on the Jacksonville/Ruch highway, which crosses a low spur of the mighty Siskiyou mountains and descends into the beautiful Applegate Valley:

We stopped at only two wineries; the Schmidt family winery (the funnest in the Applegate Valley) seems to have a party going on constantly:

330 Kubli Road Grants Pass, OR 97527

541-846-9985

https://sfvineyards.com/

I’m sure the wines were very good, we enjoyed the tasting for sure, but the emphasis at the winery seem to be on the beautiful grounds and picnic areas:

Our last stop in the Applegate Valley was at Cowhorn vineyards a few miles south off the main road at the edge of the forest and the Valley, one of the most innovative and progressive vineyards in the Southern Oregon wine region:

The entire winery has no carbon footprint. All employees have 52-week a year employment and healthcare. Though the winery is very new, some of their best wines Syrah, Grenache, and Tempranillo are some of the most sought after and expensive in the Valley and (in my humble opinion) some of the best tasting.

The vineyards are spread out from the winery:

1665 Eastside Road
Jacksonville, OR 97530
(541) 899-6876

http://cowhornwine.com/

Tina and I thoroughly enjoyed the wine tasting and scenery. What makes Southern Oregon wineries unique is a variety of microclimates, most cooler than many regions in California, all more elevated than most other regions in Oregon or in California, and producing varietals not usually well represented in West Coast wineries such as Tempranillo, Grenache, Viogner, Roussanne.

If you’re in the area, you should definitely stop in and check out the one top 10 Vineyard area in the United States that you had probably never heard of before.