Burgers, Beer,and Breakfast in Medford/ Rouge area

[dfunghi]

Hi all, I will be in Medford next week for a day or two and was trying to find some micro brewpub type place with great beer and great food, bar food stuff ok. Need great local breakfast too. The big 3 egg omelette with homemade bread and real maple syrup kind of place. Ashland to Talent ok I have a car. TIA

D

Edited July 1, 2003 by dfunghi (log)

[inventolux]

I use to live in the bend/medford/ashland area. I hope your expectations arent too high.

[Jim Dixon]

While it's the ancestral homeland, I haven't spent enough time down there lately to offer any specifics. Theater and college town Ashland will have more options for better food (and since it's small, easier to find, too). Jacksonville is kind of touristy but still off the beaten path...I'm sure there are at least one or two spots there. Talent and points east are beautiful, must be some burgers and beer on the road somewhere (you could drive as far the Union Creek Inn, which used to be very good).

One good food pilgramage would be north to Rogue Creamery, makers of great blue cheese and founded by Ig Vella, part of the Sonoma cheese-making family.

Jim

[dfunghi]

Jim, Had hoped to get to the creamery if time allowed. It is sort of NE of Medford I think? I was looking for some sort of local microbrewery type place. Do they exist? I thought Rouge area was known for this? Perhaps Im mistaken. I've been to Ashland a couple of times and was never that thrilled especially with the dollar - delicious scale weighted towards dollars, but there are so many places maybe I just missed the best of them. Can't remeber names but I could find them if I were there. We are heading to Eugene next for a day or so, any suggestions? Living in LA and traveling to SF a lot I get plenty of "fine dining". Am looking more for great homey food. Clam chowder, fish and chips, Umpqua ice cream, etc.

Thanks

D

[Jim Dixon]

Rogue Creamery is in Central Point, just a bit north of Medford. you could swing out to Jacksonville and make a loop to get there.

I'm sure that some of the type of food you're looking for exists in and around Medford, but can't point you directly at it. Clam chowder isn't likely to be more than canned clams and potatoes unless you head for the coast (and even there, it's often pretty bad). The Umpqua Dairy is in Roseburg but they seem to distribute ice cream all over the state....look for espresso madness in the grocery store. It only comes in half-gallons, at least up here in the big city, so be ready to eat.

Good luck,

Jim

[Jim Dixon]

ps....

Rogue Brewing is actually in Newport on the central coast, a long way from the Rogue River (or anything else named Rogue)...we don't have the same kind of appelation laws you do in California, but this is clearly a violation, especially since the Rogue valley is kind of hot and Mediterranean and Newport is cold, wet, and gray, even in the summer (but it does have other charms, including clam chowder).

In Ashland, check out Caldera Brewing, conveniently located just off I-5. If you're driving up you could stop for a few cold ones and probably get some food tips from the brewers.

Jim

[malarkey]

ok, I haven't lived there in years, BUT what about Geppettos for that all american breakfast? (serving breakfast till 2pm!) at least, they used to when I lived there. Food.. how about Chateaulin? is it still there? the only french game in town... There used to be a restaurant in Talent that was fairly high end (well for that area) I can't remember the name... right on the old highway. Also I believe the Winchester Inn used to serve good dinners too. Anything else.. I can't help you. been way too long since I've hung out in those parts.

Post your experiences when you are back dfunghi...

[Tremors]

Standing Stone in Ashland is pretty good brewpub type place.

Lots of breakfast opps in Ashland - Brothers near the plaza is an old favorite, my new favorite is Morning Glory on Siskiyou closer to the college - next to the Fairway (Fairview???Fairhaven???) Motel is great - all homemade stuff and some unique menu items - highly recommended. Also one of the bakeries (Ashland Bakery possible?) near the plaza has a good breakfast as well.

Good luck and let us know.

[Tremors]

Jim,

Re: Rogue Brewery's supposed geography blunder - my failing memory seems to recall that the Rogue Brewery did start in Ashland (still not on the Rogue River but I suppose semi-technically in the Rogue Valley) - and had a brewpub down creek from the plaza - the flood of 199? wiped them out and they never rebuilt in Ashland. Not sure why.

Hence why you see Shakespeare Stout and other theater related names on their brews is my guess.

Cheers - thanks for the Navarre tip - may have to head over after my soccer game.

[dfunghi]

Back from Canada, not much to report.

Medford - Too hot (98) to walk around and look for food so we just ate in the room with our own food. Breakfast was at Rice Hill. We did stop at Rouge creamery and tasted and procured some excellent raw milk bleu cheese's

Portland - No exit from 405 to Burnside so we missed it all on way up but did find Kens on way back. Really excellent food and the bread is top notch. As good as any, anywhere and better than most!

All in all the drive up to Vancouver was not a food drive.

D