Wonders of Oregon!

Mount Hood

By Jane Feehan 

I’ve had the good fortune to spend more than three months in this beautiful state. I’ve seen many of its sights and more remain on my list …

Some observations, tips and recommendations:

It rains here. A lot. Flowers and blooming trees command attention during the spring, and the landscape is the greenest you’ll see anywhere. When the sun shines, Oregonians get out and about. They’re impatient drivers through the narrow winding roads to the ocean and through the farm lands. Not a good thing for those taking in the view and suddenly find a tailgater at the bumper. Beware … even if you’re driving the speed limits.

A deer sighting from my hotel window in Salem

The rainy season abates in late spring. Some say summer really begins on July 5 when the rain stops. If you don’t mind the often-gentle rains, I suggest to get out and explore during the wet days. The roads and sights are less crowded. People hike on trails everywhere here, rain or shine. The landscape turns brown in some areas in the summer; I recommend a spring visit when flowers and trees burst with color.

Some farms grow flowers for markets and enthusiastic visitors willing to pick their own bouquets of iris, tulips and more. Oregon is also home to the grass seed capital of the world--Linn County, near Eugene.

The best strawberries you will ever taste come from Oregon. That can probably be said of many fruits and vegetables grown here.

Flower farms, stark and luscious scenery and easy-to-spot wildlife require you to be camera ready ...

What to see:

Mount Hood – Stop at Government Camp (1936-38 Works Project Administration construction) and its Timberline Lodge (the exterior was filmed for the movie, The Shining.) See the mountain up close and beautiful. It’s something to see or ski when draped in snow.

Cooper Spur Mountain Resort

About four miles from Government Camp lies the quiet Cooper Spur Mountain Resort. Great for weddings, reunions and just relaxing, Cooper Spur offers dining in a rustic setting and cabins for rent for a stay. See www.CooperSpur.com.

Columbia River Gorge – Stunning. See it from the Vista House (built in 1917) on Historic Route 30 – off busy Route 84 (speed limit a dismaying 65 mph there along the Gorge).

Columbia River Gorge

Multnomah Falls – Off Route 84 in the Gorge area. Beautiful, I hear, but difficult to get into with its lines of cars at peak hours on good weather days. I enjoyed Silver Falls, about 30 minutes out of Salem.

Vista House at the Gorge

Nearby is the town of Cascade Locks with lodging, gas stations, a few restaurants and a beautiful view of the Gorge. The Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge & Marine Park river cruise leaves from Portage Road. Food at the restaurant is terrible. The cruise, I’m sure, is much better.  

Town of Sisters on the way to Bend, the east Cascades. Loads of tourists in this village of fewer than 3,000. Most of the buildings look like new replicas of Wild West architecture. A little schmaltzy, a lot touristy, but fun.

Bend – a winter ski mecca at the edge of the high desert. Sophisticated and sunny, its downtown area offers a few good restaurants. Residents and visitors have a view of snow covered moutains. I highly recommend Drake—excellent food in this restaurant/pub and yes, you can dine with your dog outside. Two-hour free parking on the street behind Drake.

Smith Rock – About 20 miles from Bend. Do not miss. Amazing rocks and landscape and the 

Smith Rock

backdrop for a western movie or two. It's also a draw for hikers and rock climbers. Parking at this site is tough on holidays.

Lake Detroit and dam. On the western side of the Cascades along Route 22, on the way to and from Bend. Vacation housing, some lodging, lots of camping and fishing. A restaurant or two. Dazzling.

Lake Detroit

Canon Beach

North to central coast – Cannon Beach, Lincoln City and … a hiking trail with plenty of parking just north of Cannon Beach provides a spectacular vista of the ocean and coastal terrain. The Weather Channel liked a photo I took here and asked to use it. The jaw-dropping view, not this photographer, should be credited. The coast is chilly and windy most of the year. No highway to the sea but beautiful roads through farmlands and wine country.

Dunes near Florence and the Siuslaw River

Wineries – Oregon is home to Pinot Noir. Hundreds of wineries (more than 600 in the north) dot the landscape and welcome visitors (try Cherry Hill) for tastings. I don’t know how one manages tastings and drives home without a designated driver. Roads and Oregon police are tough.

View from path at Adobe Resort

Florence and surrounds  – Two hours and 10 minutes south of  Salem, Florence offers a slightly different landscape than points north. It’s near the 40-mle long Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Sand dunes, not rocks claim the landscape. About 8,000 reside in Florence, a town popular with retirees and tourists who come for its Rhody or Rhododendron Festival in May. Rhodys—wild and cultivated—are ubiquitous here. Don’t miss its downtown and harbor, which reminds this writer of a New England seaside town. Friends-locals-took me to Adobe Resort in nearby Wachats where we sighted a whale and its calf from the dinning room. The patrons dashed to the window to watch the two frolicking there for quite a while. After dining, take a scenic walk on the hotel's short path along the ocean.

Heceta Head Lighthouse, 13 miles from Florence. This picturesque lighthouse is among the most photographed in the U.S. Visit and you’ll see why …

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Portland – Almost an afterthought. Traffic is miserable, parking is bad. And homeless youth are more than annoying; they’re aggressive and nasty. I feel safer in New York City. Visit Powell Books, in the Pearl District, a city landmark and among the world’s best book stores. (Portland is second in the U.S. for reading; Seattle ranks first, based on books sold in those cities.) They offer a parking garage (not free) adjacent to the store; it fills up early.

There's much more to see in Oregon ... stay tuned.

Lewis and Clark Expedition ...

Tags: Oregon sights, Oregon tourism, where to go in Oregon, Florence, whales, Smith Rock, OR, Lake Detroit, Bend, OR, travel writer, Columbia River Gorge

Table 57 at HEB: raising the bar for casual dining in Houston

Table 57@ HEB

5895 San Felipe, Houston 77057

Open daily for lunch and dinner; brunch on Sundays

Take out 

Vegetarian-friendly

713-978-5860

By Jane Feehan

It takes a bit of will power to grab a cart to shop for dinner at HEB when you know about Table 57, a casual restaurant with a beer and wine bar on the premises.  

Counter-order service may belie what’s ahead at this grocer-operated eatery: a hit parade of barbecued turkey, brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, chicken and other smoked Texas specialties or bistro-style sandwiches, spicy tostadas, classic salads, traditional or trendy burgers, prime beef sliders with brie, Korean fried chicken and an array of interesting palate pleasers.

There’s not much to describe as casual about the food. Take for example, a simple turkey burger. They transform it into majestic kitchen art. It’s delivered with an avocado kale mash, grilled red onion, solegiatti (slightly dried) tomatoes, feta, arugula and sunflower sprouts. Match it up (or not) with a side of sweet potato fries, eye-popping onion rings, the more exotic Tare-grilled okra, or German-style red cabbage and you’ll be talking about this meal for weeks.  

For more out-of-the-ordinary, there’s Korean Fried Chicken, a crispy fried half bird with a mild chili

Korean Fried Chicken

glaze, plated with kimchi mash and Asian braised greens. Sample Tuscan-grilled tuna atop cannellini beans and greens or the spinach, avocado and grapefruit salad. These dishes make it tough to believe this is grocery store dining.

  

Table 57 (named for the zip code in its address), offers barbeque by the plate or pound, smoked “with Texas Post oak for up to 13 hours,” a daily butcher’s cut featured on a chalk board at the counter, and small bites such as deviled eggs, fried green tomatoes, fresh lobster salad or crispy Brussels sprouts. A hearty local beer or a decent wine is available to drink at the bar or to savor at a table.

Staff delivers food promptly, even during busy weekday lunch hours, and they get orders right. Several times I’ve asked them to omit an ingredient and each time it came as requested. The bar proves to be a friendly place to dine or to meet neighbors and new friends—despite uncomfortable bar stools and their struggle to pour even a half glass measure of wine (my only criticisms but it could be they don't want people to linger long). A live music lineup Friday evenings keeps the outdoor patio filled and patrons dancing.

With great food that includes mouth-watering desserts such as Texas Pecan Bread Pudding or Tres Leches, and a kids menu of hot dogs, mac n’ cheese, and chicken tenders, there’s little wonder so many would-be HEB shoppers never get past Table 57 …

Tags: HEB Grocery, Houston restaurants, Texas smoked barbeque, takeout food Houston Galleria. Tare-grilled, vegetarian-friendly in Houston

True Foods Kitchen: Where healthy meets tasty in Houston

True Food Kitchen

1700 Post Oak Blvd., Ste 180 Houston, TX 77056

TrueFoodKitchen.com

281-605-2505

Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Friday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; 

Saturday: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Brunch Saturday and Sunday 

By Jane Feehan

At True Food Kitchen it’s not about tasteless bean sprouts—nor fatty fries and cheeseburgers—but healthy options for vegans, vegetarians, meat eaters and all those in between who like good food. That’s just about everyone.

Medical doctor, teacher and author Andrew Weil teamed up with Phoenix restaurateur Sam Fox a few years ago to develop restaurants (Houston was number nine) offering an anti-inflammatory dining concept. Inflammation, the result of a modern diet overloaded with sugar, saturated fats and processed foods, is blamed for a number of ailments including heart disease, several forms of cancer and even Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory approach to eating blends elements of Mediterranean and Asian diets with a Californian overlay of fresh ingredients and presentation. The True Foods menu embraces this philosophy offering whole grains (yes, even pizza) lean meat (try a turkey or bison burger), wild caught fish and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Kitchen wizards elevate health foods from dull to sparkling with healthful ginger, curry, and other worthy seasonings.

One of their most popular dishes, Red Chili Shrimp, sums up the True Kitchen approach.  An artful combination of shrimp, tossed with Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli), Shitake mushrooms and spinach over a bed of sesame noodles (a gluten free version also available) mildly accented with red chili spice could compete with dishes of a fine Thai eatery. 

Fellow diner ordered a light meal of a caramelized onion tart and salad of spinach, blueberry, beet, snap pea, cucumber, radish, goat cheese, and pistachio drizzled in lemon vinaigrette. More a flatbread presentation, the onion tart is complemented with thinly sliced fig.  Bursting with flavor, both plates deserve a curtain call.  Another diner sampled Turkey lasagna, not particularly savory or a good fit for the restaurant; it was recently (and wisely) removed from the menu. 

Only one of us wanted to venture into dessert nirvana with a strawberry-rhubarb cobbler. Replete with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, this confection was made to order and topped with oatmeal granola. Guiltless pleasure …

The menu offers a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks—all with a healthy yet flavorful spin. Patronized by a youngish crowd, and designed with high ceilings and open spaces, True Food Kitchen can get noisy at night, especially when the music is upped a few notches. A totally different fan club comes for takeout meals signaling hats off to their food if not the ambiance. If noise scares you away, dine outside or visit for lunch. Free parking is available and accessible from the front or the back of Boulevard Place, adjacent to Whole Foods.  (Post Oak and San Felipe)

Tags: Houston restaurants, Houston health food menu, Galleria area restaurants

Fort Lauderdale's Royal Pig Pub: Majestic fare

Royal Pig Pub
350 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
954-617-7447
www.RoyalPigPub.com
Open: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-Midnight
          Friday/Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
          Sunday Noon -11 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

Awesome: Royal Pig Pub. Atmospheric and handsome, if not typically pub-cozy, this eatery delivers creative, high quality, sophisticated food that sets the bar (no pun intended) for other SOFLA establishments that embrace the gastropub concept.

Executive Chef Stanton Bundy brings Texas and New Orleans influences to a menu that includes bounteous sandwiches, inspired salads and main course marvels. Consider the Free range Creole Chicken Club with cheddar cheese, a delicately fried and oh-so-tasty slice of avocado topped with chipotle aioli. Enthusiasm for this creation precluded relegating any to  a common Styrofoam

Free Range Creole Chicken Club

container for takeaway. Blasphemy. Down the hatch it went with most of a side of parmesan truffle fries. The same for dining companions blissfully munching on palate-teasing Prime Beef Sliders, and a BBQ Rotisserie Pulled Pork sandwich crowned with coleslaw spicy mustard, American cheese and a fried pickle. The Rotisserie Free Range Turkey Club, encased in cranberry walnut bread, topped with cranberry compote, Vermont cheddar, bacon and avocado, tasted like Thanksgiving on a bun … and ranks among the best sandwiches I’ve eaten.

The roster of main plates (served after 5 p.m.) include New Orleans inspired BBQ Shrimp, and Seafood Gumbo. Texas-influenced Rotisserie Ribs and prime steaks join Free Range Rotisserie Chicken, “Fish of the Moment” and tons more to accommodate any craving, any appetite. The Royal Pig Pub serves fabulous fare on many holidays. Wallet-friendly, this pub offers fine cocktails, excellent wines and craft beers. And yes, the service lives up to the food.

Sophisticated, airy and New Yorkish

Parking available on the street or in a nearby parking garage.










Tags: Fort Lauderdale pubs, gastropub, Las Olas restaurants

Crash landing on oil slick, Runway 84 in Fort Lauderdale

Runway 84

330 Florida State rd. 84

Fort Lauderdale, 33315

954-467-8484

Runway-84.com

Lunch, Tuesday-Friday

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday

This airline-themed Italian eatery and lively bar with a three-decade history has an enthusiastic following. After a recent visit, I cannot say I am a member of that following.

Oil was in abundance in places it should not have been and was missing in another. This sad experience began with tasteless, slightly burned bread accompanied by a small dish of oil for dipping. We could not find the oil; the dish was mostly grated Parmesan with barely enough liquid to grace one slice of bread. Bread is usually the first sign of what’s to follow; this time was no exception.

Enter an appetizer of clams oreganata drowning in oil that should have come with the bread. Oil was not the only problem; the woebegone clams tasted as if they had been resurrected from the freezer. Onward. Mussels were delivered in a “sauce” that tasted more like water with a few dollops of tomato paste. It was miserably tasteless as was the house salad served with a gimmicky piece of salami holding a single sorrowful olive. Iceberg lettuce, a pepperconi here, a slice of tomato there, all drizzled in a bland dressing fit for a bottle off a grocery store shelf.

Denouement of this meal misery: two plates of pasta overloaded with oil. The rigatoni was perfectly prepared but swimming in cheap olive oil. So much broccoli rabe covered one dish that the pasta was hard to find. My plate was topped with a mushy mess of cauliflower and sliced mushrooms.

Runway 84 may be popular for their free meatballs on Thursday nights and grossly huge portions every night. It’s not cheap however; our pasta dishes were about $25 each.

To borrow from Edgar Allen Poe … Once upon a January Florida night cheery … deep into that dish peering, long I stood there wondering, really? Said this writer, NEVERMORE.

Tags: Fort Lauderdale restaurants, Italian restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, restaurants near Fort Lauderdale airport

U-Tiki Beach - Tropical Rhapsody in Jupiter

U-Tiki Beach

Jupiter Inlet Marina

1095 FL A1A

Jupiter

561-406-2210

No website, find them and menu on Facebook

U-Tiki Hours: Mon-Thurs – 4-10 p.m.;Fri: 4-11 p.m.;  

Sat: 12-11 p.m.; Sun:12-10 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

Worth the long wait and a great addition to Jupiter Inlet restaurants, U-Tiki offers a stellar view of Jupiter Lighthouse and surrounding turquoise waters. It’s operated by the people who own Jetty’s next store. They know seafood. 

The U-Tiki menu offers a bounty of seafood choices, including sushi, cracked conch, fried oysters, shrimp, yellow tail, hogfish (or what’s running in nearby waters) and a tasty Jupiter fav—grouper cheeks.They also do steak, burgers, chicken, flatbreads, a variety of salads and a few interesting Caribbean  bowls  flavored with curry and coconut or almond and cream sauces. Lunch and dinner menus differ.

An appetizing dining experience (mahi mahi and chicken dishes we tried proves this point) is heightened by the open air Florida verandas and beach (Ok, ok … an engineered beach), and broad

walkway along the docks to Jetty's; this happy place is authentically tropical.     A large bar overlooking tables and the inlet provides the perfect place for meeting new people or bringing friends who want to party.

U-Tiki is open for lunch on weekends only, to the dismay of many, but it’s a tropical rhapsody otherwise. 

Tags: Jupiter waterside restaurants, U-Tiki, Jupiter inlet restaurant,Jupiter Inlet bar, Jane Feehan

Jet Runway Café, Fort Lauderdale: Calling all aviators – and foodies

Dining room with a view

Jet Runway Café

5540 NW 21 Terrace

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309

954-958-9900

Open Monday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saturday: 7:30-2 p.m.

Jetrunwaycafe.com

Beer and wine, catering

By Jane Feehan

Jet Runway Café, exactly as its name conveys, sits along a runway in a hangar at Fort Lauderdale’s Executive Airport. What this unique eatery lacks in exterior design (except for the airplane windows of its entrance), is more than made up for by the details of its interior and in its artful presentations from the kitchen. The café’s expanse of glass along its front and side affords all visitors a great view of the tarmac and planes taking off, landing or awaiting the next trip. Its appropriately high-ceiling, airy interior is decked out in a turbine and other aviation elements.  

Entrance

We had standard breakfasts of eggs, potatoes, and a piece of their housemade light fried bread pudding (also available as a complete serving). Presentation here is all about the details: tiny cups with butter or catsup (no ugly bottles or alumium butter wrappers here); potatoes served in a small dish atop the plated eggs. Simple fare but beautifully delivered. They also serve Brioche Almond French toast, breakfast burritos, pancakes and house made coffee cakes.

 

Thoughtful presentation 

Service is excellent. I’ll be back for lunch during this next week and hope I can find a parking space. It was impossible last Friday at 1 p.m. and I think I know why. With good food, a great wait staff and an exceptional setting, what’s not to return for? Stay tuned …

Open for private parties (great venue) only during the evening.

Tags: Fort Lauderdale breakfast, runway restautants, unique restaurant Fort Lauderdale, private party venues, unique party venue, catering

Patsy's Italian Restaurant NYC - more about characters than food

Patsy’s Italian Restaurant

236 W. 56^th Street

New York City, NY

212-247-3491

www.patsys.com

By Jane Feehan

Located off Broadway at the center of the theater district, Patsy’s does a booming business with theater goers and tourists and a smattering of locals who venture in for the characters rather than the food. This was one of Frank Sinatra’s hangouts during the day where he held court upstairs. The same family has run Patsy’s for decades; their graciousness is one reason why so many return here—in spite of hum drum food.

On my first visit I supped on Shrimp Scampi looking for a garlic fix. I didn’t taste any garlic and the pasta was overcooked. A Caesar salad earned the same dismal assessment. The couple sitting next to me, frequent visitors to the place, said the food isn’t great but they come back to see who’s there.

Singer Michael Bublé and wife came in on one of my visits but did not stay to eat. He had to know that role model Sinatra frequented the restaurant. Characters still flock here but not so much the high-profile type. I couldn’t help but notice that some dining could have been “made guys” or wanted to be. Most of all they wanted to see or be seen, providing aware guests some entertainment with their bear hugs of old and new associates.

On another visit with a friend, we dined on seafood and pasta, and gnocchi and had to discretely  extricate shrimp shells from mouthfuls of pasta. Not a pleasant experience for those who tend to get embarrassed by such things.

Service is excellent and they expertly move customers in and out of the crowded spot. A small full-service bar offers a few seats but this is not the place for a leisurely drink before dinner. Move ‘em on, head ‘em out.  

Tags: New York City restaurants, restaurants near CBS David Letterman Theater, Italian restaurants in NYC, restaurants near Broadway, Pre-fix pre-theater menus in NYC