The Downtown Market Co. Perfect Food.

I think I may actually have been rendered speechless... I'm digging for some witty remark, or play on words to describe this gem of an establishment.

I guess I'll just start here: These people know food. Good food. Whole food. Perfect food. The food you not only want to eat, but should eat. How's that for wonderful? They know how to make you want to eat food you should be eating! Can it get any better? You betcha!

Not only can you enjoy a new menu of fresh, wholesome, tasty food every week from the Taste Kitchen, you can shop the store for an array of Mediterranean delights. Wines, assorted cheeses (including my very favorite Mozzarella Di Buffala), breads... and so very much more! Not only can you go have a fantastic lunch, they also offer Family Style Dinners, Food and Wine Pairing, Cooking Classes, as well as Private Parties.

For those of you that know me, I am very picky when it comes to Italian Cuisine, not just the manner in which it is prepared, but the pronunciation of the dish itself. I have this belief that if you are going to sell something, you should be thoroughly familiar with your product! (take a hint here O. G.) Take the word "Caprese" for example. It is NOT pronounced " C-A-P-R-EE-SEE". It IS pronounced "Ca-Pray-Say".

I feel inclined to point this out because our server actually knew this :) And because The Downtown Market Co. serves a delectable Open Faced Caprese Sandwich, that I promise will have you convinced you are in a small cafe in Southern Italy.  I know, it may not be a big deal to you, but it is an enormous deal to most Italian/Americans that cherish and value their heritage. Therefore, props to The Downtown Market Co.!

I especially appreciate that you are not bombarded with thousands of options on a packed menu. I have never liked sitting at a table and reading a mystery novel in order to figure out what I should eat for lunch. The Downtown Market Co. weekly menus are tastefully put together with a few choices for soups, salads, sides, panino's, and main dishes.

On any given week, you can rest assured the menu items are not only good, but imaginative as well. I have never thought to put white beans and tomatoes together as a salad with olive oil and grated parmesan. I will now! How about a Barley-Lentil Burger with Spicy Fruit Salsa??  I ordered this, and ate every last crumb of this, and I am pretty sure I can't live without this. Without a doubt, one of the best meals I have ever had.
The tag line on The Downtown Market Co. website is " Ignite your passion for food and cooking". And they do just that.  In the "About Us" section, you will find the owner- Nora LaBrocca describes a childhood rich in whole food, culture and a love of heritage. Every bit of which shows in her establishment.

I have had my fair share of foodie adventures in Southern Oregon. Actually, around the world, and I can honestly tell you this is one of my most favorite places on this planet to enjoy a meal.

I'm not sure what more I can say. I highly encourage you to take some time and go visit this fabulous eatery and market. If you like good food and great service, you have no reason not to stop on in.

The Downtown Market Co. is located at :

231 E. Main St
Medford, Or

Visit their website at : http://downtownmarketco.com/

Tisk Tisk Black Rock....

Ahhh... Another Sunday yoga session with my bestie Susan always calls for a coffee pit stop in celebration for completing our fitness goals for the week.

After spending the better part of five years hopelessly addicted to Starbucks, we recently decided to expand our horizons ( due to increasingly poor quality and rising prices). We chose Black Rock Coffee as our new coffee go to. It's been about a month since I started patronizing this small, local establishment. I've been very happy with it for the most part. I like that I have my silly little punch card and, as so many others, get overjoyed when my hard work has finally paid off and I have "earned" my free beverage.

Sure, I've had the random long or short pulled espresso shot, but as a former barista and coffee stand owner, I can look past it and chalk it up to mechanical malfunctions. What I can't look past is plain ol' stupidity. (Sorry , just being frank).  Today's visit was chalked full of plain ol' stupidity.. and I'm not over it, so I'm venting!

Alright, without risking boring all of you and writing a novel I'll cut to the chase. Around 11am, Susan and I, feeling glorious from our two hours of power, went on a mission to obtain some liquid energy at Black Rock Coffee Bar. Being the creatures of habit that we are, our order consisted of the usual 16oz Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Chai Latte and a 16oz Skinny Carmel Blondie. I could tell instantly that this was going to be interesting. Our barista,though very cute and sweet, seemed to be "out to lunch" to put it nicely. I gave her our order as she was staring past my car at, what I can only assume was Bigfoot doing a wheelie in the empty parking lot next door. After a minute or so, she started to do what great coffee artists do and got to making our coffee.


So by this point, things seem to be going smoothly. The Barista passed our drinks to us and gave me my total of $6. I told her I had my freebie, and passed her my card- no biggy. It seemed to be taking a while for her to get the process done, actually it was a good three minutes before she turned to me and said " Oh, wait! The last guy through left his free drink card for the next person! I totally forgot! You don't owe anything!"  I was thrilled to say the least, I thanked her and told her I need to pay that forward. She passed me my debit card, and I drove away.

 Pretty cool huh? I scored an extra freebie today and was feeling pretty good about it! UNTIL..... I checked my account as I normally do on Sundays only to find that I was not just charged for one drink, but both drinks. Now I don't exactly mind being charged for one of those drinks, as I only had "earned" one of the freebies, but I was hosed out of MY free drink, not to mention I was hosed out of my free drink card! And I was told that I was graciously given a "karma freebie" by the previous gentleman through :(  Hmmm.. maybe karma is after me???

I guess I wouldn't be so ticked off about it if the coffee was the best I'd ever had, but in all honesty, my drink was grainy and had that scorched milk taste. I can't speak for Ms. Susan, she seemed to enjoy hers. Maybe "sweet and cute" aren't exactly the ideal attributes of a good coffee artist? Who knows....

What I do know, is that I want my freebie! lol! And to earn karma points, I will pay for the person behind me when I visit again.. Yes, I will visit again, I do believe they have pretty good coffee, and their prices are great. The service has always been great, so I will assume this was an "off day".. in the world of coffee art.

As usual friends, there is a moral to this story :

 For the Barista: PAY ATTENTION! YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU WILL SCORN THE WRONG COFFEE ADDICT!

For the consumer: PAY ATTENTION! And don't be to judgemental ;) Believe in second chances :)

If you have a chance and a hankering for coffee, keep your money local and give them a try. Black Rock Coffee Bar is located at:

1975 Biddle Rd.  Medford.

Hours: Mon-Fri 5am-9pm
            Sat- Sun 6am-9pm

http://www.blackrockcoffeebar.com/biddle_rd

Hot wings anyone??~ Get them fresh at Flappers Wild West Wings!

Have you ever just felt the urge to dive into a basket of buffalo wings? I have!

I consider myself a somewhat health conscious, "grease is evil", kind of person. However, even I will succumb to the temptation of a chicken wing, smothered in the perfect buffalo sauce and drowned in creamy blue cheese dressing. It gets me every time, and yesterday was no different....

It is actually pretty difficult to find the creative genius within to describe a basket of hot wings. One might think "a wing, is a wing, is a wing", but not so at Flappers. The biggest difference when you come here as opposed to other establishments offering hot wings are the options.

~Are you in the mood to burn your taste buds off? They can oblige with their lip numbing, tongue tingling "Zulu" sauce (my personal fav.. my mouth is watering at the idea of it). Feeling saucy and sweet today? They have an enormous assortment of sauces ranging from extremely mild and sweet, to thick robust smokey BBQ.. you name it, they've got it, feel free to mix n match your sauces! No matter what you choose, you'll be left with the sticky fingered, tell tale sign of a happy Flappers customer.

Not so into wings? It's no problem here! Flappers offers a great variety of burgers, salads and sandwiches, as well as appetizers and sides. There is certainly something for everyone, including a nice bar offering Southern Oregon Brewing Gold Digger Northwest Lager and Pin-up Porter along with DosEquis Amber, Deschutes Mirror Pond and Coors Lite. They have bottled beer too! Southern Oregon Brewery's Woodshed Red Ale, Nice Rack IPA, and Nazd Ravi Pilsner as well as Ninkasi Total Domination IPA, Walkabout Brewery's Workers Pale Ale, Alaskan Amber, Alaskan Pale Ale and Franziskaner Hefeweizen. If you are like me, and are not a beer drinker, they offer local wines and specialty drinks as well.

I wouldn't exactly say that my last visit was "perfect", I wasn't too impressed with the roll of paper towels the server plopped on the table..I guess I'd prefer a few napkins, actually some wet-naps would be fabulous considering the meal. Not a deal breaker by any means, it really is more of a personal preference. The service was good, and the food is best described as "Succulent", I think leaving happy is what matters :)

I also might recommend a little work on the web-site, maybe listing all of the sauces available?? It could come in handy for people that are much more picky than myself ;)

The restaurant itself has a great Western theme, with open ceilings, and exposed beams. Its pretty rustic, and inviting. Would you really get that good ol' hot wings n beer feel sitting in a fine dining atmosphere? I think not! This fits for this place :)

If you're in the area, make sure to stop by and show your support for yet another great local restaurant.

Flappers Wild West Wings is located at:-

1213 West Main St. in Medford, Oregon 97501.

Hours:
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 11:30 am to 9pm
Wednesday: 11:30 am to 9pm
Thursday: 11:30 am to 9pm
Friday: 11:30 am to 10pm
Saturday: 11:30 am to 10pm
Sunday: 12 pm to 9pm

http://www.flapperswildwestwings.com/

Aloha Sunrise Cafe!

Hello Hawaiian plate lunch!

I always love when I get the opportunity to introduce someone to something new.. Especially when it comes to food! To me there's nothing better than introducing a "meat n potatoes" kind of person to new, and exotic, food :)

Today I had that opportunity:) it was a bit nerve wracking, considering this is a Real Estate client of mine and I didn't want to offend his palate...but, since lunch was my choice, I chose Sunrise Cafe on E. Main in Medford. It's right down the street from my office, making it a convenient option.

(I love being greeted by smiling patrons and friendly staff as I walk into an establishment, it sets the mood for my visit.)

Sunrise was pretty packed at lunch time today, (that's pretty typical for this scrumptious place) but we were lucky enough to grab a table. A clean, non wobbly, decent sized table:)

My guest, being new to Hawaiian food, instantly started looking around "ooh, what's she eating?" As we went thru the menu together, I did my best to describe past experiences I have had with the various menu items. Making sure to point out that the "Loco Moco" was smothered in gravy :)

I chose my usual Sunrise Cafe fav... Huli Huli Chicken, special ordered to be super extra spicy, because that's how I roll folks! Top that spicy pile of boneless chicken thigh with two scoops of brown rice (you can choose white rice if you prefer, but your heart will never forgive you) and a heaping scoop of the best, freshly made Macaroni Salad on this planet and you've just stepped into Hawaiian Plate Lunch HEAVEN my friends!

 My guest chose to follow suit, but chose the toned down version... He's not a fan of the super hot stuff. At first, he looked a bit apprehensive.. pushing around the chicken with the tip of his fork. After his first bite of the macaroni salad, it was obvious he was SOLD. (I've been accused of being a great closer, you're welcome Ed ;) The smile on his face, and the fact that he had no need for a to go box is a testament to the art that is Hawaiian food.

There are many, many more options to choose from if Huli Huli Chicken is not your thing. For example Ed's Famous Pulled Pork, (trust me, this is some great piggy!) or Teriyaki Flank Steak, or so much more!

 People, just trust me on this one. Go grab yourself a seat and say Aloha to Ed Chun and the crew at Sunrise Cafe.  Make sure to say Mahalo on your way out!

Sunrise Cafe is located at :
130 E. Main St in Medford

Don't forget they cater as well!

Buttercloud Bakery.. The name says it all!

Hmmm.. Where to start. After a two hour session at the gym Sunday morning. Lifting, stretching, and more downward dogs than one really wants to imagine. It was time to load up on some good, wholesome food.

Being as it was a Sunday, most of the usual go to places were not open. After driving around in a sweaty, starving stupor we came upon Buttercloud Bakery and Cafe. Having just burned three days worth of calories, and seeing the sign proclaiming "sandwiches", we headed inside.

The first thing I noticed was an enormous Orange Pecan Sticky Bun placed smack dab in the middle of the counter, right at eye level, for all the world (and two starving wanna be yoga experts) to see. Follow that up by a pastry case full of tarts, scones, Coco-Nib brownies, and cookies, we knew instantly we were facing a temptation much to great for our weak wills, and growling tummies.

After taking a second to compose ourselves, we turned our eyes to the menu, desperately seeking sandwiches. We found them! All of them served on a large, fluffy, melt in your mouth, soft buttermilk biscuit!!!!!!!!!!!!! Along with biscuits and gravy, braised collard greens, Smokey Mac n Cheese. HELP!!! Need I say more? After ten minutes of debate and a little help from Gibson, the very gracious owner, we made our choices.

 I ordered the Beef and Blue: Beef brisket, housemade tomato chile jam, Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue Cheese. (we all know by now that I am a creature of habit :), I won't say it was horrible. How can something hot, covered in Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue Cheese, and surrounded by an enormous Buttermilk biscuit be "horrible"? But.. I did think it needed just a tad more "kick" to it, sadly. I felt it was good, yet somewhat boring to my palate.

My friend ordered the Chipoltle Pulled Pork: Pulled pork with housemade chipotle-porter bbq sauce. I had a small bite, again, not horrible. However, it also seemed to be lacking some vigor. Maybe a little more of that chipoltle-porter bbq sauce?  We both vowed to omit the biscuits and only eat the meat. Honorable, yet laughable, both our plates were wiped clean. Biscuits and all.

Buttercloud offers an array of delightful beverages, including, Dark Secret Hot ChocolateHousemade orange-infused, dark chocolate,  French Press Coffee featuring Evans Valley Roasting Coffee,  and a "rotating selection of local wine and craft beer". We decided to keep it healthy and opt for water. (again, laughable)

As we grabbed our jars of self served ice water, (an attribute I actually love about this place) and made our way to a lovely corner table, Gibson, towel in hand, hurried behind to make sure the seat was to our liking. I very much appreciated that. All to often we step into a cafe or restaurant and get thrown into the first available "spot" that comes with a reminder of the previous occupants meal. ( usually large chain places. I should point that out). That kind of "turn em and burn em" treatment seems to be the least concern here at Buttercloud Bakery. -Very good service :)

Ok, I've given my opinion on the good and the bad here at Buttercloud Bakery and Cafe, although I don't really think there is much of anything "BAD" at all. I enjoyed my visit to Buttercloud, my guest and I were treated well, and served quality food that was served hot. The other patrons eating there had smiles on their faces, and large plates of various foods on their tables. All the signs of a great place to be!

As you're driving down Jackson, stop on in and grab a French Press, or a Biscuit Sandwich or a Delectable Pastry (They were voted for having the "Best Pastries" in Southern Oregon Magazines Winter 2012 addition)



Buttercloud Bakery and Cafe.
310 Genessee St.
Medford, OR 97504

www.buttercloudbakery.com

The greatness of Great Harvest!

"Thank you" just about summs up my feelings towards this absolutely delectable establishment.

Although I have enjoyed many a scone and muffin provided to me as a marketing tool from lenders, insurance agents and title companies, it wasn't until I was invited to lunch there by a friend that I discovered the greatness that is Great Harvest Bread Co.

The smell of freshly baked bread and pastries (carb haters beware!) Combined with the inviting setting, and friendly atmosphere will have you instantly checking your calender and contacts to set your next business lunch.

If you're familiar with their tasty pastry, then you need to give their sandwiches a try! Good Lord they're "Great"! My personal preference is the Pepper Bleu Roast Beef on Honey Whole Wheat. Seriously, can a person live off of perfect slices of roast beef, red onions, and blue cheese served on freshly baked bread??? I'm pretty sure I want to find out!

As I am a creature of habit, and change scares the pants off of me, I will say that I have not had any of their other sandwiches. Shameful right? I have seen many served, I have watched my friends gobble down the Table Rock Turkey sandwich, and in all honesty it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable!

Apparently, the Table Rock Turkey is an aphrodisiac.. I came to this conclusion while watching my best friends eyes roll back and listening to the sounds of pure pleasure omitting from her with each bite.. as I said, uncomfortable! Until... you look around and realize not only is she apparently in the throws of Turkey passion, but so are dozens of other people enjoying the same meal :) steamy huh?!

Great things about Great Harvest Bread Co.
1: Great food!
2: Great prices!
3: Great atmosphere!
4: Great selections!
5: Gives you a reason to use the word "GREAT"!

If you haven't had a chance to give them a try, I suggest you do so...  They are located at :
203 Genesee St. Medford
Hours: 7a.m - 6p.m Monday thru Friday
Saturday 8a.m - 4p.m

Www.greatharvestmedford.com

Oh Bambu.....

I suppose I should start off with a review of my most favorite place in Medford.. Bambu.
 I can't tell you the countless times I've sat under the dim lights or out on the peaceful patio of Bambu, sipping on a glass of Conde de Valdemar Tempranillo. I get as giddy as a school girl when I know we're going to Bambu..however, after our last visit.. I'm left heartbroken, and wishing for a "do-over".

The appetizer came out quick, hot, and tasty as always.. How can you go wrong with roasted duck spring rolls people??! For my entree, I ordered up a fabulous Indonesian Lamb dish... "six lamb chops, pan seared medium rare, with steamed vegetables, and an Indonesian soy reduction" ummmmm YES PLEASE! My husband chose the Alaskan King Salmon "with shiitake mushrooms, and asparagus". 
I know, dream come true right? Not so much. While our server, (who will remain unnamed) was gracious and kind as she always is, she didn't show much muscle with her counterparts in the kitchen. ( I remember when my orders would go wrong, man.. I was a beast to the kitchen)
 45 minutes after ordering, our entire bottle of vino gone, waters refilled at least three times, and still NO DINNER :( No sign of dinner on the horizon, and no comment from the kitchen, the hostess, or our server as to where our dinner had gone or when it was going to return.  Ugh, long story huh? It gets better I promise!
Almost an hour after we gobbled up our roasted duck yum yums, gulped and entire bottle of wine, and completely sobered up on gallons of water, our dinner was finally served. The excitement was overwhelming! Until the plates were actually set on the table. First thing that came to mind was... "Seriously?? Didn't I order a plate with 6 lamb chops pan seared to medium rare, because I'm pretty sure I'm looking at one lamb chop, "chopped" six ways, shrunk to the size of a quarter, and cooked to a perfect piece of charcoal". One would think that a dish cooked so very LONG would be hot. Ya, again, not so much! Room temp at best.
At least it was food, and I was hungry, and I didn't want to wait another hour...so, tears streaming down my cheeks, I dug in to my less than fabulous lamb dish. I was feeling horrible that this poor little lamb was actually slaughtered, and used for this purpose.

On to the Salmon folks! I will say, this was a tasty piece of fish! Piping hot, and cooked to perfection, this thing melted in your mouth. We certainly appreciate the fact that they had actually gone to Alaska, caught the fish, cleaned it, and cooked it just to fulfil our order. I would say the only thing lacking were the shiitake mushrooms, as there we're three or four spare parts of one mushroom. Apparently, they didn't have time for a quick trip over to Japan to pick those, but we'll forgive them for that ;)

We finished off our night at Bambu with the banana spring rolls with macadamia nut ice cream.. not a darn thing bad to say about those!

In summary, I have always loved Bambu, and will for sure return for that "do-over".

The moral of the story for the customer is: We all have an off day, so be understanding.

The moral of the story for the owner/manager/staff of Bambu is: Keep tabs on your tables, explain when and why things are taking to long, at best give the customer a cool line of B.S! You never know when that customer will blog about their experience!

I did it!

Ugh.. why is this making me nervous?? :)  I've said it over and over again "I should start a restaurant blog"... so here it is! I suppose it would be good if I actually learn how to spell the word "Restaurant" ;) I promise to be kind with my opinions, and state the good as well as the bad...

In this economy, its a stretch to grab a burger, let alone have a romantic "date night", I though it would be nice to go over and beyond just a "review" and write a balanced paragraph or two on my opinion of the places we patronize.

Hopefully, any criticism that comes out will be taken as a constructive point of view, and not as a complete mud dragging :) I'm actually a nice person, I just don't like to spend money on less than acceptable service, and/or food.... Fair nuf??

Please feel free to leave a comment, or contact me :) let me know your experiences as well!