Hotel Oregon tasty food

I heard on the down-low that McMenamin's Hotel Oregon recently hired a new chef and sous-chef.

Of course "the down low," means "post it on the internet as soon as you get around to it." If it wasn't a secret, I would've put something up immediately. So you see my journalistic credentials are still extant, only pronounced with a Swedish "j."

Well... that explains the consistently good fries for the last month, the sudden appearance of gorgonzola pear pizza on the specials (soon to be regular) menu, and the fantastically tasty portobello mushroom sandwiches!

The Hotel Oregon's menu is going to change this week, way for the better. I'd say "you heard it here first," but it's probably on the McMenamin's website...

If this chef stays, and stays focused, things are going to be a lot different, and I'm going to be a lot happier. That gorgonzola pear pizza is really good. I even eat the crust.

Caveat: we entirely eat vegetarian food at home, I eat mostly vegetarian out, and we value different things in a dining experience than you do, so your gastronomic mileage may vary.

I think it's a harbinger of the good things to come with the Obama administration.

Nick's in the alley

alley entrance
Originally uploaded by Philip Williamson.

Who would guess that down this alley, past the dumpsters, guarded by a row of McMenamin's trashcans, is the entrance to a very pleasant little lounge?

On a fashion note, this photograph was not taken in 1988.

On Wednesday, Jim and I stopped in after a bike ramble around McMinnville's neighborhoods. It was quiet inside, wood-and-wine-bottle-y, with pleasant downbeat music. A Cure cover, some Bowie, maybe. Cat Power.

We had the red-felted pool table all to ourselves (free), and played a couple of games. The cues are straight, well weighted and nice. The table is well-lit and level. It's not a fast table - the waitress said "lotta green on that table" as my shot ran out of gas well shy of the pocket...
Legend has it that before the closed-down Trask Brewpub (next door) got its horrific Macarenas (whatever) makeover, Nick (of Nick's Italian Cafe) would let himself in at night to play pool on their red-felted table. The rest is history.
I mean legend.

The food was really good, and quite cheap reasonable. We each had a bowl of Nick's minestrone, split a crostini with baked garlic, and had two Heater/Allen pilsners. Each. Duh.

Beer brewed three blocks away, world-class soup and a well-tuned pool table! Geez. It was really nice.

The bill came to $34. I'm not sure how it broke down, but the crostini was $5.
Let y="soup"
Let x="beer"
2y+4x=$32
Soup = $7, Beer=$3.50? That sounds right.

Not bad for Very Good food and beer in a very mellow atmosphere.
The waitress (friendly-casual but attentive (fairly perfect, really)) did break a $20 with two tens for the tip. She got about $4 extra. With the pool table, good service and great food it was still quite reasonable - I hope she tipped out the kitchen like she shoulda!

freeze-dried ice cream bar

freeze-dried ice cream bar
Originally uploaded by Philip Williamson.

The Space Museum opened in McMinnville the other weekend (iMax theater, Titan rocket, lunar dune buggy), so roving bands of 'astronauts' passed out packages of dehydrated ice cream bars.
They basically taste like cardboard Oreos.

Mocha mayhem!

Mocha mayhem!
Originally uploaded by Philip Williamson.

The Oregonian front page has been getting more... stupid.
I think they won a Pulitzer last year. Ever since it's been like "Big Cat Attack at Portland Zoo ...in 1976." "Tsunami - could it wash away Portland??... no."
This story is about a criminal trial in Portland where someone threw their drink at a Starbuck's manager. And flicked whipped cream at another employee. Newsy.

The "Sunrise Edition" headline was "Are Oil Prices Being Manipulated?"

I guess this is the "Idiot Edition."

Sheridan Mud Drags

When I saw the signs for the Mud Drags last year, I thought maybe it was big tractors hauling heavy things through the mud. Dragging them as it were. Even still, I knew that Max and Rex would love it (whatever it turned out to be). With a name like "Mud Drag," you can't go wrong.



What it is, though, is two lumpy bumpy mud-filled lanes that run about 100 yards. Two trucks ease up to the line and two big guys with flags make sure they're even. When the light changes, they roar down to the other end, trying to stay in the track, not get sideways, and not lose.


I like the homemade-fun aspect of this event. There aren't any professionals, the trucks are mongrel dogs, and people come out to cheer for their friends.


"Ford Killer" blowing smoke out the pipes... which run straight out the manifold up in front of the truck. That's a Dodge over there, but let's see what happens.

"BWRRRWWRRR!"

"Agh!" It rolls. Oops. The guy got out fine.

This is where I remember to pan the camera to take pictures of moving objects. High school photo class finally 'arrives' with me... 20 years later.

This guy got sideways and ended up in the median. Twice. Once on a solo run! Now THAT's entertainment! Max turned around and said "are all these people DRUNK?!"

Look out fer them Duke boys!
The prevalence of Confederate Battle Flags this far North and West of the Mason-Dixon line isn't puzzling, but it is kind of funny. Where are all the State of Jefferson flags?

Here's the mud-covered judge for the outside lane. He tooks some heckling ("You're BLIND!") as a few spectators got a few Ice Buds to the good, but he didn't react. Earplugs, I think. In the background you can see the orange Dodge that rolled, all trailered up to go home. I guess that's a good reason not to drive your rig to the race...

I'm a big fan of granaries, feed stores and silos, and Sheridan has a nice one. I think I'm going to the Willamina Mud Drags next week, too...

UFO Festival 2007

This year's festival was really good!

I thought the floats were way better than last year, and I didn't miss the wacky marching band from last year who priced themselves right out of the parade. Next year I want to make bicycle-powered UFOs to ride in the parade! It'd be great if they could be lit from within and taken to the Starlight Parade, too... ah, fantasy!













This man here...

Has GOT to be related to this fella here.


I like pictures of people way better than floats, so that's what you get here. So far people have been pleased to see themselves in my Flickr stream, but if you want your picture removed, I 'll take it right down. If you'd like prints, I think Flickr can provide them for a nominal charge.

Portland's First Thursday

What to do in McMinnville on a Thursday night...

Go to Portland.

That's a joke...

But in addition to the things that make Portland great, there's the First Thursday Art Walk in the Pearl.

Mark and I met up with Clinton at his pad in the Northwest and went down to see some art. That place is hoppin'! We parked in a garage all evening for $5, saw good art, bad art and mediocre art, at a bunch of places. Of course, none of us agreed on which art was which.
I saw some abstracts I liked, which is getting to be less unusual for me. Clinton was completely dismissive of the Robert Motherwells and Rauschenbergs we saw (the Rauschenbergs were pretty lame), and Mark arranged to get some information about one of the artists at Rake Gallery.

We ate really good burritos at El Grillo, just off Burnside. They share a bathroom with the strip club next door, so you get an eyeful on the way to pee. Remarkably flexible ladies. Professionals.

The people watching was the greatest (not just the stripper). There were two young men in dresses and aprons, passing out 'Rent-a-Wife' cards. If Angelina and Lisa find out how great it was, Mark and I are going to have to watch the kids while they go in for a Thursday evening. So mum's the word...