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Viewing 25 - 22 out of 22 Columns.
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Bloomsbury was rocking tonight! My brother won the broomstick contest! I drank bright green punch! (And I am bit wired at the moment as a result.) If only people partied like this for books all the time...and now I await my turn to read the conclusion to the most important literary saga of my lifetime (so far). Bliss.
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Inti!
on 07/11/07 08:58 PM
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Pacifying my hunger, crispy yellow corn chips dive gleefully into sweet salsa and bellyflop in fresh, smooth guacamole. Not so unusual for a tacqueria. But wait...those thin, tantalizing strips of briny, spicy white onions and green peppers are uniquely addictive. And so is the Maiz Dorado "teaser" - sweet, grilled corn-on-the-cob enlivened by chile oil with a cool, tangy Queso Fresco dip. 
My friend Linda (also a LocalsGuide member!) and I drove to the blossoming City of Talent to try out a new-to-us restaurant called Inti. Elise Passante actually opened her mellow, welcoming eatery a year ago after visiting the then-Senor Sam's one day, and purchasing it the next. Call it what you will: the universe, fate, luck, destiny, intention - I am just grateful that "it" happened. 
Inti offers several different fillings for their tacos and burritos. (I wish you luck making any choices at all here - "one of everything, please" definitely crossed my mind.) The plate arrived with Spanish rice flanked by tender, house-simmered pinto and black beans, and what space they didn't cover, the three tacos certainly did. Linda who prefaced her order with "Carne Asada is my religion," was impressed by the flavorfully grilled, marinated steak filling that made her "mouth sing." We were both blown away by the intensely savory spices in the Vegan taco: rich with chile-fied tofu and pan-fried portabello mushrooms, this is not for the blandly-inclined. No surprise, the intoxicatingly smoky cheese made the juicy grilled vegetables even more succulent in the Erbivoro taco. Tasty handmade white corn tortillas are just thick enough to contain these wildly delicious fillings. 
And it gets better: Elise is all about contributing to the community that has nurtured her family for many years, so she hired local Talents as staff and gets her ingredients from the surrounding farmers whenever possible. And much of the colorful art and objects that pop out from the walls was given to her by customers. How's that for hyperlocal. 
And now we come to my favorite part of every meal: dessert. Two words for you here - Mexican Brownies! Small, gooey squares of rich chocolate, cinnamon, and nuts cuddled whipped cream, and worked hard not to be outshined by the two ripe cherries whose dark chocolate coating enhanced the tingle of the juices on the tongue. The Banana Quesadilla was unusual in that buttery pan-fried tortillas replaced the typical pastry crust, sandwiching the mild and creamy banana filling and supporting the caramel sauce, whipped cream, and banana slices on top. Wow. 
Inti is a great addition to my usual rotation of our area's amazing restaurants, and a 10-minute jaunt in the (gasp!) car only makes my future visits seem more adventurous- there are still so many other dishes I get to try. And hey, maybe I'll even bring some beautiful art to contribute on my next visit! Or perhaps you will beat me to it! Inti is located at 109 Talent Avenue. You can reach them by phone at 541.535.7336. Prices are beyond reasonable: Teasers $4.50 - $8.50; Ensaladas $4.25 - $5.50; Tacos $3.50 each or 3 for $9; Dulce $2 - $3. À noter: you can order any taco filling as a burrito, a dozen fresh tortillas is only $2.50, and they offer french press coffee along with other drinks.
Tags: Wheret2eat
I’ll be the first to admit that I love the Britt Pavilion and would gladly accept tickets to and attend ANY show put on there just because it is so beautiful! The ponderosa pines (a shout-out to John Muir School!), open sky, great acoustics, and the liberty to eat and drink whatever I want all make for a perfect musical venue. That said, I still would not normally have gone to the Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby concert, except that the talented Emy Phelps who also teaches music at the John Muir School was opening for them…and so I met up with the amazing teachers and some of the wonderful parents and children of the school community on the grassy hillside in Jacksonville. Emy was fantastic. She has a powerful voice and she and her band played like the headliners they truly are. Beautiful songs of various styles had us all hooting and hollering and whistling above the sound of the ‘polite applause.’ 
After an intermission of Italian wafer cookies, juicy strawberries, and Dagoba chocolate, the men took the stage. My only previous exposure to these performers was hearing Bruce’s ‘hits’ on the radio (and they didn’t compel me to crank it up) and a cassette (a red light right there!) of Ricky Skagg’s doing country tunes when I was about 8-years old. Well, mix an open mind (and ear) and the magic of Britt with gifted musicians and, voila, you have me standing up, tapping my feet, and just all around enjoying the bluegrass music! I love the banjo! I love the fiddle! I love the twang and the pace and the roots! There is something elementally soulful in that music that speaks to all of us who are willing to listen. 
They played right up to the 10:30 curfew thus sparing us the usual five minutes wasted on screaming and hollering for the absent band to return (thanks, guys! I hope other big shots take an example here) and instead paid tribute (or something) to Rick James, yes, Rick James http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-GLGO0gXJc - this clip is all the education you need on him, and it’s appropriate for mature viewers only - you have been warned). Picture it with me, now: Bluegrass saunters bow-legged down the dark alley only to find Superfreak shooting up in the corner. See, it doesn’t even make sense in a cliché metaphor…but it sort of worked musically. I was so stupefied by the crossing genres that all I could do was tap and wiggle awkwardly, but with a sense of possibility previously unknown to me. If Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs can play “Superfreak” with a bluegrass band at the Britt Festival in Southern Oregon, then anything is possible. Which means that I’ll be letting you know how I spend my Powerball winnings. And you can be sure that more Britt tickets are on the list!
As people we are all so much alike that it makes the differences in our journeys very exciting. Perhaps you grew up in Alaska, too, or moved here from Southern California for the natural beauty. But did you like to cut things up as a kid? Did you make shelves for your bedroom from cardboard and tape? Anahata Katkin did. She and her mom, Gina, also created the local greeting card company PaPaYa! that is responsible for eliciting many an ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ on gift-giving occasions. Maybe you’ve seen the beautiful cards at DJ’s or Soundpeace and admired the balance of luscious art and simple text like I have. But do you have the story behind those cards? Well, that’s how I’m different, I suppose: I get to share it with you. After a childhood of scissors, glue, and artistic expression, Anahata spent a year in art school and various workshops before she and her mom started the company in the 2-bedroom apartment where they lived together with Anahata’s son. Gina worked to support them while Anahata designed the cards, but the business eventually crowded them out and they recently got a warehouse and office space here in Ashland. Now, Anahata handles the design and public relations and her mom oversees the entire production process (that is thankfully helped along by a crew of 12 employees). With 1300 accounts throughout the United States, and hundreds more projected by the end of the summer, PaPaYa is growing rapidly and, in some cases, outgrowing their beginnings. Originally, they sold to New Age-centered shops but their market is gradually transitioning to upscale boutiques which means that, artistically, Anahata has had to lessen her incorporation of spiritual icons to appeal to a wider range of people, but a narrower mind-set. Apparently, even Jesus on a Christmas card makes people uncomfortable nowadays. Though she believes that creative inspiration need not come from the outer world, Anahata joyfully integrates religious and spiritual deities with aspects of world cultures to express her personal journey. (Her travels to Mexico and Belize and around the States have also inspired her, as will her trips to Costa Rica, Paris, and India this summer.) Lots of us keep journals and diaries detailing our daily lives, but Anahata has "art journals" (from which she gathered many of the designs for PaPaYa’s products). These thick notebooks consist mainly of collage images (and some text) and serve Anahata the same way your diary does you, but also proves her assertion that we are all ‘visual’ - I have to say, I’d rather look at her diary than yours, so I think she must be right. Professionally, she also strikes a balance between the outer and the inner, using gentle colors and complex textures, and ends up creating art that appeals and inspires the deeper awe of its viewers (or at least of me). And she’s not done yet. Following a June exhibition at Bohemia Gallery on A Street and owing to the smooth operation of PaPaYa, Anahata plans to focus more on her fine-art in the near future. This medium allows her total "Creative Abandon" (the company’s motto) since it does not depend on markets and tastes and well, fickle consumers. She appreciates making art that people relate to, but wants it to push them beyond the common impressions of "whimsical" and "Indian-inspired" to a simple appreciation of the off-beat. And by the time that happens, a lot of us will be getting Christmas cards with the ‘reason for the season’ on them and admiring the artistic craftsmanship more than the political implications.
Daytripper Delights: A few treats to grab on-the-go and sweeten your wild highway (or byway) adventures this month! * Cocoa Crackle Cookie: A toothsome cross between a brownie and a regular cookie, this Co-op treat is full of chocolate flavor (and chips!) and tops the list for a good reason - it is that good. $1.50 each. * Lemon Cupcake: Made by My Sweet Ol' Etcetera, one of my favorite bakeries (and also available at the Co-op), this is for passengers who prefer the brighter, tangier side of the dessert spectrum; the moist cupcake and creamy tang of the Lemon Buttercream will distract even the most talkative family members (or hitchhikers). $2.50 each. * Fresh Berry Tartlet: Summer in a shortbread shell, folks! A vanilla-sweet buttery crust cradles the smooth, cool pastry cream on which the RIPE juicy (straw)berries lounge, awaiting your first blissful bite. At Mix, 'nuff said. $3.50 each. Next Month: I Scream, You Scream…you know the rest.
I hear it but am not quite convinced. My landlady is having sprinklers installed today, after all; maybe they are working already. But the unmistakable rumble confirms my dearest hope: the storm is here. The one that makes the heat seem like a passing whisper and the future seize this very moment. Out the door, bike off the porch, silly helmet fastened, and I ride: Along a street with its art and snack lovers caught unaware by Mother Nature’s sloppy and exhilarating kiss. I can tell right away who is kissing back just by sharing a bright look and spreading grin. I zoom past lovers and grumps alike full of so much gratitude I feel like I AM f l y i n g! Soaring down another past the superfluous houses. Why would I dwell inside when I can inhale this almost suffocating blend of moist carbon monoxide and stale heat. (It would sizzle if it could, I know.) When I can FEEL the heavy drops on my open skin: splat on the fold that my cheek makes when it meets my smiling eyes; splosh on my eager lower lip. Yes! In and I smell the newly wet fields greet the nourishment with what I can only assume is my current form of elation. Out and I see the smooth gray canopy flanked by the ostentatious thunderheads of the East squaring off against the persistent sun of the West. And Iambetweenthemboth completely in balance and refusing to take sides. I can have them both and so I will. I am braver than the llamas and as peaceful as the pasture they deserted. This is my shelter. The as-yet-invisible blackberries along the path caress me with memories of last summer’s perfume and I push up the hill, absorbing only the particular air that exists right now right here. A sticky mixture of today’s weeding with this gift of rain clinging to my flesh. Up the hill with ease that some call adrenaline, but that would only belittle this energy. Something like an illuminating combination of words or the moon peering over the mountain, I am overwhelmed by the perfection of This. And all I need to say is Thank You.
I was so excited that Molly Shannon finally had a leading role in a film that I probably would have seen "Year of The Dog" if it had consisted of her interpreting the Zodiac of a Chinese restaurant placemat. Luckily, this film was much more, er, thematically complex than that. (And also luckily, it still showcased her amazing ability to scowl with palpable loathing.) The plot itself, however, is quite simple: woman's beloved pet dies, friends and family fail to grasp the depths of her grief from which she is distracted by a crush and cuts her grieving process short, becomes obsessed by her new 'quest' to better the world and has a mental breakdown, and - phew! - turns it all around by following her heart! Its quirky roster of characters (and the great portrayals of them by the entire cast) and the ever-important reminder that life is fullest when you love yourself and spend your time doing something that you love doing made this film worth seeing in the theater. If they would just show "Superstar" as a double-feature with this film, my summer would be made! Now "go drink a bottle of yourself" - it's hot out there!
Tags: What2watch
On March 31st, B. Sterling plans to open the doors of his Silly Rabbit Chocolate Company to the discerning (and timid) palate of Ashland's chocolate lovers. We dropped by on a Monday afternoon and squeezed our raucous photo shoot in among employee interviews and business meetings, all the while absorbing the energetic intensity of B. himself and of a shop on the brink of confectionary greatness. 
B. Sterling is a man of dynamic proportions (pigtails, bug-eye glasses, and bunny suits abounded) and his chocolate creations, though not on the shelf quite yet, are sure to share that quality. He starts with the best Belgian and French chocolates (Callebaut and Valrhona, for those with an appreciation for name-dropping) and fashions flavors unlike any we have seen in this town. Like sushi? So does B. But he prefers his with candied tropical fruit and marshmallow. How about local Oregon Merlot? He combines it with chocolate for a rich treat that is sure to please the wine buffs in the region. Have an appreciation for antiquity? Xocoati, or 'bitter water,' will knock your socks off just as it did to the libidinous Mayans. And for those who need to work their way up to the shocking end of the flavor spectrum, B. has you covered: he offers Chocolate, Butterscotch, and Tahitian Vanilla Caramel sauces that I can personally assure you are smooth and sophisticated enough to eat straight from the jar. 
Though we caught B. and his manager, Diane, in the midst of pre-opening chaos, they were welcoming and eager to show Ashland what it's in for when the end of the month rolls around. The phrase “shock and awe” was emphatically thrown around, but I prefer to think of it as chocolate with an attitude. Nothing to be afraid of, really. 
Just in case you wanted to know, here are a few of B.’s recent patrons Madonna, Hugh Hefner, Carmen Electra, Dave Navarro, Henry Winkler, Will Smith, Senator Hillary Clinton, Tyra Banks, Paris Hilton, the Ozzie Osborne family, Michael Jackson, Brooke Shields, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones - and too many others to mention. 
The Grand Opening is Saturday, March 31, 2007! B. THERE! Silly Rabbit Chocolate Company 1762 Ashland St. Ashland, Oregon 97520 http://sillyrabbitchocolates.com/
A much-needed mild and calm winter night led a friend and me to Liquid Assets, Ashland’s new wine bar across from Brother’s. Since their opening last summer, I’ve often admired the cozy ambiance from the wrong side of the glass and vowed that I would soon be sipping something red on the right side. And so I did… We chose a spot in the back by the bar and admired the framed photos of a majestic bald eagle…until the menus found their way to our high-top table via our friendly server with dazzling “New Year’s Eve” earrings. Then a decision had to be made. I was most concerned with which dessert we would be sharing, but was grateful that my friend made a good impression by caring about the wine. They had a well-rounded, though limited, selection of sweet treats and we bypassed the Chocolate Espresso something-or-other, Lemon Ginger and White Chocolate Cheesecakes, Cappuccino Crème Brûlée, and Biscotti (and possibly something else) and went with what caught our eye to begin with: the Chocolate Almond Torte. Oh yeah, and we split the Petite Syrah flight. While waiting for our ‘nourishment’ to arrive, I admired the balance struck between cozy, classy, and relaxed in the bar’s atmosphere (akin to a mellower Hong Kong Bar) but was soon absorbed by Ken Hart, that evening’s live musician. His mellow acoustic versions of popular love songs (including Cat Steven’s “First Cut Is The Deepest,” and Coldplay’s “Yellow”) were a perfect pairing for the intimate setting. Then a small mound covered in a satiny chocolate ganache appeared between us. The inside turned out to be a moist, dense almond cake. It was good. Our consensus was that it needed something more to be really good: my friend said a stronger almond presence was missing and suggested a raspberry filling, and I (unsurprisingly) proposed that a rich inner layer of chocolate mousse or more ganache would have left me satisfied. Alas, I have been known to be a bit of a glutton in such circumstances. I'm working on it, I'm working on it. Ah, and the wines were good. That’s as far as I can go with it – for me, wine is either good or it is vinegar, and it was definitely no balsamic. I will definitely go back to try their savory offerings (panini offerings that made my mouth water) – and of course, the other desserts! I recommend you all do the same.
Tags: Where2eat
I've been known to gripe about living in this small town, lamenting the relative lack of diversity and affordable culture - all the while knowing that I live in a little paradise. It's amazing to me how fulfilling Ashland is during all seasons and this week has certainly not disappointed me. Crazy snowfall followed by its scarier cousin, ice, and today's fog proved how diverse the weather here really is. (It could be 80 by Sunday, too. You never know.) After a rather chaotic day working in Medford I was so relieved to drive (ugh!) home and enter the illuminated downtown area. I felt like I needed to be there. I got great news about a new job interview when I walked through the door which only increased my desire to do something. Luckily, I was remined of Pilaf's "Winter Specials" by their blue flyer on my refrigerator; I wrapped my bulky scarf around my neck and headed out in the invigorating night air. Coincidentally, it was First Friday (which I've never 'done!') but the crowds were minimal compared to a couple of months ago. Only the brave or foolish were out tonight! Just to see the twinkle lights up and down the street and feel the pulse of winter in people that I passed was enough to make me thankful that I live here. And I got more grateful still. I took a Tidings with me upstairs to the cozy dining room of Pilaf and ordered tonight's special: a Falafel Sandwich (with hummus, yeah baby!) and perused the slim-pickings of rental and employment ads. The back room was quiet and I had a view of the gas fireplace and the incredible oil paintings on display. My server was friendly and I soon had an enticing Falafel entree in front of me. While savoring the crisp veggies I read about Erik Navickas's victory (thank goodness!). The soft and chewy pita cushioned the more typically disturbing news and I was reminded of a line from "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues": "The international situation was desperate, as usual." But oh how the crunchy fried outer layer of the falafel balls asked the demurely creamy insides to do the fox trot in my mouth! Okay, so yes I'm getting a bit off-track here, but can you blame me? On a whim, I ordered the rice pudding which I had enjoyed a few times before and was immediately pleased I had done so: it is the creamiest-sweetest-warmest-most-wonderful thing in a bowl. And good preparation for walking home in the near-freezing air. Oh, and the best part? The whole point of this blog? Pilaf took $2.50 off of the price of the falafel! And every blessed day of the week this winter they apply that discount to a different menu item. So if soup sounds good tomorrow, head down to Pilaf for "Soup Saturday." It could make you happy.
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