• Golden Goods Sandwich & Bake Shop in Hood River has a new May special! This special is a buffalo cauliflower wrap. • Tokki Art Supply will have a watercolor paint and sip at Cork Wine Shop in Hood River on May 21st. Be sure to sign up for this workshop! • Brenna's Mosier Market Anniversary Party is postponed and will happen at a later date. • Backwoods Brewing Company in the Gorge, located in Carson at 1162 B Wind River, has a pizza special, the White Goodman. • For Cinco De Mayo, Crush Cider Cafe in Hood River is having a Tap Takeover by Bauman's Cider with live music by Grupo Balance. Eat Gorditas, drink cider, and dance! Happening on May 5th from 4pm-7pm. See you next Thursday!
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By David Hanson and Kathy Watson, with sidekick and social commentator, Stu Watson Going to the Red Carpet Tavern for breakfast is like returning to the scene of the crime. Or so we've been told. We aren't heavy drinkers ourselves, and Kathy will admit to only one hangover, and at that, an accidental one. She visited a bar in Salem 40 years ago, and asked innocently enough, "What's a B-52?" Turns out, it's delicious, so she had a couple more. She fixed breakfast for six the next morning while holding onto the stove. But thank heavens, you won't have to cook your relief breakfast yourself, because we've found four places that can feed that queasy stomach and aching head on the morning after you've accidentally gone a bit overboard. Just a reminder: Driving under the influence is a bad idea. All bars will call you a taxi, so please don't get behind the wheel. We've also heard breakfast in jail is not worth the risk, unless you like bologna sandwiches with your day-old coffee. Red Carpet Tavern, Hood River The Red Carpet is for drinking, no one is arguing that. It rests next to Hood River’s westernmost I-84 exit like a hitchhiker who took up residence decades ago. There are video gaming machines, a few TVs, a pool table, and a meandering outdoor patio shaded by fir trees. The point here, like any good dive bar, is to drink with fellow drinkers. But breakfast? We arrived at 8:30 a.m. and sure enough, as Google maps insisted, it was open. The bartender was prepping the bar and sort of said hello. Her dog hardly lifted his head from his below-bar perch. “Hi! We’re here for breakfast,” we said, shoe-ins for the Captain Obvious award. She pointed to a slender chalkboard menu on the back wall. Below the four listings for lunch-dinner was the breakfast: two eggs, bacon or sausage, toast OR biscuits and gravy: $5 each. We ordered eggs-toast-bacon x2, coffees, and, out of sport, a Bloody Mary, and took the booth of our choosing. The TVs were off but the bar music was loud and aggressive. I looked up one song with the Shazam app: “Cadillac” by Pangea. We had the place to ourselves. The bartender/cook/manager disappeared into the kitchen to cook our eggs, bacon, and toast. Between songs, we could hear the bacon fat popping as she returned with coffee served in a cocktail rocks glass, engineered from a tiny espresso machine beside the kitchen door. Then the Bloody Mary arrived with two olives, a salt rim, pickled asparagus, and not much kick. The eggs were cooked just as I like: fried over medium. (By the way, she only cooks fried eggs.) She had slapped a healthy knife-full of butter across the toast’s face. The bacon was thicker than expected and skillet-cooked with perfect crispy edges. It all went down in roughly two minutes, but left me satisfied. There’s an enjoyable novelty to breakfast in a bar, and it can be nice to avoid the hustle and bustle of normal breakfast joints and start the day in an unexpected, but familiar place. Were I properly hungover and in need of more grease, I could have just ordered another round, cheap as it is. By the end of two breakfasts it might be time to move out to the patio for a beer. Ambiance: As disorienting (and oddly comforting) as one would expect in a proper dive bar illuminated by daylight. Hours: Monday-Thursday 8am-1am; Fri 8am-2:30am; Sat 10am-2:30am; Sun 10am-12am Bonus: The price, the contrarian appeal of a dive-bar breakfast, and the knowledge that if you happen to end up sleeping in your car after a late night at Hood River’s best bar, there’s a scratch-made breakfast waiting in the morning for the price of a tip at a fancy bar. Bottom line: $25 for two breakfasts, a Bloody Mary, and two coffees. -- David Hanson Baseline Biscuits, Hood River On spring mornings, Parkdale's Baseline Biscuits is above the lid of gray doom that often hangs over Hood River. When you drive up, though, you can bring your hang over with you, because if your head is throbbing, what you really need is a biscuit the size of a pork pie hat. And perhaps a little hair of the dog to go with it, such as a Morning Mule: Ketel One Vodka, Fentimans ginger beer and orange juice in a copper mug, for $10. Which raises a question for me: Why is morning drinking cheaper than night drinking? Baseline Biscuits is a newish spot to many, owned and operated by Leila Coe and Justin White, who bring us Apple Valley BBQ, just west on Parkdale's main street, Baseline Drive. The vibe, says Leila, is meant to be just a touch Southern, with shrimp and grits to round-out to the daily handmade biscuits and gravy. You can get your gravy three ways, too: white pepper, sausage or chorizo. There's huevos rancheros and thick French toast. For a crunch that will sound like thunder in your gin-soaked brain, order the French toast with a cornflakes and hazelnut crust. If you are ho-hum boring, you can just get the Farmhouse Breakfast with 2 eggs, breakfast potatoes, choice of bacon, sausage, ham or chorizo, and another one of those ... biscuits. Why not? What's a good biscuit joint without a biscuit sandwich, something David, who used to co-own a biscuit truck in Seattle, was quick to order. The sammie is one of those giant biscuits with two fried eggs, and your choice of meat and cheese. However, David's crucial discovery in his biscuit truck odyssey was that a biscuit sammy must be slathered with a big ol' spoonful of homemade jam. Baseline has those little matchbox size jams, so you may be scooping through three or four of them. That should keep you busy until, well, Noon, when Solera Brewing opens across the street. Ambiance: Mountain cafe with lots of reminders that the big white dome is just out the front door. Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday - Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Bonus: There's also a lunch menu, and they serve hand-made ice cream in the summer. Bottom line: $90 for three big breakfasts, coffee, juice and tip -- Kathy Watson Zim's Sports Bar and Grill, The Dalles When friends told us that Zim's, that well-loved sports bar in downtown The Dalles, serves breakfast, we thought, OK, another $5 toss-off like the Red Carpet. Wrong. This is a righteous breakfast joint. The kind of place that dusts their pudgy French toast with powdered sugar, and serves a steak knife with their super thick side of ham. Poached eggs come neat in a small bowl, the rye toast is a hefty marbled slice, and the coffee is $1. Their French toast, pancakes and waffles come with strawberries and whip cream, if you like that sort of thing, and you might, since those strawberries are the only fresh thing on the menu. Don't go looking for yogurt and granola, either. But you're in luck if you want an omelet groaning with German sausage, mushrooms and peppers. The service from Laloni is excessively cheerful for so early in the morning. Wear sunglasses if the glare from a bright, white smile is too much when you have the whirlies. Make no mistake: it's a bar, first and foremost. There's the table of six old guys, all regulars, having their morning coffee, ringed by ten TV screens, most of which were mercifully muted the morning we were there. Another regular came in at 8 a.m. for a Bud tall boy, just slowly working his way up to solid food, playing the video poker machines. But it is very, very clean and has a baby changing pull-down in the women's immaculate bathroom, proving you can show up with the kiddies for some nourishment. They'll be missing you anyhow, since you were out sooo late last night. Ambiance: Total sports bar, circa 1980 Hours: Opens at 7:30 a.m. Monday - Saturday, and Sunday at 9 a.m. Open late. Bonus: People watching, and you could win the lottery Bottom line: $36 for two breakfasts, coffee and tip -- Kathy Watson La Pasadita
Menudo, a brothy Mexican soup, is traditionally reserved for weekend brunch, either due to the arduous prep time or its alleged ability to combat hangovers. In Odell, at La Pasadita, the giant, steaming menudo pot sits at the back of the kitchen. Kathy and Stu Watson and I have come here on a Saturday morning, early and grossly under-hungover for menudo. In fact, I went on a run this morning, which, if we’re being objective, makes me a lazy menudo reporter. We are chipper, caffeinated, and, speaking for Kathy and myself, a little apprehensive about eating hot stomach lining. Stu, however, is our Captain Menudo, having eaten the traditional Mexican soup for years, even preparing it at home. He orders the bowl after Kathy and I determine that sampling the breakfast burritos offers the most well-rounded perspective on Pasadita’s offerings. “Quieres pata en el menudo?” the cook asks Stu. Pata…? I dredge my brain for any remnant Spanish and ask her if she means “foot.” “Sí, de vaca,” she says. Sure, bring on the cow’s foot. It is believed that menudo originated during pre-revolutionary times in Mexico as a resourceful way to sap the nutrients and flavor out of every possible animal part, in menudo’s case, the cow stomach (tripe), bones, and foot. But the dish took its modern turn as a popular, urban street food in 1930s cities such as San Antonio and Los Angeles where immigrants from all over Mexico started becoming neighbors, gathering for community meals, and swapping recipes. It takes hours to allow the bones and foot to break down into the gelatin that gives the soup its savory, rich broth and to soften the otherwise rubbery stomach lining. Dried red chiles give the soup its bright crimson color and hominy adds a hearty starch. Stu’s bowl of menudo arrives, corners of the tripe barely visible, like sunken ships in a lava crater. He applies the full arsenal of accouterments—lime, chopped white onion, dried oregano, chile de árbol, torn corn tortilla—and takes a bite. His face lights up. Kathy and I dip our spoons, chasing a chunk of stomach. The honeycomb-patterned tissue is light and smooth, not nearly as chewy as I imagined. The broth has a kick, but the richness of the marrow with the tart lime juice and oregano cushion any excess heat. We alternate bites of menudo with our breakfast burritos—scrambled egg, a light dusting of chorizo, cheese, and hash brown potatoes, dipped in the house-made spicy green, creamy salsa. The burritos are fine, something to grab on the go. It’s a cheery place for breakfast with brightly painted walls and vivid, roadside-stand art that includes a pretty woman serenaded by a man with a guitar, a large plastic fork and spoon, and a painted portrait of a snowman. At one point the cook hustles through the front door with a bag of shredded cheese and a dozen eggs bought from the grocery store across the street. As Stu eats, the menudo line recedes, revealing the pata, a short, knobbed bone with meat and fat barely hanging on. We marvel at it, then encourage it back below the surface, while appreciating the nourishing, potion-like menudo, something to be nursed on a slow weekend morning, hungover or not. Ambiance: Like you time-traveled to a roadside food stand in non-tourist Mexico. Hours: Monday-Friday 6am-2pm; Sat-Sun 6am-12pm. Menudo only on Saturday-Sunday Bonus: They advertise 25 tacos for $50, so worth remembering for the next semi-impromptu party. Bottom line: Under $30 for breakfast for three. -- David Hanson Something is so nice about the Gorge in the spring: flowers are blooming, and the sun is shining more often. Spring is also a time for outdoor events and the start of outdoor patios. Here are the Thursday tidbits for this week:
• On April 27th at the Hood River Event Site, the Hood River Cider fest will take place, featuring Oregon and Washington's most beloved cideries. The Gorge's own Draper Girls Country Farm, Golden Row Cider, Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery, Fox-Tail Cider & Distillery, The Gorge White House, Better Together Tap Truck, and Working Hands Fermentation will be there along with cideries from around the region. You won't want to miss out on the food vendors either! Gorge favorites including Columbia Gorge Crepes, Empanadas by Maria Elba, Mt. Hood BBQ, and Tacos Pepe will be serving event-goers. • White Salmon is having an artisan market on May 11th, and later on, they will have the White Salmon Wine Walk. The wine walk is ticketed, so be sure to purchase tickets. Participants will walk through downtown White Salmon, taste wines, and visit businesses. Pizza Leona will serve pizza slices for $2.50! The location for the wine walk will be at 292 E. Jewett. • Grasslands Barbecue is having a grand celebration this Saturday for their three-year anniversary. This will be a party with live music, special guest chefs, and a brand-new beer collab release. Come early to get food as they will be serving menu items from 12 PM until they sell out, which is always fast! • Other fun things to look out for are the Skamania County Spring fest at the Skamania County Fairgrounds on May 3rd and 4th (food vendors will be there!) and the Columbia Gorge Wine Festival on Saturday, May 4th, at the Hood River fairgrounds. Wine from sixteen winemakers in the area for tasting and purchasing will be available. All proceeds for the wine fest will go to the Hood River County Education Foundation. Please send us any specials or things you would like to share! And keep using the hashtag #hoodrivereats so we can repost you! • Analemma Wines will collaborate with Arden in Portland for Arden's winemaker dinner series. The Arden and Analemma Winemaker Dinner takes place on Monday, May 6, at 6 PM. A few seats remain available for this dining experience. • The Dalles is set to host its 43rd Northwest Cherry Festival, celebrating the community's agricultural heritage. The festival features an outdoor market, live music, and a parade. The festival theme this year is "Cherries on Broadway." The event runs from Friday, April 19, to Sunday, April 21. • Main Street Mosier Spring Fest takes place on April 20 from 9 AM to 4 PM. Activities include a Riverwalk cleanup, plant sale, and clothing pop-up. From 12 PM to 4 PM, Mosier Company will offer food and drinks, with local artisan vendors on site. Brenna's Market will host wine sampling from 12 PM to 3 PM. • Domaine Pouillon is putting together a seed exchange on April 20 from 12 PM to 4 PM, allowing attendees to share and trade seeds. This gathering also provides an opportunity for gardeners to learn together and will feature a silent auction too. • Hood River Farmers' Market will have its final winter market at 403 Portway Ave on April 20th before transitioning to its main market season on May 4 at 501 Columbia Street. Thank you for following along! Be sure to tag Hood River Eats in all your food posts on social media. BRUSSELS Sprouts featuring Arome'S Black Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar and EXtra Virgin Olive Oil4/15/2024 By Janice Bell, Arome Kitchen in Hood River, 105 Oak St, Hood River, OR 97031 Simple, elegant, and tender with a bit of crunch. Serve this brussels recipe all at the end of a long winter to keep that craving for greens satisfied in style. Featuring our Black Mission Fig Balsamic and healthful, delicious, seasonally-sourced Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Ingredients:
The weather is nice and there are many great things happening in the Gorge. Here are this week's Thursday Tidbits: • Tomorrow at Cork, Teddi Fuller of Lushington Wines will showcase spring wine releases with a chocolate pairing with treats from Edeske Patisserie. The event will happen from 5pm-8pm. • This Saturday, April 13th pFriem Family Brewers and Le Doubblé Troubblé Wine Co. are throwing a release party at the LDT wine clubhouse located at 111 E. Jewett Blvd in White Salmon. There will be snacks, wine, and beer tastings, as well as live music to celebrate the release of Phriem's 2024 Vinif-era Saison, a beer made using grapes from LDT wine co. • Everybody's Brewing is sponsoring Mazot Fest at Mt. Hood Meadows, an event benefiting The Avy Dogs at Mt. Hood Meadows. They will be serving BBQ and Everybody's beers on April 12th and 13th from 11am-3pm. • AniChe Cellars is collaborating with Skamania Lodge in the Dine and Discover series. This Spring meal features locally foraged ingredients, with each course paired with wine. There are still some spots left for this dinner. This will be the last of the Dine and Discover dinners at Skamania Lodge this season. By Sarah Harper Below is Registered Dietitian Sarah Harper’s take on a Sub Salad, the classic lunchbox staple but in salad form. This recipe reimagines the classic sandwich as a vibrant and veggie-packed salad. This customizable Sub Salad is bursting with flavors and textures. I’m talking crisp, creamy, and juicy. Make this Sub Salad your own by adding your favorite toppings, such as sliced turkey, cherry tomatoes, or Sarah’s favorite, Mama Lil’s Peppers. You can even add cooked pasta to make it a pasta salad. Whatever you choose will add a unique twist to this versatile dish. Finish this recipe with a Creamy Yogurt Italian Dressing. The dressing leftovers can double as a snack dip for cut-up veggies. Servings: 2 meal-sized salads Time: 15 to 20 minutes Sub Salad Ingredients: Greens
Instructions: Prepare The Creamy Yogurt Italian Dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, Greek yogurt, Italian seasoning, grated Parmesan cheese, and red wine vinegar to make the dressing. Add Greens: In a large salad bowl, add your greens base of Romaine lettuce. Layer Ingredients: Arrange the bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, and chopped hot peppers, into the bowl. Add the thinly sliced turkey, Italian cured meat and provolone cheese over the salad. Serve: Wait to toss the ingredients together until just before serving for maximum impact. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all the ingredients evenly. Any dressing leftovers can double as a snack dip for cut-up veggies, chips, or an accompaniment to roasted vegetables, chicken, or fish. Sarah Harper is a Registered Dietitian, creator, and one of many eaters behind The Addy Bean. She is also an avid hiker, a registered yoga instructor, and a former nursing home dietitian. Based in Hood River, Oregon, Sarah lives with her husband Jacob, her dog Huey and her blog’s namesake – her cat Adeline.
• On Monday, April 8th, there will be an eclipse! Thunder Island Brewing Company will host an event for people to watch the eclipse called "Total Eclipse of the Pub"! With the purchase of a Moon Pie, you will receive a complimentary pair of eclipse-watching glasses. The eclipse will occur around 11:20 AM to 11:30 AM. Head to Thunder Island to enjoy this unforgettable experience!
• For wine enthusiasts, there is a wine club share happening in the Gorge this month. Throughout April, members with wine club subscriptions can enjoy club perks at 20 participating wineries in the Gorge. The participating wineries include: Jacob Williams Winery Loop de Loop Wines, Waving Tree Winery , Clyzm Wines, Maryhill Winery, Evoke Winery, Tierra de Lobos Winery, 15 Mile Winery, Hawkins Cellars , AniChe Cellars, Willow Wine Cellars , Mt Hood Winery Idiot's Grace Wines, Le Doubblé Troubblé Wine Co., Upsidedown Wine, Phelps Creek Vineyards, The Pines 1852, Stave & Stone Winery, Cathedral Ridge Winery, Hood Crest Winery. • Apple Valley Country Store is now open for Spring hours, Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 AM to 5 PM. They offer a variety of treats, pies, and jams for tasting or purchase, as well as serving Huckleberry and Marionberry milkshakes. • Spring is here, but there are still two more winter season Hood River farmers markets left. One is scheduled for this Saturday, and the other is on April 20th. Both of the Hood River Farmers' Markets will be located next to Ferment Brewing and will take place from 10 AM to 12 PM. • This Saturday, Grasslands Barbecue will be serving breakfast and will open early at 10 AM until they sell out. They will be closed on April 13th but will reopen on April 27th for their three-year Anniversary Party! The celebration will include live music and a Tex-Mex menu. • Exciting news, a new Indian restaurant, Kirpa's Indian cuisine , is coming to Hood River! The restaurant will be located at 4040 Westcliff St. Keep an eye out on our blog for more information. Be sure to tag us in your posts and use the hashtag #hoodrivereats to be reposted! Hi everyone, happy Thursday!
Here are this week's Thursday Tidbits: • Mt. Hood Meadows will hold their Spring Brew Fest which is the ultimate opportunity to indulge in the finest brews from Gorge and Portland area breweries! The Brew Fest will be on March 30, 2024, from 12 PM to 4 PM. There will be a variety of craft beers from The Gorge and Portland. You can purchase tickets in advance or on the day of the event. • The Skamania Lodge Easter Egg Hunt is happening bright and early on March 30, 2024, at 8 AM at Skamania Lodge. Hunt for 5,000 candy-filled eggs, including 25 Golden Eggs filled with exciting prizes like free room nights and resort dining certificates. It's sure to be an EGG-stravaganza for the whole family! • Treebird Market is selling cured and smoked Easter ham. It's the perfect addition to your holiday spread! • Brigham Fish Market is selling Easter Cake balls which are available for purchase on March 30, 2024. • This season, Bestie Bowls is focusing exclusively on catering services, offering an expanded menu to satisfy all your party needs. • Wy'East Vineyards is officially open for the 2024 season! They will be open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12 PM to 5 PM. • Swing by the cafe at Farm Stand in the Gorge which is now open until 6 PM for the season. • The wait is over! Mike's Ice Cream is now open and ready to serve up some seriously tasty ice cream ahead of schedule. • Get your appetites ready because Mount Hood BBQ is opening on April 5th! Try out some of their barbecue specialties that will have you coming back for more. Thank you all for following along! Be sure to tag us in your posts and use the hashtag #hoodrivereats to be reposted. Spring has officially arrived! Check out these Thursday Tidbits:
• The Cedary, a new food cart, has made its way to The Dalles. The menu features grilled sandwiches, soups, snacks, and coffee from the Riv. The food cart is located at 747 W 2nd St., The Dalles. • The Hood River Farmers' Market is up and running this Saturday from 10 am to 12 pm. • St. Patrick's Day is this Sunday. Thunder Island Brewing Company has a St. Patrick's Day special, offering a pint of Totes McOats and a Kimchi Reuben for $25. 64 Taphouse in Hood River is also celebrating this Sunday with Guinness and Corned Beef. • Crush Cider Cafe has changed to their summer hours. They are open from 4-9 Wednesday through Friday, 12-9 on Saturday, and 12-8 on Sunday. • Michoacan Grill in Odell is temporarily closed on weekdays but open on the weekends. • White Salmon Baking Co. is back open after a full week of renovations. They have a new kitchen and bread and pastry department, just in time for the busier months. Pixán heard your requests for the Cochinita Pibil Torta to be added to their dinner menu. Clyzm Wines has a new soup for you this weekend. The new soup flavor is roasted red pepper. They serve it with locally baked bread from Bran & Ash. Delicious! Easter is around the corner, and Riverside is ready to take reservations. They will have time slots at 11 am and 7 pm on Easter Sunday. White Salmon Baking Co. is closed this week for renovations and a staff break beginning March 5th. We will be patiently waiting until we can enjoy their delicious baked goods again when they reopen on March 12th. Only one more week left of Solstice Wood Fire Pizza's Moroccan Beef Stew, Fried Chicken, Mac N Cheese, and their Hot signature drinks as their winter menu leaves to make room for new Spring menu items. Have you tried the new Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery special? It is called the Popeye (because of the spinach). The pie has artichoke pesto, fresh spinach, whole milk mozzarella, prosciutto, fresh red bell pepper; finished with cracked black pepper. Tag Hood River Eats in your posts on social media to be reposted and use the hashtag hoodrivereats.
COCONUT CURRY WITH BUTTER BEANS, LENTILS, AND LIME FEATURING SPICES AND OLIVE OILS FROM AROME By article and photos by Sarah Harper Inspired by Indian dal, this comforting main combines butter beans and lentils cooked with an aromatic blend of spices. The spices are sourced from Arome, a woman-owned business nestled in the heart of downtown Hood River. This dish includes garam masala, turmeric, and freshly ground cumin gathered from Arome’s spice section, where they are carefully ordered and ground in small quantities on-site. Moreover, this dish starts and ends with Arome olive oils. I begin by sauteing the onions in Australian Coratina Extra Virgin Olive Oil and culminate with a drizzle of Jalapeno Fused Agrumato Olive Oil, adding a fiery touch to compliment the zesty lime and creamy coconut milk. This customizable curry can accommodate varieties of beans and vegetables such as cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, leafy greens, carrots, or potatoes. Enjoy this Coconut Curry as a stand-alone dish or paired with rice, flatbread, or my personal favorite, buttered and toasted sourdough slices. Coconut Curry with Butter Beans, Lentils, and Lime Servings: 4 to 5 servings Time: 45 to 50 minutes Ingredients:
1. Sauté Aromatics:
Sarah Harper is a Registered Dietitian, creator, and one of many eaters behind The Addy Bean. She is also an avid hiker, a registered yoga instructor, and a former nursing home dietitian. Based in Hood River, Oregon, Sarah lives with her husband Jacob, her dog Huey and her blog’s namesake – her cat Adeline.
The Gorge is full of stellar food and drink options. Below are the Thursday Tidbits for this week. • For a memorable time, head to Everybody's Brewing tonight at 5 PM in White Salmon for their Oyster & Brews Night. Enjoy fresh oysters and craft beers while staying warm on their heated deck. • Wanting to level up your culinary skills? Save the date for March 1st from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and join food Scientist Michelle McCafferty while she teaches how to make cheesecake and lemon curd from scratch at Dani's Kitchen Shop. • If you are a beer enthusiast, check out the Saison Beer Masterclass happening at PFriem Family Brewers on March 3rd from 4 PM to 6 PM. The event will take place in Pfriem Upstairs Library. Admission is $10 for the public and complimentary for Pfriemsters ( those with beer club memberships). You could be a Pfriemster too, by joining the Cellar or Artisan club membership. • In White Salmon, Le Doubblé Troubblé Wine Co. serves up a meal the first Monday of every month. On March 4th, head to the tasting room, The Clubhouse, for a meal with Beer Bourguignon served atop mashed potatoes and adorned with hand-foraged porcini mushrooms. Pair this with a glass of one of LDT's wines. • And finally, save the date for Grasslands Barbecue's grand reopening in Hood River on Saturday, 3/23, starting at 11:30 AM. Thank you all for following along! • Today is National Margarita Day! Ixtapa is celebrating with margarita deals all weekend. • In White Salmon, Le Doubblé Troubblé Wine Co will have Bestie Bowls over for a Pop-up event today 2/22. There will be wonton soup starting at 5PM. • Pixán added new menu items that look fantastic! Their new menu items, pictured above, include: ~ Pipián Con Cerdo / pork shoulder braised in pumpkin seed mole ~Pescado Frito / whole fried river trout with cilantro remolada ~Lomo Bajo / pan-seared 14oz. strip steak with creamy mushroom sofrito, charred scallions & chili butter. • The Fruit Company is having a fruit overstock event this Friday! They will sell fruit by the case and will have red and green Anjou pears, Comice pears, Fuji apples, Granny Smith apples, Pink lady apples, Cosmic crisp apples and Gala apples. • Grateful Vineyard has announced a change in their open hours. Visit them Thursday-Sunday 12pm-6pm. Send us any delicious or new meals in The Gorge that you would like to share and please remember to tag Hood River Eats in any food or beverage posts on social media with the hashtag #hoodrivereats.
Confluence Café creates community space in LyleStory by Laurel Brown Community is created through local connection and shared spaces, but what do neighborhoods without the opportunity to gather do to mingle? Lyle is a town residents might consider limiting in this way, lacking in spaces to gather and create friendships.
Ali Hamerstadt and Matt Bynum are here to change that. Together they collaborated to open Confluence Café just off SR-14 in Lyle on Nov. 17. “The café was born of a need. Ali was bummed that she had to drive so far for a good cup of coffee,” Bynum said. On her treks to get caffeine, Hamerstadt would pass the tenantless building where the café now resides, wondering day after day if she should do something about it. Her vision for the café went through many iterations, but serious planning started in early 2021. By the end of 2023, the co-owners were excited to rent their space from owners Mary Kleihege and John Streur, who remodeled shortly after buying the building. Bynum described the space as the single most beautiful location in the Gorge that is open to the public. They split the main floor of the building with Domaine Pouillon’s new tasting room. Featuring natural wood from Kleihege and Streur’s farm, the café has a grandiose yet minimalist feel. They attained the wood through wildfire risk reduction work and chose to reuse it for everything from tables to counters to trim and paneling. The wooden floors and deck were strategically laid to draw viewers’ eyes down to the Gorge and the sunset. The railings and table bases, too, are work of Future Folk Supply, a metal company in Parkdale. With countless windows and great natural light, Confluence Café is a great birdwatching destination. Bald eagles, golden eagles, and all sorts of water fowl circle the building and binoculars sit atop Pacific Northwest birdwatching books for customers. Hamerstadt’s goal for the café really involved providing a public gathering space for Lyle, which is a key cultural cornerstone of any community. “There’s a reason the right to assemble is in our Constitution, and we need a place to do that,” Bynum said. Simply put, Lyle was lacking a gathering space; the community was in need of a place for neighbors to meet and hang out. “Too often I meet people and the conversation goes, ‘You live in Lyle too?’ because you’d just never know. I wanted to fix that,” Hamerstadt said. Together Hamerstadt and Bynum have a combined history of 50 years in front of house service all over the nation, so they feel well-equipped to provide a warm and welcoming space to their neighborhood. Seeing worldly faces and younger generations alike frequenting the café instills nostalgia for the pair. Customers are a generous mix of people from all over the Gorge: Hood River, White Salmon, to High Prairie, Appleton, and Murdock. Confluence Café is just the beginning of fostering sense of pride and ownership for the Lyle neighborhood. Their menu offers a variety of local delights and visitors often praise the quality of their product. Confluence uses coffee roasted by Coava in Portland and offers housemade pastries and breakfast sandwiches, such as the Confluence Muffin. They also have pastries from White Salmon Bakery and Edeske Patisserie as well as burritos from Min’s, made-to-order food from a local in Husum. Hamerstadt herself spent many years working at White Salmon Bakery and uses their high-quality products and community-building energy as a model for Confluence Café. “I hope that we can create something similar to the bakery, something that’s its own little community with regulars who use the space for connection,” said Hamerstadt. Looking ahead, they have plans to get more engaged with the community and be good neighbors for the folks in the area. “We intend to be in Lyle for a very, very long time,” Bynum said. For example, their proximity to the sandbar lends a common interest in what happens with it and Bynum mentioned possibly sponsoring a public sandbar cleanup. The couple feels encouraged since their opening, especially choosing to open during the slower winter months and see what locals like and where the café might need attention. They said they are learning the ropes of both busy and slow days in preparation for spring and summer. For the time being, Confluence Café welcomes the community and those passing through alike, Wednesday through Monday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Hood River Organic has many new goodies for you to load up on. On their website, you can order various-sized boxes with items such as local organic produce, farm-fresh eggs, juice from Columbia Gorge Organic, or local meat and have it delivered to your door. • KickStand Coffee & Kitchen has new menu items, including a caramelized onion and cheese omelet with melted chihuahua cheese, caramelized onion, Mexican crema, spice & seed-crusted avocado, cilantro & sourdough toast. • Ferment Brewing will open their doors this Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm for tours! The tour will be led by their lead brewer, Nik, and no reservations are needed. • For those who need an afternoon boost, Moby Coffee Roasters recently extended their hours to 4 pm Monday through Friday. • The next dine and discover series at Skamania Lodge features a five-course meal with wine pairings from Maryhill Winery on March 9th. By Laurel Brown After a grand opening party on Dec. 15, there is officially a new wine store on The Heights: Cork Wine Shop. With bottles to-go or selections by-the-glass, the shop has been open since late fall 2023, and has already had overwhelming support. Owned by Dave Nagengast, Cork has a diverse selection of wines that range from under $20 to $100. They offer varieties from all regions in the hopes that customers can always a find a wine that fits their occasion. “The goal is to create a neighborhood wine shop that brings special and unique wines to the community at a price everyone can afford,” Nagengast said. He also explained that, while they lean in the direction of a natural wine shop, they sell many wines that fall outside of that parameter. The wines that make the cut at Cork are responsibly farmed, authentically produced, and easy to enjoy.Long before opening Cork, Nagengast studied restaurant management in college before spending many years learning and refining his love of food. Though he didn’t love wine immediately, he developed an appreciation for it after working alongside mentors like Curly Shea in Big Sky, Mont. “He doesn’t know it but that guy taught me so much, not only about wine but how to treat people and make them feel welcome,” Nagengast said. Snowboarding by day and bartending by night, he enjoyed tasting wine with his boss and learning about the winemaking process. Nagengast eventually took courses through the Society of Wine Educators and Court of Master Sommeliers before working as a wine director and sommelier himself at a few restaurants near Reno and Tahoe. He grew to love the way wine connects and represents people, cultures, and regions.For a period in 2015 and until recently, Nagengast left the restaurant industry to work for the clothing company Patagonia. He found it a supportive company to work for while helping raise his children, and eventually had the chance to meet Founder Yvon Chouinard, another inspirational figure. “We made a brief connection over wine one evening and a few months later he sent me off on a flight to Germany to find a wine for the Patagonia Provisions label,” Nagengast said. “It’s ironic one of my wine career highlights was while not working in the wine industry.” Nagengast moved to Parkdale with his wife and two children in 2020 and Cork Wine Shop eventually followed. “We’ve lived in some amazing small towns with tight-knit communities, but nothing compares to the community here in Hood River,” he said. Customers visit from the Heights just as much as from other towns in the Gorge and they are happy to see a wine shop on the block. The grand opening in December was a success, featuring wines from Loop de Loop in Underwood, a spread of fine cheeses, and plenty of community support. Nagengast hopes to host similar future events to showcase small wine producers who lack their own tasting rooms. His wine shop feels like a part of the neighborhood and he has begun dreaming of new ways to expand the business, including meeting with a cheese importer and distributor from Portland. Nagengast plans to bring in both domestic and imported cheeses so that guests can enjoy tasty pairings at the shop. Cork offers two wine club memberships that come with benefits like discounts on bottles and free tastings at events. They are located at 1106 12th St., Hood River and are open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Super Bowl is this weekend! Here’s some tidbits on where to watch the Super Bowl and enjoy good food in the Gorge:
• Working Hands Fermentation has all-day happy hour specials and will be playing the game. You can enjoy delicious wings from Deb’s Hood River while you watch! Their menu features many different flavors of wings, and you can even order a wings flight! • In Cascade Locks, Thunder Island Brewing Company has wings and bingo and will be showing the Super Bowl. • In Hood River, Full Sail Brewing Company is offering all-day happy hour deals and other specials to snack on while you watch the game. • Ferment Brewing Company will have the Super Bowl playing in their tasting room with sound on. • KickStand Coffee & Kitchen is showing the game and serving a happy hour throughout the event. Keep an eye out for their new menu additions dropping tomorrow. • Tilly Jane's Sports Bar & Grill is also playing the game. Try one of their burgers or their fried chicken sandwich. • Cousins’ Restaurant in The Dalles is hosting a Super Bowl watch party. They will have seven televisions to watch the game and food and drink specials like their football platters. They offer three different platters that you can choose from, available for dining in or to-go. • In Parkdale, Solera Brewery is showing the Super Bowl with happy hour beers starting at 3:30 pm until close. If you plan to watch the game at home, here are places offering meals you can order to-go: • Mount Hood BBQ is offering take-and-bake pizzas for your Super Bowl party needs. You can top your pizza with pepperoni, BBQ brisket, or veggies. • Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery has you set up for the ultimate Super Bowl party with their "Fire on the Mountain" special pizza available for takeout, along with growlers, kegs, and bottles to go. Cozy Winter Soups |
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