Oregon’s Fine Cuisine Featured at Food Fete

January 30, 2007


Californians love Oregon. And we Oregonians are loving you back.

The romance was evident at San Francisco’s Food Fete last Monday, an invitation-only media event held in conjunction with the Fancy Food Show, which featured 80,000 new products exhibited by 1,100 vendors and attended by thousands of consumers, chefs, and foodies worldwide. The Fete, though, was limited to 62 journalists from such media outlets as the Wall Street Journal and Sunset magazine.

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For the Love of Chocolate - A Guide to Oregon's Specialty Chocolate Makers

January 29, 2007

With Valentine's Day around the corner, no doubt chocolate is on your mind. This year, why not head to a specialty artisan chocolate store? Oregon is chock-full of such artisan chocolatiers who are intent on dipping, rolling and sprinkling their way into your good graces. From Portland to Ashland, here are chocolate shops that are putting Oregon on the map with their tasty treats.

Euphoria Chocolate Company
Eugene-based Euphoria makes high-quality, European-style truffles with a local twist. Their Oregon Wine Truffles are blended with local wines—Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Cabernet—and rich chocolate. Also on the menu are classic truffles, chocolate bars, even malt balls.
Three Eugene Locations:
6 W. 17th, 541.343.9223
532 Valley River Center, 541.343.3995
4090 Stewart Rd., 541.344.4605
www.euphoriachocolate.com

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Romance In Oregon- Food, Scenery, and Much More!

January 26, 2007

This February, romance is in the air. From breathtaking mountain tops to exquisite cuisine, Oregon's got your one-stop-shop for Valentine's Day. While there are endless possibilities when it comes to romantic places in Oregon, we've picked a few of our favorites (submitted by the staff at Travel Oregon):

Assagio's Restaurant (Recommended by Holly M.)
Assagio's soft candlelight creates a very romantic atmosphere, and its nouveau Italian food is well worth the trip. They have the best bruchetta I've ever tasted! In addition to their exquisite cuisine, Assagio also serves over 10 premium Italian wines.
More information: http://www.assaggiorestaurant.com/
For more Portland restaurants, please visit our Places to Dine section.

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Old Town Portland - A Filmmakers Take


One of my favorite places in Portland is its funky Old Town (Chinatown). It's home to a bustling arts and entertainment district and filled with eclectic characters, hip nightspots, good eats and one-of-a-kind attractions such as Portland Saturday Market, the Chinese Gardens and Voodoo Doughnut . My wife and I wandered into this neighborhood by mistake on our first day in the city (we got off at the wrong MAX stop) and after just a few minutes wandering the streets, we were completely ethralled by the spirit of Old Town.

What really adds character to old town however is its mysterious and not-so savory past. Watch this short movie by Dicky Dahl (a Portland based writer, filmmaker and former front man for Stratotanker) to experience Old Town Portland for yourself. ~ Happy Friday! - Mo

3 ski areas | 3 days | 888 miles (from Portland, OR)

January 24, 2007

That is correct – 888 miles for 3 ski areas in Northeast Oregon. The trip started in Portland. The first stop was Friday night skiing / riding at Spout Springs, then Saturday morning at Ski Anthony Lakes, then over to Ferguson Ridge in the Wallowa Mountains Sunday, and back to Portland, OR Sunday night.

The open spaces of Northeast Oregon can be a hindrance and a thing of beauty, all at the same time. Right now, I must give thanks for the drives that lead from small town to small town, on endless stretches of concrete. Without those roads, I would have missed a lot of places that I have been, and I would not have been able to take the trip I took this past weekend.

I headed east on I-84, from Portland to La Grande, a mere 256 mile stretch that transported me from the west side of Oregon to the east side. It is very possible that the east side of Oregon is unchartered territory for a few of you. If this is true, you should plan a trip right now. Check out the Eastern Oregon Visitor’s Center website.

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Good Eats in Eugene

January 19, 2007

As you may have heard, Oregon’s incredible bounty has inspired a growing list of chefs and culinary artists who have embraced the idea of creating Oregon Cuisine ---- savory food using local wine, fruits, vegetables and meats. These Oregonians have elevated the act of dining into an exuberant gastronomical adventure, be it a simple roadside meal of fresh hazelnuts and aged cheese over wild greens or succulent fresh crab cakes at a fine dining establishment on the coast.

We at Travel Oregon are committed to eating our way through Oregon to bring you our take on the very best Oregon has to offer. Each month, we'll pick a different city and opine on our "Good Eats" column about where you can sit down for that next great meal - based on our staffs' dining experiences.

This month, we start in the heart of the Willamette Valley in Eugene, Oregon’s third-largest city. This college town (home to the University of Oregon Ducks) is located 2 hours south of Portland and offers a multitude of activities and attractions.

Beppe & Gianni’s Trattoria (Reviewed by Ashley M)
I have loved Italian food for as long as I can remember. The first time I heard about Beppe & Gianni's, I was a student at the University of Oregon. Even though I could barely afford groceries back then, it was well worth the splurge. In fact, it was more than worth it. My three roommates introduced me to this restaurant three years ago, and we recently joined forces for a full-fledged college reunion at the very same place.

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Snowshoeing in Big Springs Sno Park

January 12, 2007


On January 6th, 2007, it was a winter wonderland in the Santiam Pass Winter Recreation Area (about 2 hours east of Salem, Oregon). Huge Ponderosa Pines covered in thick, white velvet at Big Springs Sno Park stretched past Detroit Lake on route 22. A Sno Park Pass is required. Definitely bring chains as they are required and necessary (we had to put on our cables). The parking lots were minimally filled and we began by blazing our own snowshoeing trails. There was hardly any showshoeing or cross-country skiing traffic in these areas compared to Mirror Lake near Government Camp outside of Portland. In fact, we barely passed anyone while making our way through the forest. At certain parts, the snow came up to my waist.

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First Thursday in the Pearl

January 10, 2007


It’s First Thursday in Portland and the choices are endless. I get off of work pouring wine at an event and I’m ready to have a glass of my own. So my first stop is back to Urban Wineworks to drop off my stuff and to join in on the imbibing. At Urban Wineworks we always feature a local artist, so we have a musician or DJ to keep the mood flowing. Not to mention donated food by one of our favorite caterers. My friend Meg met me to celebrate finishing her school exams, so we started cruising on over to the Pearl where all the pretty people play. First stop was Vino Paradiso . I’m a huge fan of this intimate venue, because not only do you get to see the chef chop up some goodies right behind the bar (the kitchen consists of a small section of the bar where the chef uses small burners to create your meal), but the wine list is impressive and flirtatious. This non-intimidating list is approachable yet non-conventional. Plus live music can be heard lingering in the background or center stage.

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Happy New Year from Oregon!

January 5, 2007

We hope that by now the confetti has been cleaned up and the empty champagne bottles have been recycled....it's time for a brand new year!

Now that the holiday season is over, it’s time to get thinking about the year ahead. Whether you hope to spend more time with your family, plan to get fit, we’ve drummed up a few fun Oregon ideas to help you keep your New Year’s resolution.

Family Time: You know the old saying: A family that plays together, stays together. Well, we’ve got a whole lot of family-friendly activities to offer-up. Check out these family fun getaway ideas.

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