JUST ONE DAY TO SPEND IN MAC? HERE’S HOW

What to do if you have one day to spend in Mac? The question is a bit puzzling to those of us who live here, because we’ve set up our lives to spend lots of days in McMinnville, not just one. Our friends Jan and Steve Iversen, for example, began visiting Mac a few years ago from their native Santa Barbara, decided that a day here and a day there just didn’t cut it, and are now building a house – with a very solid foundation, I might add – in order to spend as much time as they possibly can here. Jan likes it so much that she’s now scheming ways to spend her afterlife here. But that’s a different story.

But sure, we’re here to help if you have but one day to devote to McMinnville during your travels. It’s a question that we’re going to ask a number of area people in an on-going series that will appear in this space. I’ll start: If I had but one day to spend in Mac, here’s how I’d spend it.

MORNING: I WOULD EAT AND WALK

I love the way downtown Mac looks when it’s waking up in the morning; it’s the same stirring that any small town has, but in our case, it’s set among really cool old buildings and is punctuated by great food. To set the tone for my day, I would deal with that classic breakfast dilemma -- sweet or savory? – by heading straight to the Crescent Café on Third Street to load up on Chef Danny’s coffee cake and the most incredible chicken and mashed potato hash, served with chicken gravy, that I’ve ever had. If the line out the door is too long, I’d backtrack to the Red Fox Bakery for baker Laurie Furch’s fine croissants and pastries.

Thus fortified, I’d take a good, long walk west on Third Street to City Park, where McMinnville got its start as a mill town. Some of the original mill stones are still on display there, and the creek that William Newby used to grind his grist still runs through the park. I like old houses, too, and I’d continue my walk on the tree-lined streets between Third and Tenth Avenues to check out the craftsman homes. And then a return to Third Street and another cup of coffee at K&F Union Block to read the paper and watch people would round out a fine morning.

AFTERNOON: WINE AND MORE WINE

All of the above merely serves as killing time until the wineries open. My afternoon would be devoted to wine tasting, but only after picking up a takeout lunch from the terrific Haagenson’s Catering & Ribslayer BBQ. You just don’t want to be caught out in the wilderness of Yamhill County without a pile of pulled pork at your side. I’d swing down to Amity and try the red, Portuguese-style blends at the Coelho Winery, and then swing by the Coeur de Terre Winery and Youngberg Hill Vineyards & Inn; both make excellent Pinot Noirs to taste and buy direct. Then I’d backtrack to Carlton and Lafayette, where Anne Amie Vineyards commands lovely, bucolic farm views from its patio, with picnic tables that practically cry out for you to buy a bottle of winemaker Thomas Houseman’s Pinot Gris to accompany your lunch (goes great with barbeque).

EVENING: SHOPPING AND DROPPING

Back in town, I’d drop in on a couple of stores, like NW Food & Gifts, for a souvenir or bottle of wine to take home, and the R. Stuart & Co. wine bar, which is one of the most convivial places in town. And then you’d find me watching the sunset from the vantage point of the wonderful rooftop bar at McMenamins Hotel Oregon, with views in every direction of the surrounding countryside, not to mention hand-crafted beers (try the Terminator).

If I were still ambulatory, I’d conclude the day with a long, wine-soaked dinner at Bistro Maison, the practically perfect French bistro that continues to make me sigh and say, “How does a little town like this support a restaurant this good?”

And then I’d cancel my plans for the next two days and do it all over again.