The Word On the Street

IN PRAISE OF SIDEWALK CAFES

2011-06-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Summer is here, and we have completely run out of excuses for not spending more time enjoying the passing scene from one of the many sidewalk cafes and outdoor seating areas that restaurants offer in downtown McMinnville. Our sidewalk dining is open year-round in many cases, but it's not quite as hard to pass them by on a blustery day in, say, February, as it is now. Here's a list of places to catch some rays while enjoying the local fare.

CORNERSTONE COFFEE ROASTERS: Tables under a protective awning from which to partake of this coffee house's cupsa Joe, smoothies and homemade quiches.

HARVEST FRESH GROCERY & DELI: There is a salad bar and deli case inside with prepared foods, utterly addicting Cowgirl Cookies, and lots of healthy offerings to take outside and enjoy from several metal tables and chairs.

WEDNESDAY WINES: Tastes and glass pours are available from this shop on the corner of Cowls Street, with high, cocktail tables outside to watch the passing scene. Grab a cheese plate from their in-house specialty cheese counter to really get the most out of the wine.

K & F AT UNION BLOCK: Another fine coffee shop with protected tables for sipping the afternoon away. Wi-Fi service is available.

SERENDIPITY ICE CREAM: What better way to spend a warm summer afternoon than by loading up scoops of their hand-dipped ice-creams and taking them outside to the tables on the south side of Evans Street; fine selection of soups and chili for lunch, too.

HOTEL OREGON: The largest selection of sidewalk tables in town wrap around this historic building front, and locals know that the outdoor rooftop bar is the place to be for summer Happy Hours. Three-meal service keeps these tables hopping all day long.

LOS MOLCAJETES: Our newest Mexican restaurant on Third Street has a fine collection of comfortable tables and chairs on the sidewalk for enjoying a combination plate and a cerveza or two.

R. STUART & CO: This popular wine bar has a few choice seats outside for tasting Rob Stuart's delicious Big Fire Pinot Gris and single-vineyard Pinot Noirs.

BISTRO MAISON: A lovely, flower-decked garden area lies beside this handsome restored and re-purposed home for chef Jean-Jacques Chatelard's sumptuous French fare.

GOLDEN VALLEY BREWERY & RESTAURANT: Get there early if you want to enjoy your house-made brews and fine burgers and family fare from the outdoor seating area; it fills up, especially on warm weekends.

BRING THE KIDS DOWNTOWN

2011-06-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

Have you had this conversation lately with the budding litigator in your family?

“Why do we have to celebrate Father’s Day? Why do we celebrate Mother’s Day? Why isn’t there a Kids Day?”

“Every day is Kids Day.”

“No, it’s not!”

Well, okay, they may have a point. But we’d like to point out here that we do indeed have Kids Days in downtown McMinnvile, and lots of things for the precious tykes to do, especially now that school is out. Here’s a list of fun things to look forward to this summer. And the next time you have the above conversation, just wave this in their face, do a little victory dance and yell, “Snap! I told you so!”

SERENDIPITY ICE CREAM & RED FOX BAKERY
Our old-style ice-cream parlor, with an authentic, antique player piano tinkling away in the background and a case of some two-dozen hard ice-creams waiting to be dipped, is a destination unto itself for kids. Especially because there are flavors that only kids can love, like bubble-gum and cotton candy. They also have terrific soups for lunch. A block away, the Red Fox Bakery has added cupcakes, pies and cakes by the slice to its selection of treats. For a summer educational experience, you could teach your kids about croissants and macaroons, too (before moving on to the graduate-level seminar in baguettes and pain au chocolat).

MAC SPORTS
Walk into our resident sporting-goods store and you’ll be greeted by the utterly pleasant odor of leather baseball gloves, basketballs and catcher’s mitts. The store also has a huge selection of logo apparel from the area’s high schools (and if you never earned that letter jacket from Dayton High, you can buy one here and no one will be the wiser). Balls and bats and workout gear, too. A fun stop for any of the sports fans on your home team.

BROWN BAG CONCERTS AND KIDS’ DAYS AT THE FARMERS MARKET
Don’t forget the free Brown Bag concerts that are held every Thursday at noon at the U.S. Bank Plaza throughout the summer, with a range of music that the whole family can enjoy together. At the Farmers Market, which is held on Thursday afternoons on Cowls Street, there are Kids Day activities scheduled for every first Thursday of the month (through September), with crafts and an Open Mic with sound system for your budding musicians.

CITY PARK
Don’t forget our beautiful, woodsy and sprawling City Park, which begins where Third Street meets Adams, and has one of the best play structures of slides, swings and things to climb in the city. There are benches and tables for picnics, tennis courts and paths for hiking and biking. Our community swimming pool and library are also here for cool getaways on summer days.

TURKEY RAMA, July 8 & 9
And finally, our biggest summer street fair is coming up, where McMinnville celebrates its turkey-loving heritage with a two-day street festival. There will be carnival rides and games in the parking lot of Rice Furniture (next to Lowe’s) from Thursday through Saturday. Enjoy classic fair food and sidewalk sales downtown on Friday, and on Saturday check out the world’s largest turkey BBQ at Wortman Park. Saturday also offers the Cruise-In Classic Car Show on Third Street. TheTrolley will be giving free shuttle rides from the carnival to the BBQ and the downtown street fair on Saturday. Finally, be sure to load the kiddies up with sugar and caffeine (see fair food, above) so they can stay up late to dance at the free street dances downtown on Friday (The Jake Blair Band) and Saturday (The Boomer Band) from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Main Stage on Evans and Third.

ONE DAY IN MAC: PETER KIRCHER

2011-05-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

We've been asking people around town what they would do if they had one perfect day to spend in McMinnville. Peter Kircher, the owner of our wonderful Golden Valley Brewery & Restaurant, who (as you can see below) "likes to keep busy," offered these thoughts on a perfect day for him.

1) I'd take a balloon or glider ride at sunrise on a beautiful summer day.

2) I'd then get on my bike and take a long ride on the Masonville loop out to the Lawrence Gallery on Highway 18, or to Eratic Rock, stopping at a bistro along the way for a leisurely lunch.

3) Then I'd head for the wineries: Ken Wright, Soter and Scott Paul, all in or near Carlton, would be at the top of my list.

4) An afternoon beer tasting at Golden Valley (of course).

5) At sunset, I'd be walking at Youngberg Hill, with its sensational views of hills and vineyards.

6) Back to downtown Mac for a French dinner at Bistro Maison.

7) And then I'd turn around and go back to spend the night at the Youngberg Hill Vineyards & Inn, with its big deck overlooking the vineyards, comfortable rooms and great breakfasts.

Now that would be a sensational day in McMinnville.

CALENDAR ALERT! ALIENS AND APRICOTS COMING TO MAC

2011-05-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally arrived in McMinnville, and the trees and flowers are blooming all over town. For those of us who live here it means that it’s time to dust off our antennae and spaceships, find the wicker baskets in the back of the closet and otherwise prepare for the many events and festivals that are happening over the next few months. Quick, save the dates for these don’t-miss events coming our way.

UFO FESTIVAL, May 13 & 14
The annual event that puts the whack in Mac. This over-the-top fest celebrates the sighting of UFOs near McMinnville back in the ‘60s with a parade, speakers, music, food and general merriment centered around the Hotel Oregon on Third Street. Don’t miss the Alien Costume Parade on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.; it really is one of the funniest, freakiest processions you’re likely to see anywhere, with people dressed up in full alien regalia and parading down Third.

FARMERS’ MARKET, Thursdays beginning May 26
There is nothing that announces spring for us like our beloved Farmers’ Market, which is held Thursday afternoons between the hours of 1:30 and 6 p.m. on Cowls Street between Second and Third Streets. It’s a great place to pick up fresh produce and food items from local farms, taste local wines and beers and mingle with the locals. Bring your basket and stock up on the freshest veggies and fruits of the season. Runs this year to October 13.

BROWN BAG CONCERTS, Thursdays beginning June 9
Concurrent with the Farmers’ Market are the free concerts held every Thursday from noon to 1:30 p.m. (starting June 9 and running through August 18) at the U.S. Bank Plaza on Davis Street & Third Street. Favorite performers like Mike Strickland and Whistlin’ Rufus are back on the schedule, along with some new artists who perform jazz, folk and bluegrass music. Bring a lunch and come out to the plaza to enjoy the shows.

TURKEY RAMA, July 8 & 9
McMinnville’s big mid-summer bash celebrates the memory of our town being a major processor of turkeys. Now TurkeyRama is a street festival and community barbeque, and this year will see the addition of the McMinnville Cruise-In to be held on Saturday night on Third Street, with members of the North Valley Cruzzers proudly displaying their classic street rods.

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

2011-04-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

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.

LONG LIVE THE COZINE HOUSE

2011-03-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

I spent a very pleasant hour recently in the Cozine House, that gorgeously renovated Queen Anne home on the corner of Third Street and Adams. With its stately presence and bearing, it announces the beginning of downtown McMinnville; its fish-scale shingles, green lawn and blue and purple trim symbolize the entire downtown renovation. Drivers bound for the coast who pass it are suddenly seized with an urge to turn left to explore Third Street, and twenty minutes later they’re drinking wine, planning to buy a vineyard and figuring out how to retire here.

If you haven’t been inside lately, you should go back. The parlor on the main floor serves as a kind of living-room for the whole community, with its floral wallpaper, antique piano and sideboard and photos of Samuel and Mahala Cozine glaring at us from 1895. (Someone should have mentioned that their images would be greeting people for a very long time, and thought to offer hair and makeup services.) The piano is covered with flyers of info from local businesses, and calendars of events like the Linfield Chamber Orchestra’s 20th Anniversary Season performances. A table with padded folding chairs invites sitting and browsing. You half-expect Ginger Williams and Kris Gullo, who run the Downtown Association, to come flying out of their offices dressed in full Victorian bustles and ruffles, brandishing broomsticks and feather dusters and admonishing you to do some chores before you get too comfortable.

Poke around a little further and you find out that the Cozine House, which dates back to 1892, was an eyesore that was nearly demolished before a civic group led by Marilyn Dell found the funding and willpower to completely renovate the old place in 1991. Photos show a ghost of a building, its paint faded and peeling, windows boarded over and roof leaking, that looked like a strong gust of wind could blow it over. It was one of only two remaining pioneer houses – Samuel Cozine was a blacksmith whose original land claim encompassed 640 acres, mostly in the area where Linfield College now stands – and the community was split over whether to keep it or tear it down. His blacksmith shop was on the site of today’s Cozine House, on land granted to William Newby.

Luckily for us, the ayes won, with the then-ungodly sum of $150,000 raised to complete the renovation. While raising the building off its dilapidated foundation, workers found gravestones that were being used to shore up support beams. One of the white, hand-carved markers, in memory of a child named Seth, is now mounted on the wall outside of Kris’s office. He passed away almost exactly 152 years ago, on March 1st, 1859, which was thirty-three years before today’s Cozine House was built.

It’s nice to think that Seth, were he to return today, might recognize the pictures of his parents on the walls (if not the indoor plumbing). And that the Cozine House may continue to greet visitors to McMinnville for another hundred years.

LET THERE BE TURKEY

2011-02-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, time to fess up and tell the truth. As you probably know, McMinnville has a thing about turkey, dating back to the days when the area was known for its turkey farms, and there were turkey bars on Third Street where the wine bars are now. Step inside, plunk down your fifty cents, eat a turkey, wipe your mouth on the community rag hanging on the wall, leave and get on with your day.

Well, things have changed and now instead of turkey bars, we have Turkey Rama once a year, which gives the whole community the opportunity to celebrate downtown on Third Street, eat barbequed turkey at Wortman Park, exchange turkey mating calls late into the night and engage in other friend-or-fowl behaviors.

Now here’s the truth-telling part: Last year, the UFO parade – also held on Third Street, but in the spring -- was dominated by an enormous float of a rather fearsome-looking turkey, some seven-feet high, that was pulled by a tractor. The float was created by downtown manager Kris Gullo, who has a background in constructing very large farm animals out of Plaster of Paris. (She started with chickens and bunnies, and now this.) Well, few people know that I was sitting inside that float last year, charged with the task of making the giant turkey’s head bob up and down on a stick as we marched among scores of aliens and Star Wars characters. The only problem was that the turkey’s head broke off of the stick just as the parade started, and once inside the float, I wasn’t about to come out and fix it.

And that, my friends, is why a lady who happened to be riding on the outside of the float, dressed like an alien, could be seen holding and waving the head of a turkey that had come loose from its gigantic body that day at the UFO parade down Third Street. There are often very logical reasons for illogical things.

All of this confession comes by way of saying that yes, Virginia, there will be another Turkey Rama this summer, but this year it will feature its own parade. And this time we’re going to get it right. The Turkey Rama Parade will take place on Third Street on Friday, July 8th. Food, music and sidewalk sales will be featured on Friday, capped off with a street dance to returning Turkey Rama favorite, the Ty Curtis Band. And this year, on Saturday, July 9th, the festival will include the 12th Annual Classic Car Show, whereby a whole slew of custom cars, trucks, hot rods, street rods, antique cars and other cool vehicles will hold their own parade (albeit a stationary one – they’ll be parked up and down Third Street). That night there will be a street dance from 8 to 10 p.m. featuring the Boomer Band.

In short, it is shaping up as one of the finest Turkey Ramas ever, and anywhere. Save the Date! We can’t guarantee a gigantic turkey whose head is being held by an alien, but who knows what may happen when McMinnville’s turkeys meet up with its hot-rod owners on a warm, summer day. We’re looking forward to it, and this time I hope to see the parade from the outside of the float, not the inside.

ART OF THE WINE

2011-01-10T17:06:00.000-08:00

You know, there are some combinations of words that just make me sit up and take notice. For example, I perk up at the mention of the word “art,” and the word “wine” puts me on red alert and makes me instinctively reach for stemware. Couple either of them with the word “walk” and I start looking around for my coat and wallet. So you can just about imagine the visceral reaction I have when I see the words “Art & Wine Walk” splashed across posters throughout downtown McMinnville. Like Pastrami & Swiss on Rye with Sauerkraut (i.e. a Reuben), it’s like all of the good things wrapped up in one delicious package.

In this case, the Art & Wine Walks happen every month, on the third Saturday, from 4 to 8 p.m. throughout downtown, with lots of special events of music, wine, food and art taking place at shops along Third Street. January’s AWW takes place this Saturday, January 15th; here’s a partial list of what’s happening. And for more information for this or any other Art & Wine Walk month, check out the McMinnville Art and Wine Walk page on Facebook.

Handmade Lace by Alice Howell at Ford Street Studio and Images Gallery, along with photography by Brown & Smith and a raffle for an original oil painting by Renee Lorenze. Food, wine and music, too.

Fiddling with Jim Hockenhull and wine samples from Noble Pig at the Harvest Fresh Grocery Store.

Jewelry, Chocolate and Wine at NW Food & Gifts, featuring the magnetic jewelry from Healthy Elements; dark chocolate from Melting Pot Candy and Pinot Noir from Stevenson-Barrie.

“Randomness and Ardor…paintings and sculpture,” featuring the work of artist Dwight Evalt, will be on display at Current’s Gallery.

And if you’re looking for me, I’ll be exhibiting randomness and ardor up and down Third Street with chocolate all over my face and samples of wine in each hand. Shouldn’t be too hard to spot. See you at AWW.

OUR ANNUAL BREAD, AND OTHER ACTS OF GIVING

2010-12-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Some sundry thoughts as we enter the homestretch of the Christmas season:

GIVING BACK
At Ranch Records on Third Street, alongside the gift sets of four Beatles pint glasses and the best collection of real vinyl records in town, is a donation basket for contributions of canned food that will go to our local food bank (pictured here). There is another giving station for canned food in the lobby of the Bella Casa Real Estate Group on NE 19th Street (in the Urgent Care building). The donations are distributed by YCAP (the Yamhill Community Action Partnership), our local charitable organization, and are urgently needed.

GIVING GIFTS
Ginger and Kris from our Downtown Association report that MDA gift certificates are flying out of the Cozine House doors (the gorgeous Victorian on the corner of NE Third Street and Adams). The gift certificates are redeemable at fifty downtown merchants and are a great way of giving a little bit of McMinnville to a loved one (or a loved writer). One woman walked in and bought $400 worth last week. I hope I know that woman. The gift certificate is good for a year, but Kris points out that if it expires, it can be renewed at the MDA office.

GIVING BREAD
Few things say Christmas to me like the words Dresden Stollen, Rosca de Reyes or Snowman Buns. (And any jokes about Snowman Buns will be harshly dealt with.) These three things are part of the specialty breads lineup that Laurie Furch of the Red Fox Bakery & Café (on Evans Street, between Third & Fourth) prepares every year in anticipation of the holidays. She rolls them out (so to speak) throughout the month, with a calendar that lists the availability of each one. Besides the above-named delicacies, there are St. Lucia Buns flavored with saffron; Panettone with Dates and Walnuts; and a French Galette de Rois filled with almond cream. They’re sold right up to New Years Eve, and I know from extensive research that they are delicious. There will be Snowman Buns in our stockings this year, but then I said that last year and ate them all before the stockings were even hung on the chimney with care.

GIVING TO ME
Will write for specialty breads and pastries, as well as gift certificates. Can I be any clearer about this?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all.

THEY CAME, ALL THE FAITHFUL

2010-11-30T16:10:00.000-08:00

They had closed Third Street for the second time that day (this was last Friday), and at five p.m., about fifty people had assembled at the McMinnville railroad depot. Nearly half of them were singers from the McMinnville High School Twilighters club, led by Linfield music professor Dana Libonati. Alongside them were families with kids, and couples, seniors and tweeners, and at five sharp they broke out into song: Joy to the World. They began to move up Third Street, singing.

They gathered more people as they went up the street, passing the News-Register building and the Hotel Oregon, and by the time they reached the corner of Evans and NW Food & Gifts, a curious thing happened. As the singers launched into “Here Comes Santa Claus,” shop doors opened and out stepped patrons and store owners alike, joining in the song or just admiring the passing wave of carolers. The crowd grew with each passing block, and when they began “Silent Night” at about the Ben Franklin statue on Davis Street, they numbered over a hundred. There were more kids, more strollers, more grandparents and more couples bundled up against the chill night air.

Earlier that afternoon the street had been closed for a parade that had marching bands and baton twirlers, civic groups and martial arts clubs. Davis Street was the stage for an enthusiastic group of Radio Disney singers and dancers who led groups of children in dance steps and songs, and gave away prizes.

All that had been cleaned up and put away, the street re-opened, shoppers shopped and street lights went on. But now it was dusk and Third Street was hosting a different kind of procession: By 5:15, the carolers had advanced to the Cozine House on the corner of Adams and Third Street. A flatbed truck was waiting, and the Twilighters boarded it, still singing. The crowd was eager, anticipating.

And then a fire truck arrived, its lights and sirens blaring its own kind of carol, and on top was Santa Claus. There were lots of shouts of “Merry Christmas” as he waved to the crowd and they waved back. At 5:45, everyone became still, and set their sights on the dark plaza of the library. They shouted “Merry Christmas” three times in unison, and as if by magic the McMinnville Christmas tree lit up for the first time.

There were more cheers and more songs. Santa stepped down from the fire truck and handed out candy canes to all of the kids. The whole thing didn’t cost anyone a dime, and didn’t have a thing to do with shopping or commerce. It was just a night in a small, Oregon town, a month before Christmas.

NOTHING BLACK ABOUT MAC FRIDAY

2010-11-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

I have some rather stunning news that could raise even the most taciturn eyebrow. While you and I have been quietly going about our business and becoming only dimly aware that the holiday season is upon us, Linda Hays of Hopscotch Toys in McMinnville has been thinking about giving us a present.

You a present, me a present, everyone a present.

And Linda isn’t operating alone in this sudden largesse. Around the corner, Sylla McClellan and her minions at Third Street Books are putting fingers to lips, looking skyward and wondering aloud, “Which free book would [insert your name here] like? Oh, what the Harry: Let’s give it to him/her.” Maria Stuart down the street at the R. Stuart & Co. wine bar is wracking her brains about what you and I would like (dear Lord, make it the gougeres), and James Tate of NW Food & Gifts is quietly scheming ways to make us say, “Oh, you shouldn’t have.”

Well, there’s a good explanation for all this. The above-mentioned little elves, and practically every other retail merchant on Third Street, are preparing for Mac Friday, which falls on November 19th. It’s our local response to what is generally known as Black Friday -- the day after Thanksgiving – which is the day that you won’t see me going anywhere near a big box store. Our Mac Friday is a week earlier; we like to do things differently here in zip code 97128.
In this case, Mac Friday is a huge promotion whereby stores will stay open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. AND (and we can’t emphasize this too much), the participating merchants will offer a free gift with any purchase over $10. Special events will rule the street, like at Sandi Colvin’s Hidden Treasures gallery, which will have wine-tastings from Morgan Meadows and an appearance by master weaver Craig Bodmer.

And these gifts, as my departed grandmother Josephine would have said, ain’t hay. They’re some pretty nice stuff. NW Food & Gifts, for example, is planning to gift people with delightful tealight candle sets; they’ll also have Chamber greeters and food the morning of the promotion. The Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center will be bringing in specially prepared Honest Chocolates to serve alongside newly released estate Pinot Noirs. Third Street Books will have a whole rack of books from which to choose your free gift, and La Bella Casa will be spinning their famous Spinning Wheel of Gifts, with your number coming up on things like cosmetic cases and candles.

Me, I like free gifts. And I really, really like the idea of not spending Black Friday in the mad crush of crowds at the big box stores and strip malls. And when the gifts are coming from the likes of Mac’s downtown merchants, I like it even more. Shop Local is a nice slogan, and a nice philosophy, but “Get Free Gifts Locally” resonates with me just as much.

Here’s a list of the participating Mac Friday merchants:
Currents Gallery; Hidden Treasures Gallery; Wine Country Kitchen; Honest Chocolates; Accesory Appeal; R. Stuart & Co.; Mes Amies; Found Objects; NW Food and Gifts; Retro Rama; Sole Mates; La Bella Casa; Cupcake Couture; Union Block Coffee; Third Street Books; Valley Skate; Twist Salon; Red Berry; Wednesday Wines; Abby and Olivers; Mac Pharmacy; Oregon Stationers; Hopscotch Toys; Incahoots; The Vortex; Poseyland Florist.

See you on the Street.

RE-STORING OUR HABITAT

2010-10-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

At the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on SE First Street, there are sinks. And lots of pipes (the better for which to plumb those sinks). And cabinets, and desks (lots of desks, enough to make you want to start a business), filing cabinets, mirrors, refrigerators and washing machines. In fact, the place is loaded with just about every conceivable spare part that you might need for your household or office, all recycled and donated by people in the community. It’s a great place to go and browse when you know that there is a home-improvement project that you should be doing at your house, but aren’t quite sure what it is.

The ReStore is the most visible manifestation of our ongoing Habitat for Humanity organization in McMinnville, which was founded in 1991 and has built 36 homes for low-income families and individuals in our community. I didn’t realize until looking at their website that the international Habitat organization, which was founded in 1976, has built over 300,000 homes to date, making it the single-largest homebuilder in existence.

Our local program, like the national organization, depends on volunteer work and donations to achieve its mission of providing affordable housing to low-income people in the community. Run by Executive Director Gretchen Phelps, our local chapter is completing two houses this year on its Debbie Street subdivision in McMinnville, and next year will launch an ambitious project of creating a 30-family development on Atlantic Street.

The Debbie Street duplex for two families is the focus of Habitat’s Women Build program, whereby 15 women have volunteered to shepherd a construction project from start to finish. They raised walls for the duplex on May 1st as part of National Women Build Week, and are now in the final stages of painting and finishing the homes, which are scheduled to be completed by Thanksgiving. According to Volunteer Coordinator Jodi Boundy, the women on the crew received lessons in using power tools at our Lowe’s hardware store, and are supervised by a professional crew of contractors.

Speaking with Jodi reminded me of how wonderful and impactful the Habitat program is, both for the families who receive the homes and the community at large. And when she mentioned that the Debbie Street townhouses needed painting help, I realized what my home-improvement project for the week will be: Slapping on paint in the new duplexes. If you have some time to donate to a good cause, not to mention money, give them a call at 503-472-9637.

Otherwise, we’ll see you at the ReStore.

YOU GOTTA EAT

2010-09-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

The news almost (but not quite) made me put down the delightful raspberry and hazelnut tart that I was scarfing down at the Red Fox Bakery last week, and stand up and cheer. Bon Appetit magazine, in its annual feature on Best Foodie Towns in America, had rated McMinnville Number Two, behind only Boulder, Colorado.

We’re Number Two! We’re Number Two!

The magazine singled out our International Pinot Noir Celebration (now going into its 25th year) and Thistle restaurant as great reasons why we’re a hub for gastronomic bliss. Both of those institutions are more than deserving of praise, but the news made me think of just how varied is our local food culture. And how lucky we are to have all of it.

We have terrific restaurants, to be sure. There are 17 of them listed on our directory of restaurants, and I could go on at some nauseating length about the gustatory pleasures I’ve received in our downtown area, starting with the platter-sized pancakes at the Wildwood Café at one end and ending with a mug of house-brewed beer, a burger and the sensational fennel salad at the Golden Valley Brewery & Restaurant. The diversity is dazzling: Walk down Third Street and you can choose from Italian food, Japanese sushi, pizza, coffee, ice-cream, salads, Spanish tapas, Mexican, fine French cuisine and classic American fare. Oh, and Cream of Broccoli soup (our Dan Hinmon raves about it).

But more than that, we are a place that cherishes good food, good wine, and the nurturing qualities of both that extend to our families and friends. It’s no accident that the Harvest Fresh grocery store anchors a corner of our downtown, with its fine selection of fresh produce, healthy milled grains and organic meats. And that on the same block we have a thriving Farmer’s Market (through October 14th, at least), that allows local farmers and food producers to sell their wares directly.

I remember when I first moved here, and was invited to an Easter Sunday party held at the farm of the people who own and run WineWorks Oregon, which is one of several wineries in town. It was a potluck event, and I had no reason to expect anything more than hotdogs and potato chips and supermarket baked goods. Boy, was I wrong. The people arrived bearing oysters from the coast that they barbequed, rings of homemade sausage, freshly baked breads and pizzas from their ovens, cakes and pies and mounds of chopped salads, all washed down with Willamette Valley-produced beer and wine.

I knew then that I was moving to foodie heaven. It’s nice to see that the rest of the culinary world is taking notice.

BEN’S A KEEPER, AND OTHER PUBLIC ART

2010-09-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

Public art marches on in McMinnville, with a number of interesting announcements and events, including some very exciting news about a certain chrome-domed colonial gent who has been lurking about our US Bank Plaza in recent months.

Yes, it’s true. The news about Ben Franklin arrived so suddenly last week, and so shocked us that we can’t help but think it was like a lightning strike on a kite string to which a certified genius-lunatic had tied a metal key. Ben, as you may know, is a bronze sculpture that has been on loan to us by Utah artist Gary Price while our Committee for Public Art began a campaign to raise the $38,000 needed to buy him and make Ben a permanent part of our city art collection.

Two weeks ago, downtown Manager Kris Gullo received a phone call from an accounting firm that represented a very generous and very anonymous donor who wished to inquire as to the balance of funds needed to secure Ben in McMinnville for keeps. Kris blushingly named an astronomic figure and an hour later she received another call: The donor was willing to put up all of the necessary dough! The check was promptly delivered to the city, and last week it was announced that Ben is now a permanent fixture here. Which will come as no small relief to all of the people who have been shamelessly throwing themselves at him, in broad daylight, no less.

As for events, on October 3rd, Ben will have to share some of the cultural spotlight with the “Looking Up” sculpture in the Gallery Theater courtyard on the corner of Ford Street and NE Second. At 3 p.m. that day, an event called “Celebrating Public Art: Eight Artists in Eighty Minutes” will see interpretations of the sculpture that range from dance and opera performances to theatrical and fashion pieces. The event is a collaboration between the McMinnville Downtown Association, Arts Alliance of Yamhill Country, Gallery Ballet & Tap Studio, the Gallery Theater and other local arts organizations and artists. The event is free to the public.

Add to this our monthly Third Saturday Art Walk (scheduled for September 18th from 2 to 8 p.m. at participating downtown merchants) and you’ll see that it doesn’t take a genius flying a kite in a lightning storm to figure out that McMinnville is a very artful place these days.

EVERY TOWN SHOULD HAVE SUCH A HOMEY BISTRO

2010-09-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

You may not have noticed it, but there was a subtle ripple in the gastronomic cosmos when Jean-Jacques, the French chef at our wonderful Bistro Maison restaurant, stopped putting the crispy, pan-fried shallots on the luncheon hamburger a few months ago.

This, mind you, was no ordinary hamburger. This was a hamburger that made grown men (okay, this grown man) sigh wistfully and wipe a tear from his eye as he hefted its half-pound magnificence. This was a hamburger that made you forget all about steamed mussels, foie gras terrines and coq au vin, which believe me, are not easy to forget. As Deborah Chatelard, the co-owner and manager of Bistro Maison (and Jean-Jacques’ wife and partner) explained, “He grinds the meat to order, seasons it and cooks it to perfection.” And Deborah does not use the word “perfection” lightly.

Deborah and J-J opened Bistro Maison a few years ago after leaving New York City, where she was the Banquet Manager of the high-profile (and higher stress) Tavern on the Green restaurant at Central Park, and he was the chef at the lovely Café des Artistes. In search of a simpler lifestyle, they moved house, home and dogs to McMinnville and transformed the historic wooden house on Third Street, hard by the railroad tracks, into one of Oregon’s most distinguished French restaurants. People from very far away have been known to plan their days around J-J’s potage du jour. The business has been a hit since they opened their doors, and it feeds an awful lot of happy people in the charming dining room or a lovely, flower-laden patio in the summer. Except in January, when Debra and J-J close down and go scuba-diving for a month.

But back to the hamburger; it took me several visits to muster the enthusiasm to order it, what with the glorious potato tartiflette that J-J cooks, the Sunday cassoulet laden with sausages and duck confit, or the plump mussels in a Pernod cream sauce. It was the crispy shallots that won me over that first time, a little mound of buttery, acrid goodness that put the burger, with its housemade ketchup and fries, over the top.

Way over the top. Suffice it to say that there were days when I couldn’t live without that burger. Imagine my horror, then, to learn one day earlier this summer that some demonic customers from hell had begun to ask if they could have the burger without the shallots. And then some of their evil spawn asked if they could have the shallots on the side, but not pan-fried. Or if he could maybe go half-shallots, half-pickles because they had a meeting that afternoon and the shallots might linger on their breath. Or could they just substitute onions or a slice of tomato? When Deborah explained this to me, she sighed, “It got to be a little too much.”

Well, like any good French chef would, J-J blew his top. He took the shallots off of the burger and refused to put them back. It’s still a damn fine burger, and one to which I often return, but as I understand it from the Greek mythology, when one has been touched by a goddess it’s pretty hard to go back to the high school prom queen. And so I implore all of you TO JUST LEAVE THE SHALLOTS ALONE. And maybe they’ll one day return to grace my burger at Bistro Maison.

WHO'S ON THIRD? WE ARE

2010-08-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes, summer is almost over, and that means two crucial things: I will soon not have children tugging on the legs of my jeans and whining, “What are we going to DO today?” (short answer will soon be, “GO TO SCHOOL!”). And Who’s on Third?, our annual festival, is happening next weekend. What is Who’s on Third?, you ask. Screenings and panel discussions, maybe, of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein? Lou Costello look-alike contests? (our mayor would win). Random pies in the face?

No, none of the above. Who’s on Third? is actually a retail festival on Third Street -- (did we mention that this is “Oregon’s Favorite Main Street?” We copyrighted that slogan, so we mention it often) – with lots of fun events happening downtown next Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 4 & 5, from noon to four p.m. each day. More than two dozen shops will be open and offering discounts and promotions; nearly as many restaurants, wine bars and tasting rooms will be serving up their delicacies and libations; and there will be live music throughout each afternoon.

And such live music. Both days feature several acts but the one I’ll be rushing back to see is Michael “Shoehorn” Conley, a Portland musician who manages the rare daily-double of playing a mean blues saxophone AND tap-dancing like Gregory Hines. The guy is equally adept at both, and his show is a great deal of fun to watch and hear, as he trades bluesy riffs and heel-cracking combinations. I dare you to find another tap-dancing sax player performing anywhere in the entire state of Oregon on those days.

Another unique quality of this year’s Who’s on Third? fest will be the presence of hundreds of lean, fit people who will be in serious need of major carbo-loading and re-hydration, thanks to the first-ever Oregon Half-Marathon that is being run on Sunday morning in the neighboring town of Carlton. To get the runners off their feet and downtown where they belong, there will be a free trolley service running on both days. On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., the Trolley will drive a circuit from the Allison Inn in Newberg to the old fire station in Carlton to Third Street and our adjacent Granary District. On Sunday, a runner’s bus will depart from several McMinnville hotels beginning at 5:15 a.m. to transport race participants to the starting line at Stoller Vineyards, returning to Mac at 11:15 from the finish line in Carlton. The bus will then do loops from Carlton to McMenamin’s Hotel Oregon on Third Street until 4 p.m.

Put together, it sounds like a great weekend to be in wine country and enjoy our vibrant community. You can save your Abbott & Costello movie fest for another time.

IF THIS IS WEDNESDAY WINES, WE MUST BE IN MCMINNVILLE

2010-08-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it. I’m guilty. You’ve got me. I went into Wednesday Wines…ON A TUESDAY!...and I’m very glad that I did. Because Wednesday wines aren’t just for Wednesdays anymore. I can explain…

This all starts with Kathy Campbell, a transplanted Californian (“I like heavy reds,” she confessed under duress) who opened Wednesday Wines on Third Street almost exactly two years ago. As Kathy explains, “We’re not an Oregon Pinot shop. We want people to experience a wide range of wines.” And furthermore, Kathy added, she wanted to carry wines that people could enjoy during the week, and were priced accordingly. Wednesday Wines, then, refers to a wonderful little find of a wine, typically priced at under twenty bucks, that you’d pop open mid-week before traipsing down to your wine cellar on the weekend to uncork the hundred-dollar Chateau de Blah Blah.

To that end, Kathy carries some wonderful wines, all tasted by her before she sells them, that include Sauvignon Blancs from South Africa, Cabernets from Chile and lots of intriguing things from all parts in-between. Including Oregon: The delightful Three Wives wines made by McMinnville’s own Remy Drabkin are big sellers at Wednesday Wines (and in fact, a case of Remy’s hard-to-find Pinot Gris arrived as we were talking to Kathy), and Maysara is represented with a number of bottles and varietals. Kathy breaks her under-twenty dollar rule for wines from the McMinnville AVA, which allows her to carry gems like Youngberg Hill’s delicious Jordan Block Pinot Noir. And as of a month or so ago, Kathy became the only wine shop in the world to carry the private-label Third Street Flats Pinot Noir, which is made for the eponymous lodging (located directly above Wednesday Wines) by Solena Estates’ Laurent Montalieu and is an absolute steal at $20.

Besides the selection of wines, Kathy stocks a nice line of food and gift products like flavored olive oils and vinegars, mustards and beers from local brewers Heater-Allen and Fire Mt. Brewery. And a room in the back of her shop houses Abbie & Oliver's artisan cheese shop, with a fine selection of exotic cheeses that come from nearly as far away as the wines.

You can see why it’s hardly fair to punish me for not waiting until Wednesday rolls around to sneak into her place. Tuesdays, Thursdays…even the odd Sunday afternoon is okay for Wednesday Wines now.

UP ON THE ROOF

2010-08-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

My nephew Christopher was in town; he had just turned twenty-one, so naturally I took him to the highest spot in town and began to educate him on some subtle points of fine living. This peculiar rite of passage came courtesy of McMenamin’s Hotel Oregon, whose building has been a fixture on Third Street since practically before there even was a Third Street. Thanks to some clever design and remodeling, the Hotel Oregon’s Rooftop Bar is just about the perfect place to watch a summer sunset and dine al fresco, particularly with pints of the housemade Hammerhead and Terminator beers in hand, the better for which to make points about how craft beer is all about quality, not quantity.

The outdoor patios on the roof have tables with umbrellas and chairs, and a series of steps lead upwards to several more platforms, until you’re at the very top of the building, with a 360-degree view of town, rolling hills and the Coast Range mountains to the west. Sculptures of spaceships serve as reminders that the hotel is the official headquarters of our annual Alien Daze parade and UFO Fest. Christopher was impressed, but then, when you’ve just turned twenty-one, pretty much anything that involves good beer is impressive.

The rooftop is but one of many great surprises inside the four-story Hotel Oregon, which dates back to 1905 and has done time as a Greyhound bus depot, Western Union station, beauty parlor and soda fountain. The Portland-based McMenamins brothers specialize in snapping up old buildings (their Kennedy School in northeast Portland, built from a decommissioned grade school, has long been a favorite of mine), sprucing them up, filling them with art and opening their doors again to serve as gathering places for visitors and the community.

To that end, the Hotel Oregon offers forty-two guestrooms, each named after a famous personage, with hand-painted quotes and notes about the person written on the walls. The hallways are a riot of murals, artifacts and photos of old-time McMinnville; even the elevator is painted from floor to ceiling. The Cellar Bar is a dark, low-ceilinged place with live music; the first-floor pub has a gorgeous, wooden back bar and a menu of good salads, pastas and burgers; and the Paragon Room has two full-sized billiards tables.

Like McMinnville itself, it’s a fine place to explore. But on sunny days, that Rooftop Bar is in a class of its own. I’m going to grab what’s left of summer from a table at the top.

SPRUCING UP HOUSE, HOME AND CHILD

2010-07-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

My wife and kids were out of town, and looking around my home, I noticed a distinct lack of anything that could remotely be considered classy. Or charming. Or having the quality of, say, a cottage in Provence or a farmhouse in Tuscany. The puppet that my son made in the second grade was cute, of course, what with the toothpicks stuck into the shrunken apple head, but it wouldn’t quite carry the day at, say, the Museum of Modern Art. Ditto the Wile E. Coyote-shaped mug that is frequently the only receptacle left in the house from which to drink fine, red wine.

Clearly, we needed to get to La Bella Casa, which has more taste exuding from its little finger than most of us have in our whole torso. They, after all, did the décor of the ultra-classy pied-a-terre apartment at Third Street Flats, which is what a McMinnville flat would look like if the Louvre were down the street (rather than the Spruce Goose, an entirely different story). Bella owners Andrea, Rhonda and Jennifer Feero delight in finding pretty, elegant things, displaying them artfully on their shelves and nudging us towards them in hopes of sprucing up our own domestic goose, so to speak. And that’s the last allusion I’ll make to being goosed by the Feeros.

They have lovely, rustic Italian dinnerware from Vietri that would make my wienies and beans look like risotto Milanese. The softest pajamas displayed near fragrant products from Crabtree & Evelyn. Soaps, Italian linens, handbags, shoes, lamps and even the hard to find Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag. And my personal favorite, a very large glass jar full of kumquats floating in some lucky liquid, the grown-up equivalent of having your own gumball machine at home.

Arranged In the right proximity, these things could even make a puppet with toothpicks sticking out of his head look like a carefully planned design objet. They don’t call it La Bella Casa for nothing.

ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN MCMINNVILLE

2010-07-20T00:05:00.001-07:00

I’m always struck by how easily and naturally people come together in this town and by how convivial McMinnville is. There are nights when the whole downtown area feels like a party that is evolving before your eyes. It has something to do with the café society that is created by wine bars and restaurants and coffee shops in close proximity, but more than anything, it has to do with the people who live and work here, mixing easily with the visitors who pass through town.

Last Friday afternoon, I went downtown.

There had been a minor equipment failure that morning at Thistle that closed the restaurant for the night, and consequently, I found the whole crew – chef Eric Bechard, sous chef Fritz, hostess/server Emily Howard and bartender Katie Koenig – parked at the bar of the R. Stuart and Co. Wine Bar, where they had been patiently working their way through the entire wine menu since lunchtime. When I arrived they were lighting into glasses of Riesling, and I countered – cleverly, I think -- with a big glass of 2005 3 Clowns, a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

Emily raised her index finger to her upper lip and showed off a handlebar moustache tattoo on the inside of the finger. Then Katie did the same, and so did Eric (Fritz left). They had all had their fingers tattooed with moustaches. So I bought their next round of Rieslings, figuring that new finger tattoos always call for a celebration.

At 3:45, local real estate whiz Gene Zinda arrived to convene the weekly meeting of the Safety Committee, a group of dedicated citizens who come to the Wine Bar to discuss current events and where they want to have dinner that night. Nicole poured him a glass of Pinot Gris and despite my not having a finger tattoo, Gene bought me a glass of the ’07 Autograph Pinot Noir that has found its way into my heart over several months of attending meetings of the Safety Committee. We toasted the real estate market and wished it would go up.

Emily and Katie went off to wash their moustaches, and Eric and I decided to hit the streets in search of absinthe, the green French liqueur that was once banned in the U.S. “You know, I love this town,” he said as we walked down Third Street. “It has such an amazing spirit of cooperation.” When we walked into La Rambla, Jerry Naylor – who years ago succeeded Buddy Holly as lead singer of The Crickets – was at a table with Stan Perkins, whose father Carl wrote the rockabilly classic, “Blue Suede Shoes,” and plays a mean slide guitar himself. At the bar were Patti Webb, longtime Manager of the McMinnville Downtown Association, and her friend Jule Gradek, pounding Cosmos.

The absinthe was green and fiery and tasted of licorice. We drank it with Spanish meatballs and skewers of tri-tip steak, and Eric talked about the recent article about Thistle in the New York Times, and how his vision of creating a local restaurant that serves locally sourced food is coming to fruition. I think we toasted his success, but my memory was getting hazy by that point.

When we arrived back at R. Stuart & Co. an hour or so later, the Safety Committee was just about to vote on where to have dinner. The place was filling up, and servers Nicole and Rose were dishing up crabcakes and glasses of Big Fire Dry Rosé. Nicole poured Eric and me a taste of Vin Tardive, a late harvest dessert wine made from pinot gris. Delicious, and a fine chaser to absinthe.

The night was young and fraught with possibilities.

UNDER THE THIRD STREET CRESCENT

2010-07-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

Did anyone happen to hear a howl of despair echoing down the red-brick corridor of downtown Third Street at about 8:40 a.m. last Thursday? No, it wasn’t a part of the Twilight saga: It was just me, on my knees, head thrown back in anguish and fists raised to the heavens, because I went to the Crescent Café for breakfast and saw that they were closed for a week.

On vacation. Oh, the humanity!

The Crescent is surely one of the most unusual eateries, not only in McMinnville but in all of Oregon. They’re open for breakfast and lunch only, do both exceedingly well, and have an intriguing backstory. About four years ago, Michael McKenney and his partner, Danny Wilser, packed up their Sonoma County digs and bought a 131-acre farm in McMinnville; they did this after driving through Mac in December, seeing the Christmas lights on Third Street and thinking, “This is magic,” according to Michael.

They restored their farmhouse, but then retirement got to be too boring. Michael had spent 18 years selling exercise equipment to big corporations and Danny was a great chef who had owned and done the cooking at Ella's, the practically perfect breakfast place in San Francisco's Pacific Heights. “We like to stay busy,” Michael said. So three years ago they opened the Crescent Cafe in downtown Mac – named after their farm, which was originally the Crescent Dairy Farm -- and made it the most distinctive breakfast place in town, and maybe in the entire Portland metro area. Michael, who brings new meaning to the word “dapper,” runs the front, smoothly seating the people who patiently line up out the door, and overseeing a crack staff of servers; Danny does the cooking.

And oh, what cooking: He does sublime things that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen on breakfast menus in all my years of morning foraging: creamed chicken on fresh buttermilk biscuits; a velvety Eggs Benedict that he only makes a few times a month; moist coffeecakes studded with walnuts or peaches; three kinds of fresh-baked bread (loaves of which you can take home); pancakes with caramelized bananas; and (a personal favorite of mine) a kind of bubble-and-squeak of shredded chicken in two kinds of mashed potato, fried into cakes, served with eggs and a side of chicken gravy.

You can maybe see why I weep bitter tears when they’re unexpectedly closed and I haven’t had my morning coffee yet. Not to mention my bubble and squeak. Or a chicken hash that I sometimes dream about.

For lunch they do great sandwiches and burgers made from the steers they're raising on their new farm. And then they’re outta there. "We know our niche and do it well," said Michael. Also, "We go home after lunch, change our clothes and shovel manure all afternoon."

Well, I guess we can excuse them the occasional week off. The Crescent re-opens this week, and save me some chicken. Or you’re gonna really hear some howling.

NEW DIGS ON THIRD STREET

2010-07-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

How could it be that Erin Stephenson and her new Third Street Flats – which are four apartments, available for nightly or weekly rentals on the top floor of the 1885 McMinnville Bank Building – have anticipated my every lodging mood? Erin and her husband, Travis Easterday, have created the most original and eclectic lodging in McMinnville – if not in all of Oregon – by having four different local teams design four unique and utterly different units.

They obviously did it by reading my mind, and I wish they’d cut it out.

Example: I often like to pretend that I’m Ernest Hemingway, swanning around 1920’s Paris and enjoying a gay café society that revolves around a chic little pied-a-terre apartment of my very own. NOBODY KNOWS THIS! (until now). And yet, Flat Number One at Third Street is named the Pied-a-Terre, and is a gorgeous little boite of brown velour furniture, a kitchenette, watercolors on the walls from local artists and a chandelier hanging from an upholstered chain. Formidable!

“The girls from La Bella Casa knocked it out of the park [when they did the design],” says Erin. No, they merely read my mind. Like Hemingway himself, I could write some gripping prose from that unit, believe you me, but only after getting through a bottle or two of the Third Street Flats wine that is offered to guests alongside a plate of Honest Chocolates. And maybe a late visit to the bar at La Rambla, downstairs.

But wait, on other days I dream of having a big, Italian farmhouse, with a large kitchen and table from which to scarf great volumes of pasta with sundry friends and family. Which brings us to Flat #2, named Olio e Aceto (which either means Oil & Vinegar or is the full name of Popeye’s girlfriend, I’m not sure which). This Italianate gem has a full kitchen with a beautiful, farmhouse table and bench made from recycled wood, a cutting board reclaimed from a massive stump, Kim Hamblin’s paper art on the walls and shelves stocked with pasta, flour, sugar and bottles of the namesake olive oil and vinegar. And a colander, of course, for draining all of that pasta. When Sophia Loren comes to town, this is where she would stay.

But then, every couple of weeks I need to feel like a Portland hipster, so I’d stay at The Pearl (Flat #3), with its bright blue and green walls, low-rise king bed and Asian accents. I would do very cool and hip things there. How did Erin know this? I thought I kept it to myself.

And finally, The Retreat is a big, expansive urban apartment with red-brick walls, tall windows looking out onto Third Street and oversized photographs from Sandi Colvin (who also runs the Hidden Treasures gallery) of Farmer’s Market produce and Third Street scenes. When my options vest, when my personal Board needs to convene, when the tassels on my loafers need a break, I would retreat to The Retreat.

With such lodgings available, who needs therapy? I’ll leave that to you to decide.

MUST BE TURKEY RAMA TIME

2010-06-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Is it the sight of a 15-foot turkey on a flatbed trailer flashing his gigantic wattles at all in his path? Is it perfectly reasonable men and women – pillars of the McMinnville community, really – dressing up in shower curtains and garments made from old tennis shoes and showing themselves on the streets? Is it the way I’m already day-dreaming how to spend the $2,500 that I intend to win in a raffle, or how many pies I’ll need to eat to win the pie-eating contest?

Or is it just that summer has arrived, and with it, our glorious, annual Turkey Rama festival, which will be held on July 9th and 10th and is already capturing a great deal of civic attention? This year marks the 50th anniversary of Turkey Rama, which was started to celebrate our town’s proud heritage of turkey ranching and continues to this day, although most of the turkeys now hold public office and positions of responsibility in the community.

So who’s the biggest turkey in McMinnville? That has lately become a topic of considerable debate thanks to the return of the Biggest Turkey competition, whereby contestants representing three charities have gone to, shall we say, unusual lengths to express their inner turkey and exhibit their utter turkeyness.

To wit, this weekend there will be a Biggest Turkey Fashion Show held at the McMinnville Grand Ballroom (beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 26; $20 entrance fee) with a theme of Trash N2 Fashion. We don’t want to let the turkey out of the coop, so to speak, but suffice it to say that you can make a pretty swanky garment out of shower curtains and old tennis shoes. And yes, there WILL be a runway. The charities represented are Henderson House, Willamette Valley Cancer Foundation and Homeward Bound Pets.

If you miss the turkey fashions, there will be a Biggest Turkey lip-synch contest. You haven’t lived until you see a big turkey rock out to Freebird.

When the festival finally arrives, and the Biggest Turkey is carved – I mean crowned – there will be a street carnival on Third Street, tons of kid activities and games, music (including the Ty Curtis Band, a local bluesy favorite) and of course, a massive turkey barbeque held at Wortman Park, followed by a Turkey Trot run where we all try to run off our turkey.

In short, we are a town that loves its turkey, and we’re proud of that. Gobble, gobble, gobble and out.

SEEING MAC FROM FRESH EYES

2010-06-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last week, my 82-year old aunt, Ann SanFillipo, got on a plane in Rochester, New York at seven in the morning and two connections and many hours later, I picked her up at PDX and drove her to McMinnville. This was not only the first time she had been to Mac, but her first visit ever to the Pacific Northwest. She had come to visit my family and have a long-awaited reunion with my mother (her sister), who moved here last year to live in the Hillside Retirement Community.

I’m not sure what Aunt Ann expected to find here, but I think it was on the order of covered wagons, hard-bitten pioneer folks, a kind of rural squalor and lots of tin shacks.

What she found here, and positively gushed about, is what we now refer to in the family as “The Miracle of McMinnville.”

“I can’t believe how green it is, and all of the beautiful flowers,” she said while we drove through town, admiring the landscaped yards. I pointed out that we’ve had quite a rainy spring, to which she responded, “It sure beats having five feet of snow in the winter, like we have in Rochester. I can live with a little rain.” She has a point there.

We took her up to Youngberg Hill Vineyards & Inn to admire the marvelous view of vineyards and rolling, rural countryside, and we took her to Red Ridge Farms in Dundee for fig vinegar and freshly pressed, infused olive oils, neither of which she had ever experienced. “I never knew that any of this existed,” she murmured. “We never hear about Oregon back home.”

We drove over the mountains to Pacific City to get her first glimpse of a rugged, Oregon beach. She took one look at the looming haystack rock off-shore and asked, “Did somebody make that Rock of Gibraltar?” She had never been to a beach where nobody (except the bravest children) swims, you drive your car onto the sand and the striking visuals are made by nature, not engineers.

She had her first Portobello mushroom at Golden Valley, her first Copper River Salmon at my house, and her first thin-crust pizza at Nick’s Italian Café, and raved about all of them. She bought shoes for our baby at La Bella Casa and browsed the shops of Third Street, the Farmers’ Market and the McMinnville Public Market at the Granary District. She stopped to marvel at every hanging basket bursting with flowers, and there are lots of them. It forced me to stop and admire them, too.

She found a lot of cool things, but mostly, what Aunt Ann found here was home. “It just feels so comfortable here,” she said on the third day. “Everyone has been so pleasant, and it’s such a beautiful place.” On the fourth, she was inquiring into apartment prices at Hillside. I wouldn’t be surprised if her next trip west is accompanied by a moving van.

It reminded us of how special McMinnville is, even to someone from a long way away who has seen it all. And from us, a collective “Nice going” to everyone who makes our community shine.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

2010-06-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

I walked into Third Street Books (coincidentally, on Third Street, and McMinnville’s most-excellent bookseller) yesterday and was crushed to learn that I had missed the 80th Anniversary party of Nancy Drew (who must look like Angela Lansbury by now) last week. Furthermore, I was fast asleep at home last Saturday night when the bookstore had a midnight release of Stephenie Meyer’s “The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.” I was dreaming about teenaged vampires solving mysteries; go figure.

But not to worry: This is a bookstore that hums with activities and events. On Monday mornings at 11, for example, it’s practically Binky Room Only during toddler story hour, and this Friday, June 11th, there will be a special appearance by Skippyjon Jones, the feline Skippito Bandido himself. Authors appear in house nearly every week (in fact, while I was there, local author George Stastny of “Risk for Freedom” made an impromptu appearance) and there is a live music series that features local musicians like cellists Sherrill Roberts and Amelia Bierly.

Oh, and there are books, too. Lots of them, from contemporary releases and Best Seller list titles to shelves loaded with new and used books broken down by topic. I walked in looking for a copy of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” and darn near walked out with a dozen things that I wanted to read, from novelist Michael Gruber’s new thriller, “The Good Son,” to Jancis Robinson’s “Oxford Companion to Wine.” Which would be a fine companion to me, too, and Father’s Day is coming up very soon.

Owner Sylla McClellan said the shelves will soon be loaded with even more books thanks to a shipment of sale books that are soon to arrive, with prices at 50 percent off cover. “A mixture of all sections and formats,” she added. She is personally looking forward to Ivan Doig’s newest book, “Work Song,” which will arrive at the end of this month, and “The Passage,” by Justin Cronin.

Sounds like a summer of good reading awaits. Me, I’m looking forward to storytime and Skippyjon Jones, especially if I can beat those toddlers to the more comfortable seats in the kids’ area of the store. And when Nancy Drew turns ninety, well, it doesn’t take a middle-school aged detective to know where to find her.

GOING LOCAVORE AT GOLDEN VALLEY

2010-06-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

At a time of intense interest around locally produced foods, Peter Kircher, the owner of McMinnville’s Golden Valley Brewery & Restaurant, could well stand up and declare himself the King of the Locavores (but he doesn’t; he’s too shy to be the King). He raises nearly all of the restaurant’s beef on his Angus Springs Ranch in the hills outside of McMinnville – a large part of their feed is leftover mash from the brewpub’s brewing process -- and with wife Celia, plants an enormous garden that supplies the restaurant with a good deal of its summer produce. A full line of beers are crafted in-house, from light, Session-style pale ales to full-throated porters, and the wine list is heavy on Oregon producers.

I often wonder how they manage to do it at Golden Valley, which stands as a kind of solid anchor to Third Street at Johnson Street in downtown McMinnville. I’ve eaten there many times, and bellied up to the handsome, wood bar many more, and the place always seems to have the service and charm of a friendly, small-town diner where the server is related to half the customers and went to school with the other half.

But poke around Golden Valley a bit and you see that the space, housed in a 1920s brick warehouse, is enormous. Besides the main dining room and bar seating, with long tables and banquettes, there are banquet rooms big enough to seat the entire McMinnville High football team, an entire working brewery, outdoor patios and private dining rooms. It felt like half of Yamhill County was in there when we brought my Mom for a Mother’s Day brunch, but we felt neither crowded nor rushed.

A crack staff keeps things moving briskly and feeds an awful lot of people at once, but the credit for making Golden Valley run so smoothly goes to Peter & Celia. They opened Golden Valley in 1993 and bring an on-going commitment to good, fresh food and family-friendly dining. On the menu are prime rib and steaks, fish and chips, great burgers and salads and personal favorites like a heavenly Carlton Farms pork loin stuffed with housemade Andouille sausage.

Locavores may note that halibut grows up a long way from the Willamette Valley, but isn’t that splitting hairs just a little too finely? The next time a foodie starts spouting wise about sourcing local products, ask him how much manure he’s shoveled that day. And then go talk to Peter, and enjoy a friendly meal and beer at Golden Valley.

A TALE OF TWO MARKETS

2010-05-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Summer is nearly here in the Willamette Valley, and I know this not only because I have to cut my grass twice a week thanks to equal parts sunshine and rain lately, but because one of my favorite open-air markets is about to begin its season and the other one is expanding its hours and space. Our ever-cheerful friend Shannon Thorson Facebooked last week that she had been soaked and dried off three times in the space of one afternoon, which is wonderful if you’re a bunch of celery or a head of lettuce (Shannon is neither); not so great if you like to play baseball.

But I digress. On Thursday, May 27th, the McMinnville Farmers’ Market commences its tenth season of a Thursday afternoon marketplace that features fifty regional vendors who offer everything from fresh, seasonal produce to cheese, fish, beer, wine, honey, gift products, baked goods and flowers. There is live music every week. And did I mention beer and wine? Samples of each are poured by visiting breweries and winemakers, and they often don’t remember how many samples you’ve tasted if you circle back every 90 seconds or so.

Open from 1:30 to 6 p.m., the Farmers’ Market is a great place to stock up on essentials for the week (like beer and wine), meet up with old friends and knock back a pound or two of the Ribslayer’s barbecued pulled pork.

The dripped-and-dried Shannon Thorson is the manager of The Market McMinnville, an open collection of vendors who set up shop in a warehouse building of our Granary District on NE Fifth Street. We know it locally as the Saturday Market, but as usual, we’re wrong, because Shannon announced last week that the Market will now be open on Sundays, too, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. It will soon expand to an adjacent building, and the weekend of June 5th brings a Yard & Garden Show.

This Market has some forty vendors on a typical day who offer produce, hand-woven and knitted textiles, art and jewelry and books, and lots of good food. Bide-a-Wee Farms brings sheepskins and coolers full of frozen, local lamb cuts; a mushroom vendor offers fresh and dried locally foraged ‘shrooms, and Kurt Spingath sets up his Belgian waffle kiosk for a sweet treat or cup of coffee. Outside is our local hotdog vendor (try his chili), activities for kids, a firepit and a plant exchange program. There is always live music and a friendly, community atmosphere that Shannon is very good at nurturing.

The rain will stop soon, we expect, but these markets will go on right through the summer and that odd meteorological phenomenon that occurs in Oregon every year….what’s it called?....oh yeah, sunshine.

PLEASE PASS THE PORK

2010-05-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

It goes without saying that people around here are partial to their pork, so much so that last week a great deal of media attention was given to a local chef who got into a fight in Portland for passionately defending his Oregon pigs.

With that fracas in mind, I paid a visit to my friends Craig & Theresa Haagenson, who own the Ribslayer Catering & BBQ company in downtown McMinnville. “Ribslayer to Go” is the name of their shop on Second Street, across from the United Methodist Church and easily found by both the BBQ signs pointing in their direction and the heavenly smell of slowly roasting meats emanating from the 25-foot long, locomotive-style wood smoker that sits outside of the shop when they’re not doing events.

I had come not to fight with Craig over pigs – because for one thing, he’s a big guy who could pound me to smithereens with one hand as he was turning racks of ribs with the other – but to praise him. I don’t say this about many men, but my mouth begins to water whenever I catch sight of either of the Haagensons, because chances are awfully good that there will be delicious meat nearby. Their Carlton Farms Pork Spareribs (note the local connection, any brawling chefs who read this) are a thing of beauty, as is The Mo-Fo, a BBQ Beef Brisket sandwich that is topped with a pile of Pulled Pork, just for good measure.

The thing about the Haagensons is that they seem to be everywhere at once, like teleporting X-Men characters. Here they are on weekends at The Market in McMinnville’s granary district, selling sandwiches and specials. There they are on Thursday afternoons (beginning May 27th) at our weekly Farmer’s Market, with a big, fragrant booth. Go by their shop and they’re slinging sandwiches and heaping to-go platters with meat and baked beans. Show up at a private event anywhere in wine country and chances are that the Ribslayer train will be out front, catering the event.

It has gotten to the point where when Theresa sees me coming, she begins to pile a plate with Thai Peanut Slaw topped by a big dollop of Pulled Pork and their housemade barbeque sauce. Or maybe a couple of Mo-Fos to go.

Now who would fight about that? Can’t we and our pigs just get along?

BEN AND THEE

2010-05-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

I’ll be the first to say that it’s great to live in a friendly town, and McMinnville is really very welcoming. And I think it’s wonderful that this new guy in town – Ben Franklin Somebody – has been so heartily embraced by everyone. It is swell that kids stop to say hello to him, and bring him gifts and pose for pictures with him. I’m sure he must feel right at home under those bifocals and breeches and topcoat, his chrome dome shining in the sun.

I’m just saying that maybe we should keep an eye on this guy. It’s one thing to be a friendly community, but this is ridiculous. Thanks to some “Word on the Street” sleuthing, we have strong and unimpeachable photographic evidence that proves without a shadow of a doubt that this Ben Franklin character is getting, shall we say, a little too friendly with the women of the community. And some of the men. You might almost say that he is exerting some weird, magnetic attraction on the local population. Something needs to be done about this.

Snap! Here is Patti Webb – PATTI WEBB! A Married Woman! A Grandmother and retired Downtown Manager, for goodness sakes! – flinging herself onto Ben’s lap, while her friend Ginger Williams just looks on and laughs. Snap! Cassie Sollars snuggles up beside him and reads to him, even though this guy Ben has his own book. We have reason to believe that her husband Randy – normally a prudent, sensible fellow – actually encourages this. Deanna Fernandez is --Snap! -- caught IN BROAD DAYLIGHT smooching Ben on his bronzed cheek. And (the cruelest Snap! of all), my own wife, Kris Gullo, is caught encouraging Ben to tickle her back with a steely finger – MY OWN WIFE!

Oh, sure, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation. Isn’t there always? In this case, Ben is a bronze statue of Ben Franklin by Utah artist Gary Price that is on honorarium loan to the city of McMinnville and occupies a prominent place at the U.S. Bank Plaza on Third St. & Cowls. And BEN AND ME is the name of a Facebook page where people are actually encouraged to have their pictures taken with this scrap-metal Lothario and post it for all the world to see.

The McMinnville Downtown Association Committee for Public Art is seeking private donations to buy him outright so he will always be here. Hug him, kiss him, read to him, throw yourself shamelessly at him: Ben just sits and grins through it all, seemingly without a care in his Colonial world.

It’s just harmless fun, you say. But do you see anybody flinging themselves at the cute penguin sculptures a block away on Second & Cowls? Do you see the Cougar sculpture behind La Rambla getting his own Facebook page?

I’m just saying. We’re watching you, Ben Franklin. Don’t think we aren’t.

MOTHER'S DAY (OR ANY DAY) SHOPPING

2010-05-06T14:31:00.000-07:00

So was anybody planning on telling me that Mother’s Day was this Sunday? Am I supposed to, like, just KNOW this? Does everybody’s mother, not to mention the mother of everyone’s children, have to call them and make incredibly broad hints about “what you’re doing this weekend,” and “[sigh] what I would give for a good brunch, and maybe a new wallet.” I mean, come on…

Well it doesn’t take a brick to fall on my head, so thus informed, I sped down to Third Street in downtown McMinnville and began to consult the experts. My first stop was with James Tate at NW Food & Gifts, whose shop is crammed with interesting things that are all made or sourced in these parts.

James has everything from adorable pillows made by a Newberg, Oregon artist that have little pockets stuffed with the likes of wolves, dogs and kittens (all plush and completely harmless), to Floppers hats by Beaverton artist Patricia Bennett. I even got James to pose in a Floppers hat (right), which believe me, isn’t easy to do. James has a wonderful collection of local wines, including hard-to-find bottles from Remy Wines and Iota, a tasting bar, and David Williams’s beautiful, hand-crafted, wooden kitchen utensils. The better for which to stir Mom’s pots.

Across the street from James’s shop is Found Objects, a funky store that is crammed full of interesting things like tin animal sculptures from Mexico (note attached chicken), and reproduced posters like the sign that proclaims, “Arrive in Oregon Fresh as a Breeze…by Motorcycle.” Now there’s a sentiment that Mom can embrace. They also have tons of jewelry, greeting cards, candles and decorative items.

On the same block are Mes Amies, with hats, dresses and racks of designer clothing, and the elegant Accessory Appeal, with a wall devoted to shoes (can you say “Gift Certificate?” I know you can), lots of handsome handbags and wallets, more designer clothes and displays full of jewelry.

As far as brunch goes, both Bistro Maison and the Golden Valley Brewery & Restaurant put out special spreads for big events like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Reserve early for these popular spots.

Oh, did someone mention Father’s Day? As my family will tell you, it’s never too soon to drop really big hints, and I like pillows packed with puppies as well as the next man.

ALIEN INVASION

2010-04-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

In answer to your first question, yes, of course we celebrate the appearance of UFOs in McMinnville with a festival every year. Don’t you do the same in your town? The 11th Annual UFO Fest will be held on May 14th & 15th in downtown McMinnville, and we’re all looking forward to it. Because maybe this year the real aliens will come back to join us.

There is quite a history behind this. On May 11, 1950, at about 7:30 p.m., a woman named Evelyn Trent who lived just outside of McMinnville saw an odd object in the sky. It was so unusual that she called for her husband Paul to come see it, and after a few minutes of gazing at it himself, Paul ran inside, got the camera, and took what have become known as the “McMinnville UFO Pictures.”

After he snapped a few frames, the object sped off and was never seen again. Paul showed the photographs to Philip Bladine, who published them in the local paper (Philip’s son Jeb still runs what is now called the Yamhill Valley News-Register); later that summer, the photographs wound up in LIFE Magazine.

Many people believe these to be the best photos ever snapped of a real flying saucer; others believe them to be a garbage can lid that somebody either threw into the sky or superimposed onto the film, although many studies have been done that verify that the negative was not tampered with. The Trents passed away within a year of each other in the late-‘90s, and always insisted that they didn’t make the story up.

So of course we celebrate.

As to your second question -- “What IS a UFO Festival?” – well, that’s another story. The short answer is that it’s as much fun as you can have with tinfoil antennae poking out of your head. The festival always includes a lecture by a noted UFOlogist; this year, author James Clarkson, who is an expert on June Crain’s UFO experience in Roswell, NM, will speak on Friday night at the McMinnville Community Center, and crop circle expert Colin Andrews will be there on Saturday. Entertainers like Kirby Swatosh & The Moon Rock Patrol will play at the Cellar Bar of the Hotel Oregon on both nights.

And on Saturday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m., practically the whole town either marches in or watches the UFO Costume Parade on Third St. There, you’ll see things like local musician Mike Strickland painted green and sporting antennae as he jams on piano on a moving float; every manner of Star Wars alien creature, Storm Trooper and featured character (come back this year, Princess Leia, I beg you); an enormous turkey straddling a space ship (it’s a long story); and lots of grown-ups and kids who dress up like they’ve just seen a flying saucer in their own backyards.

To borrow a phrase, it’s out of this world. Only in McMinnville. And if any green beings approach you and ask you to take them to your leader, well, have the camera ready.

ROOMS WITH A VIEW

2010-04-20T17:15:00.001-07:00

It was a Friday afternoon, and a perfect time to mooch some samples of good wine, so from downtown McMinnville I drove west on 2nd Street, south on Hill Road to where it dead-ends, made a right onto Peavine and drove towards the hills. I bore left at the fork onto SW Youngberg Hill Road and soon found myself in the sumptuous sitting room of the Youngberg Hill Vineyards & Inn. I was just in time: The fireplace was lit, the leather furniture was comfortable, and owner Wayne Bailey was conducting a wine tasting with a couple who had arrived that day from Atlanta. Within minutes I was sipping luscious Pinot Noirs from Wayne’s Natasha and Jordan Block Vineyards and wondering which crowbar they might use to pry me out of that chair.

The wines, he explained to the couple, were named after his children, and the business has been a labor of love since he purchased the Inn and vineyards in 2003 with his wife, Nicolette, and began to improve the property, which was originally built in 1989. This section of the valley, on hillsides facing south and east, is excellent for growing pinot noir and pinot gris grapes, and Youngberg’s original vineyards were planted by noted Carlton winemaker Ken Wright. In recent years the Baileys have doubled the vineyard by planting another nine acres and added an event site for weddings and meetings of up to 300 people on the back lawn. They now make the wines themselves and run the 8-room Inn.

It is a lovely, New England-style place with gabled roofs and a wrap-around deck with one of the finest views around on a clear day, with vineyards spread out below, the valley behind that, and the towering peaks of the Cascades – still snowcapped this month – looming in the distance. Travel & Leisure Magazine called it, “the most stunning site in the valley,” and I wouldn’t argue. Rooms are tastefully done in antiques and Wayne, who had a background in Marketing & Supply Chain Management in Chicago before buying this piece of Oregon heaven, leads wine tastings for guests most nights. His business took him to the vineyards and wineries of Burgundy, where he learned to make the wine that he now produces on the property. “Because of my love for wine, I gravitated towards it,” he explained.

I could say much the same about how I gravitate towards Youngberg Hill on a sunny afternoon. If I didn’t already live here, I would live there.

Where Will YOUR Next Cupcake Come From?

2010-04-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

I walked into the Red Fox Bakery for a loaf of bread this morning and, honestly, it’s lucky that I’m not still there now, patiently munching my way through owner/baker Laurie Furch’s selection of breads and pastries. The bakery, on Evans Street between 3rd and 4th, is one of those iconic institutions that practically define a town; if we are truly “the Burgundy of the U.S.,” as many people call this part of the Willamette Valley, then the Red Fox is our boulangerie-patisserie. No food-loving town should be without one.

Along those lines, I walked in at 8:45 to pick up a few croissants for a business meeting at a winery, and before I left I had bought enough pastries and bread to feed an entire Fortune 500 corporation. Along with the croissants, baked fresh that morning, I couldn’t resist adding flaky, delicious pain au chocolat to the box, and for good measure, a delightful peach galette. I mean, honestly, who can resist a peach pastry in April before 9 a.m.? Certainly not I. Laurie specializes in breads – many of the baguettes and artisan breads that you see at restaurants and wineries in these parts come from her ovens – and a golden loaf of braided challah began to gently call my name. Into the bag it went.

The bakery doubles as a lunch spot, serving coffee and sandwiches throughout the day, and if you haven’t been to the Red Fox lately, you might not know about the new pastry case that Laurie installed last month. It is loaded up with bakery treats every day, many of which find their way into my mouth. There are comforting things like a pan full of bread pudding served with caramel sauce, pies and cakes sold whole or by the slice, and my son Joe’s personal favorite, cupcakes. On our last visit together, he had a red flannel cupcake, I had a chocolate one, and we were both deliriously happy.

It’s always nice to know from whence your next cupcake is going to come; I’m not saying that Joe and I eat them every day, but having them there is somewhat reassuring. Call it cupcake insurance: Like a good neighbor, the Red Fox’s cupcakes are always there when you need them. Not to mention the galettes, croissants…somebody STOP ME!

IT'S DEFINITELY THE CHICKEN

2010-04-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

It’s nice in this day and age to see a grown woman get really excited about a chicken, and in this case I don’t mean a roasted chicken at Safeway or chicken fingers at the local deli (and honestly, have you ever seen a chicken’s fingers? Who would eat such a thing?).

But there was Barbara Boyer, McMinnville’s favorite Gourmet Hay guru (with her husband Tom), organizer, oenophile, bonne vivante and, not at all coincidentally, Manager of our wonderful Farmers’ Market, gushing about a chicken in the MDA offices last week. The chicken was a big white bird that clucks at the center of this year’s Farmers’ Market poster , which was created by artist Claire Carver and won a spirited competition to be the official artwork for the 2010 Market.

We’re all excited about this chicken, because it signals that the Farmers’ Market is just around the corner, spring is here and summer isn’t far behind. As in previous seasons, the McMinnville Farmers’ Market will be held every Thursday afternoon from 1:30 to 6 p.m. beginning on May 27th and running right through to October 14th and autumn harvest. Cowls Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets is transformed into a lively, open-air market full of great produce from area farms, cheese, crafts, flowers…you name it. There is always a vendor pouring tastings of wine from a local producer, a beer vendor doing the same, live music and several food vendors selling their wares, like Craig Haagenson’s delicious barbeque and Laurie Furch’s artisan breads from Red Fox Bakery.

Well, I’m drooling now, and it’s not very professional, so I should move on. We’ll have considerably more coverage from the Market when it opens, but for now, we have our chicken. As far as we’re concerned, the chicken comes first (and then the eggs from Market vendors). Ask Barbara B: That’s one fine bird.

A VISIT TO HIDDEN TREASURES

2010-04-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

There are some days when I just feel like a red frog crawling out of a vat of red wine. (Those days frequently fall on Sunday mornings after I got a little carried away with wine-bar hopping the night before). Luckily, a visit to Sandi Colvin’s Hidden Treasures Gallery on Third Street makes me feel right at home, because she has a collection of Bart DeGraaf’s whimsical collection of paintings of red frogs doing all kinds of things with red wine, not the least of which is drinking it. Ah, a kindred spirit.

This is a store that lives up to its name; poke around in its corners and you come up with all sorts of things that have you mentally reminding yourself whose birthday is coming up when, and wouldn’t they like a stainless-steel robotic character who wraps himself around a wine bottle? A corner of the store is filled with them. Hidden Treasures has a wide selection of frames – both pre-sized and custom-fit -- greeting cards, gifts, and most recently, a collection of work by artist Kim Hamblin, who does cool things with a little painting here, a little cut-paper there, and a nail or two for effect. She’s one of some two dozen artists whose works rotate through the collection. Other artists (who don’t look like stainless-steel robotic characters) can be seen lurking about the shop, because it specializes in giclee printing for limited-edition prints of their work.

Sandi herself is often there holding down the fort, but if she’s not around, a good clue to where to find her is hanging in the section of framed photographs. Look closely at the print of a raging storm at Pacific City, with wind-whipped waves crashing on a huge monolith rock, and you’ll see that it came from her camera. Good eye, Sandi, and you can come back from the beach any time now.

On May 16th, the store will celebrate the anniversary of its move to its present space, with music and food and wine from Youngberg Hill. Yet another reason to make like that red frog and spend some time at Hidden Treasures.

The Wright Stuff at La Rambla

2010-03-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Was it Patrick Henry or Alexander Hamilton who said, “My one regret is that I have but one stomach to devote to my dinner?” I always get them mixed up, but walking down Third Street in McMinnville, I sympathize, dude. I sympathize. There are so many great dining options in this town that I would need six dinners a day to sample them all (and I’m generally satisfied after four).

This came to mind yesterday when it was brought to my attention that La Rambla, with its “Northwest Inspired Cuisine From Spain,” has reached out not to Catalonia, but to Carlton, for what is shaping up to be an extraordinary dinner. On March 31st, they’re holding a Winemaker’s Dinner that features the wines of Ken Wright Cellars, one of the real stars on the Oregon winemaking scene and the winemaker who put tiny Carlton, Oregon on the map, paired with dishes created by chef Timothy Hodges.

Ken Wright’s wines paired with anything would be worth a try, but in this case, the menu is every bit as exciting as the vino. The 2008 Wright Pinot Blanc gets paired for starters with a halibut lovingly cooked in a parchment pouch, with snap peas and Savoy Cabbage. We segue into a seared squab breast paired with not one, but two of Wright’s single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, and then march right along into a Carlton Farms pork fabada with wild morel mushrooms and stinging nettles, paired with two MORE single-vineyard Pinot Noirs. After a brief pause to reflect on how very good that was, and how we should never try to cook stinging nettles at home, we turn the corner with an ostrich loin paired with 2006 Tyrus Evan Claret, and then head home with Vanilla Genoise Cheesecake with Foie Gras Mousse (this is not a typo) and Pear Coulis, with a little drop or two of Faux Port.

All this for $75 plus tip; it might just be the dinner of a lifetime. And if you miss it, La Rambla holds a number of other dinner events, including a paella feast every Wednesday night, and its tapas-inspired menu for lunch and dinner every day.