4 Best Oregon Weekend Getaways
By Chef Denise Macuk, written for her blog on chefdenise.com
Where To Eat and Drink in Ashland (and Nearby)
For a small town, Ashland restaurants and eateries offer an eclectic mix of dining experiences, from casual vegan options to haute-cuisine wine-pairing dinners.
Additionally, since Ashland lies within the Rogue Valley, some not-to-miss foodie experiences are just a short distance away.
Larks Home Kitchen Cuisine Uber enthusiastic about farm-to-table cuisine, Chef Franco Console creates upscale comfort food with seafood off the Oregon coast, foraged mushrooms, and cheese from local creameries.
Greenleaf A 20-plus-year Ashland institution for good reason. For the outdoor lover, Greenleaf has two great spaces: one on their deck and one on their creekside patio. It will be hard to pick between the two. And with a large international menu that includes favorites from Japanese, Italian, and Indian cuisines, making your entrée choice will not be much easier.
Louie’s Another Ashland restaurant on the main plaza in downtown on the creek. Louie’s probably has the largest menu of all Ashland eateries, with extensive vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options among the myriad picks available.
MÄS For the ultimate foodie meal in Ashland, dine at MÄS, just off the main drag. Chef Josh Dorcaka prepares a multi-course tasting menu of innovative Cascadian cuisine (AKA Pacific Northwest cuisine) using seasonal local ingredients. Budget 2 hours for the full gastronomic extravaganza, plus $70/person for lunch or $185/person for dinner.
The Rogue Creamery Make no mistake, this is no small-town cheese shop! The first time I stepped into this creamery and sampled the Rogue River Blue, I knew the cheese was remarkable. A few years later, in 2019, I was rewarded with validation when this blue won the “World’s Best Cheese” title in Bergamo, Italy. If you’re a cheese lover like me, you know you need to make the short trip from Ashland to Central Point (just north of Medford) to check out this creamery.
The Urban Cork Want to taste all the best Rogue Valley wines under one roof? Head to the Urban Cork in Medford, Oregon, on Friday or Saturday between 3:00 and 7:00 pm. Order a charcuterie board and sip a flight, a glass, or share a bottle while listening to a local band. With 130 wines from the Rogue Valley and other Oregon appellations, you’ll wish they were open longer!
I must make the full disclosure that the Urban Cork’s owner, winemaker Linda Donovan, has been my best friend since high school. But I assure you, this is an amazing wine tasting room and the only one of its kind in Southern Oregon!