Matthew Domingo
FARM to FORK Co-Founder
Farm Dinners Celebrate Hood River Valley's Farmers, Winemakers and Food Artisans
Farm to Fork’s founders have created a traveling farm-to-table restaurant, local food fundraiser, andcommunity celebration rolled into one. Each dinner is set at the farm where 
much of the food on the menu was produced, and proceeds benefit food-focused non-profits. rm to Fork’s mission is to connect guests to local sources of produce, meat, seafood and dairy products, and to honor the talented farmers, food artisans, winemakers and chefs who contribute to Oregon’s growing culinary and winemaking reputation.
An enormously successful 2010 season in Southern Oregon has led FARM to FORK north to Hood River. On September 18th at Historic Kiyokawa Family Orchards, FARM to FORK will feature their first Hood River event in anticipation of an expanded dinner series in the Hood River Valley next summer.
“The Hood River Valley, and the greater Columbia Gorge is a rich and beautiful agricultural region,” says Matthew Domingo, FARM to FORK’s Event Director. “We’re excited to meet the farmers and food artisans in the valley, share their stories, and support the work of local organizations like the Gorge Grown Network and the Hood River Valley Residents Committee.”
Dinners begin with a tour from the host farmer, and include local wine, a five-course meal, and producer discussions (suggested minimum donation: $75). Proceeds benefit local farmers and organizations supporting small farms, food security and greater accessibility to local food. Proceeds for this dinner will benefit the Gorge Grown Food Network and the Hood River Valley Residents Committee. For more information on Farm to Fork’s September 18th Farm Dinner, and to purchase seats to the event, go to farmtoforkevents.com.
After you have purchased your Farm to Fork tickets, choose a Mt Hood bed and breakfast through the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild as your lodging option and you are sure to turn a simple weekend into an Oregon culinary vacation.
Culinary Tourists, listen up. You'd travel miles for the best Street-Food. Even plan whole culinary vacations around Street-Food. Well, you need only travel to Portland, Oregon for the very best in Street Food. #1 in the World in fact according to Budget Travel. 
"With more than 400 carts selling everything from Korean tacos to Carolina-style barbecue, Food Carts Portland is a microcosm of mobile meals, " according to Marisa Robertson-Textor.
Lunchtime crowds gather near SW 10th Avenue and SW Alder Street; later on, night owls head across the river to SE 12th Avenue and SE Hawthorne Boulevard for deep-fried cherry pies and savory crepes, served until 2 a.m.
Food Carts Portland has a list of cuisine categories, locations and maps. From Baked Potatoes to Vietnamese to Turkish to Sicilian, you'll find more than 50 different carts. "Like" Food Carts Portland on Facebook.
Start your Culinary Vacation at a Portland Bed and Breakfast where we serve up the very best in Oregon Slow Food, right from the Farmers Market to you. Then "graze" through Portland and see what we already knew, Portland has the "World's Best Street Food".
Yes, there are homes for sale in Oregon...vintage homes in a town that boasts the most in the entire state! Albany, Oregon has over 700 historic homes and buildings and they are all within four historic districts.Each year, some of these gorgeous dwellings are open for the Annual Tour of Historic Homes and Gardens Tour. This year that happens to be on July 31st! Join hundreds of visitor's to Albany and The Willamette Valley to get a glimpse of some of the most unique homes in the country.
A once thriving agricultural mecca, the sweet town of Albany banks the Willamette River. A
perfect location or "hub" for visitors to see our vintage treasures while visiting our awesome downtown and culinary travel destination. Several historic homes, museums, buildings and restaurants will be 
waiting to welcome you as you tour our town and see why this region is drawing such a plethora of visitors. Parks, riverwalks, a new promenade, tours and that Oregon culinary experience you have been dying to find!Harrison House Bed and Breakfast, Edelweiss Manor and The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn all have rooms available for the home tour weekend. Reserve your guest room and enjoy a weekend of touring in the Willamette Valley and see why we love it here...in Albany where the charm of vintage bliss captures the historic home lover in all of us!
Oh my, where do I begin?I was born in SoCal on a warm dry day in 1961. Ok...skipping ahead a few years.... I watched as my grandmother pounded the heck out of a steak. She was a tiny thing but man could she pound the heck out of that beef. And, she was one of those kinds of women that could pull a few items out of her pantry and prepare a feast. Now my Jewish grandmother on my mom's side, another important influence in the kitchen, she told a totally different story. Couldn't understand a word of it sometimes, but I got the picture cause when she was mad or wanted me to behave, she spoke "Yiddish" and yes...then I behaved. So, when the word, "nosh" came up for this tour, how more fitting could it be?!
NOSH: A Yiddish word meaning to snack, eat a light meal, a small bite, nibble or munch!
Between my grandmothers', my mother's innate ability to improvise and improve on any recipe she tried, my firefighting awesome cook of a husband and my yearning desire for "really good" food, I have only learned from the best how to cook and now I am learning where to find the best food in Oregon. My personal journey, my quest, my "foodie" exploration and just like Albany, I love to share!
Thus...the Albany Nosh Tour! Bursting at the seams and wanting to run down First Ave.
screaming..."do any of you know what you have here in this sweet town???" I didn't want to be known as "debbie...that crazy lady that runs down First Ave. screaming," so...with the help of some of my AVA buddies, we created the "Albany Nosh Tour!" And, like most of us here in Oregon, perhaps a motto of sorts...we came up with..."Albany...we love to share!" And, we did just that yesterday!Beginning with our ride over to Novak's for our first stop, we were overwhelmed by the most delicious Hungarian chicken dish and a plethora of pastries. The Novak family made us feel like family and even brought in Joseph and Matilda to make us feel even more at home. After enjoying what I considered a "meal," we loaded up the trolley and headed to our 2nd stop...Calapooia Brewing Co. Burger's, ruben's, fries, tots and three or four paddles of their beer in the garden and we could have stayed all evening! A great quick tour of their brewery of which they brew beer and send out to five different cities in Oregon, puts Albany on the map of one of the best places to brew beer! Told ya we like to share!
Ah...Taste of Italy at Pizza King! A quick cooking lesson with fresh garlic, lemon zest, peppers and parmegano reggiano mixed in "orchetta" pasta and yummm! Ruby you are the best and that authentic "bellini" with the fresh berries, the peaches, the Prosecco and wow...is there life after you have had the best Italian food? And yes...by this time we are beginning to get really full but we don't want to be done yet! So, we board the trolley again and head to P'Shaws and enjoy a quick bite of local jams, sweets and a nice browse of Pam's shop of handmade, homemade and all regional goodies!
The last trolley stop took us to Sybaris! From here we walked the rest of the tour. Believe me when I say...we really needed it. But, not till we have had Matt's most delectable dish! Thank you Matt and Janel for helping put Albany on many maps and for drawing visitor's from all over the world as they come to enjoy our sweet town and your most divine Pacific Northwest cuisine! What a treat and gorgeous as always!Rolling almost literally down the "avenue," we entered Vault 244 and were lead through Lane's very trendy, very cool and very inviting bistro. Hauled in to the new banquet room at the rear of the restaurant, we were awestruck at our "taste!" Almost too pretty to eat and drink, Lane gave us a quick run down on the new renovations and the much anticipated outdoor seating options. That is set to be open this week by the way. Thanks to Lane, his head chef and mixologist (that's my name for the guy that makes the cool drinks) for a very unforgettable taste!
Moving on to Clemenza's again owned my Matt and Janel and at no surprise another perfect taste of Prosciutto wrapped fruit in a balsamic glaze and oh my...yum doesn't even begin to describe this taste. In awe, in amazement and in for another treat, we then headed to First Burger where couldn't possibly "taste" another bite...but man...that Frito chili pie was soooo good! But, we needed our cupcakes! Well...I did anyways and knowing that Jessica's Rocket Queen Cupcakes were waiting for us at Boccherini's along with a nice iced latte', we shook a leg and rubbed our bellies and headed on in for the perfect ending of very perfect taste!
And that it was!
Thanks to all our restaurateurs, our chef's, our owner's of these delish dining digs in Albany! We are here because you are here and have helped make our town a destination location for travelers, trekkers, writers, photographers and local folks that just plain love "really good" food!
And...if you are visiting Oregon this season, join us for our next "nosh" in Albany, OR on July 31st! For info: call the Albany Visitor's Assn. at 541-928-0831! And...if you are looking for that most awesome Oregon B & B to perfectly round out your perfect Oregon visit, check out The Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild at www.obbg.org!
Sharing culinary secrets with each other is one thing us innkeepers do best. Last March I traveled to Ashland for the annual meeting of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild and 
was a guest at the Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast, hosted by innkeepers Pat and Tom Howard.
Pat developed her own custom salts and these are sprinkled onto food just before serving. The basic recipe is 2 Tbsp good salt and 1 tsp. flavoring. "This is where you want to use a good quality salt - grey salt, sea salt, or at least a Kosher salt", Pat emphasizes. Put a teaspoon of the salt into a coffee grinder (dedicated to spices), add the flavoring, grind for a few seconds, then mix with the rest of the salt in a shallow bowl or jar. We thank Pat for sharing some of her favorites here:
was a guest at the Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast, hosted by innkeepers Pat and Tom Howard. Pat developed her own custom salts and these are sprinkled onto food just before serving. The basic recipe is 2 Tbsp good salt and 1 tsp. flavoring. "This is where you want to use a good quality salt - grey salt, sea salt, or at least a Kosher salt", Pat emphasizes. Put a teaspoon of the salt into a coffee grinder (dedicated to spices), add the flavoring, grind for a few seconds, then mix with the rest of the salt in a shallow bowl or jar. We thank Pat for sharing some of her favorites here:
- Matcha - especially nice on eggs, and it has a dramatic color.
- Smoked paprika - Pimenton de la Vera - gives a smoky, powerful, earthy blast of flavor to potatoes, risotto, and grilled meats
- Porcini - earthy umami flavor that enhances eggs, pasta, risotto, and grilled meats and vegetables
- Toasted fennel - one of my favorites - adds a toasty, spicy depth to meats, rice, pasta and especially potatoes
- Citrus - zest any combination of citrus and let that zest dry for a few hours before mixing with the salt. Brightens fish, salads, sliced tomatoes.
- Lavender - pulse culinary lavender buds first, then mix with salt - used sparingly, adds depth to most vegetables, especially tomatoes.
I stayed with Pat and Tom Howard, Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast in Ashland, last March for the annual meeting of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild, and they shared information for this remarkable culinary experience. They just bought their tickets for the first dinner scheduled for June 5th at the Salant Family Ranch in Jacksonville.
FOOD to FORK is a "traveling farm-to-table restaurant, local food fundraiser, and community celebration rolled into one! Our unique FARM to FORK dinners are designed to reconnect people to the source of their food, and to honor the talented farmers, food artisans, winemakers, and chefs that contribute to the growing culinary reputation and local food community of Southern Oregon"There are seven FARM to FORK dinners planned for the summer of 2010 and the promoters of this event invite you to "meet the farmers, tour the farms, and experience a remarkable artisan meal in the company of friends, neighbors, and fellow supporters of our local food and wine community. Proceeds from the dinners will be contributed directly to local farmers, wineries and organizations that support small farms, food security, and greater accessibility to healthy, local food."
And of course we encourage you to secure accommodations at the Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast and your hosts, Pat and Tom might even join you for dinner as they are strong supportors of these events. Other B&Bs in the Ashland area include TouVelle House in Jacksonville and Anne Hathaways, Blue Moon, Country Willows, A Midsummer's Dream.
We hope you can make one or more of the FARM to FORK dinners and we encourage you to make your reserve your seat early as these events will surely sell out as will most events happening in Ashland, Oregon. And the beds fill up even quicker!
March brings the southward movement of many migratory land birds and as an avid birder I wanted to share the many birding opportunities that can be found in Oregon. The Oregon Cascade Birding Trail (OCBT) is a self-guided tour highlighting nearly 200 prime birding destinations designed to showcase the region's birds and spectacular scenery. This blog will focus on the Mt Hood Loop of the Oregon Cascade Birding Trail. Let's get settled first before we begin our birding adventure. There are Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member inns near many an OCBT trailhead where you can begin your day with a northwest culinary breakfast and the geotourism knowledge our innkeepers have to share.
The Mt. Hood Loop of the OCBT rises from the Columbia River to Mt. Hood, the highest point in Oregon, and combines some of the best of the region's birding with legendary Oregon scenery. This loop traverses the Columbia River National Scenic Area and the Mt. Hood National Forest and visits 19 birding sites.
Lewis and Clark traveled the Columbia Gorge corridor. The Lewis' Woodpecker, Clark's Nutcracker and Clark's Grebe were named in their honor. Many species of waterfowl and raptors including the Bald Eagle inhabit the river and
further up the mountain you'll observe woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and so many more.
One of my favorite hikes, and I have many, is the Tamanawas Falls trail. The falls are amazing at 100 feet high and 40 feet wide. The trailhead footbridge is the midpoint of a 8-mile stretch of the East Fork of the Hood Riverhosting nesting Harlequin Ducks. A riparian habitat and mature mixed-conifer forest surrounds the trail to the falls.
After you've explored the trails on the north side of Mt. Hood head on around to the south and western flanks where the Sandy and Zig Zag Rivers lead you past Trillium Lake and through Wildwood Recreation Area. The Brightwood Guest House B&B, the site of a former pioneer way station, can provide a home base while searching for the elusive Pileated Woodpecker. Bring out the hiking boots and binoculars, pack your bags and begin your Oregon Birdwatching adventure.
The Mt. Hood Loop of the OCBT rises from the Columbia River to Mt. Hood, the highest point in Oregon, and combines some of the best of the region's birding with legendary Oregon scenery. This loop traverses the Columbia River National Scenic Area and the Mt. Hood National Forest and visits 19 birding sites.Lewis and Clark traveled the Columbia Gorge corridor. The Lewis' Woodpecker, Clark's Nutcracker and Clark's Grebe were named in their honor. Many species of waterfowl and raptors including the Bald Eagle inhabit the river and
further up the mountain you'll observe woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and so many more.One of my favorite hikes, and I have many, is the Tamanawas Falls trail. The falls are amazing at 100 feet high and 40 feet wide. The trailhead footbridge is the midpoint of a 8-mile stretch of the East Fork of the Hood Riverhosting nesting Harlequin Ducks. A riparian habitat and mature mixed-conifer forest surrounds the trail to the falls.
After you've explored the trails on the north side of Mt. Hood head on around to the south and western flanks where the Sandy and Zig Zag Rivers lead you past Trillium Lake and through Wildwood Recreation Area. The Brightwood Guest House B&B, the site of a former pioneer way station, can provide a home base while searching for the elusive Pileated Woodpecker. Bring out the hiking boots and binoculars, pack your bags and begin your Oregon Birdwatching adventure.Lately a lot of the guests at our inn have traveled short distances to stay with us. Sometimes
they are visiting family, sometimes they are here to catch up with old friends and even some of them just want to get out of the big city or just get in to a city of any size. More and more our travels are taking us to destinations that aren't too far from home. Sometimes we just wanna get away! Isn't that a song lyric? Anyways, when you need to get away or just want to treat yourself to a little over nighter and a B & B sounds like a romantic idea, remember...your romantic bed and breakfast is probably just a "scones throw away!"
Great segway in to my scone recipe don't you think? Well...it's simple, it's easy and anyone can do it. And as usual, I cannot just leave good enough alone and I am really good at improvising. You will notice that most scone recipes call for whipping cream. Well...my English friend says, it's much better to use fresh milk instead of whipping cream. He says it makes the scones lighter. That's good enough for me...fresh milk it is! Also, I really cheat bad! I use my food processor and once made 65 scones in about 30 minutes. So, if you have a lot of scones to make or just wanna make a few, follow this recipe. My version of a very easy scone recipe!
Debbie's Scones!
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, cut in to pieces
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup fresh milk
a little extra milk and sugar for coating
In a food processor, I pulse the the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt a few times just to mix.
Toss in the cut up butter pieces and pulse till mixture forms coarse crumbs.
Pour in eggs, milk and any kind of additions you like. I like dried cranberries and sliced almonds. However, good white chocolate chips and pecans are yummy too! Pulse again a few times till all blends and looks moist.
Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough in to an 8 inch circle. Cut in to 8 wedges. If you want to make 16 smaller scones, just split dough in half before lightly rolling out.
Place wedges 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush wedges with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden. Remove scones from baking sheet and serve warm.
I love serving my scones with lemon curd, butter and/or orange marmalade. And no...I don't make my own lemon curd. Joe makes it for me! He makes the best I have ever tasted, homemade or not.
Thanks for checking in and hope you get to try this recipe. It's pretty easy and if you don't feel like making them yourself, we are happy to make you a batch on your next culinary vacation at our inn!
they are visiting family, sometimes they are here to catch up with old friends and even some of them just want to get out of the big city or just get in to a city of any size. More and more our travels are taking us to destinations that aren't too far from home. Sometimes we just wanna get away! Isn't that a song lyric? Anyways, when you need to get away or just want to treat yourself to a little over nighter and a B & B sounds like a romantic idea, remember...your romantic bed and breakfast is probably just a "scones throw away!"Great segway in to my scone recipe don't you think? Well...it's simple, it's easy and anyone can do it. And as usual, I cannot just leave good enough alone and I am really good at improvising. You will notice that most scone recipes call for whipping cream. Well...my English friend says, it's much better to use fresh milk instead of whipping cream. He says it makes the scones lighter. That's good enough for me...fresh milk it is! Also, I really cheat bad! I use my food processor and once made 65 scones in about 30 minutes. So, if you have a lot of scones to make or just wanna make a few, follow this recipe. My version of a very easy scone recipe!
Debbie's Scones!
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, cut in to pieces
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup fresh milk
a little extra milk and sugar for coating
In a food processor, I pulse the the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt a few times just to mix.
Toss in the cut up butter pieces and pulse till mixture forms coarse crumbs.
Pour in eggs, milk and any kind of additions you like. I like dried cranberries and sliced almonds. However, good white chocolate chips and pecans are yummy too! Pulse again a few times till all blends and looks moist.
Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough in to an 8 inch circle. Cut in to 8 wedges. If you want to make 16 smaller scones, just split dough in half before lightly rolling out.
Place wedges 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush wedges with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden. Remove scones from baking sheet and serve warm.
I love serving my scones with lemon curd, butter and/or orange marmalade. And no...I don't make my own lemon curd. Joe makes it for me! He makes the best I have ever tasted, homemade or not.
Thanks for checking in and hope you get to try this recipe. It's pretty easy and if you don't feel like making them yourself, we are happy to make you a batch on your next culinary vacation at our inn!
Over twenty years ago, I had my first experiece staying at an inn. The Bath Street Inn in Santa Barbara was lovely. Flowers, cakes, cookies, wine and yeah...the fact that it was set in Santa Barbara didn't hurt anything either. Well...that was a while ago and a few years back my dream of being an innkeeper came true. It will be two years on May 1st since we opened our inn and began our new lives as innkeepers. Wow...what a change from being the guest to being the innkeeper! Yes...it's romantic, yes...it's even a bit like living in a fantasy world and oh yeah...it's a heck of a lot of work but you know what...we wouldn't have it any other way!Seeing the changes over the years take place in the B & B industry has been eye opening as well. And...seeing the changes in how our guests travel, what they want to do here when they get here and seeing how some guests are choosing their vacations based purly on what kind of Oregon Culinary experience they are going to get has changed a lot just in the past two years. Economy, family time and making the most out of a long planned trip has formed the ideas in our heads that we wanna get the most for our money. Well...I'm here to tell ya...you have clicked on the right link! Innkeepers in Oregon and especially our Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild innkeepers are pretty awesome! We love to cook, we love using our local products and most of all, we love to brag about how we are able to use what grows here in our regions to prepare the best food. That's probably why our guests keep coming back!
In Southern Oregon near Ashland, Jacksonville, and Cottage Grove, our innkeepers are so lucky to have so many choices when it comes to "good food!" The Rogue Creamery, several wineries, and great restaurants that use local food when preparing their recipes top the list in Southern Oregon. The Willamette Valley is also known for their local booty as well. Where else can you go to harvest hazelnuts, pick wine grapes, grab a box of organic veggies and go back to your inn and prepare a feast? Well...we know it's here! Then there's the Hood
River Valley...what can we say about that region? Yummmmm! Orchards full of things like pears, organic cherries and apples!Come check in to one of our inns! We'll show you a culinary adventure, a little local taste and a Northwest Culinary Vacation you will wanna come back for! Oh yeah...bring mom along too!
Farms, vineyards, restaurants, art studios, inn's, horses, golf, antiques, alpacas, jewelry, fish hatchery's, hazelnuts, wolf sanctuaries and nursery's are just a few places you will find on The Oregon Country Trails! With over 65 rural businesses, tours and adventures, these trails are self guided driving tours that offer a bit of the country to our visitors to Oregon.Follow a reservoir near villages in Lane county and visit a bio-dynamic garden filled with organic produce or pick fruit from trees in an orchard and bring your basket to fill with our Oregon berries. Take your time and mosey along the route and see things the average traveler doesn't get a chance to see. Staying at one our Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild inns will also provide you an opportunity to linger longer and enjoy all these trails have to offer. With several new trails being formed as I type this blog, there will soon be 16 routes to choose from. By the end of this week, there will be 4 new Oregon Country Trails in Linn county alone.
The four trails already formed in Lane County are:
Alsea Valley Country Trail
Fern Ridge Country Trail
Long Tom Country Trail
River Road Country Trail
It has been an awesome opportunity to be a part of helping to form our trails in Linn County.
Four new trails will be formed by the end of the week and they will offer Lavender Farms, organic fruit and vegetable gardens/stands, restaurants that use sustainable practices, local bakeries, an artist studio where a carousel is being created, seed farms, cafes and bed and breakfasts! Two of the inns on one of the newest trails, The Willamette River Country Trail are Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild members!So, for a taste of what it's like to live here, to see what the
average traveler doesn't get to experience, stay at one our inn's and travel an Oregon Country Trail! Culinary travel via the back roads, romantic weekend getaways or taking the kids out to pet the sheep...it's all good here...in Oregon on our Oregon Country Trail!April 23-25, 2010 The annual Astoria-Warrenton Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival is one of Oregon's most popular spring events. The festival focuses on the bounty of the Pacific as well as on the 
region's famous wines. Seafood lovers can savor shrimp, salmon, oysters, halibut, and clam chowder. The Northwest's awesome microbrews and and wines are also featured. In addition to the freshest of seafood, you'll be able to enjoy live music and crafts booths. The highlight of the three-day festival is a traditional dinner featuring local, fresh-caught Oregon Dungeness crab; the dinner is put on by the Rotary Club of Astoria.
The Oregon Coast is the place to be for Oregon Geotourism and unique Oregon Coast Lodging and the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild has accommodations waiting for you.
Rose River Inn Bed and Breakfast - This 1912 Craftman style home which is filled with country style antiques and is located in a National Historical District and is on the local historical register
Clementine's Bed and Breakfast - Five rooms, each with private baths are located in this beautiful 2-story classic 1888 Victorian house and children and pets are welcome.
Benjamin Young Bed and Breakfast - Enjoy gracious hospitality in this elegant but comfortable1888 Queen Anne Victorian Bed and Breakfast.
Crab, seafood, wine and Astoria Bed and Breakfast Accommodations. The perfect combination for the perfect Culinary Travel experience.
region's famous wines. Seafood lovers can savor shrimp, salmon, oysters, halibut, and clam chowder. The Northwest's awesome microbrews and and wines are also featured. In addition to the freshest of seafood, you'll be able to enjoy live music and crafts booths. The highlight of the three-day festival is a traditional dinner featuring local, fresh-caught Oregon Dungeness crab; the dinner is put on by the Rotary Club of Astoria.The Oregon Coast is the place to be for Oregon Geotourism and unique Oregon Coast Lodging and the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild has accommodations waiting for you.
Rose River Inn Bed and Breakfast - This 1912 Craftman style home which is filled with country style antiques and is located in a National Historical District and is on the local historical register
Clementine's Bed and Breakfast - Five rooms, each with private baths are located in this beautiful 2-story classic 1888 Victorian house and children and pets are welcome.
Benjamin Young Bed and Breakfast - Enjoy gracious hospitality in this elegant but comfortable1888 Queen Anne Victorian Bed and Breakfast.
Crab, seafood, wine and Astoria Bed and Breakfast Accommodations. The perfect combination for the perfect Culinary Travel experience.
Can you say sustainable travel?...can you utter culinary tourism?...or can you blurt..."wow...I've never seen veggies this green before!"Well...it began on March 20th in Portland! It's Spring here and it's time for our Oregon Farmers Markets to sprout up all over the state and share their stuff! Flowers, veggies, art...you name it and you can find it. From now till deep in to autumn, you can drive in to just about any Oregon town, city or region and find a farmers market!
Throughout this season, you can enhance your Oregon culinary experience by tasting the fresh faire and enjoying our local goods as they are paired with wines and cheese's and yes...we grow them too! And we do a mighty fine job of it! The Willamette Valley as well as Southern Oregon grow the best grapes for the best wine in the entire state! The cheese's here in Oregon...wow, what can I say?...they are delightful and can also be seen at almost every farmers market in the state!
In the city of Albany, you not only find our lovely home and garden grown goods, you will find local honey, flowers, crepes and even local music to be had as well. It's all about what is here, what we can see, taste and touch and then take home.
If it's made here, grown here or even played here, you can experience it here! We hope when
you are planning your Oregon Culinary Vacation this season, you plan on checking out our Oregon Farmers Markets! See you in the crepe line!
Yes, it's that time of year! It's time to get your bikes out of the basement, the shed or garage. Dust the seat off and grab your helmet and you are good to go!One of the most scenic places in the country to ride bikes, Oregon plays host to cyclists from all over the world every summer. It's not unusual for some our Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild membership inns to be filled to the brim with bicyclists when the weather is perfect here!
There are maps, bike trails and websites that help you plan your bicycling trip. Some of these trails take you through some of the most beautiful country side you have ever seen. Small towns, villages, covered bridges...you name it you can experience it on your bike this season! It's no surprise that Oregon's other favorite thing to do, "eating" and sharing their "really good" food is a perk and available along many of the trails found here. Restaurants and deli's along the bikes routes are expecting you and we have heard nothing but positive experiences from our cyclists.
Many of our inns are located along these bike trails too! Most have storage for your gear, can fill your water bottles, point you in the right direction for pasta to get you through the next day and then send you off with a hearty culinary experience you will not forget!
So, plan your trip, pack your bikes and we'll see you bicycling in Oregon this season!
Story by Terry Richards ~ Oregonian
"It may look like a grave marker of a long lost surveyor. But it's not.
The piece of inscribed stone sunk into the Coast Range forest, not far off U.S. 26, marks the only place in Oregon where four county points meet.
There's another Four Corners in America that is a big-time tourist destination. That would be the only place where four state boundaries meet: Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.
In Oregon, our Four County Point in the Tillamook State Forest notes the meeting of Clatsop, Columbia, Washington and Tillamook counties.
The trailhead has a brown four counties sign on the north side of U.S. 26, at milepost 34.8 (this is 2.9 miles west of the Timber-Vernonia junction, or about 39 miles west of Portland).
It takes about an hour to make the one mile hike and back to see the marker and stand on all four counties at once. That makes Four County Point a quick leg-stretching hike when you're driving between Portland and the northern Oregon coast."
So let me help you plan your Oregon Geotourism experience. Spend a day or two in Portland, experience amazing Northwest Culinary treats and the unique Portland bed and breakfasts of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild. Then head out Hwy 26, visit the Four Counties Marker before traveling on to an Oregon Coast lodging resting spot. A perfect Seaside Oregon bed and breakfast is the 10th Ave Inn B&B, where panoramic windows provide views of the ocean, Seaside's famous Promenade, beach homes and the coast mountain range.
And then there is the drive down the Oregon Coast. Talk about an Oregon Geotourism Experience? But that's another blog.
"It may look like a grave marker of a long lost surveyor. But it's not.
The piece of inscribed stone sunk into the Coast Range forest, not far off U.S. 26, marks the only place in Oregon where four county points meet.
There's another Four Corners in America that is a big-time tourist destination. That would be the only place where four state boundaries meet: Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.
In Oregon, our Four County Point in the Tillamook State Forest notes the meeting of Clatsop, Columbia, Washington and Tillamook counties.
The trailhead has a brown four counties sign on the north side of U.S. 26, at milepost 34.8 (this is 2.9 miles west of the Timber-Vernonia junction, or about 39 miles west of Portland).
It takes about an hour to make the one mile hike and back to see the marker and stand on all four counties at once. That makes Four County Point a quick leg-stretching hike when you're driving between Portland and the northern Oregon coast."
So let me help you plan your Oregon Geotourism experience. Spend a day or two in Portland, experience amazing Northwest Culinary treats and the unique Portland bed and breakfasts of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild. Then head out Hwy 26, visit the Four Counties Marker before traveling on to an Oregon Coast lodging resting spot. A perfect Seaside Oregon bed and breakfast is the 10th Ave Inn B&B, where panoramic windows provide views of the ocean, Seaside's famous Promenade, beach homes and the coast mountain range.
And then there is the drive down the Oregon Coast. Talk about an Oregon Geotourism Experience? But that's another blog.
Sipping chocolate at Cacao's near The Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland was only the beginning of our "Epicurean Tour" last Saturday! In the works for months, Portland Walking Tours teamed up with a few very interested Oregon innkeepers and we headed out to devour the city! Led by Bob, tour guide with Portland Walking Tours, we covered about 2 mi. of ground. And thank goodness we did because it helped walk off all the extra bread I ate at Pearl Bakery!...well, I had help! After donning the hair nets and washing our hands we were led to the bakery's kitchen. Oh wow...not a good combination. A bunch of innkeepers in a bakery kitchen?...might have seemed like a good combination at the time. Thank goodness we have manners, don't mind sharing and the fact that at least two of us had camera's kept us on our good behavior.
On to Elephant's Delicatessen and through the back door, we tasted the best tomato soup.
Specializing in sandwich's, salads, soups, cookies, etc., this sweet deli has a little bit of everything for every visitor! Some of us know what Portland has to offer to our visiting guests from out of town. Just ask Pam and Carl over at Heron Haus Bed and Breakfast in Portland or former restaurant owner Patrick over at Forest Springs Bed and Breakfast in Gresham and they will concur...Portland is among the leading cities offering that perfect itinerary for culinary travel and culinary experiences in the nation! Brew pubs of which we got tastes of, offer so many different tastes and types of beers that it's no wonder that Portland is known as the brew capitol of the world. Toss in a few wineries and a taste at a local gourmet shop and you have found another reason to come here. Where else in the world can you go and walk in to some place called The Tea Zone & Camellia Lounge and have a cup of hot tea or a mixed drink?...a tea/cocktail.... What a great place and so very unexpected!
So, continuing our noshing fest, we sampled pear and Canadian bacon style pizza all made with local ingredients. We ate gelato, drank berry soda, ate raspberry tea cookies, tried curried dips with rice crackers, sprinkled finishing salts made of truffles on our palms and lapped them up with flavors so surprising we had to buy some to take home! A very tasty way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Portland!So, when you come here to Oregon this year or when you are contemplating on where to vacation or holiday this year, begin with us...your innkeepers that know where all the good food is! We can tell you, show you, point you in the right direction and help you with your culinary travel plans and help show you how to have that culinary experience of a life time...right here...in Oregon!
Thanks to David and Bob at Portland Walking Tours for our very fun day! We had a great time!
Culinary travel makes for some interesting trips. On Saturday, March 20, 2010, Pacific Northwest Culinary enthusiasts will convene at the Prospect Historic Hotel near Crater Lake, Oregon. The reason? A Getaway Beer Tasting Dinner featuring Southern Oregon Brewing and the imaginative cuisine of Prospect Hotel owner Karen Wickman!The Menu (designed by Karen to complement Tom's and Ander's selections of beers):
Appetizer: Chevre Chaud oozing from within a fluffy pastry purse
Soup: Smoky Shrimp and Chorizo in tomato base
Salad: Celery Root and Fennel Matchsticks tossed with hazelnut vinaigrette
Entree: Rock Cornish Game Hen with spice-rubbed crispy skin and overflowing with Red Potato and Olive Stuffing, accompanied by Braised Brussel Sprouts drenched with Bacon Cider Gastrique
Dessert: Dark Chocolate Tart sprinkled with Sea Salt
Learn more about Southern Oregon Brewing Company while sampling their beers.
Price: Only $55 per person!
Reservations are required. Call Fred or Karen at the Prospect Historic Hotel at (541) 560-3664.
The Prospect Historic Hotel is the closest Crater Lake lodging at this time of year. Plan for a "Play and Stay" trip--enjoy the dinner and stay on for a great breakfast the next morning. Then take the beautiful drive up to Crater Lake for a little playing in the snow. It doesn't get more authentic Oregon than this!
Located in Pacific City, The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast welcomes you to experience beautiful Oregon Coast Lodging in style, grace, and comfort.
The Craftsman B&B has been awarded the Best Period Restoration Award in the LanierBB.com Guests’ Greatest Picks Award program out of 8,500 B&B’s world wide.
Built in 1921, The Craftsman B&B was renovated in 2004-2005 to return the character of the period and modernize the workings. Classic Arts and Crafts elements were incorporated - from the Greene & Greene inspired cloud lift detail of the railings and gate to the wainscoting typical of a Gustav Stickley house.
The craftsman style house features four guest rooms with period-inspired design and decor, queen beds and private baths. No lace or doilies here. Mike and Laura Rech are committed to providing eco friendly travel by obtaining Green Lodging Certification through the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild and implementing green business practices.
Whether you're planning your vacation around culinary or eco friendly travel or just looking for a perfect romantic Oregon Coast lodging experience The Craftsman B&B can and will provide it all. Another unique, quality inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild
The Craftsman B&B has been awarded the Best Period Restoration Award in the LanierBB.com Guests’ Greatest Picks Award program out of 8,500 B&B’s world wide.Built in 1921, The Craftsman B&B was renovated in 2004-2005 to return the character of the period and modernize the workings. Classic Arts and Crafts elements were incorporated - from the Greene & Greene inspired cloud lift detail of the railings and gate to the wainscoting typical of a Gustav Stickley house.
The craftsman style house features four guest rooms with period-inspired design and decor, queen beds and private baths. No lace or doilies here. Mike and Laura Rech are committed to providing eco friendly travel by obtaining Green Lodging Certification through the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild and implementing green business practices.
Whether you're planning your vacation around culinary or eco friendly travel or just looking for a perfect romantic Oregon Coast lodging experience The Craftsman B&B can and will provide it all. Another unique, quality inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild
Linn County is the heart of the Willamette Valley. In this region, you can find some of the most fertile land in the country. The soil, the rain and the weather here makes for some of the best conditions for growing just about anything! So, to capture this natural gift and share it with our visitors and guests to our region, we are getting on that proverbial band wagon and hittin the trails!Tuesday, February 16th from 12-2pm join us as we treat you to a taste of the Linn Countryside and introduce you to Danuta Pfeiffer. Owner of Pfeiffer Vineyards, Danuta will be speaking on the Oregon Country Trails and their success with creating some of the most gorgeous trails in this region. Meet us at the Linn County FairExpo Conference Rooms for a pot luck with a local Northwest Culinary twist. If you decide to join us in the pot luck, your shared dish must contain only Linn County products. On our list...hazelnuts, winter veggies, Willamette Valley Cheese Co. cheese's, baked breads, marion berry pies, blueberries and much more!
Find out how these Oregon Country Trails are formed, enjoy a true taste of culinary travel in the Linn Countryside along with restaurant and farm owners and artists from Linn County!
For more info and to rsvp, call Cathy Bradford at 541-928-0911 or email at cbradford@albanyvisitors.com.
Looking for an Oregon culinary weekend? A romantic bed and breakfast? Do you embrace Oregon slow food? And don't want to venture too far away from Portland OR? How about a short trip west on the Columbia River to the little town of St. Helens, Oregon.
This town's received a lot of hype because of the original Twlight Movie, but there's more to St. Helens than a movie set. Wandering through the Internet today, I discovered a lovely painting that's currently on display in St. Helens at the Houlton Bakery for the month of February 2010.
Houlton Bakery loves the orange snail of Slow Food. I've not been there personally, but Lisa took the time to yelp about Houlton Bakery last July. And the Houlton Bakery blog (although not really, really current), gives you an idea of the loving touch they put into their breads, sandwiches, soups. . .and all those good foods you'll find at a great bakery.
For the month of February 2010, you'll find artwork by Scappoose artist Maeona Urban and by Jennifer Hanson (mosaic glass artist) on display at Houlton Bakery. Maeona is a member of the Columbia Arts Guild and her Secret Garden Flowers are superb.
On the romantic bed and breakfast scale, the little town of St. Helens boasts not just one but two romantic bed and breakfast inns. The Seawright House Luxury Retreat is currently closed for extensive renovation. Watch for its reopening sometime in the future.
In the meantime, the Nob Hill Riverview Bed & Breakfast provides romantic bed and breakfast accommodations that can more than fit your needs for a relaxing . (I've written extensively about Nob Hill--an excerpt of that appears here.)
The Nob Hill Riverview Bed and Breakfast is a former physician's home on the bluffs overlooking
downtown St. Helens and the Columbia River. Tana & Matt own this luscious B&B, a cross between Victorian and Art & Crafts construction. Completely renovated, this stately home on the hill now holds three extensive guest suites and lovely common areas.
Guests meet for wine or tea and hors d'oeuvres in the afternoons on the comfortable front porch. If the weather's cool, the parlor and living room also face the river.
Tana gave us a tour of her B&B. My goodness! The Paris Apartment on the top floor has incredible views. This place is more like a fine boutique hotel than a B&B! We're staying in the Casablanca Suite--more of a self-catering suite rather than a typical B&B room. Two bedrooms, a living room, full kitchen, bath complete with a sensuous soaking tub for two with in-line water heater. . .the features go on and on. And now, on the day we leave, Tana tells me a local massage therapist is available for in room massage.
Breakfast included fresh fruit with organic yoghurt and scones, a baked stuffed French toast and hormone-free smoked chicken sausage. Tana uses mostly organic milk, eggs, butter, and other ingredients whenever she can. Tasty, tasty!
Ever since the Nob Hill Riverview Bed and Breakfast appeared in the November 2008 National Geographic Traveler magazine, Tana says that business has taken off. Guests arrive by boat at the St Helens Marina or by airplane from the Scappoose Oregon Airport--or drive in from nearby Portland.
You won't find another bed and breakfast in Oregon like the Nob Hill Riveriew Bed & Breakfast. What a hidden jewel!
This town's received a lot of hype because of the original Twlight Movie, but there's more to St. Helens than a movie set. Wandering through the Internet today, I discovered a lovely painting that's currently on display in St. Helens at the Houlton Bakery for the month of February 2010.Houlton Bakery loves the orange snail of Slow Food. I've not been there personally, but Lisa took the time to yelp about Houlton Bakery last July. And the Houlton Bakery blog (although not really, really current), gives you an idea of the loving touch they put into their breads, sandwiches, soups. . .and all those good foods you'll find at a great bakery.
For the month of February 2010, you'll find artwork by Scappoose artist Maeona Urban and by Jennifer Hanson (mosaic glass artist) on display at Houlton Bakery. Maeona is a member of the Columbia Arts Guild and her Secret Garden Flowers are superb.
On the romantic bed and breakfast scale, the little town of St. Helens boasts not just one but two romantic bed and breakfast inns. The Seawright House Luxury Retreat is currently closed for extensive renovation. Watch for its reopening sometime in the future.
In the meantime, the Nob Hill Riverview Bed & Breakfast provides romantic bed and breakfast accommodations that can more than fit your needs for a relaxing . (I've written extensively about Nob Hill--an excerpt of that appears here.)
The Nob Hill Riverview Bed and Breakfast is a former physician's home on the bluffs overlooking
downtown St. Helens and the Columbia River. Tana & Matt own this luscious B&B, a cross between Victorian and Art & Crafts construction. Completely renovated, this stately home on the hill now holds three extensive guest suites and lovely common areas. Guests meet for wine or tea and hors d'oeuvres in the afternoons on the comfortable front porch. If the weather's cool, the parlor and living room also face the river.
Tana gave us a tour of her B&B. My goodness! The Paris Apartment on the top floor has incredible views. This place is more like a fine boutique hotel than a B&B! We're staying in the Casablanca Suite--more of a self-catering suite rather than a typical B&B room. Two bedrooms, a living room, full kitchen, bath complete with a sensuous soaking tub for two with in-line water heater. . .the features go on and on. And now, on the day we leave, Tana tells me a local massage therapist is available for in room massage. Breakfast included fresh fruit with organic yoghurt and scones, a baked stuffed French toast and hormone-free smoked chicken sausage. Tana uses mostly organic milk, eggs, butter, and other ingredients whenever she can. Tasty, tasty!
Ever since the Nob Hill Riverview Bed and Breakfast appeared in the November 2008 National Geographic Traveler magazine, Tana says that business has taken off. Guests arrive by boat at the St Helens Marina or by airplane from the Scappoose Oregon Airport--or drive in from nearby Portland.
You won't find another bed and breakfast in Oregon like the Nob Hill Riveriew Bed & Breakfast. What a hidden jewel!
Now here's a real insider's view of what to do for Valentine's Day in Portland Oregon. "Travel Geek" works at the Oregon Welcome Center at the Portland International Airport. She's lived in Portland for 30 years, so she knows her way around!
Travel Geek offers a complete Portlander's guide for Valentine's Day with ideas for "Events that Inspire Romance" plus "Places that Fill You with Love" (a Northwest Culinary experience in itself) and "More Pragmatic, Less Romantic (and still fun). She's taken the time and effort to include extensive links and phone numbers for all her favorites. This is a must read blog post and you'll find it here.
If you'd like to round out your Valentine's Day experience, how about skipping on the hotels and trying out a Portland Oregon bed and breakfast? You'll get an authentic Oregon lodging experience--even if you live in Portland. You can have a vacation without leaving town! Most innkeepers live in their bed and breakfast and can give you as much (or as little) attention as you'd like.
In the Portland area you'll find 14 unique inns that are members of the Oregon B&B Guild. All of them--from the Sandes of Time Bed and Breakfast in Milwaukie or the Rose Cottage B&B in SW Portland, to the Blue Plum Inn or the Lion & the Rose Victorian B&B in the Irvington District of downtown--and 10 other wonderful Portland Oregon bed and breakfast inns--await your call.
Take Travel Geek's advice and find that Portland Valentine's Day event you want to share with your lovey. Then put a little icing on the cake with a stay at one of Portland Oregon's best bed and breakfasts!
Travel Geek offers a complete Portlander's guide for Valentine's Day with ideas for "Events that Inspire Romance" plus "Places that Fill You with Love" (a Northwest Culinary experience in itself) and "More Pragmatic, Less Romantic (and still fun). She's taken the time and effort to include extensive links and phone numbers for all her favorites. This is a must read blog post and you'll find it here.
If you'd like to round out your Valentine's Day experience, how about skipping on the hotels and trying out a Portland Oregon bed and breakfast? You'll get an authentic Oregon lodging experience--even if you live in Portland. You can have a vacation without leaving town! Most innkeepers live in their bed and breakfast and can give you as much (or as little) attention as you'd like. In the Portland area you'll find 14 unique inns that are members of the Oregon B&B Guild. All of them--from the Sandes of Time Bed and Breakfast in Milwaukie or the Rose Cottage B&B in SW Portland, to the Blue Plum Inn or the Lion & the Rose Victorian B&B in the Irvington District of downtown--and 10 other wonderful Portland Oregon bed and breakfast inns--await your call.
Take Travel Geek's advice and find that Portland Valentine's Day event you want to share with your lovey. Then put a little icing on the cake with a stay at one of Portland Oregon's best bed and breakfasts!
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