Should restaurants serve produce that has to be shipped in from other countries because it is not available locally? I just got an email from a reader asking how I felt about the use of out-of-season produce by restaurants: Speaking of local fresh ingredients .... on Nov. 24th Castagna refused to have tomatoes for their hamburgers, saying there weren’t any available. I … [Read more...] about Out-Of-Season Produce – Ok in a Restaurant?
You’re Old If… Vanished Restaurant Traditions
I was having dinner with friends a few nights ago when we started talking about things we remembered from restaurants when we were growing up. I thought it might be a fun topic of conversation.I'll start:You're old if...You remember when you had to wear a jacket (and sometimes a tie) to many upscale restaurants. Most of them kept a few really "loud" sport coats … [Read more...] about You’re Old If… Vanished Restaurant Traditions
Review: Bistro Maison
Review of Bistro Maison in McMinnville OregonBistro Maison opened over seven years ago and is now a McMinnville institution. It sits at the end of NE 3rd Street in the picturesque old downtown area next to an even older train station. Parking is easy. The restaurant is casual and cozy. On a nice day, you’ll have a choice of dining inside or out, especially if you have … [Read more...] about Review: Bistro Maison
Localwashing – The Push to Convince Products are Local
When is local produce really not local at all? As a follow-up to our story about Safeway Grocery stores mislabeling some produce as "local" comes this article in the Missoula Independent on "Localwashing". Some quotes: This new variation on corporate greenwashing—localwashing—is, like the buy-local movement itself, most advanced in the context of food. Hellmann's, the … [Read more...] about Localwashing – The Push to Convince Products are Local
How to Make Sangria
Long before I moved to Portland, I was known for my sangria recipe. I suspected that I was invited to many parties because they knew I would bring a batch. One year my friend Patrick invited me to his birthday party in Healdsburg, California. It was going to be outdoors, looked like it was going to be a hot day, and I got a last-minute phone call saying, “Oh, could you bring a … [Read more...] about How to Make Sangria