Guidebook for Ashland
Food Scene
Imma be honest here... because I eat farm to fork everyday at home, love to cook, and have a tight budget, I don't dine out much. That said, here are some places I've enjoyed over the years. Many new (and precious) restaurants have opened since I compiled this list. I haven't yet been!
Noble is a slightly urban yet cozy spot to enjoy a cup on a cold day. As they roast their own, the coffee smell might hit you long before you enter. High ceilings, friendly baristas, wifi and plenty of power outlets for those looking to get some laptop time.
29 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Noble Coffee Roasting
281 4th StNoble is a slightly urban yet cozy spot to enjoy a cup on a cold day. As they roast their own, the coffee smell might hit you long before you enter. High ceilings, friendly baristas, wifi and plenty of power outlets for those looking to get some laptop time.
An addendum to the original Mix, still a fine spot on the plaza, ReMix offers the same delicious pastries (the owner trained in pastry making in France.... ouais!) and coffee, minus the ice-cream. Well, it has soft serve vanilla, but that doesn't count in my book. Cute little outdoor seating area and big windows, though view is traffic... it's still somehow delightful.
ReMix Coffee Bar
1602 Ashland StAn addendum to the original Mix, still a fine spot on the plaza, ReMix offers the same delicious pastries (the owner trained in pastry making in France.... ouais!) and coffee, minus the ice-cream. Well, it has soft serve vanilla, but that doesn't count in my book. Cute little outdoor seating area and big windows, though view is traffic... it's still somehow delightful.
Martolli's is a great place to grab a budget-conscious thin-crust slice + side salad. Head to neighboring Lithia Park in fair weather for a spontaneous picnic, or walk your pizza to OSF outdoor theatre space for that evening's Green Show (June-Oct). Get there a bit early for a shady spot on the lawn... they go fast in the full throws of summer! Show starts at 6:45pm.
16 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Martolli's Hand Tossed Pizza Plaza
38 E Main StMartolli's is a great place to grab a budget-conscious thin-crust slice + side salad. Head to neighboring Lithia Park in fair weather for a spontaneous picnic, or walk your pizza to OSF outdoor theatre space for that evening's Green Show (June-Oct). Get there a bit early for a shady spot on the lawn... they go fast in the full throws of summer! Show starts at 6:45pm.
Two Hawk is a winery with some good small bites to go with their fermented grape selections. What I love about this place in nice weather is that there's something to do along with sip... bocce ball! A full court sits next to the lovely little grassy/garden area.
21 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
2Hawk Vineyard & Winery
2335 N Phoenix RdTwo Hawk is a winery with some good small bites to go with their fermented grape selections. What I love about this place in nice weather is that there's something to do along with sip... bocce ball! A full court sits next to the lovely little grassy/garden area.
For most, Mix is a coffee shop with sweet and savory pastries and the occasional cone. For me, it is, hands down, the best ice-cream in town. If dining on the plaza, I'd recommend ice-cream here over any of the restaurant dessert offerings. And if they have the lemon basil sherbet... ooolala! A not-too-sweet summer garden explosion in your mouth.
53 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Mix Bakeshop
57 N Main StFor most, Mix is a coffee shop with sweet and savory pastries and the occasional cone. For me, it is, hands down, the best ice-cream in town. If dining on the plaza, I'd recommend ice-cream here over any of the restaurant dessert offerings. And if they have the lemon basil sherbet... ooolala! A not-too-sweet summer garden explosion in your mouth.
High ceilings and large windows make for a sunlit and cheery atmosphere. Food made from fresh ingredients by friendly cooks whose work is fully visible. I know a woman who drives from Jacksonville for their herbed eggs. That's saying something. Great selection of wine, coffee and artisan foods. Indoor and outdoor seating. They also have wifi! My favorite not-at-home office while teaching online.
8 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Hither Coffee And Goods
376 E Main StHigh ceilings and large windows make for a sunlit and cheery atmosphere. Food made from fresh ingredients by friendly cooks whose work is fully visible. I know a woman who drives from Jacksonville for their herbed eggs. That's saying something. Great selection of wine, coffee and artisan foods. Indoor and outdoor seating. They also have wifi! My favorite not-at-home office while teaching online.
Sawaddee passes the Tom Kha test. If the Tom Kha is good, with properly infused aromatics of lemongrass and galangal (none of that fresh outta the can coconut milk flavor), then the rest will be good, too! Plus, the owner is a gem.
Sawaddee Thai & Asian Cuisine
Sawaddee passes the Tom Kha test. If the Tom Kha is good, with properly infused aromatics of lemongrass and galangal (none of that fresh outta the can coconut milk flavor), then the rest will be good, too! Plus, the owner is a gem.
Pricey but fabulous food and drinks. Dedicated seasonal menu, which means it changes with the seasons! On the rare occasion I want to spend that much $$ on a meal, this is the place. Owned by the same folks that founded Hither (also on this list).
Bar Juillet
Pricey but fabulous food and drinks. Dedicated seasonal menu, which means it changes with the seasons! On the rare occasion I want to spend that much $$ on a meal, this is the place. Owned by the same folks that founded Hither (also on this list).
Popular local hangout with a generous beer and kombucha selection. Modern twist on pub food with some health nut options. Affordable. Great people watching. Every day is Friday here.
Skout Taphouse & Provisions
Popular local hangout with a generous beer and kombucha selection. Modern twist on pub food with some health nut options. Affordable. Great people watching. Every day is Friday here.
Wood fired pizza enjoyed in an airy tasting room or on the porch at a lovely family farm in the middle of Medford. Really, this place exists! And sometimes they have live music, too!
Dunbar Farms/Rocky Knoll Tasting Room
Wood fired pizza enjoyed in an airy tasting room or on the porch at a lovely family farm in the middle of Medford. Really, this place exists! And sometimes they have live music, too!
This is where I go for a cozy bowl of dal cooked by someone else. I've never been to Turkey, but Dobra is how I imagine a Turkish tea house. Though they offer a regular seating section, I always head straight for the cushions on the floor. Extensive tea menu with both caffeinated and herbal concoctions. Tasty GF and vegan options.
9 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Dobrá Tea
75 N Main StThis is where I go for a cozy bowl of dal cooked by someone else. I've never been to Turkey, but Dobra is how I imagine a Turkish tea house. Though they offer a regular seating section, I always head straight for the cushions on the floor. Extensive tea menu with both caffeinated and herbal concoctions. Tasty GF and vegan options.
This is one of my mom's favorite places for brunch. She worked in a 1950's soda shop as a teenager (in the actual 1950's) and this place is a trip down memory lane. It's also classic diner food done well, from scratch. No Sysco pre-mades here! GF options. In a strip mall in Medford. If you dig diner food, don't let that stop you.
Punky's Diner
953 Medford CenterThis is one of my mom's favorite places for brunch. She worked in a 1950's soda shop as a teenager (in the actual 1950's) and this place is a trip down memory lane. It's also classic diner food done well, from scratch. No Sysco pre-mades here! GF options. In a strip mall in Medford. If you dig diner food, don't let that stop you.
If you liked the muffins in your room, you'll likely also enjoy the rest of what Carla has to offer at Vida Baking Co. Hers is a completely GF kitchen with both sweet and savory options. Brazillian inspired. Bright and airy café feel. Open for breakfast and lunch.
Vida Baking Co.
149 North Pioneer StreetIf you liked the muffins in your room, you'll likely also enjoy the rest of what Carla has to offer at Vida Baking Co. Hers is a completely GF kitchen with both sweet and savory options. Brazillian inspired. Bright and airy café feel. Open for breakfast and lunch.
Drinks & Nightlife
Brickroom is a RESTAURANT and BAR that often hosts great LIVE MUSIC. I put those in caps because this combination apparently defies Airbnb categories. Setting is urban hip without the hipster pretension, though you may find a few there. One of the best burgers in town, a lovely stacked beet and goat cheese salad, fine steak and a full bar... at which you might even meet the chef, Nino, on his dinner break.
76 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Brickroom
35 N Main StBrickroom is a RESTAURANT and BAR that often hosts great LIVE MUSIC. I put those in caps because this combination apparently defies Airbnb categories. Setting is urban hip without the hipster pretension, though you may find a few there. One of the best burgers in town, a lovely stacked beet and goat cheese salad, fine steak and a full bar... at which you might even meet the chef, Nino, on his dinner break.
This bar is attached to a restaurant at the Winchester Inn, across from Smithfields. GREAT mixed drinks by a barman who loves to make his own syrups and mixes from scratch. Two seats in the "nest" offer a bird's eye view of the entire place... My favorite place to sit, if not outside.
24 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Alchemy Restaurant and Bar
35 S 2nd StThis bar is attached to a restaurant at the Winchester Inn, across from Smithfields. GREAT mixed drinks by a barman who loves to make his own syrups and mixes from scratch. Two seats in the "nest" offer a bird's eye view of the entire place... My favorite place to sit, if not outside.
Wait, what?!? A farm store listed under nightlife? That's right. Not every night, but when there's music here, it's not to be missed. Hands down my favorite location for dancing to live bands, bare toes against soft, meticulously cared for lawn. Food trucks and local wine for purchase. Farm store usually remains open for part of the show.
Fry Family Farm Store
2184 Ross LnWait, what?!? A farm store listed under nightlife? That's right. Not every night, but when there's music here, it's not to be missed. Hands down my favorite location for dancing to live bands, bare toes against soft, meticulously cared for lawn. Food trucks and local wine for purchase. Farm store usually remains open for part of the show.
Parks & Nature
Grizzly Peak can be seen from Bel Avenir Farm and it's one of the best hikes in the valley. 6mi total if you do the loop with stunning views approaching 360 degrees. So much variety in the landscape: shaded woods, rocky outcroppings, open meadows, and one large slope diversely recovering after the 2002 wildfire that ripped through that area. Parking is tight in the upper lot, so late-comers on a beautiful day might have to get creative. No poision oak here! Too high in elevation.
16 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Grizzly Peak Trailhead
38-2E-9.2Grizzly Peak can be seen from Bel Avenir Farm and it's one of the best hikes in the valley. 6mi total if you do the loop with stunning views approaching 360 degrees. So much variety in the landscape: shaded woods, rocky outcroppings, open meadows, and one large slope diversely recovering after the 2002 wildfire that ripped through that area. Parking is tight in the upper lot, so late-comers on a beautiful day might have to get creative. No poision oak here! Too high in elevation.
Lithia Park was designed by John McLaren, the same man responsible for Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Like GGP, Lithia has many areas to discover including several duck ponds, open lawns that invite lounging and frisbee tossing, meandering paths, a Japanese garden, a playground for kids, a small climbing rock, and wonderful color both at bloom and in the fall. There's also a wooded trail system that branches off from the main trail. Note that once you leave the main trail, poison oak abounds, but the beauty and peace is worth it. Some out-of-park trails are reserved for mountain bikers. For their safety and yours, please heed the signs.
198 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Lithia Park
Winburn WayLithia Park was designed by John McLaren, the same man responsible for Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Like GGP, Lithia has many areas to discover including several duck ponds, open lawns that invite lounging and frisbee tossing, meandering paths, a Japanese garden, a playground for kids, a small climbing rock, and wonderful color both at bloom and in the fall. There's also a wooded trail system that branches off from the main trail. Note that once you leave the main trail, poison oak abounds, but the beauty and peace is worth it. Some out-of-park trails are reserved for mountain bikers. For their safety and yours, please heed the signs.
Emigrant Lake is lovely in the spring (wildflowers off the hook in May) and early summer, when it's full. Toward the end of summer and in fall it can get depressingly low, though that offers an other worldly experience of dry lakebed. In between full and low, the water can get a little, well, green. But at it's peak it makes for a great and potentially free day on the water, depending on where you decide to park and enter. Beware poison oak on trails accessed for free. Paid area is maintained and free of the menacing stuff.
39 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Emigrant Lake
Emigrant Lake is lovely in the spring (wildflowers off the hook in May) and early summer, when it's full. Toward the end of summer and in fall it can get depressingly low, though that offers an other worldly experience of dry lakebed. In between full and low, the water can get a little, well, green. But at it's peak it makes for a great and potentially free day on the water, depending on where you decide to park and enter. Beware poison oak on trails accessed for free. Paid area is maintained and free of the menacing stuff.
Lovely lake with view of McLoughlin... for a day to escape the heat, or for a stunning and mellow trail ride (mountain bike) from LotW to Fish Lake. 16mi out and back through forest and lava flows. And... it's above the poison oak line... yay!
61 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Lake of the Woods
Lovely lake with view of McLoughlin... for a day to escape the heat, or for a stunning and mellow trail ride (mountain bike) from LotW to Fish Lake. 16mi out and back through forest and lava flows. And... it's above the poison oak line... yay!
Arts & Culture
World renown. Speaks for itself. Sometimes you can find last minute tickets at a real bargain.
266 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
15 South Pioneer StreetWorld renown. Speaks for itself. Sometimes you can find last minute tickets at a real bargain.
Rotating Exhibits. There's also "First Friday Artwalk" in Ashland in which the museum may take part, but the real action is downtown with live music and galleries.
11 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Schneider Museum of Art
555 Indiana StRotating Exhibits. There's also "First Friday Artwalk" in Ashland in which the museum may take part, but the real action is downtown with live music and galleries.
Music! So many great artists come through this outdoor amphitheater June - September! Don't let the listed address fool you, it's in Jacksonville: http://www.brittfest.org/
39 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Britt Music & Arts Festival
350 W Main StMusic! So many great artists come through this outdoor amphitheater June - September! Don't let the listed address fool you, it's in Jacksonville: http://www.brittfest.org/
Everything Else
Jacksonville is an adorable historic town with an old-western downtown full of shops, tasting rooms, restaurants and cafés. About a 20 minute drive from Bel Avenir Farm, through wine country.
For a wine country map that includes all of Southern Oregon, please visit: http://southernoregonwines.org/
155 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is an adorable historic town with an old-western downtown full of shops, tasting rooms, restaurants and cafés. About a 20 minute drive from Bel Avenir Farm, through wine country.
For a wine country map that includes all of Southern Oregon, please visit: http://southernoregonwines.org/
Essentials
My goto grocery store, though not the closest to the farm. Easy access from I-5.
38 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Ashland's Own Shop'n Kart
2268 Ashland StMy goto grocery store, though not the closest to the farm. Easy access from I-5.
Closest grocery to the farm, a bit pricey depending on the item, but great selection of locally-sourced produce and prepared items.
91 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Ashland Food Co-op
237 N 1st StClosest grocery to the farm, a bit pricey depending on the item, but great selection of locally-sourced produce and prepared items.
Shopping
An amazing selection of fresh produce, lovingly crafted goods, and prepared bites from some of the best food carts in town. Takes place on Tuesdays at the Ashland National Guard Armory and Saturdays on Oak Street (8:30am-1pm) from May - October. Larger selection of arts and crafts can be found along the creek at the plaza on Saturdays and Sundays in that same season.
Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market
1420 E Main StAn amazing selection of fresh produce, lovingly crafted goods, and prepared bites from some of the best food carts in town. Takes place on Tuesdays at the Ashland National Guard Armory and Saturdays on Oak Street (8:30am-1pm) from May - October. Larger selection of arts and crafts can be found along the creek at the plaza on Saturdays and Sundays in that same season.