Thursday Tidbits
As January winds down, the Gorge is giving us plenty of reasons to get out of the house—happy hours (including a first!), cozy winter drinks from lattes to beer, wine, and sake, spicy pizzas, new breakfast bites, Dessert finds, and a few important community notes to know before the weekend.
Happy Hour Around the Gorge
Riverside Restaurant – Happy hour along the Hood River waterfront.
Gander & Goose – Downtown White Salmon happy hour from 4–6 PM, Wednesday–Saturday. Bonus “Happiest Hour” from 9–10 PM (Wednesday–Saturday) featuring oysters.
And for the first time ever, Double Mountain Brewery is rolling out a happy hour menu! Sunday–Thursday, 2–5 PM: $1 off all pints, $3 off cheese or pepperoni small pizzas, plus more.
Beer & Brewery Highlights
Full Sail Brewing continues happy hour and just released a Sail Into Stout Taster Flight featuring four pours:
Night Sailor – velvety English Stout on Nitro
Twist and Stout – lemon & coconut twist
Dark & Salty – cocoa nib & sea salt balance
Better Than Cake – warming spiced stout
pFriem Family Brewers is introducing a Tropical Hazy IPA, brimming with notes of pineapple, mango, and passion fruit. Available this Friday in both tasting rooms and throughout the PNW.
Ferment Brewing Co. is introducing Wild & Free We Roam Golden Ale, their third collaboration beer with @orwildlife , releasing February 4th. Notes of orange blossom, peach, fresh pine, Oregon-grown, traditional floor-malted barley from @admiralmaltings, and balanced doses of Chinook and Simcoe hops. Made to honor the places and creatures that make Oregon, Oregon.
What We’re Eating
Double Mountain’s Fire on the Mountain Pizza is back—hot wing sauce base, mozzarella, Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue, hand-pulled chicken tossed in sauce, finished with green onions. Spicy, bold, and very back-by-demand.
Desserts Around the Gorge
Bridgeside Dining – (Cascade Locks) Chocolate and peanut butter dessert bar. Open daily 7 AM–3 PM.
Mosier Company – (Mosier) Key Lime Pie is stealing hearts. Open Thursday–Sunday, 4–9 PM.
Wine, Sake + More
Tierra de Lobos Winery in The Dalles is taking reservations for Taste of Romance, a Valentine’s Day event featuring curated food bites paired with handcrafted wines. Come anytime between 1–6 PM.
Winter hours: Thursday–Friday 3–7 PM, Saturday 12–7 PM, Sunday 1–5 PM.
Note: They’ve also opened a new location in Vancouver, WA.Loop de Loop Wines is open Saturdays (12–6) and Sundays (12–5), currently pouring their Borderline Red on the tasting flight.
Phelps Creek Vineyards has a February lunch deal: two entrées for the price of one from their seasonal lunch menu.
Sushi Okalani has new sake specials, including Salmon de Shu, Tedorigawa, Moonstone pear sake, and Origami Zero (their first non-alcoholic sake).
Coffee & Bites
Country Coffee (Hood River and The Dalles) has new items on the menu. “Blended Horseshoes Latte” has caramel + cinnamon + whipped perfection, basically a hug in a cup. Bacon Gouda and Three-Cheese Egg Bites, croissants now available for breakfast sandwiches, and a new add-on: grass-fed whey protein (great in iced and blended drinks).
Kickstand Coffee & Kitchen (Hood River) has a new Pear Chai and a Locals Lunch special, available Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 11–1.
Matcha lovers, take note: Pine Street Bakery (Hood River) uses solar-powered, granite-ground matcha from Shizuoka, Japan for their matcha latte—smooth, vibrant, and thoughtfully sourced. Their matcha (and Spicy Chai) comes from Evergreen Chai.
Dates to Remember
Cousins Maine Lobster returns to Volcanic Bottle Shoppe (Hood River) on Saturday, January 31, for lunch and dinner. Lobster + beer = solid plan.
Save the date: Downtown The Dalles’ Chocolate Crawl is coming back to town, February 6, from 4–7 PM.
Also Back This Week
Hood River Common House and LDT Wines have reopened after a short winter break.
Celilo Restaurant reopens February 4.
Community Note – Friday, January 30
Some local businesses may be closed tomorrow due to the national general strike. Others will remain open to support staff and their livelihoods during a slow time of year, but are donating a portion of sales in solidarity with our immigrant community. If you’re heading out, calling ahead is encouraged.
Solstice Wood Fire Pizza, Volcanic Bottle Shoppe, Odell Cafe, and Boda’s Kitchen are just some of the businesses that will be open and donating 10% of proceeds to the Hood River Latino Network.
Nativ Café in White Salmon will be open and donating 10% of sales to support Indigenous and minority communities across the Gorge.
Soca Wine Shop in White Salmon will be open for conversation and community, but not selling anything.
The Walled Garden in Hood River (Kings & Doughters) will be open and will donate all profits from the day to the Hood River Latino Network.
This month’s blog sponsor
Proudly supporting local food, drink, and makers in the Gorge.