As we gather around the table this Thanksgiving, we’re reminded of the abundance that surrounds us here in the Columbia Gorge. From our incredible orchards along the Fruit Loop to local farms, wineries, bakeries, and restaurants, our community is rich with flavors worth celebrating. This year, we give thanks not just for the food on our plates but for the people and places that do the work to make it possible, celebrating and supporting the people who grow, harvest, and craft the foods we love. We wish you a Thanksgiving filled with gratitude, connection, and delicious eats!
 
Enjoy these Turkey Day tidbits:

• Local Rhoots has been busy prepping not only for you – their paid customers, but also they’ve prepped, cooked, and packed 300 single-serving meals to the Indigenous community in the Gorge. On Thanksgiving, they’ll bring 26 dinners to the warming shelter in Hood River. Your support not only puts dinner on your table without the stress of shopping, prepping, or cooking, but also helps them put dinner on the table of someone in need in your community.  Facebook, Insta.
• Volcanic Bottle Shoppe is working with Hood River County Christmas Project to bring some sweet joy to families at Christmas. You can help by bringing in donations of pancake mix and syrup when you come in for beer! Help us spread some Christmas cheer this year! Facebook. Insta.
• Bridgeside Dining is welcoming the holiday season with delicious seasonal desserts. Whole pies and individual slices are available. Or check out their holiday cookie decorating kits, and a cookie decorating evening on Dec 6 from 4pm-6pm! They are also accepting whole pie pre-orders for the holidays. Place orders five days before pick-up and choose from cherry, apple, or marionberry pies for $20, pumpkin or pecan pies $23, and Cheesecake $26. Order at the restaurant or call 541-374-8477. Instagram. Facebook.
• Lake Taco will host a Christmas Posada on December 6th in which a percentage of sales that day will help support local families through the Hood River County Christmas Project. Free tamales, champurrado, hot cocoa and piñatas for all the children that attend, starting at 5pm. Follow on the Gram. 
• Skamania Lodge has discounted rates Sunday-Thursday from November through January! Enjoy 20% off in our Cascade Dining Room plus River Rock Lounge (holiday blackout dates do apply). Join them for the Gingerbread House Workshop on Saturdays starting November 30th - December 21st, and December 24th, to decorate your gingerbread house with tasty frosting and unlimited candy buffet trips. Insta, Facebook.
• Pre-order your cookies for the Christmas Holiday through Dani’s Kitchen Shop’s website before Dec 1st, when they switch their focus to baking! They’ll be open for in-person shopping on Fridays and Saturdays in December - first come, first serve. Follow on the Gram, on fb.
• Votum Restaurant shared a beautiful image of their Hachiya Persimmon Pâte de Fruits.
  From Votum: The Pâte de Fruits are a part of our candy service–the tasting menu's denouement. It is fun to play with a diner's expectations. It is also fun to give people candy. Happy Thanksgiving. Follow on the Gram.
• Leave the turkey leftovers behind and come to Backwoods Brewing Company on Black Friday! They're releasing Boozy Woozy, a barrel aged take on the Comfy Womfy, plus get 10% off all gear. Check out the local vendor mart at Backwoods in the Gorge, where they'll have a "totally bomb" Bacon Jam Burger on special. A portion of proceeds from the Comfy Womfy, Boozy Woozy, and the Bacon Jam Burger in Carson benefit the Backwoods Foundation which provides weekend meal packages for kids in need. Follow on Instagram or on Facebook.
• Stop by Pearls Place Fruit this weekend, open Friday 12-5, Sat/Sun 10-5, and Mon 12-5 for egg nog, cider, fruit, and gifts for the holidays. Stop number one on the Hood River Fruit Loop. Follow on Facebook, on Insta.

Festivities are plentiful this time of year and so is the food! As we come together to enjoy all the delights that make the holidays special, it’s also a time to reflect on how we can extend that joy to others.

A chance to give:
That’s why we start this Thursday Tidbits with information about  Fish Food Bank’s turkey and ham drive happening right now. Together, we can help them bring joy and nourishment to our food-insecure friends and neighbors. Donate on the FISH website, provide a turkey for one family, enough ham for four families, or turkey for eight families. Click here to learn more. And thank you in advance for giving!
 
Last chance orders:
Get your orders in for Thanksgiving desserts, pies and sides. The last day to order at these locations is:

• Local Rhoots: Nov 21, Pickup or delivery Wed Nov 27.
• Edeske Patisserie: Nov 24, pickup on Nov 28, Thanksgiving Day, 10 am to 1 pm.
• Packer Orchards: Nov 24, Pickup Nov 27, 12-6 pm.
• Pine Street Bakery: Nov 23, paid in full.
• Bette’s Place Restaurant: Nov 25.
• White Salmon Baking Co: Nov 23.

 
Another option for Thanksgiving: Add a taste of Italy to your feast!

• Bring Italy to your Thanksgiving table with a delicious Italian dish from PESCO. They’ll be open on Thanksgiving, and are still taking T-day preorders for anything on their current menu. Find them at 108 OR-35, Hood River. Preorders must be in by 11/25. Hours 1130-7.

 
Hosting family?

• Oregon Growers Sides’giving is a holiday in itself, and your friends at @oregongrowers are here to help you celebrate. Fruit Pâtés are 10% off online, 11/17 to 11/24. Create amazing apps, breakfasts, and more with free and exclusive recipes available by joining their club online. Try their Sour Cherry Fruit Pate atop Mini Dutch Baby Pancakes!
  

 
The Mountain is open!

• Solera will now be open at noon every day except Wednesdays year-round! Come visit us for lunch or for your Après-ski Beers and Grub.
• Mount Hood BBQ will move up to the HRM lot at Mount Hood Meadows for the ski season. Stop by the truck for some mouthwatering BBQ to fuel your day on the slopes or recharge apres-ski.

 
And other yummy tidbits:

• COR Cellars is offering library wines available for sale on Saturday, Nov. 30th just in time to deck your table and treat your loved ones, These are limited wines and we are cracking a few open to taste to bring in the holiday season
• Book your holiday party at Feast Market! We host events big and small with tasting menus, buffets, party platters, and more. Give us a call for details! 
• Don’t miss breakfast happy hour at The Riv Cafe in The Dalles! Monday-Friday from 8 am-10 am, all drinks are buy one, get one 50% off! Offer lasts until the end of the year.
• Ferment Brewing Brunch is back! Served weekends 10-noon. Also, the Ferment Beer Hall has a private event space ready to welcome your holiday gathering, rehearsal dinner, reception, or daytime office meeting. Available 7 days a week, 9-9. Inquire at: [email protected].

Sip into the season and explore these irresistible wine specials
Festive times call for festive measures, and luckily, local wineries are offering exclusive seasonal specials that make gifting (and sipping) even more memorable. Here’s what’s uncorking nearby:

• Riverside Hood River has a select list of wines on sale for half off, seven days a week til they're gone. Stop by to peruse the selection. 
• Phelps Creek has holiday wine packages in festive wrap with an exclusive Phelps Creek Coutale Sommelier corkscrew, plus personalized gift cards.
• The Pines Thanksgiving weekend sale starts the Friday after Thanksgiving beginning with the 40% off power hour at noon! Enjoy incredible deals through the weekend (11/29-12/2), plus blind wine tastings on Saturday.
• Stop by Syncline Winery’s Thanksgiving Open House on Saturday, Nov. 30, 12-5pm, for sips and pizza from Stovepipe Sourdough. Stock up for the holidays with their case sale and sparkling wine magnum release.
• Idiot’s Grace in Mosier is offering a special gift deal for Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 29 - Dec. 1): Buy two bottles in their tasting room to give as gifts and take 50% off a bottle for yourself. Any wine on the tasting flight is eligible.
• Marchesi Winery is roasting chestnuts and celebrating the release of their 2024 Novello. A seasonal Italian tradition of enjoying chestnuts and Novello at local markets and festivals has inspired Marchesi to do the same, roasting chestnuts each weekend until they're gone. Visit and enjoy these wonderful traditions with them!

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Local wineries invite you to experience their best pours…
Explore White Salmon’s annual White Salmon Wine Walk this Saturday, Nov. 23, from 2-6 pm. Sip and stroll through the charming streets of downtown White Salmon, celebrating Gorge wines and artisan makers at the Holiday Artisan Market. Featured wines include:
​Aitia
Ananke Mead
Cascade Cliffs Winery
Clyzm
Domaine Pouillon
Estelbrook Farms & Vinyards
Jacob Williams Winery
Le Doubble Troubble Wine Co
Loop de Loop
Lushington Wines
Maryhill Winery
Melchemy Craft Mead
Poberaj Wines
Ridge of Wonders Wine
Savage Grace Wines
Willow Wine Cellar

Learn more about these wineries and their offerings here.
Cheers!

Tidbits this week include more Turkey-Day meal-planning options, date night and holiday gathering spots, operating-hours updates, and even holiday cookies. Enjoy!
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• Grateful Vineyard is delighted to host your holiday gathering, and it’s time to book! Packages are available to suit an intimate gathering or to host everyone in your office.
• Packer Orchards is taking Thanksgiving pre-orders for tasty holiday pies, desserts, jams, sauces, and roasted holiday sides featuring farm-grown squash and other seasonal produce. Pre-order from now until Nov. 24. Pickup at Packer Orchards Nov 27, 12-6 pm. Visit the Holiday Table Tasting on Nov. 16-17 & 23-24 to sample the goods!
• Feast Market & Delicatessen in White Salmon has order forms at the ready, offering sides, birds, pies, and more to help make your Thanksgiving holiday a breeze. Stop by to pick up an order form or call to order soon!
• Local Rhoots is talking Turkey by offering to cook your whole Thanksgiving meal! Or, pick just the items that you don’t want to cook. Order deadline is Thursday, Nov. 21. Pickup or Delivery is Wednesday, Nov. 27.
• Cozy up to the firepit at Kickstand Coffee & Kitchen with a beverage off the new fall cocktail menu. Oaxacan Old Fashioned is served in your own personal smoking box! Batanga reposado tequila, cardamom simple & aztec bitters. They also have happy hour weekdays 4-6.
• Crush Cider Café announced there’s still time to pick up cider for your holiday get-togethers. Cans, bottles, and growlers are available to fill with any cider or beer from the taps. They'll be closed for Thanksgiving break from Nov. 26-30.
• Stonehedge Gardens is serving three-course date-nite dinners again! Tuesday-Friday $60. Includes fresh baked focaccia with balsamic dipping sauce, house salad, choice of portobello ravioli, spaghetti and meatballs, pork scallopini, crab cakes, and choice of chocolate torte or bread pudding for two. Oh, and of course, a glass of beer or wine.
• Sixth Street Bistro is Open Friday-Monday, 12-8, and is serving up hearty specials for the season. Check out their Pumpkin Cheesecake for dessert before it’s gone!
• Domaine Pouillon Wine Bistro will celebrate its One-Year Anniversary on November 16th. Open from 11 to 6, experience beautifully balanced wines and delicious food paired with an extraordinary lineup of talent and local artisans until 5 pm. 
• NYC Sub Shop announces their fall/winter hours. They’ll be slinging subs 10-6, seven days a week. And who can resist a hearty steak and cheese on these cooler days?
• Dani’s Kitchen Shop’s Christmas cookie pre-order is live on their website. They’ll also be open Fridays and Saturdays in December ahead of Christmas for in-person shopping.

We appreciate you following along! Be sure to use the hashtag #hoodrivereats when you post about your culinary adventures!

This week, we're highlighting helpful Thanksgiving planning tidbits and top menu updates:

• Getting ready for Thanksgiving? Let Boda’s Kitchen make it easy with their Thanksgiving 2024 Take & Bake Menu! Choose from delicious options like a Sage and Butter NW Natural Turkey, brined overnight and stuffed with fresh herbs and citrus, or a Turkey Roulade, butterflied and filled with savory herbs and dried fruits. Place your order by noon on November 20th! See more menu items and ordering info online.
• Pine Street Bakery is taking Thanksgiving Pre-orders for goodies like mouthwatering pies, rolls, and quickbread. The last day to order is Saturday, Nov 23rd.  Make sure your order is confirmed and paid for before then. 

• White Salmon Baking Company is taking orders for bread, baguettes, buns, pies, and other tasty desserts. Stop by to take a look at their menu. Orders must be placed by 3 pm on Saturday, Nov. 3rd.
• Golden Goods Vegan Sandwich and Bake Shop is taking orders for amazing Thanksgiving desserts, including pumpkin cheesecake, berry cheesecake, and apple miso pie. Stop by their shop at 111 Oak St, Hood River, OR. Open Thurs-Mon 9-3.

 
Discover delicious new autumn menu offerings local businesses are serving up to celebrate the season:

• Backwoods Brewing posted: Now that Halloween has passed, it is officially the best season of all: Pecan Pie Season! The Pecan Pie Porter is back, along with their pumpkin cheesecake, complete with a ginger snap cookie.
• Solstice Pizza is serving up Detroit-style pizza this Fall featuring Pepperoni, Sweet & Spicy + Ryan’s special every Wednesday & Thursday at the cafe, or Friday nights at the Common House! 
• Stave and Stone Wine Estates is having their Weekends-Only Fall Special Library Wine Flight. For $15.00, enjoy these luscious reds: 2017 Zinfandel, 2017 Cabernet, and the 2017 Quiver. They’re also dishing out their Fall favorite seasonal soup, back to make spirits bright, merry and warm. 
• Domaine Pouillon begins offering dinner on Fridays starting with this Friday, Nov. 8th. Make reservations early to ensure your seat at these fabulous meals! Chef Kelly Alexander will dazzle you with a prix-fixe menu set in the Bistro. The Menu for Nov 8th, 2024? Winter salad from @roobaloofarm with apple, bleu Auvergne, and walnuts, Coq au Vin with wild mushrooms, citrus olive oil cake with crème anglaise. Freshly shucked oysters on the half-shell will also be available. 
• Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa is hosting its Thanksgiving Brunch Buffet on Nov. 28. Seating times are 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, & 2 pm. 
• Riverside Hood River will host Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 28 from noon-7:30 pm. See the delectable delights online at riversidehoodriver.com/thanksgiving.
• Celebrate Thanksgiving at Cooper Spur for a mountain-inspired feast featuring delicious, locally sourced classics: Roast Turkey, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Traditional Stuffing, Roasted Veggies, and Pumpkin Pie. With three seating times, you’ll find the perfect fit for family and friends. Little ones under 6 eat free.