 Everybody’s Brewing Thursday Tid Bits
•Native Cafe will change their hours to be 7am - 3pm everyday but they will extend their hours in the summer. There are many fun opportunities to ring in the new year in the Gorge. •Skamania Lodge is having a New Year’s Eve buffet on the 31st in their Cascade dining room. Be sure to call for Reservations. •Double Mountain is having a New Year’s Eve Party at the Hood River Taproom! There will be music, dancing and of course a champagne toast. Also, Double Mountain is bringing back trivia every Wednesday beginning January 10th. •Everybody’s Brewing’s New Year’s Eve special is prime rib with horseradish, au jus, broccolini and mashed potatoes. And the party will continue for a New Year’s Day brunch on January 1st from 11:30 am- 3:00pm! •Events at KickStand Coffee & Kitchen continue with live music Wednesdays, as well as a New Year’s Day Champagne brunch! •Working Hands Fermentation is going back in time to the 80s for their New Year’s Eve party. The party starts at 7pm. •Watch the firework show from the outdoor heated seating area at Crush Cider! They will be open New Year’s Eve up until the end of the fireworks. • Cousins' Restaurant & Saloon in the Dalles will have rib eye steak on the menu for a New Year’s Eve special.
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Porrón Cellars makes wine accessible, educational, socialBy Laurel Brown Columbia Gorge News HOOD RIVER — The gray days of the Gorge are officially here, but many new social rooms have opened over the last year to keep locals entertained and engaged with the town. One such place is Porrón Cellars on Second Street in Hood River. Porrón is a wine bar and tasting room that opened Memorial Day 2023 by Owner Danielle Mounts. A porrón is also a type of communal vessel used for pouring wine into a glass or someone’s mouth. Sharing this social tradition from Spain and offering fun times by way of wine is what Mounts is all about. “I love my wine accessories … In a more civilized manner, [a porrón] can be a wine decanter,” she said. After fostering her passion for wine over the years, Mounts is excited for her new chapter at Porrón, down to the details like naming the space for her good memories and love of wine.  Porrón Cellars Originally from a small town in Illinois, Mounts considers Chicago home but has lived all over the world. For a period she resided in Europe for a career unrelated to wine; however, her love for it grew and she found herself exploring the regions through food and wine tastings.  Porrón Cellars Mounts began working in hospitality in 2001 in Chicago, quickly rising to management and growing her passion as beverage director at the W Hotel. “I finally made my leap to the Northwest in 2008, with every intention of finding my place in wine,” she said. She spent six years at La Bottega in Vancouver, Wash., enjoying the variety of her job, from managing to serving to hosting tastings. The chef there was an inspiration to her, which is when she remembers getting serious about wines. They would sample international wines at work and Mounts began keeping journals and educating herself on winemaking processes and regions. She knew she had to take it further, so she decided to spend time in wine distribution and trained as a sommelier through the Court of Masters, all the while searching for a vineyard to call home. “I always thought I would end up in the Willamette Valley, me being the Pinot Noir lover that I am, but I discovered the whole world of Columbia Valley wines,” Mounts said. “Washington State was so much more than just the beloved pinot noir. I actually foundmerlots I love!” Mounts found a position at Cascade Cliffs Vineyard and Winery managing their tasting room and eventually became direct sales manager. She spent eight years there, learning about winery operations and nuances of the grapes and vineyards of the Gorge. “The smell of fresh barrels and harvest, I think I will have dreams of [the Cascade Cliffs vineyard] for as long as I live, it is that breathtaking,” she said.  Porrón Cellars In addition to the beauty of the landscape, the Gorge offers a community-building aspect to Mounts’ understanding of wine. It is a common denominator that brings people together despite demographics or differences and is a huge influence in the international wine industry. “There’s something here for everybody,” Mounts said. When she first dreamed of opening her own place, Mounts envisioned something like her local watering hole in Chicago called The 3 Arts Club. “It had an underground atmosphere, music, local artist displays, and a stellar wine list. I remember wishing I could have a place like that someday,” she said. Fast forward to the day Mounts met local photographer Blaine Franger at Mylan Winery in Hood River and learned of his sharable gallery space. Of course, Porrón Cellars was born of this interaction and now The Blaine & Bethany Art Gallery splits space with Mounts’ business. Franger prints most of his images on metal, giving the cellar a shiny, backlit atmosphere. The landscapes and nature scenes are often stunning, yet familiar views of the Columbia River that invite guests to more deeply appreciate the land and cultivation of their wine. “It’s like having windows to the Gorge,” Mounts said of the photos. With ever-changing options, Porrón offers wine by the glass and occasional special events featuring guest pours from different regions or food spreads to pair. “Supporting small producers is very important to me, so I always feature them by the glass,” Mounts shared. She listed producers such as Willow Wine Cellars, ClyzmWines, Timothy Malone and Landmass.
“It’s a joy that my friend’s wines have become my best sellers. There are so many small producers that are finding their voice through wine, and I am always excited to be able to offer them here at Porrón Cellars.” Select wines have become staples for returning patrons and bestsellers are often kept in stock or offered in curated club packages. The Diamond Club, for example, features all bubbles like champagnes and sparkling wines. She also offers holiday seasonals like ports and Madeira, which make for great winter sippers. Mounts said that while her goal is to travel through wine and experience different cultures, she simply loves to see people having a good time. “I want people to feel comfortable with wine, not intimated by it. It is after all fermented grape juice.” Each week at Porrón features a different wine experience with a new theme and region. This education effort is highly rewarding for Mounts and contributes to the gallery-speakeasy feel of the space. “The blackboard changes every week, different region, different map, different wines, different history, and different story. It’s wonderful to see so many wine lovers expanding their knowledge and palates,” she said. She plans to continue her work of wine accessibility for locals too with her latest project creating a wine storage speakeasy on the opposite wall of Porrón. Once a coal room used to heat the entire building, Mounts plans to turn the space into underground wine lockers that people can rent for their personal collections. Storage would be offered at cellar temperatures and include a self-serve bar and lounge area. For those interested in trying wines or exchanging notes with Danielle Mounts, Porrón is open Thursday through Monday from 1- 8 or 9 p.m. Mounts is also starting wine education nights with blind tastings for industry workers the first Monday of every month beginning in January.  Analemma Wines Thursday Tidbits • Solstice Wood Fire Cafe and Bar is celebrating the Solstice tradition with fire dancing performances from the Rouge Flow Collective today! There will be two shows one will be at 4:30PM and the other is at 6:30PM. Wear something warm and sip a drink after your meal while you watch the show on the balcony. • Celilo restaurant & bar is adding a new salmon dish with Pacific Coho from Fishpeople Seafood Market at Hood River. • Volcanic Bottle Shoppe, located at 1410 12th St. Hood River Heights, is throwing a last minute market on December 22nd. Get there by 2pm to see lots of locally made art to give as gifts to others or yourself. • The Pines 1852 is having an ugly sweater holiday party. There will be live music and also happy hour prices for everyone who dresses up in their best, or worst, holiday attire. • Head to Mosier this Saturday to try a wine pairing at Analemma Wines. Chef Mark DeResta from Riverside is making Gifford Pinchot mushroom bruschetta. Cheers!  Celilo Restaurant and Bar Remember to tag Hood River Eats in your social media posts about any new specials or events happening in the Gorge to be reposted.
Get Cozy at Ferment Brewing: heated yurts, barrel aged beers, brunch, and seasonal menu revamp12/17/2023  Ferment Brewing By Ferment Brewing
HOOD RIVER — As the temperature drops and nights grow longer, Hood River’s acclaimed Ferment Brewing is pulling out all the stops for a world-class, chilly weather brewery experience. On Nov. 12, the brewery announced the release of three-barrel aged beers, a revamped food menu to include seasonal dishes and weekend brunch. By the end of the week the restaurant will have heated yurts installed on the brewery patio overlooking the Columbia River. Ferment’s heated patio yurts provide cozy and private spaces that are perfect for gathering with friends to enjoy beer and the latest seasonal menu items including miso-maple brusselsprouts, homemade soups, sweet and spicy popcorn chicken, warm artichoke dip, pumpkin spice sundaes and warm stout brownies. Brunch is also now available at Ferment on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. The menu includes a variety of brunch cocktails, homemade biscuits and bacon gravy; fried chicken and pancakes; a Ferment breakfast plate with housemade jam; yogurt with Oregon berries, granola, honey, and fermented blueberry sauce; smoked salmon toast on local sourdough; rotisserie pork sandwich with Ferment kimchi, bacon, egg, and kewpie mayo; and cinnamon sugar donut bites with amaretto icing. Ferment Brewing’s three-barrel aged beers are true winter warmers; clocking in between 11% - 13% ABV and displaying rich complexities that beg for contemplative sipping. The limited beers include Imperial Stout, and Barleywine Ale — which are available on tap and in 500ml bottles at the brewery and throughout Ferment’s distribution — along with Farm to Market Blend No. 27, a Zupan’s Market collaboration available in 500ml bottles in Oregon. -Imperial Stout — Our 2023 Imperial Stout was aged in a mix of whiskey and red wine barrels and carries notes of coffee, dried fruits, juicy berries, leather, and oak. 13% ABV -Farm to Market Blend No. 27 — A collaboration with Zupan’s Markets, this bold, rich, and roasty Imperial Stout was matured in Bourbon barrels that last housed a Red Wine blend, resulting in layers of dark cherry, salted caramel, and a note of dark chocolate that cuts to the finish. 13% ABV -Barleywine Ale — This third-annual rendition was brewed with a blend of seven different malts from Europe and aged in a variety of oak barrels. Expect deep layers of toasted bread, dried fruit and toffee. This beer just won a Silver Medal in SIP’s Best of the NW competition. 11% ABV  Brigham Fish Market
 Fish People Seafood Market  Confluence Cafe Confluence opens in lyleBy Kathy Watson Leave Hood River, White Salmon or Bingen, head east on SR 14, and you enter a coffee desert that ends in, oh … Pendleton. With the opening of the new Confluence Cafe in Lyle, you can tame your caffeine beast in style long before you leave the Gorge. The cafe in the remodeled building that overlooks the mouth of the Klickitat River is made light, bright and chic by owners Mary Kleihege and John Streur, the folks who own Little 77 Ranch just up old Highway 8. The space boasts live edge wood tables, wood paneling and trim from local fir milled in the ranch’s own sawmill. Confluence occupies the east end of the building. The west end will be a new tasting room for Domaine Poullion. Yes, you’ll be able to hang out on the deck above the river with a cappucino in one hand and a Katydid in the other.  Confluence Cafe Confluence Cafe owners Ali Hammerstadt and Matt Bynum feature coffee from Portland roaster Coava, pastries from White Salmon Baking Co. and Edeske Patisserie in Hood River. On their first day, November 17, locals poured in. Ali pulls a mean espresso from the deep, mellow Coava beans. Now when you take a hike on the Klickitat River Trail, bird watch at the river mouth, or hoist a kite off the sandbar, there’s a good coffee and pastry waiting for you. Hours are Wednesday – Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Kathy Watson  Confluence Cafe  Dani's Kitchen Shop Thursday Tidbits
 Fluffy & Festive Brunch Bites by Sarah Harper Mini Sweet Cream Kefir Pancakes with Maple Peanut Butter Sauce Celebrate the magic of the holiday season with these festive brunch bites. At this time of year, families gather for brunch in their festive PJs and fuzzy slippers. It's a time for shared warmth, joy, and nourishing foods. Enjoy this winter's festivities with Mini Sweet Cream Kefir Pancakes ornamented with crispy apples, succulent Maple Peanut Butter Sauce, and your favorite brunch beverages. The Sweet Cream Pancakes are slightly sweet, satisfyingly fluffy, and the perfect base to drizzle a sweet yet nutty Maple Peanut Butter Sauce. Pair the pancakes with vibrant sliced apples to add nutritional value. Moreover, apples are an excellent vessel for the Maple Peanut Butter Sauce. Adjust the sauce's sweetness with more or less maple syrup to suit your taste. Mini Sweet Cream Kefir Pancakes with Maple Peanut Butter SauceTime: approx. 30 minutes Servings: 4-6 servings Ingredients: Mini Sweet Cream Kefir Pancakes
Directions: Sweet Cream Kefir Pancakes Preheat Griddle: Preheat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease with butter, avocado oil, or cooking spray. I like to use a combination of a bit of butter and avocado oil. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Combine Wet Ingredients: In another mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, kefir, whipping cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix the Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Take care to not overmix; it's okay if there are a few lumps in the batter. Cook the Pancakes: Pour 2 tbsp of the batter for each pancake onto the griddle (I used a ¼ cup measuring cup and filled it ~½ way. Cook until bubbles form on the surface. Flip the pancakes and cook the other side until the pancakes are golden brown. Maple Peanut Butter Sauce Combine Ingredients: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the peanut butter and maple syrup. Warm and Serve: Gently heat the mixture, stirring continuously until the ingredients are combined. Drizzle the Maple Peanut Butter Sauce over the Mini Sweet Cream Pancakes. Serve them with sliced apples, fresh berries, whipped cream, nuts, or any of your other favorite toppings. Enjoy! Recipe Notes: To make normal-sized pancakes, use a full ¼ cup of batter when cooking. This recipe makes a delicious waffle batter, too. Pour ¾ cups batter into the entire lower grid of your waffle maker. For cooking waffles in a waffle iron, cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Sarah Harper is a Registered Dietitian, creator, and one of many eaters behind The Addy Bean. She is also an avid hiker, a registered yoga instructor, and a former nursing home dietitian. Based in Hood River, Oregon, Sarah lives with her husband Jacob, her dog Huey and her blog’s namesake – her cat Adeline.
 Grateful Vineyard Grateful Vineyard has fun events happening in their lovely tasting room. There will be a vinyl night on December 2 from 5 - closing where you can bring a vinyl of your own to play. On Saturday December 3rd Joel Valle will be playing live music. And be sure to make it to their annual "A Very Grateful Christmas" which is an All Women Vendors Artisan Fair on Thursday December 7th happening from 5:30-8pm. The cost for the event is 10$ for entry and includes a drink and light bites. There are only three more Saturdays left for you to visit Grasslands Barbecue before they close for winter. This Saturday they will be open for breakfast with their full menu. Also, visit the Hood River farmers market on the waterfront this Saturday. Here’s some good News for Pasta lovers : Riverside is bringing back 2 for 1 pasta Sunday through Thursday. They even have gluten free pasta options.  Henni’s Kitchen and Bar Henni's kitchen and bar will be helping Ridge of Wonders celebrate their Syrah release on December 3rd with wines and small plates prepared by Chef Christiaan. The dishes to be paired with Ridge of Wonders wines include salmon belly in brown butter with crispy fried capers, braised beef short ribs with creamy polenta and gremolata, and toasted olive oil cake with warm pear compote and rogue river blue cheese.
If you are looking for holiday fun, you can watch the Parkdale Christmas Tree lighting at Baseline Biscuits on December 9th from 4-7. There will be warm drinks and ice cream from Mt Hood Creamery. If you get hungry, head to Apple Valley BBQ or Solera Brewery down the street for a warm meal.  Gogi Korean BBQ - Photo by Lisa Kawachi korea invades bingenBy Kathy Watson You can be forgiven if you haven’t noticed the new Korean restaurant at the east end of Bingen, on the corner of Highway 14 and Oak St. The location was most recently home to an unremarkable teriyaki joint and before that, it was a mini market that sold fishing licenses and dusty ten-year old cans of string beans. Gogi Korean BBQ will make you forget all that. It’s swell Korean food, prepared by a Korean chef who makes his own kimchi. You get a taste of it right off the bat when you are served two bahnchan appetizers: kimchi and a sliced marinated fish cake. The menu offers two pages of Korean standards, from rice and noodle dishes, to bibimbap and stir fries, to traditional BBQ meats you can prepare on radiant grills installed in the middle of each table. Hours are Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., (closed Sunday) and takeout is available, too.  Gogi Korean BBQ - Photo by Lisa Kawachi ~Happy Thanksgiving! If you do not have your Thanksgiving meal planned yet, here are places that are open for a thanksgiving meal today: Riverside at Best Western Plus Hood River Inn is taking reservations from 12:00pm to 7:30pm. Simon's Cliff House at Columbia Gorge Hotel will have a Thanksgiving brunch buffet seating at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm. Call to reserve your seats at Votum Restaurant which will have a buffet by Chef Sarah Doyle from 2-9:00pm at $75. Crooked Tree Tavern & Grill located at Cooper Spur Mountain Resort will have seating available at 1:30pm, 4pm, or 6:30 pm at $64 for adults and $26 for kids 7-12. ~Pacos Tacos has new hours at their locations. Their truck located at 6045 Dee Highway will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am-3pm and their truck located at 416 Cascade Ave is open Monday through Sunday from 10am-5pm. Also get 4 tacos for 10$ every Taco Tuesday. ~Riverside also has a new lunch special. Their menu offers a bowl of soup, a salad option and a glass of wine from $25. Their soup choices include New England Clam Chowder, Tomato Bread soup with basil pesto, sausage and white bean minestrone and roasted squash with ginger and white miso.  Riverside Restaurant Hood River ~Celilo is changing over to their winter hours schedule on December 1st They will seat people from 5pm- 9pm.
~6th Street Bistro and Pub has a TV again and they will be playing the football games. Head over to their restaurant to eat lunch and watch a game. ~This Saturday on November 25th there will be a makers market at the Dalles Workshop. The event will have vendors like Local Rhoots and Rustic Roots Baking. The event will be from 10am -6 pm. First in an occasional series by writers David Hanson and Chef Kathy Watson Where's the Beef? A RAMBLE AROUND THE GORGE IN SEARCH OF A GOOD STEAK, AND MAYBE A MARTINI TO GO WITH IT. What makes a steakhouse different from a restaurant that serves steaks? It’s the throwback kitschy vibe, that aroma of charred meat when you step in the door, and a no-nonsense menu that clutches meat close to its chest. So we picked three, places that put a fork in the steakhouse lore: The Mesquitery in Hood River, Huntington’s Steakhouse in Klickitat and The Hi-Way House in The Dalles. And we ate our way across a month of dinners. We knew something going in: not much chance of local Gorge beef on any of these menus, for lots of reasons. Which is a shame. But the economics are challenging: the volume doesn’t lend itself to buying a whole animal and breaking it down. As far as we can tell, all three steakhouses work with wholesale beef distributors such as Columbia Empire Beef, which in turn stocks their trucks with beef from the inter-mountain west, with ranch/feedlot brands you’ve probably seen at Rosauers: Mt. St. Helens Beef and Snake River Farms. So we thought we’d finish our beef interlude with local steaks in the backyard, which is almost a steakhouse, without the banquets or the lounge singer.  The Mesquitery The Mesquitery The Mesquitery is the sort of local’s place on the Heights in Hood River where you can get a Pepsi and wear a camouflage baseball cap, backwards, and fit right in. You can also get a generous Bombay Sapphire martini with three olives as big as eyeballs for $12, or chicken schnitzel, pork tenderloin, shrimp, salmon, and in a nod to the restaurant’s Polish owner, Krzysztof Ukleja, pierogi and plenty of Polish beer. Steaks? Yes, there are steaks, and they are grilled over a fire you can see behind the bumped-out glassed-in kitchen where cooks, like untouchable zoo animals, are on display. Steaks range from top sirloin – a cut no one has ever claimed is tender and juicy, though the Mesquitery folks try – through a 12-ounce New York strip, a 14-ounce rib eye, up the food chain to a 10-ounce filet mignon, and finally, to their signature steak, a 20-ounce Porterhouse. Choose your sides, and the price slides up, so you are only paying for what you can fork in. Want a 10-ounce filet with just a salad? That’s $35.95. Add another side (of which there are many to choose from) and it’s $39.95. Go full boat-load with three sides, and it’s $43.95. The joint has a habit of declaring it serves the Best Caesar in the Gorge, the Best Chowder in the Gorge, and is the Only Steakhouse in the Gorge, which may comes as a surprise to Huntington’s and Hi-Way House that also stake their reputations on … steak. Hyperbole aside, it is well-loved nonetheless, and has been here for 35 years. As one diner, Tom, wrote on the restaurant’s web site, “Your food never disappoints. My steak was cooked to perfection, just as God and Chris intended.” It’s possible Tom is a fan of medium-well beef. It is hard to pass a three-quarter inch thick 14-ounce ribeye over a grill, take it just to medium rare, and also impart that crusty sear that makes a steak the perfect marriage of bloody tenderness on the inside and smokey char on the outside. If you are searching for thick hunka hunka burning love beef, the 20-ounce Porterhouse ($39.95, which two could easily share) might get you closer to steak nirvana. There are two sneaky-good things on the menu that might not jump out at you unless you’ve worked in a restaurant kitchen and broken down a whole beef tenderloin. There’s just a lot of trim left when you cut a tenderloin into steak medallions. Chunks called the chain and the head will never live to see the big time. But are they delicious? Oh yeah, baby, and you can get them two ways at the Mesquitery: in a steak sandwich on ciabatta, and on something called a Thai salad, which may have glanced once at a map of Thailand but never made landfall. No worries, though, because the salad is piled with crusty grilled tenderloin bites, avocados, tomatoes and cucumbers, for $18.95. Just avoid the overly sweet chili sauce served alongside, and ask for some blue cheese dressing. Now, that’s a steak salad. Ambiance: Neighborhood cafe, oldies on the radio, where everyone looks vaguely familiar, or taught your kids in the fourth grade. Hours: Every day, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. No tricky closed hours to remember. Bonus: Watch for that coupon pub that arrives in your mailbox. There’s almost always a 10% off coupon for the Mesquitery. Bottom line: Dinner for two: two martinis, a ribeye with a salad and baked potato, and the Thai beef salad, $77.90 – Kathy Watson Huntington’s Steakhouse Klickitat, population 262, has an Alaska feel to it, a no-frills outpost 13 miles up-tributary from where the town’s namesake river meets the Columbia. You can pick up last-minute snacks for a Klickitat River float or, if you’re lucky enough to live there, have the river all to yourself in the off-season. Timber and dry ice manufacturing (the Gas Ice Corporation drilled carbon dioxide wells at the nearby Klickitat Mineral Springs) built the town, but these days, among steak insiders, the main draw aside from river access is Huntington’s Steakhouse. Huntington’s has the warm saloon glow of yellowed wood and tan taxidermy with shadows cast by the pool table light and walls covered in sports pennants, a reminder that the tavern’s history is more recent than the town, founded in the glory days of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. What can only be called Graffiti Americana – names and couples’ professions of love scrawled in indelible marker – pattern the paneled ceiling. “Ladder and a sharpie, at your own risk,” the bartender says when asked about adding to the overhead art. Behind the bar, immediately beyond a narrow kitchen door, Richard, the chef-owner, tends to sizzling steaks over a propane grill wearing an apron and a Packers t-shirt. A small portrait of his late wife and Huntington’s icon, Peggy, hangs above the bar. Six booths line the walls for cushioned dining with a bar making a sort of T-bone down the middle. Huntington’s claims to be Home of the Biggest, Best Steaks in the Gorge, but it seems built for drinking. In addition to the margarita options, a few house cocktails require explanation: Me: “What’s in a Klickitat Tea?” Her: “All the alcohol.” Me: “Anything else?” Her: “Sweet-n-sour mix and Pepsi.” Me: “What about the Klickitat Quaalude?” Her: “Same but with Bailey’s and cream.” We want to maintain gastronomical and (at least some) moral clarity so we stick to one liquor at a time. The martinis arrive in cocktail glasses full of ice and heavy on the olive brine. At one point I notice the bartender pouring neon maraschino cherry juice straight out of the gallon container into a Coke and whiskey order. As for the steaks, the T-bone is unavailable—Huntington’s doesn’t have a bone saw so the bone-in cuts come from Safeway and the T-bone supply hasn’t been replenished. The waitress suggests a Porterhouse instead, but we gravitate to the rib-eye, which, along with the New York strip and filet mignon, are cut in-house. Cuts are 16 or 20 ounces and seasoned with Peggy’s original homemade blend. Kathy and Stu started with the blue cheese wedge, which was almost half-a-head of crunchy lettuce and a well-proportioned serving of sharp blue cheese dressing. Our medium-rare rib-eyes arrive with the crispy char glistening in the yellow light and perfectly tender inside. To the side is a baked potato squeezed wide open and filled with sour cream and butter (bacon can be added). For color, the veggie options are simple and concise: peas, corn, or broccoli smothered in melted cheddar cheese. My wife, as if she lost a bet, ordered the fish tacos. They arrive looking somewhat monotone—pale cabbage and a white flour tortilla—but the tangy, vinegar-y slaw has a fresh crunch and the lightly battered and fried halibut chunks are delicious. In a last-second audible, we order the cheesecake, not realizing it is homemade, as in, according to our waitress, “he makes it in his house.” I’m not a big cheesecake guy, but this almost ice-cream-cold welterweight slice with a dense graham-cracker crust has me rethinking my preconceptions, as any good steakhouse in a bar should. We step out of Huntington’s into the dark Klickitat Valley, full of meat and vigor. We just never got the ladder and signed our names, so I can’t be sure it ever happened. Ambiance: A semi-modern wild west saloon with a sports memorabilia dive-bar flare Hours: Thursday to Sunday, roughly 5-10pm Bonus: Call for reservations (likely not needed, but never know on weekends). And, it’s a bar, after all, so no kids. Bottom line: Dinner for two: two martinis, a ribeye (with veggie, baked potato), fish tacos, and a slice of cheesecake: $99.47 – David Hanson  The Hi-Way House The Hi-Way House In 1955, my father tried to talk my mother into homesteading in Alaska’s Matanuska Valley. So they drove up from sunny central California. My mother must have imagined herself wrangling cabbages the size of a washing machine, and decided, no, she wasn’t cut out to be an Alaskan farmer. On the way home, though, they stopped in Ashland, Oregon, for the night, and had dinner at the venerable Omar’s steakhouse, which is still there. The story goes that after my teetotaling parents ordered the cheapest top sirloin steak on the menu, they went back to their hotel, and conceived me. So you might say banquets, lounge music and charred meat are in my DNA. The Hi-Way House, way out on the eastern edge of The Dalles, makes me feel right at home. Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, on the radio. A red leatherette banquet, the sound of a cocktail being shaken, not stirred, at the bar. And they have the meat, served the old fashioned way with a green salad, vegetables and potato (baked, mashed or fried) baked right in to the price, including rib eyes, New Yorks, filet mignon and prime rib. A 16-ounce ribeye is $42; a 12-ounce prime rib, $32. Dressings are made in house and our fluffy greens were doted with blackberries, strawberries and cherry tomatoes. The 16-ounce ribeye was likely tipping the scale at closer to 20 ounces, a result of a new crew learning to cut steaks from a whole rib roll, as our excellent server Mimi explained. So you might want to visit before they figure that out. The restaurant has held onto its steakhouse ways through a series of owners over the years, but in July, very quietly, Lily and Romul Grivov, owners of Romul’s Italian Restaurant in Hood River, became the new managers, which means the Grivovs have come full-circle. They opened the first Romul’s in The Dalles, which they closed some years ago. The steaks are still on the menu at the Hi-Way, but as Mimi put it, the menu is now “pasta forward.” A kids’ menu has been added, too. Lily is making all the desserts, with a deep list including tiramisu, and on the night we were there, a surprisingly feather-light pumpkin cheese cake with a ramekin of caramel sauce on the side. As recently as mid-October, the wine list was still under construction. But no matter: martinis were on our minds, and with six gins to choose from, including the enchanting purple Empress gin from Canada, and a bartender who knows her way around a shaker and some ice, we were set. Ambiance: Retro steakhouse with Sinatra – just Sinatra – on the radio. Wear that spaghetti strap dress if you like, but jeans and boots were under every table. Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. Bonus: Just like at Romul’s, you’ll be offered a complimentary splash of sparkling wine at the end of your meal. Bottom line: Dinner for two: two martinis, a 16-ounce ribeye and a 12-ounce prime rib with salad, potatoes, vegetable and warm bread, pumpkin cheesecake, $111. – Kathy Watson  The Hi-Way House Local Backyard Steaks Our final stop on the Gorge steak tour is Kathy and Stu’s house where a couple ribeyes from Bowdish Ranches in Centerville and two New York strips from Little 77 Ranch in Lyle sit, salted and blood red, on the counter. Kathy salt-brined the steaks an hour before we arrived, a process that draws moisture to the meat’s surface, and salt to its interior. The plan was to grill the steaks over a hot bed of campfire coals in their backyard, but rain and the fall time change robbed us of the magic hour. So instead, Kathy fired up their small propane pizza oven and loaded a rib-eye and NY strip in via cast iron skillet. At 700 degrees, the little oven seemed ready to vaporize the steaks. It was so hot Kathy burned through her oven mitt. A couple minutes on each side, then out of the inferno. “Any longer and we’d carbonize those things,” Stu quips. The steaks, removed to the wood cutting board, have a look of mottled crispiness, edges and subtle ridges darkened almost black from contact with the skillet. While they rest, Stu re-ups my Jack Daniel’s Manhattan, and we load our plates with the sides: a Caesar salad with homemade dressing (anchovy paste the key ingredient) on wide-cut chicory greens with an earthy, slightly bitter taste, like lettuce with attitude, grilled porcini mushrooms, foraged locally by Gorge mushroom master Colin Franger, and golden brown Hassleback potatoes. But enough about the veggies. Kathy pulls her knife through the dark purplish-reddish meat and the strips fall to the side. This is a rare steak, more rare than I’d order in a restaurant. But there’s no blood; the salt and the fast sear did their work. Knowing the meat is sourced from well-regarded ranches, cooked by one of the Gorge’s best chefs, in her house, we embrace the rare. Both the rib-eye and strip are delicious, creamy but with just enough texture to give us something to chew on. Our mission to explore the blue collar steak world of the Gorge ends here. Now would be a good time to toast the rancher, the grasses, the butcher, the cooks, and the owners (who are sometimes the cooks) keeping our no-frills steakhouse bars – and backyard bbqs – alive. – David Hanson  Pine Street Bakery Thursday Tid Bits
 An Oven Space Saver: Air-Fryer Thanksgiving Sides By Sarah Harper ‘Tis season of holiday feasts! A time of togetherness, joy, gratitude, and of course, mouthwatering food. While preparing these feasts can often be a stressful undertaking, look no further than the air-fryer to simplify your Holiday preparations. Traditional holiday gatherings, such as Thanksgiving, typically involve cooking multiple oven-baked dishes. Since holiday gatherings often include 3 to 6 sides, opting for air-fried sides can free up valuable oven real estate for your turkey, stuffing, casseroles, and rolls. Beyond freeing up space, the versatile air fryer excels at cooking healthy yet simple sides. Because of the air fryer’s compact size, it cooks faster than your oven and yields crispy results without all of the oil of traditional frying. Discover these Air-Fried Brussel Sprouts with Horseradish Aioli - a recipe ready in 15 minutes! Air-fried Brussels sprouts feature wholesome ingredients, elevated by an easy creamy aioli complementing the sprout's natural flavor.  Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with a Horseradish Aioli
Time: ~ 25 minutes Servings: 3 to 4 servings Ingredients: Brussels Sprouts
 Grasslands Barbecue
Do you have any new specials or events that you would like to share? Comment below!  Love & Hominy Thursday Tidbits -There will be live music by Scot Bergeron at The Pines on November 2nd from 4:00-6:00pm. Come for the music and stay for the yummy food and refreshing drinks. -Phelps Creek Tasting Room will be hosting an All Jazz Considered event on November 2nd from 5pm to 7pm. There will be great wine, food and music. -Pie Pre orders will start November 6th at Packer Orchards. Get your pie for your Holiday events! Packer Orchards -New York City Sub Shop will now be moving to their fall and winter hour/s they are open 10am to 6pm every day. And what is good news is that their indoor seating is now open. -Apple Valley BBQ is changing their hours and now they will be opening at 12pm. -Celilo Restaurant and Bar will be having Ravioli on the menu soon! -Riverside is now taking reservations for Thanksgiving dinner. They will have slots on thanksgiving starting at 12pm and will go throughout the day until 7:30pm. Get your reservation as soon as possible because they will go fast.  Riverside Restaurant Hood River There are so many reasons to Visit Mountain View Orchards in Parkdale, Oregon including the variety of fresh fruit, a tasting room, a beautiful flower field and epic views of Mount hood. Mountain View Orchards is a family-owned farm and has a history that spans back to the 1920’s. The farm is now owned by Trina McAlexander who grew up on her family farm. Her Swiss grandparents purchased an orchard in Parkdale, Oregon and farmed pears, berries, cherries, peaches and apples. There are over fourteen types of pears, six types of cherries, eight varieties of peaches and over 100 types of apples. Trina shares that her favorite way to enjoy the fresh fruit is sliced in salads or on the pizza at Grateful Vineyard which she opened in 2016. At Grateful Vineyard, people can also enjoy crisp apples with Authentic Fondue paired with wine, cider or beer for those who are 21 and older.  The welcoming and generous spirit of the farm are evident. The farm now has a self-service system where customers can select fruit they would like, weigh it and pay with cash, check or via venmo to @mtvieworchards. Trina enjoys serving her neighbors healthy foods. While the farm stand is winding down in November, there will still be events in the tasting room. Keep an eye out for more events.  In addition to the fruit, there are always rotating flowers that are grown. Some of the flower varieties include sunflowers, dahlias and lavender. Visitors of the farm can explore the flowers which complement the beauty of Mount Hood in the background. Even better- these flowers are available for U Cut for people to take home. Payment by Venmo is welcome. 
 Pine Street Bakery, Hood River
 Pear Bloom Farm
Magic Juice  A “Healthier” Halloween Treat: Snickers Dates By Sarah Harper Halloween stands out as one of the only holidays when we don't convene around the dinner table for a grand family feast. Nevertheless, food remains an important aspect of celebrating Halloween. Whether it's carving pumpkins, bobbing for apples, or trick-or-treating, food is still very much a part of the Halloween spirit. While it can be tempting to pick up a bag of Snickers when you stroll past the Halloween candy aisle, consider swapping processed sugar with natural alternatives. Dates are naturally sweet, and drying them only intensifies their caramel-like flavor. Snickers Dates are perfect if you are craving sweet, salty, and crunchy. You can serve Snickers Dates as a simple homemade sweet treat at Halloween gatherings or prepare them as a wholesome snack to satisfy your sweet tooth. Sarah Harper is a Registered Dietitian, creator, and one of many eaters behind The Addy Bean. She is also an avid hiker, a registered yoga instructor, and a former nursing home dietitian. Based in Hood River, Oregon, Sarah lives with her husband Jacob, her dog Huey and her blog’s namesake – her cat Adeline.   The Start Up Coffee Cart -The Start Up Coffee Cart is now open in the heights in Hood River. They have a variety of drinks to choose from and espresso that will give you the boost you need. -Take a scenic fall drive to experience the Glenwood Fall Bazaar in Glenwood, Wa on October 21. This event will have unique vendors selling handmade goods, a flea market section, and food options. On the menu for breakfast are breakfast burritos and Huckleberry pancakes. For lunch, there is chili, super nachos, hot dogs and chili dogs. US Veterans and military eat for free in honor of Veterans Day and coffee is complimentary for all. The event will be held at 9am at the Glenwood School at 320 N Bunnell St in Glenwood, WA. -The Hood River Common House is hosting a cocktail pop up on October 21st at 5:00pm until they are sold out. They will be serving wine, sake, cider and non-alcoholic spirits. You can pair your drink with an order of their Green Chili Queso. No tickets are required to enter the event. -The Harvest Craft show will happen at the Hood River County Fairgrounds on Saturday October 21, and Sunday October 22. There will be art, gifts and treats. There will be a selection of over fifty vendors with handmade products and goods. The event hours are 10am-5pm on Saturday and 10am -4pm on Sunday. Mt Hood BBQ will be there selling their food. -Pour Girls Espresso in Odell is now open Sundays 8am-12pm. -@pelintipizza in Hood River is now open Sundays from 12-8pm. -@goldengoodshr is changing their schedule to fall hours and will now be open Thursday-Monday from 9am - 3pm. -Crush Cider Cafe hosts a Secret Salsa Society for Latin dancing every Wednesday. All are welcome for a free lesson and dance. -Throughout the year, you can enjoy live music every Saturday at @clarkandlewies in Stevenson, WA. This Saturday the music will begin at 6:30 PM. -Solstice Wood Fire Pizza Truck is open in the Dalles for regular hours. They serve Pizza slices, whole pies and salads. Find them at 6th St. Station Food Carts.  Solstice Wood Fire Pizza Truck Valo Wines establishes tasting room in BingenStory By Laurel Brown For wine-lovers in the Gorge, there is a new space to explore in Bingen called Valo Wines. Opened in late July of this year, Valo has a beautiful space offering wine tastings, bottles, and wine club memberships. Owner Michael Ruhland is excited to be come a name in the Gorge with his young yet award-winning wines. Originally from Memphis, Tenn., Ruhland spent most of his years in Montana and explored Washington and Oregon in his free time, his affinity for the Columbia River Gorge always growing. With the help of Winemaker Matías Kúsulas, Valo Wines has been making a big name for itself in a short amount of time. “We have extremely high quality wines,” Ruhland said. “When Matías makes his wines, he really creates and develops the individual characteristics in each one, framing the fruits and flavors very intentionally.” Kúsulas is from Santiago, Chile, and spent seven years in the Chilean military, earning the rank of lieutenant in the Naval Academy before returning to school. Now, he is head viticulturist of Lawrence Vineyards and winemaker for both Valo Wines and Desert Wind. Lawrence Vineyards is one of the farms that Valo sources their grapes from; another is Conner Lee Vineyards, both located in Washington in a region called Royal Slopes in the Columbia Valley. Valo Wines uses grapes from Royal Slopes and processes that fruit in Prosser, Wash. The farms they choose all use sustainable techniques, which lends to Valo’s handmade expertise. Ruhland met Kúsulas in 2016 in New Zealand before working a harvest season in Washington together, all the while discussing their ideas and experimenting with wines. They began production for Valo Wines in 2018 and later established their tasting room in Vancouver, Wash., in late 2020. With a background in restaurants and dinning, including being the chef at the Yellowstone Club in Bozeman, Mont., Ruhland was interested in breaking into the world of wine and wine dinners. He wanted to combine his chef knowledge with a less kitchen-centered business model, and instead focus more on wine. Ruhland was happy to finally open a space in the Gorge to help continue gathering a solid following with his premium-style wines. “We really lucked out with the new space. We want to be a spot for people to be comfortable, where they can sit and sip and enjoy,” he said. Meaning “light” in Finnish, Valo focuses on organic growth and expands when it makes sense, such as the new spot in Bingen. Ruhland mentioned one day finding land to build on, possibly with production space and a vineyard, but for now he is focused on the success of the new tasting room. Ruhland hopes to achieve a kitchen build-out down the road to offer more food options and wine dinners. Currently, simpler items like charcuterie and smoked salmon dip are available atValo, and pick-up-parties for club members with food and wine are also on Ruhland’s wish-list. For such a new business, Valo Wines is collecting the accolades of an established winery “We set out to make the best wines we can, but we also want people to enjoy what we’re making,” Ruhland said. They want to offer people a variety of excellent wines, including their Massalto line. Valo’s Massalto wines are their artistic series: Edgy wines crafted to push the norm. Each bottle sports a beautifully designed label by the Australian artist Loui Jover, and large prints of the art on these labels decorate the walls of the new Valo tasting room in Bingen. Despite bottling their first in 2020, the awards and recognition already seem nonstop. Jeb Dunnuck, renowned wine reviewer, awarded them three 94-point ratings June of this year, describing several varieties as “loaded with charm and character,” “terrific”, “layered,” “balanced” and “elegant.” Among other praise, Valo Cellars was named a wine producer that is “under the radar” by The Robert Parker Wine Advocate Journal just last year. Ruhland said they have earned other 90-point ratings over the last few years, ranging from 91 to 97-point awards. With limited distribution outside of Southwest Washington, Valo is looking to bring their wines to other spots in the Gorge soon, like local wine bars and breweries, but details are still in the works. For the moment, Ruhland said they want to be a top local tasting spot and popular winery option among the Gorge community. The Valo tasting room in Bingen is usually open Thursday through Monday from noon to 7 p.m., though hours are subject to change, so guests are encouraged to call or check online. The space is a storefront located at 114 W. Steuben St., Bingen. You can find them on Instagram @valo_wa, or on Facebook, which has pictures of their chic Vancouver tasting room. Hood River Valley Harvest Fest
Dani’s Kitchen Shop  Kiyokawa Family Orchards six must see booths at this year's hood river harvest festMark your calendars for a weekend full of fall flavors at the 41st Annual Hood River Valley Harvest Fest. This three day festival October 13-15 at the Hood River Event Site is a celebration of the bounty of the Hood River Valley. At this year's Harvest Fest you can find apples, pears, local treats, and more all on display for locals and visitors to enjoy. Here are six must-see booths at this year's Harvest Fest for food enthusiasts:
 Tacos Pepe
 Good Medicine Tea  Solera Brewery
 Solstice Wood Fire Pizza
 Want to Spice it up? Head to The DalleS Story and photo by Kathy Watson I was digging around in my bag for a larger tip for the guys at the Tadka Indian food cart on West Sixth in The Dalles.
“That’s okay, ma’am. Just give us your blessings,” the cook said, with a little tilt to his head. Ah, but it’s me who’s blessed. The food cart pod of West Sixth is showing all the signs of a spicy food lover’s nirvana, carts bursting with Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, a second Indian truck, and a couple of oddball catch-alls: Kimberly’s Cauldron offering soups and sandwiches, and BobaBlastic that has everything from frozen desserts on a stick to cheesy fries. That’s a lot to choose from, but I’m gonna put a stake in it right here: just go to Tadka. This is real-deal Indian, with everything from fish curry to lamb vindaloo, garlic naan and saag paneer. I’ve lunched here three times, and if my blessings continue it’ll be 3 x 3 x 3 in the year ahead. This pod has one super-duper addition: It’s in the parking lot of an old Wendy’s that’s been converted to Sixth St. Station. Full bar, beer, a pool table and a refuge from the fall weather. You can bring your food cart nummies inside, order a beer, and watch the rain streak in over the Columbia. Nice. The Sixth St. Station is closed on Monday, open the other days from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. Carts in the Pod: Tadka Indian Boss Authentic Thai Kitchen Pho Saigon Grill Loncheria Jalisco Shwarma Hutch Kimberly’s Cauldron BobaBlastic |
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