Larks (Ashland): Larks is associated with and connected to the Ashland Springs Hotel, a behemoth of a building in downtown next to the movie theater. We went there Thanksgiving night for dinner. Being as the visit was unexpected, we did not have reservations. The hostess was very accomodating and sat us at the bar, where we chatted with an octogenarian couple on their way from Washington state to Palm Springs. Though the clientele was definitely more "early bird special" than "Chowhound contributors", the food was excellent.
For Thanksgiving, as with Xmas and New Year's, there is a three course holiday prix fixe menu. I started with a medium-sized bowl of roasted winter squash bisque with mint creme fraiche. All of the ingredients were fresh and the bisque's consistency was perfect-- not too soupy and not too clumpy. What really stuck out, but not in an overpowering way, was the soup stock. It complemented the squash and the cream perfectly.
For the main, I chose the Oregon bay shrimp-stuffed filet of petrale sole with an orange tarragon Hollandaise served with red rice pilaf and braised Belgian endive. The fish and shrimp rested on the bed of rice pilaf so the rice was a bit soggy. The rice also had dried cranberries so I was not really digging it. But the sole was something else. It was firm, tender, and moist. The flavor was strong but not fishy. The little shrimps stuffed inside were marvelous. Two lightly salted stalks of steamed endive rounded out the dish.
I skipped the dessert because I was stuffed. It was definitely a memorable Thanksgiving dinner, sans canned cranberries and too-dry turkey.
Tabu (Ashland):
We dropped by this place because I wanted to see an Oregonian interpretation of a tapas bar. It does not get an A for authenticity but we still had a good time. We were confused because there were two front doors. That threw us off. We chose a door, entered, and walked upstairs. A goateed fellow, speaking with the authority that can only come from the chef or owner of the place, welcomed us. The decor was festive and "Latin American chic". The orange hue that dominated the whole joint bordered on obnoxious, but never crossed that imaginary line.The menu was misleading. I was under the false assumption that tapas meant small plates of finger foods. Given that belief, we ordered a lot of little plates. The portions were much bigger than we expected. Very American.
The oven roasted mushrooms came with goat cheese and a small stack of blue tortillas. The tortillas, if not store bought, did not taste freshly made. But the mushrooms, topped with the warm goat cheese, was very satisfying. My only complaint about the mushrooms is that the pieces were a little too thick. It felt like a platter for giants.
The gazpacho was refreshing but not really anything to write home about. With the proper ingredients and cooking implements, it could be easily replicated at home.
The crab quesadillas were forgetable. The tempura batter overwhelmed the crab. If given a blindfold, I would not be able to identify the meat inside as crab, or even as some kind of seafood.
As bland as the quesadillas were, the empanadas were fantastic. The crust was thick, flaky, and moist. There was none of that chalky consistency with overbaked empanadas that are unfortunately too prevalent these days in faux Latin eateries.
I downed a couple of caipirinhas. They were strong and made with decent ingredients. The after-dinner coffee was pretty amazing too. I think the drinks sealed the deal for me. I recommend Tabu, with the above caveats in mind.
That noodle place on Pearl near Broadway (Eugene): I did not catch the name of this place, which we found because it was next to an empty parking space on the street. The restaurant is six months old and looks it. The tables, booths, and silverware all looked new. It is obvious by the looks of the place that the management did not spend a lot of money on the place, but hey, they passed the savings on to you. If you want a quick and cheap place to eat, this is it. There is a fusion/pan-Asian menu, which consists of Korean meats or tofu on rice or noodles stir fried with a vegetable medley. There is a separate menu of Korean BBQ items. For 6 to 8 dollars, you get a generous bowl of relatively healthy and tasty food.
I had the spicy pork with noodles. It is nowhere as good as Noodle Theory in Oakland. I think it's comparable in quality to Zao Noodle, a growing West Coast noodle chain.
Kenny & Zuke's (Portland): This Portland institution arguably rivals the best delis in New York City. After hours of browsing through the endless aisles of books at Powell's a couple of blocks away, K&Z's is a welcome respite.
I had the corned beef hash with eggs. It came with a slice of toasted rye bread, split in two diagonally. The corned beef almost melts in your mouth, but is not disgustingly fatty. Its salt content was also just right. The potatoes, onions, and peppers were well-seasoned. My overeasy eggs were...overeasy. It was a perfect breakfast.
Corned beef hash with scrambled eggs
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