Restaurant Reviews

by Duane Smith, Founder of Ashland's Lithia Springs Resort

Duane Smith has lived in Ashland for over 45 years and watched it grow from a small lumber town, into a town of surprising sophistication. In the process, he built and still owns Ashland's Lithia Springs Resort & Gardens.  You can usually find him at the inn in the morning having breakfast with the guests and in the afternoon, pouring wine at O’Malley’s, the wine bar at the inn. He invites you to join him for a glass of wine and to give him feedback on his Ashland, Oregon restaurants review.

Duane Sets the Scene

I've become accustomed to enjoying fine dining in Ashland – as you can tell by my Irish girth. When Bernard Pradel came from France over 30 years ago, he opened Chateaulin, creating a whole new expectation for diners in Ashland. Before Bernard came to town, 98% of all the wine sold in Ashland was of the screw-top variety, long before screw tops were in vogue.  At that time, the food was typical small town Oregon food.

Today, Ashland restaurants create a wonderful mix of fine dining, comfortable atmosphere, outstanding service, and wine lists of local, regional, and worldwide varieties for any palate. A wide range of establishments followed in Bernard's footsteps, and they compare favorably with the fine dining in any large city on the West Coast.

Code of Honor

To qualify for my list, I insist that the restaurant prepares each course from scratch with the freshest ingredients and be of a consistently high quality. Should you become aware of any violations to this basic tenant or find the restaurant in question not worthy of the rating given, let me know by posting a reply on our Blog site. Consistent violations will be grounds for removal from this list. 

Unbiased Opinion

I do not seek or take complimentary meals. I am a paying customer just like you and I never announce I am in the house.  However, Ashland is a small town and it is hard to be incognito. In some categories, there may be other good restaurants. These are just my favorites. In fine dining, these are the seasoned veterans. I am, however, watching a couple of others and hope in the future to offer a wider selection. In this issue, I dropped one, which has been a standby for years, due to the continued rudeness of the staff. I cannot recommend a restaurant when customers are treated in a rude manner.

Rating System

You will find my ratings of all restaurants in the following categories: overall ambience, service, quality of the food, and of course, the wine list. I use a 1-10 scale for ease of understanding.
The entree prices in Ashland generally range from $15 - $40 with the average at about $25. The typical prices at the restaurants in this list will be given using the following system:
$ - Below average prices
$$ - Average prices
$$$ - Above average prices
Now, let us proceed. Please note that I've listed the restaurants alphabetically and not in order of preference. To make this list, they are definitely worth a visit.

Categories

With nearly 80 Restaurants in Ashland, from great to mediocre, it is best to have some idea of where and where not to go.

I have broken them down alphabetically into 4 categories.

1.Fine Dining
2.Fine Dining, (Casual Fare)
3.Casual and Fun
4.Specialty Restaurants

Fine Dining

Amuse has been on this list for about 6-7 years now. It has stayed right up there with the best Ashland has to offer.  On a recent evening, I would have rated it equal to anything in town. What really stands out in my mind are the flavors they manage to pack into their dishes. My entree was excellent.   They have chosen a simple decor and focus on the food.

Chateaulin has turned out great food with great service for over 35 years. For many of those years, it was the only decent place to eat between Eugene and San Francisco. About 30 years ago, the headwaiter and chef (Michael Donovan and David Taub) bought out Bernard Pradel, the Frenchman who started Chateaulin.  They immediately brought out the white linen and took it “top drawer” – where it has remained ever since. Chateaulin is the yardstick by which I measure all other restaurants. I have probably eaten here over 600 times in 35 years and have only had one or two disappointing meals - one of them recent.  It was by all standards very well done, but not up to their usual standards.   However, it remains an old favorite of mine as you can tell.

The Peerless Restaurant has secured itself a solid place in the upper echelons of our fine dining scene. An eclectic decor and great service from a colorful wait staff makes this a break from the ordinary. A dynamite duo reign over the kitchen – Stu Stein was an instructor at the California Culinary Academy and his wife, Mary, trained at the New York Culinary Institute. The result is an evening of culinary delight that will satisfy the orneriest of food critics.

Fine Dining (Lighter Fare)

Harper's is the new kid on the block.  I recently accompanied the author of “The Great Towns of the West, a Food and Hospitality Critic for over 25 years, and he said that Harpers was the best small restaurant in town at this point and the best value, period.  While new to Ashland, definitely not new to the restaurant business; so new, their Website isn't complete at the time of this posting.  
Harpers limited menu is more than made up by the service and the quality of its dishes.  The wine list is limited, but they are working on it.  If you are looking for a more relaxed evening and fare, this is it. It is one of the few places which also serves a great breakfast and lunch.

Lela’s Cafe is under new ownership; and if anything, is better than ever and still a particularly pleasing place to partake of good food and wine. You’ll enjoy a great meal in a casually eclectic environment without breaking the bank to do it. If you can get in, it's one of the best choices in town for lunch. For dinner, the competition is a lot stiffer but Lela’s more than holds its own, offering a short list of entrees as well as some lighter faire. Lela's just proves that you don't have to be pretentious or spend a whole wagonload of money to have great food and good service. Recently, I had Salmon Aioli, and it was perhaps the best I've ever had. The wine list is expanding, and the casual elegance of the decor is refreshing. Parking can be a challenge so allow a little extra time for this worthwhile eatery.

Casual and Fun

Arbor House   (Located 2 miles north of Ashland in Talent) Arbor House is the area's most heartfelt restaurant with casual elegance and wonderful food, all wrapped up with a passion for what they do. Patrick Calhoun came to Southern Oregon in the 60's to live in nature along the banks of the Applegate River. Today, the walls of the restaurant are covered with pictures of friends of that era; many of them now are the business people that populate downtown Ashland. Patrick is gone now; but his son, Rory, and his daughter, Leah, carry on with the same love and passion infused in the operation that made it a treasured find, and my secret hideaway for oh so many years.

Beasy's on the Creek is the place to go if you like red meat, seafood, and a lot more. Your meal is served in an elegant setting of mahogany and brass. A blazing fireplace helps to set the mood as the centerpiece of an elegant decor. Beasy's is located just below the plaza and is the newest Ashland restaurant in a long string of interesting restaurants that Beasy MacMillan has started over the years. Enjoy a meal next to the fire or out on the veranda overlooking Ashland Creek. Make sure to try the Lobster Ravioli. It is a killer dish (without a calorie in it).

Cucina Biazzi is a delightful Tuscan Italian restaurant and one of Ashland’s most popular places for dinner before a show.  Some of my favorite times have been spent under its wisteria-covered arbor on a late summer evening. A 4 or 5 course meal is served at a fixed price and offers a variety of choices, although all maintain a strict allegiance to the Tuscan theme. If your idea of Italian cuisine is spaghetti and meatballs, don't come here. Starts with an antipasto dish, then, a choice from about 8-10 pastas followed by your selected entrée, and then a great European style salad. If you have room, you can add a wonderful dessert.

Kobi’s is a wonderful place to wile away the evening.  Their Pan Asian and more traditionally styled menu are served Tapas Style.  One can graze through several small entrées over a period of several hours, making dinner your evening’s entertainment, or if you chose, just eat lightly before going to the theater.

Thai Pepper is a must if you like Thai food. The setting is elegant, with white linens and creek-side dining in the plaza area. The chef/owner is Indonesian, and I've accused him of tweaking the traditional Thai recipes with some Indonesian spices. He just grins. Truly, this is some of the finest Thai food I have ever experienced. You can have it hot if you want, but there are plenty of items to choose from that are medium to mild as well.

Specialty Restaurants.
Micro Breweries with Good Food.

Standing Stone Brewery has become the locals’ “regular” place to eat since opening in 1997. The Amarotico family has created a casual dining experience and some really great beer in, around, and under a working brewery.  While there are more elegant places in town, there are none more interesting. The staff is professional; the food is consistent; and the beer is not to be missed. I recommend their beer sampler to chase down their fish and chips or a wood-fired pizza. Standing Stone is always open and nearly always has a seat available. Try the shaded patio in the summer for a relaxing start to an evening.