The Search Is Over

For all of you out there craving something from a food cart, but disappointed to find out that your favorite is on the other side of the Bay Area.... or for all of you unable to decide where to trek for cheap food eats..... LOOK NO LONGER---> (on Friday night that is), OFF THE GRID [facebook updates here] is the solution to it all!

If you "like" Off The Grid on Facebook, they will give you updates about who will be showing up on Friday nights in the Fort Mason Parking Lot.

From 5-9, take your pick from 10-15 different street carts that are known and loved throughout the Bay Area. The best part..... Indian, Korean, Mexican, Crepes, Peruvian, Desserts, Cuban, Chinese, Japanese, Beer, Wine, Sangria!! The choices, oh, the choices are what make it worth it.

[Photo courtesy of Tyler M.]

I say, come at 5:00 pm to avoid the massive lineup and claim your seat. Then stick around to listen to a little music, and watch all the people with excited faces marvel over something simple as simple food made with passion.

It's nice to see food become the center focus of an event, and also nice to see small purveyors succeed in this ridiculously competitive foodie city.

[Photo courtesy of Tyler M.]

I would say "Choose Wisely", but you don't really have to because it's every Friday, and cheap!

Look forward to alternative locations in the future [info. here]

Hidden in the Hills

 

~~on the drive~~ mountains everywhere~~

Off to Medford Oregon for a horse show. My mom accompanied me, and weelllll... we were skeptical of Medford. We had to be there an entire week as well. How would we cope in this tiny little town. Especially because we like to eat well... and our excursions are usually based around food.

Horse shows are dry, dusty, long, and tiring, so at the end of a hard day in the sun a nice restaurant or home cooked meal is necessary. Not much caught our eyes in Medford, but places in Ashland kept popping up in my online searches.

Ashland, OR

Home of the Shakespeare Festival, and near some of the most beautiful wine countries that remind me of driving through Sonoma, CA.

Ashland is set away from the freeway, back towards the hills.

Beautiful Streams throughout town, and they carry throughout the wine roads.

Visit TableRock. Go on a hike through the hills if you have time, or if it isn't scorching out.

WINERIES!!!!!

Oregon is most widely known for the Pinot Noir wines from Willamette Valley located up in the North, but Southern OR definitely can be considered a leading competitor. Not only is this area beautiful, uncrowded, and personable, but there are some really nice wines.

We only had one day to take the drive, so we chose the nearby Applegate Valley. It's located along the Rouge River, therefore many wildflowers are scattered along the road really adding to the peaceful atmosphere. It made me want to put life on hold, rent a house in the back country, fish... pick wildflowers... and cook and share delicious meals with family out in the wild back garden.

Our favorite had to be Troon Vineyard; pictured below. Inexpensive and extremely unique. They had a lovely garden picnic spot in their back garden.

FARMERS MARKETS!!!

Rogue Valley Farmers Markets display the best of Oregon's produce and features many other artisans items.

Copper Hill Olive Oil from Yolo County... she had a UC Davis shirt on, GO AGGIES!

Grow your own beer! Buy your own Hops plant.

FOOD!

Yes, the food did cater to an older crowd that seemed to breeze through Ashland, but we managed to find some gems that highlighted seasonal produce and local Rouge Valley wines.

Noble Coffee Roasting

I knew Portland Oregon was obsessed with coffee, but I didn't know this was a trend throughout the state. Coming from San Francisco, I need my coffee! It needs to be goooooooddd, and it needs to be strooonng!!

Noble Coffee Roasting settled my caffeine hungry nerves. They had so many employees, just for a coffee bar. That shows Noble meant business!

A picture of me thanking the coffee gods.

Ashland Food Co-op

Life saver. Until you have to live with food at horse shows, you never realize how healthy take out food for vegetarians really really helps. Horse shows consist of soda, chips, and hamburgers. The Ashland co-op had tons of juices, sandwiches, delicious, fresh salads and pre-made entrees, multiple kombucha brands to choose from, local wines, and bulk bins. The best part was their cute garden out the front to have a picnic.

Greenleaf

Real casual, healthy options, which are perfect for vegetarians. If you are looking for filling meals with healthy, organic ingredients, this place has it all. Rice bowls, tabouli, pizza, meat entrees, fish, salad, soup... basically they have something for everybody! With the large portions, it was perfect to pack to go and eat at the horse show the next day, while everybody was eating another dry turkey sandwich.

The Black Sheep

Hey oh! British food... do I really want it. Here I do. I didn't even grow up in England, but being a child of British parents, I sure remember Cornish Pasties, Mash and Peas, Salt and Vinegar eveerrything, Bangers and Mash, Fish Pie, Ploughman's Lunch... I was bummed to not see my favorite Sticky Toffee Pudding on the dessert menu though. :(

Tease

Because Ashland caters to an older crowd, many of the menus were a bit dated. The "top" restaurants were obviously the most expensive, but bored me with the same chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, and halibut entree choices. However, Tease seemed to be a quirky, funky little place that focused on small bites and shared plates. My mom and I felt comfortable here to sit on a massive couch with wine. We ordered small plates at our own pace, but never felt pressured to order more or all at once. The almonds and olives with orange were a nice start. The falafel, bruschetta, and tacos were delicious. We came back a second time! We had a really nice, local wine from Domaine Paradox. It was one of the best we had, but we still wish that there were more local wines on the menu. Hopefully they will be adding a few more to the menu.

Fresh Start

I have wanted to start a blog for a while now, but I couldn't decide if it would be recipes, photos, travel, or design... so why not post what I want on a whim!

I live in San Francisco, CA = one of the best cities for the freshest ingredients, and close to the most perfect California destinations.

<--- Dolores Park... oh we all wish for warm days like this allll the time.