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We're heading out to the Pacific Northwest for a much needed vacation in August. We're basically doing Seattle, Portland, various coastal areas, and maybe head down to Bend as well. What should be on the menu in Portland? We'll probably do one upscale dinner, and then search around for some local color for our other meals. Beer, obviously, will figure heavily into the equation. Thanks, Al

I cannot stop laughing at this video. Mario Elie jaws at Danny Ainge, and Ainge (a major-league infielder) pegs Elie with an out-of-bounds pass.

Recently my husband and I spent a week on the southern Oregon Coast and we found some pretty good food � not stellar, but pretty good. Depoe Bay, Oregon On our first day we drove from Portland down to Depoe Bay to the Whale Cove Inn, just south of the town of Depoe Bay. There are hardly enough superlatives to describe this place. Less than 3 years old, the Inn is totally contemporary in design and features ocean views from every room that are stunning. When we entered our room and took it all in, I said to my husband, �Wow, this is one of the few places that exceeds my expectations!� A very large, totally private terrace with soaking tub overlooks the cove where dozens of sea otters were bobbing in the surf. On the first floor is Restaurant Beck, opened in June 2009 by Chef Justin Wills. The restaurant enjoys the same ocean views as the rooms above and dining at sunset is a magical experience. This restaurant is trying hard to be a fine dining experience, in an Oregon style. We found the service to be friendly and competent, and quite laid back. Some of the food was quite good, some just ok. A butternut squash soup was excellent, a lamb entr�e was very dry and stringy. I cannot provide more details as I did not take notes and the menu is not posted online. One thing that really surprised us was that the menu contained very few items that are actually from Oregon. The only seafood option was Maine scallops. No salmon, no other seafood from the West Coast. There were some items from a nearby farm (Barking Dog), but they were a relatively small portion of the menu. The cost of the meal was considerably less than we would have paid in DC for a similar meal without the view, so we forgave the less than perfect details. And you can�t beat the commute: 2 flights up in the elevator! Restaurant Beck 2345 S Hwy 101 Depoe Bay, OR 97341 (541) 765-3220 Reedsport, Oregon The following day we drove 4 hours south on the 101 Highway along the coast. Midway through this drive we found ourselves in Reedsport and looking for lunch. Well, folks, there ain�t much here! By chance we happened to spy a Natural Foods Store and decided to check it out. What a good find. A food store with fairly minimal offerings and a caf� with about 5 or 6 tables. They offer all kinds of coffee drinks, baked goods and some freshly-made foods. I ordered a fresh juice drink that was prepared before my eyes with produce procured from the stores� bins: carrots, beets, celery, garlic, cabbage, not sure what else. It was delicious! Also had a house-made roasted pepper soup that was really good. Husband had a Panini which he also said was delicious. Our server/cook was a young man who had recently earned his M.S. from the U of O marine biology program and is looking for a job. He was a delightful conversationalist. It was great fun to observe people come in and out of the store � this place is obviously beloved by the locals. Before departing, we bought some organic chocolate bars and a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir which turned out to be delicious. If you ever find yourself in Reedsport in need of some sustenance, I recommend: Reedsport Natural Foods 1891 Winchester Ave Reedsport, OR 97467 (541) 319-0089 Gold Beach, Oregon We spent 5 nights of our vacation at a Lodge on the Rogue River a few miles upriver from Gold Beach (Tu Tu Tun Lodge). The food at the lodge was great, but after a few days we wanted to explore lunch choices and we found some good options: There is not much going on in Gold Beach, but they have an amazing bookstore, considering the size of the town. The bookstore has a wi-fi coffee shop, but it does not offer more than coffee drinks and pastries. They recommended the Barnacle Bistro a couple of blocks down the street, so we tried it out. Frankly, the name was a bit of a turn-off. Barnacle Bistro? Those two words don�t seem to go together. Well, we are so glad we tried this place as our lunch was really good. We both had sandwiches which were served with a side of ginger slaw which was tasty and so much more welcome than fries or potato salad. Husband had something called �Horseradish Heaven� which was beef and horseradish sauce on a bun. I had a special of the day which was Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onions, Cranberries, on toasted multi-grain bread. Oh my God, that was so good. The bread clearly had a sourdough base. The bread was fantastic � very reminiscent of European bread. I asked the owner where the bread came from and he said it�s made especially for them in Coos Bay. Wow, it wouldn�t have surprised me if he said it was from Germany � it was THAT good. I also had a microbrew which was similar to a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale�very good. They have several microbrews on tap. This is a funky, down-home kind of place with friendly, casual service. If we�re ever there in the future, we�d be happy to return. Barnacle Bistro 29805 Ellensburg Ave (Hwy 101) Gold Beach, OR 97444 (541) 247-7799 Port Orford, Oregon Redfish had been recommended to us by staff at the Lodge. One day we had completed a strenuous hike just a few miles south of Port Orford, so we decided to try Redfish for a late lunch. What a delightful spot! This restaurant is relatively new � only open a few months � and has a location that many would kill for � beautiful ocean views. The interior is like an art gallery�slate floors, chairs custom-designed, artwork on the walls. Very contemporary, very sleek. Fortunately, the food we had for lunch matched the d�cor � very good. For lunch they offer soup, salad, sandwiches and hot entrees. We both had the soup of the day: tomato bisque: it was topped with a slice of emmentaler and microgreens, it looked like a piece of art, it was hard to start eating it because it was so lovely. Husband had a pulled pork sandwich on excellent bread (made specially for them in Coos Bay) and I had an arugula salad which was extremely fresh. We would love to come back here for dinner. Redfish 517 Jefferson Street Port Orford, OR 97465 (541) 366-2200

I'm starting this thread with rather meager offerings, but I promise to populate it a bit more thoroughly after future trips. Woodburn - Woodburn is home to the Woodburn Premium Outlets, which is Oregon's number one tourist attraction (NOTE: I cannot vouch for the accuracy of that statistic). So I'll assume if you're visiting Oregon you're also visiting Woodburn. And if you do, head east of the outlets and the various chain restaurants into the downtown and eat at Luis's Taqueria on Front Street. You'll be very happy you did. The majority of the city's population is Mexican, and there are a ton of Mexican restaurants and markets throughout the downtown. Luis's menu is rather extensive, and I haven't made my way through all of it. I can, however, vouch for the Pozole, which is only available on the weekends, and the tacos, all of which are fantastic. I love their tortillas. Salem - Due to location, and a real lack of decent food in this town, I end up at Bentley's a fair amount. It's ok, and you could do far worse. My family are big fans of La Margarita. I think it's good Mexican food, although much of the menu is a bit too Americanized.

Caveat Emptor Peet's, btw, is owned by JAB Holding Company of Luxembourg. Nothing like artisan coffee! (Yes, you can take this any way you wish.) Oof. <--- You should follow this guy on Twitter, btw, and take everything he says seriously.

Going to be in Bend for a few days next week. Any tips? Going to go to Deschutes, Bend Brewing Company, Crux Fermentation Project, Planker Sandwiches. Heard ethnic isn't big there, but Wild Rose has some good Northern Thai. Heard Zydeco is pretty good. Anything other that's must eat/must do? S