Best of Medford 2009 - Restaurants
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Few things in life are better than going out for a nice meal. You sit down and someone brings you food…and they even take away the dirty dishes when you’re done.
This year our readers honored Pomodori Ristortante located at 1789 Stewart Avenue and owned by John Bartow, Jeff Lindow and Josef Banuelos. John and Jeff originated The Cadillac Cafe back in 1994 (it was first called Holly Cafe before they moved to bigger location in 1996 and named it The Cadillac Café). They sold the business in 2005 and moved to Florence, OR, where they started the first Pomodori, which they still own and operate today. Their Medford restaurant opened for business on August 1, 2008, and according to our readers, it is the best new restaurant in town.
And in a close second was the Pita Pit located at 1740 Delta Waters Road.
BEST BREAKFAST
Breakfast has become a national institution in this country, right up there with baseball, Smokey the Bear, and I Love Lucy reruns. It plays an indispensable part of our daily routine by padding the day with as many calories as possible, convincing the brain to get out of sleep mode.
As for good breakfasts, our readers go to Black Bear Diner located at 1150 E. Barnett Rd.
The Top Six included:
• Elmers.
• Parkside Café.
• Grilla Bites.
• Roosters.
• Dolly Vardens.
BEST LUNCH
If you’ve ever watched Sex and the City, you’ll know that Carrie Bradshaw and the girls regularly meet at New York’s finest for lunch rendezvouses (and to compare notes on the guys). Life in Medford is not such a soap opera, but we still have our favorite places for lunch, topped by the number one choice—Grilla Bites, owned by Harlan Ward and located at 226 E. Main in historic downtown Medford.
It was a ferocious battle for number one, and the Top Seven were actually pretty close. They were:
• Sophia’s Soup Factory.
• Jasper’s.
• Mongolian BBQ.
• Deli Down.
• Squeeze Inn.
• Si Casa Flores.
BEST FRENCH TOAST
My 18-year-old cousin took a 3-week school exchange in France last summer, and believe it or not, she never ordered French Toast once. They probably have some weird, French-sounding name for it anyway, so who cares?
But where to got for that perfect French Toast, Medford style? Our readers most often named Parkside Café located at 110 Hawthorne St.
Others catching a lot of attention were:
• Elmers.
• Black Bear Diner.
• Sharis.
MOST ROMANTIC PLACE TO HAVE DINNER
There doesn’t have to be strolling minstrels or candlelit tables for two in a dark corner, but just enough mood to make you pull out that diamond ring and propose marriage. Just kiddin’ about that last part, but it does help to have some subdued lighting, a little mood music, and a waitstaff willing to do anything short of washing your car for you.
Topping the list for 2009 was Porters Dining at the Depot located at 147 N. Front Street.
The Top Six were:
• Café Dejeuner.
• Elements.
• Vinny’s Italian Kitchen.
• 38 Central.
• Red Rock Italian Eatery
BEST PLACE TO TAKE THE OFFICE OUT TO LUNCH:
For some, the lunch hour is the most sacred of the day. Sixty minutes away from the jammed-up fax machine and the constant ringing of phones. That’s 3,600 seconds of peace. And you’ll be damned to waste that precious time at a restaurant chosen willy-nilly. No sir, much mental planning goes into what very well could be the most important decision of the day.
This year the honor goes to Sophia’s Soup Factory located in the Medford Center next to Tinsletown.
The Top Five were:
• Grilla Bites.
• Bonsai Teriyaki.
• Squeeze Inn Sandwich Shop.
• Kaleidoscope Pizzeria.
BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS TO DINNER:
The Prince of the Kingdom of Lesotho just happens to make a surprise weekend visit at your house while on his way to Fiji. Your sink is full of the past week’s dirty dishes and the only edible item in your fridge is a single stalk of celery. You better find a good restaurant, and fast.
Where to go? Our readers picked Porters Dining at the Depot located at 147 N. Front Street.
The Top Five were:
• 38 Central.
• Elements.
• Jacksonville Inn.
• Noho’s Hawaiian Café.
RESTAURANT WITH MOST EXOTIC MENU
It’s always fun to walk into a restaurant and see new things on the menu, especially when they’re things you’ve never even heard of before. Whether it’s some kind of pork dish from Brazil or a Morrocan Meatball Sandwich, we love to try out interesting, exotic dishes from around the world.
Taking down top honors in this category was Bambu Asian Café & Wine Bar located at 970 N. Phoenix Rd.
The Top Five were actually pretty close and they included:
• Oh’s Osaka.
• India’s Palace.
• Elements.
• The Wharf.
BEST SELECTION OF STEAKS:
When mankind domesticated cattle and started having a steady supply of filet mignon and T-bone steaks, it took civilization to a whole new level. Not only could our bodies get strong enough to build pyramids and World Trade Centers, but in our leisure time we invented such things as wheels, iPhones, and cable TV.
Okay, maybe steaks weren’t that important, but they certainly played a role. Where do our readers go when they want that perfect cut of beef? The runaway winner in this category was Porters Dining at the Depot located at 147 N. Front Street.
They were followed by:
• McAndrew’s Avenue Grill.
• Outback Steakhouse.
• Original Roadhouse Grill.
FAVORITE MEXICAN RESTAURANT
One great benefit of the recent immigration of people from Mexico is the outstanding lineup of Mexican-style restaurants available in the valley. They range from small taco establishments to vast, family-style dining, and they greet everyone with the friendly, Latin-American exuberance that they’re famous for.
All of the local Mexican restaurants were named in this survey, but the top stop goes to Si Casa Flores.
Once again, the Top Six was very close, and they included:
• Casa Ramos.
• Guadalajara.
• Tarasco.
• Muchas Gracias.
• Senor Sams.
FAVORITE MARGARITAS:
Tequila. Triple Sec. Lime juice. Sounds pretty simple, eh? Well, drink-making fledglins, the International Bartenders Association recommends a 7:4:3 ratio. So the next time you’re eyeballing it, make sure that it’s 50% tequila, 29% Triple Sec and 21% fresh lime juice. And then there are other liquids, such as Cointreau, Patron Citronge or blue curacao, that can be used to spice up the traditional drink.
And serving up our reader’s favorite margarita for the second year in a row is Habaneros Mexican Restaurant located at 142 N. Front Street in downtown Medford.
The Top Five included:
• Casa Ramos.
• Si Casa Flores.
• Guadalajara.
• El Arriero.
BEST SUSHI:
Sometimes I wish all foods came rolled up and cut into bite-sized pieces. We wouldn’t need steak knifes, forks or spoons. Hmm, I think I may be on to something…
Best Sushi in 2009 goes to Oh’s Osaka located at 35 N Central in downtown Medford.
The Top Five included:
• Wasabi.
• Bonsai Teriyaki.
• Shiki Four Season.
• Gen Kai.
FAVORITE ASIAN RESTAURANT
The current population of Asia has topped 4,000,000,000. We’re lucky here in Medford to have some really incredible Asian restaurants, and our readers thought so too, naming 19 different establishments.
After the last vote was counted, there was a tie between the Silver Dragon, located at 1011 Spring Street, and Bambu Asian Café & Wine Bar located at 970 N. Phoenix Rd.
The Top Ten included.
• Ali’s Thai Kitchen.
• Oh’s Osaka.
• Shoji’s.
• Mongolian BBQ.
• Asian Grill.
• Bonsai Teriyaki.
• Wasabi.
• Thai Bistro.
FAVORITE ITALIAN RESTAURANT
You don’t have to win an academy award like Audrey Hepburn did in Roman Holiday to enjoy a great Italian restaurant. Nor will you need to have Gregory Peck show you around. No, all you’ll need to do is follow the directions of our readers, who voted Rosario’s Italian Restaurant as this year’s favorite.
The top spot was extremely competitive as both Vinny’s Italian Kitchen and Red Rock Italian Eatery were hot on their heals. Pomodori Ristorante rounded out the Top Four.
BEST SELECTION OF PIZZA
Dean Martin used to sing about a connection between love and pizza (“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore”), but I think he might’ve had one martini too many. Pizza … love … nah! Hunger maybe. Although it is possible that some delivery guy met his future wife while making the rounds.
And when it comes to great selection of pizza, our readers picked Kaleidoscope Pizzeria and Pub located at 3084 Crater Lake Hwy.
Others mentioned a lot were:
• Jackson Creek Pizza Co.
• Wild River Brewing and Pizza Co.
• Red Rock Italian Eatery.
• Bruno’s Pizza & Pasta.
RESTAURANT WITH FRIENDLIEST WAITSTAFF
It’s a classic tale of two cities in a restaurant. Outside in the dining room, mellow music is playing and everything seems sedate and organized. Then you venture back to the waitress station and kitchen, and total chaos reigns. Orders are flying everywhere, the cooks are feverishly playing with oil and fire, dishwashers are like perpetual motion machines, bus people are bringing in the old and taking out the new, and the waitstaff are only praying that nothing breaks down or that they run out of the Meatloaf Special.
Our readers named 24 different restaurants in this survey, reserving their number one accolades for the folks at Sophia’s Soup Factory.
Others dear to their hearts were:
• Kaleidoscope Pizzeria & Pub.
• Grilla Bites.
• Vinny’s Italian Kitchen.
• Black Bear Diner.
BEST BAGELS/BREAD IN TOWN:
Bread is a mysterious thing. Imagine 12,000 years ago when humans had no idea what yeast was, let alone have electric mixers, convection ovens or grain mills. I wish I was there for that “ah ha” moment when a little smashed up grain accidentally got wet, perhaps stuck to a rock near the fire and viola, bread.
Running away with the number one spot this year was Great Harvest Bread Company located at the corner of Jackson and Genessee and owned by Lisa and Dan Allen.
The Top Five included:
• Ahuva Bagels.
• Artisan Bakery Café.
• Grand Central Bagel.
• Grilla Bites.
BEST PIES/DESSERTS
We all know about Johnny Appleseed, but few people recognize his second cousin, Norman Cherrypit. He traveled the country as a sword swallower in a circus, and during his time off would plant cherry trees throughout the countryside. His recipe for cherry pie was a closely guarded secret and rumor has it that the War of 1812 was fought to stop the British from gaining control of the cherry trade. Don’t believe me? Just Google it.
According to our pie-loving readers, the best place to go would be Artisan Bakery Café located at 1325 Center Drive.
Other great pies and desserts can be found at:
• Yummykake.
• Great Harvest.
• 38 Central.
• Donut Country.
BEST SOUPS AND SALADS
They go together like Ozzie and Harriet, like Cagney & Lacey, like Barry Bonds and the asterick. They can also be a complete meal in themselves, which makes them so appealing.
Spooning up the number one spot for the 2009 was Sophia’s Soup Factory located in the Medford Center.
Also receiving lots of votes were:
• Grilla Bites.
• Deli Down.
• Squeeze Inn.
BEST APPETIZERS
You just got back from climbing Grizzly Peak with Hillary Clinton (or was that Sir Edmund Hillary? And was she really named after him?), and you’re famished. You walk into the restaurant, not even wanting to wait for the main course. Where would our readers recommend that you can find the best appetizers?
Topping the charts this year was Elements Tapas Bar and Lounge located at 101 E Main Street in downtown Medford.
BEST FISH & CHIPS
The Brits aren’t exactly well-known for their food, but we do have to thank them for introducing Fish & Chips to the world. Now if we could just get their soccer fans to behave a little bit, the world would be a better place.
Anyway, sweeping their way to the top in this category was The Wharf, owned by the Kenyon family and located at 827 W. Jackson Street. After taking the photo of Medford’s “Best Fish & Chips,” I had the privilege of consuming the subject matter (devouring is a more accurate description of what I did to that basket). Being a self-proclaimed fish & chip aficionado, I wholeheartedly agree with our readers’ pick in this category.
The list also included:
• McGrath’s.
• 4 Daughters.
• Howiee’s on Front.
BEST SELECTION OF SANDWICHES
The simple definition of sandwich is “two pieces of bread with stuff inside.” But it can get a lot more complex that that … just ask Dagwod Bumstead. First of all, there are all kinds of bread, then you have to decide on what kind of meat, cheese and condiments to include. Or whether you want it heated, etc., etc.
And when it comes to a great selection of sandwiches, our readers voted in Squeeze Inn Sandwich Shop, located at 616 Crater Lake Avenue.
The Top Six in this category included:
• Grilla Bites.
• Deli Down.
• R & D’s Sandwich Factory.
• Artisan Bakery Café.
• Sophia’s Soup Factory.
FAVORITE COFFEEHOUSE
The first coffee bean was domesticated in the Kaffa region of Ethiopia 3,000 years ago. Little did they know that a mere three millennia later, millions of Americans would be willing to pluck down $4 for a 16-ounce caramel latte supreme with extra cream and a half-bagel to go.
The competition was fierce, but when it comes to fun coffeehouses, our readers picked the Human Bean. And in second by a thin layer of frothed milk was Mellelo Coffee Roasters on West Main Street in downtown Medford.
The Top Five featured:
• Dutch Bros.
• Downtown Grounds.
• Bad Ass Coffee Co.
BEST RESTAURANT OUTSIDE MEDFORD
Yes, there are restaurants that exist outside Medford. Our readers recognize that reality, and they named 23 different ones as their favorites, from Ashland and Grants Pass to the Coast and beyond. Taking down the number one spot for 2009 was Avalon Bar & Grill, owned by Dal and Renee Carver and located at 105 Valley View Road in Talent.
Other favorites included:
• Cucina Biazzi (Ashland).
• Bella Union (Jacksonville).
• Bel Di’s On the Rogue (Shady Cove).
• Omar’s (Ashland).
• Alex’s (Ashland).
• Black Sheep (Ashland).
• Summer Jo’s (Grants Pass).
