Jimmy's Classic Drive-In Grants Pass: Review

Jimmy's Classic Drive-In...Sets The Bar! Grants Pass Oregon

By Steven Masone

On the hunt for the best burger in Southern Oregon starts with Jimmy's Classic Drive-In as the burger to beat. 
Fresh 100% ground chuck that is never frozen, the freshest produce they can find is the burger's story. But everyone knows there is a story behind every great burger. From the entire theme of classic burger-joint circa 50's rock & roll to the management and staff makes the dining experience better. The Classic rock & roll music setting the mood as soon as you walk in, the brightly pained red & white decor and black & white checker board floor puts everyone in a great mood to enjoy their visit. The long line of drive-thru customers tells it's own story also...this place is great. My first bite into my Jimmy's Classic Cheeseburger ( $4.95) I tasted the 100% Chuck immediately. If you don't taste beef right away eating a burger, your in trouble! But the burger was great. The bun was not falling apart and all the fixings were perfectly proportioned to not be overdone or underdone. Jimmy's has the burger to beat for best burger in Southern Oregon...and beyond!

NorthWest News & Review: Grants Pass Restaurant & Dining Reviews: Johnny's

NorthWest News & Review: Grants Pass Restaurant & Dining Reviews: Johnny's: By Steven  Masone     All the many years as a food, performing arts and music reviewer-critic, I can count on my hands and feet the bad r...

Wolf Creek Inn...Review.

Wolf Creek Inn...Southern Oregon's Best Kept Secret

The Original Northwest Bed & Breakfast 

By Steven Masone



Probably the most beautiful places on earth is California and Oregon coastal and mountain areas. Leaving California heading north Interstate 5, the mountain town of Ashland Oregon greets you with it's beautiful Ski area and an almost old world charm in the downtown district where great restaurants and eclectic mix of a myriad of shops that reflect Ashland's artistic community that has evolved from Ashland being host city to Southern Oregon University. World renown for it's Shakespeare Festival.

As you continue on through the Rogue valley named after it's famous Rogue River swallows you up with it's impressive wine country and pear orchards famous also as home of Harry & David of the  Bear Creek Corporation.

 The story of family-run Bear Creek Corporation traces its roots back to Sam Rosenberg, a prosperous clothier and hotel owner, who built the luxury Seattle Hotel Sorrento in Seattle in the early 1900s and traded it in 1910 for 240 acres of pear trees in southern Oregon's Rogue River valley. The orchard cost $300,000; the pears were Doyenne du Comice, a thin-skinned, easily bruised fruit hybridized in France in the 1700s and renowned for its fine texture and flavor. The Rogue River valley, with its rich volcanic soils and sunny micro climate free of frost, proved better suited to the Comice pear than its birthplace in France. Under Rosenberg's manager, the pears took first place twice at the annual New York pear show. The rest is history.

But we must keep moving through this beautiful valley because our destination this week is about an hour north up the most breathtaking mountain pine country one can find anywhere. Historic Wolf Creek Inn.

When we heard that Wolf Creek Inn hosted their first Crawdad Festival last July we contacted the new operators who have resurrected the Historic Inn from failure three years ago. As The Delta News & Review has decided to expand another e-publication into southern Oregon, owners Mark and Margrett Quist asked us to consult with them for this years festival. Because of last years success this year can double or triple and our production and promotion team is excited to get involved.

In 1975 the Inn was purchased by the state of Oregon. Local carpenters and craftsmen spent 4 years restoring the Inn to its former luster. Historians from the Oregon State Historical Preservation Office spent countless hours researching the original floor plans and wall coverings in order to return the Inn to the look and feel of the mid 1920's and recreate the atomosphere for current visitors.

Many famous folks visited the Inn, including President Hayes, Jack London, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Mary Pickford, Fredric March, Patrick Stewart, Robert Redford and Sir Anthony Hopkins, just to name just a few.

In August 1911, Jack London stayed at the Inn for several weeks, where he enjoyed hiking in the forests behind the Inn. During this time, he wrote a short story entitled "The End of the Story." He also completed  his novel "Valley Of The Moon" during another stay. Jack London's room is in the front of the Inn on the second floor, much as it would have appeared in 1911. 

I visited the Inn six years ago when it was hit and miss to find it open. I was going to do a story for the Linden Herald Newspapers but it never worked out. This week we will review all of their offerings, and legend has it their may be some "Haunting" from time past and we will keep everyone posted on that! 

                                                                                                                                   
Sitting room with great fireplace!  
"Ladies  Parlor"

http://historicwolfcreekinn.com/HistoryoftheInn.aspx

                         

"Taste Of Alaska" Grants Pass Newest Dining Experience

On The Road Again Review:"Taste Of Alaska"...Grants Pass, Oregon

By Steven Masone
    Tim and Susan Tipton, Owners "TASTE OF ALASKA"

     Grants Pass has a fledgling food trailer boom possibly in the works that will add a great dimension to the attraction of this great mountain community in Southern Oregon. As you drive into town for the first time, the welcome sign at 6th and G pronounces; "It's The Climate." Not only the climate in the meteorological sense, but it's outdoor recreational and natural beauty, the Arts, Entertainment, and some really good restaurants etc...are included in the "Climate."

    The City is trying to work out the details to support and promote food trailers and trucks that are the latest rage all over the country. Some of the great chefs of Los Angeles have even abandoned their brick and mortar establishments and are taking their culinary talents to the hungry masses who follow them religiously to their destinations utilizing social networking. It has become a cultural in-gathering as sorts where foodies and  friends meet for almost any occasion. Sports events, nightclub and music venues, plays and art events, just to name a few of the main happenings. The diversity and cross section of culinary styles and choices are endless.

    Portland Oregon also has followed suit and has started annual food trailer festivals and next week I am headed up to find a few I have heard great reports on.  

Tim and Susan Tipton, owners of "TASTE OF ALASKA" are leading the way for Grants Pass to find fame in this great culinary phenomena and if others can match their freshness and quality of preparation and ingredients, Grants Pass will add another element improving both local and tourist attractiveness to the area.

    Taste Of Alaska started in June this year at  an old gas station rented by the day for 35 bucks. After a month of weekends with great feedback from customers,Taste of Alaska went full time. Now located at 6th & Kst.

 Crab Buoys, Deep fried hamburgers, Sushi with pickled fish,Sockeye Salmon, King crab tail, halibut,Ling Cod. Grilled salad made with all organic veggies bought local with pickled fish on top.Bear drop which is a blend of Oreo cookies, Gram crackers and Philly cream cheese blended all together into a dough then frozen into a cookie then dropped into a homemade dipping batter then deep fried then covered in a chocolate sauce with powdered sugar on top. 

Crab buoys are made out of a fresh made crab cakes mix from scratch with a scratch made garlic butter wrapped in a home made dough from scratch deep fried in rice bran oil cooled then served with a home made dipping sauce called Tim's Secret Sauce. 

I sampled the Crab Buoys and the Bear Drop. This was delicious and a refreshing new experience as I am very leery of deep fried foods being too greasy. But Tim assured me he and wife Susan spent hours and trial after trial to perfect the batter cake not to soak up the oil. And they should patent it! It was amazingly more like a sauteed-steamed crab cake. The texture and inside temperature was perfect. The crab meat is from the tail so as to deep fry better and the Bear Drop was sweet rich and delicious. Choc-o-holics delight! 

I am told the deep fried burgers are the bomb! 

There are the OMG Grilled Sandwich, Crab bacon and Cheddar melt, Pear bacon cheddar melt, And the Smokey Cheese melt. With specials through the week as well, Fisherman's Grub, Crab Crawl, Fish Taco's and a few others.

Newest location 6TH and K St  in Grants Pass 

I am looking forward to trying everything on this great menu soon!   see theirwebsite FB Page facebook.com/tasteofalaska