pablosnachos: A first post and a dream job

Where to begin? I love my friends, to travel, eating food and to write. Deep down I dream that someone, somewhere will read my adventures and that before I can imagine it, I'm being paid to enjoy food and travel and share my exploits with others. Until that day comes, I hope my friends who weren't with me will enjoy my exploits and join me next time.

This weekend I left the Willamette Valley, which is full of fun and food, to mix it up in Florence and Ashland. I'm not sure which I love more, people or food. I think much of it depends on how enjoyable each is. This weekend contained food and people that can't be measured on any scale because the combinations will never be repeated and were awesome.

To begin my trip, I booked it south immediately after work and arrived without having eaten around 9 in Florence at my most generous host's house. I enjoyed the company, conversations, jokes and munching on fresh pineapple, cantaloupe, red grapes, and chilled cheese tortellini while making snacks for the house warming soiree the following day. I was also introduced to some new cheeses and salami that tasted just fine with the beer handed to me. It was a nice, light and tasty end to a very long day. After waking up and breaking in the kettle bells that they had in boxes and doing a little exercise, I went into the kitchen and enjoyed an espresso and scrambled eggs with zucchini, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and melted extra sharp cheddar. A great way to start the day. After spending a couple hours doing ministry work with some rambunctious 11-14 year-olds, I was surprised when my host took me to a roach coach by the highway. Now, I've had some amazing food from taco trucks, but I've also had some very bad intestinal experiences from mobile food. I trusted my friend and the menu had a picture of a pig sporting a caption that said, "Bacon- meat candy," at Craig's BBQ, so I was already optimistic. I got a smoked brisket, pulled pork and bacon sandwich, with cheddar cheese and Craig's own spicy bbq sauce. Man, the tangy, tender and salty meats were heaven on a bun. Anytime I'm in Florence, I'll be stopping by for some deliciousness.

Immediately after consuming our meat candy, there was a table laden with snacks and finger foods at the housewarming. The ginger snaps and meatballs were my favorites, but there were also cupcakes, fruit kebabs, spinach pastries, cheeses, crackers, and just a wonderful medley to satisfy any palate, and there were even gluten free options! I truly know some talented people who enjoy food just as much as me. The short hours spent in Florence were filled with sunshine, deliciousness, laughter and jokes, but I had an itinerary and other places to go and people to see, so I got back on the road and headed down to Ashland.

Upon arriving I found out my buddy was still working so his brothers kept me entertained until he got home and then we left to a nice dinner party with lots of new people. Now, I've already munched and snacked and eaten plenty of food, but upon walking into the house I smell tasty Mexican food and see pastries on the counter. Even better, unbeknownst to me, a tray of of jalepeno, cream cheese and bacon poppers was put in the oven when as soon as our group of dudes walked through the door. After many hours of games, laughs, and food I crashed again. Even with all the late nights, driving, food, exercise and social interaction I wake up when the sun comes up. After doing some bible study for services on Sunday, my buddy finally crawled out of bed and harassed me for being up so early. Well, since I'm up early and haven't been to Ashland for years, why not have some good eats in town? He provided me several options and after driving into downtown we went to The Mix, where I had a vanilla latte and a ham, cream cheese, and herb pastry. A great, not too heavy start to the day so that I wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of the congregation. I'd forgotten what small-town congregations were like, and instantly felt at home since I was raised in a small artsy town. After services my buddies arranged for some food at what turned out to be the culinary highlight of my entire trip. Smithfields Restaurant in Ashland is worth a trip and stay in town just to eat every meal for a weekend from their menu. The waitress referred to us as "the dudes" because several of our group ordered a meal called "Neal's Brekkie" which consisted of duck fat fried potatoes, corned beef, collard greens, and egg and an amazing white gravy with a side tankard of worcestershire sauce. The combination of flavors will never be forgotten and not a single plate had even a speck of food. Also, the portions were practically perfect, leaving each of us satisfied but not stuffed.

Now comes Sunday night, tomorrow is Labor Day and everything is open until midnight because the town is packed, every hotel is at capacity and there are amazing smells coming from every restaurant in town. I'm just one man, and even though us "dudes" can eat, we've already been chowing all day, me especially, so I can't go everywhere in one night. After walking around the artistic community, and encountering many friendly business owners who were very willing to talk and give tours to a visitor, it was time to start feeding my face again. I ended up at Standing Stone Brewery, which had a cool industrial feel due to the seating being around, above, under and in between the brewing vats. Our group got a nice outdoor seat because it was a perfect summer night with a comfy breeze. We had plans to enjoy sushi later for FREE because one of the guy's sister worked at a sushi place that would be closed for Labor Day and needed to get rid of all the fish before the end of the night. Well, time for a beer sampler and some appetizers. No disappointment here, and no average cheese-stick or average cheese artichoke dip. We got wood fired brussels sprouts, wood fired artichoke spinach dip, and the most delicious wood fired oysters I've ever had. The sprouts were cooked, but crispy, the dip was savory, but not too heavy or creamy, and the oysters came in the shell and we fought over who got the biggest ones after randomly grabbing the first bites. I was pleasantly surprised by their Noble Stout, an aromatic and robust brew that uses beans from the local Noble Coffee Roaster. Well, we polished off our brews and appetizers so it was time to head over to Kobe - Modern Japanese. As we approached we wondered if my buddy's sister was able to save us some seats at the bar because it was PACKED. Amazingly enough, as trendy and modern and warm as the restaurant was, the staff and patrons accommodated us at the bar in front of the sushi chefs, of which, one was my new friend's little sister. To say the rolls, fish, vegetables, and drinks were satisfactory would be an understatement. I got some kind of ginger martini, spicy tuna, tempura veggies and we shared some seviche that was a fantastic interpretation of a Latin dish. The wasabi was far fresher and had a better kick than the places in my home town and we had quite a few laughs with the staff and stayed until the place closed up. A grand evening you might say, but wait! I haven't been to Ashland for ten years and there's still an English Pub called the Black Sheep that serves Scotch Eggs, which I've never had. Away we go! To cap off an awesome night and help my buddy's little sis relax, we start off with some Irish Car bombs and then we all sample the Scotch Egg, a hard boiled, sausage covered, breaded, and then deep-friend concoction drizzled with some spicy mustard. Looking at it, smelling it, at first, I wonder what it is that I've gotten myself into, but was pleasantly surprised at how well it all works in my mouth. As we're chatting and laughing I partake of and share a local hard apple cider that wasn't too dry or too sweet and capped off the night nicely. Tomorrow finally comes and we all decide for some sleep and head off to our homes, but wait! Earlier in the day my buddy and I had purchased an intriguing looking peach ale from a brewery in South Carolina at the local co-op grocery store. Son of a Peach from RJ Rockers Brewing was delightfully citrus and refreshing. A great night cap to a great day.

Well, my final day in town has arrived, before too long I'll have to hit the road and head back to reality and preparing for work and the daily grind, but first I have to go to Noble Coffee and partake of the roast that contributed to the tasty brew from the night before. Noble Coffee was packed and they don't just have baristas, they employ coffee artists. They paid attention to the grind, the water pressure, the foam and temperature on every drink and didn't just make a coffee, but also created designs in the foam. They were less concerned with the quantity of drinks, but with the quality of every cup for every person. After getting some liquid awesomeness, we needed to find a place to eat. Many of the known, "best" spots were sadly closed for the holiday, but we ended up at a cool little shop called Ruby's. For just $6 we got some substantial breakfast burritos that were not greasy or microwaved and the house "rooster" sauce had a good kick and flavor.

Sadly, the morning turned to afternoon, and after eating and exploring and laughing and joking with friends new and old, discovering delicious eats, looking at beautiful art, and swimming and having more fun than should be allowed in just two short days, I had to hit the road. I will return soon, I will eat and snowboard, and enjoy the company of awesome people and new places and new activities.