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We've compiled the best of the best in Southern Oregon - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
A stylish setting and a taste of impressively authentic Spanish fare—these are the draws of this handsome tapas restaurant in downtown Medford's turn-of-the-20th-century "Goldy" building. Pass around plates of mussels in romesco sauce, apricot-braised-pork empanadas, chorizo-studded Andalusian paella, and lamb-sausage flatbread, while sampling selections from the lengthy beer and cocktail menus.
Set inside a stylishly adapted former gas station, this airy and contemporary café serves exceptional espresso and tea drinks, from cardamom-rose lattes to sweetly spicy chais. The pork belly egg sandwich makes a deliciously savory start to the day.
This low-key favorite among foodies and locals lies just down the hill from Britt Gardens and serves sophisticated contemporary cuisine and a discerning selection of local and international wines. The menu changes regularly, but might feature salmon tartare with preserved lemon and furikake; or cider-brined pork chop with smoked-cheddar polenta and pomegranate pan sauce.
Set in a minimalist downtown space with bare floors, a vaulted painted-white timber ceiling, and bounteous floral arrangements, Hither serves as an inviting coffeehouse and café by day, featuring heavenly pastries and artfully composed egg dishes and tartines. Or at lunchtime enjoy an Italian sandwich (with Olympic Provisions meats) and a glass of natural wine on the pleasant side patio.
Sustainability is the name of the game at this lively breakfast and lunch café in downtown Grants Pass, with a cozy dining room of colorfully painted tables and mismatched chairs, and a large adjacent patio with picnic tables and lush landscaping. The kitchen sources from local farms and purveyors to create beer-battered fried chicken and waffles, kale Caesar salads, and line-caught-fish tacos with seasonal slaw and homemade salsa.
Book ahead several days—or even weeks for Friday and Saturday—for the chance to dine at this intimate prix-fixe restaurant that features the modern, farm-to-table culinary masterpieces of young and extraordinary chef-owner Josh Dorcak. Feasts generally of 6 to 10 courses are available, with the seats at the cozy and lively chef's counter the most desirable—wine and sake pairings are available. Recent plates have included cured trout with nasturtium and roe and local quail with preserved fruits.
Inventive contemporary Korean food with locally sourced ingredients are the star at this intimate and romantic neighborhood bistro. Highlights include braised short rib–pork dumplings with scallion-soy-chili oil, and bibimbap with tofu, spinach, egg, and steelhead roe.
This dapper, art-filled space lends a bit of urbane sophistication to downtown Grants Pass. In addition to pouring varietals from throughout the Umpqua and Rogue valleys, Twisted Cork carries wines from more than 120 wineries throughout the Northwest, along with a few from California, and it offers a menu of small plates ideal for sharing as well as creative and quite affordable larger plates, including pomegranate-cinnamon flank steak, ginger-glazed salmon, and wild-mushroom flatbread with butternut-mint hummus.
