Between the exhausting day wandering the Southern Oregon coast and that driving up to Crater Lake, we headed down I5 to Ashland to see a play at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and have a fine meal at the highly recommended Amuse restaurant. We spent most of our time Tuesday between Coos Bay and Bandon experiencing some of the most breathtaking coastline in the country, and walking on the edge of the surf on the wide, deserted beaches - Bastendorff Beach just west of Coos Bay and the beach at Kronenberg County Park just west of Bandon. As with many of the small coastal towns in Washington and California, much of the fresh seafood served is served fried, but we were able to get some delicious Dungeness Crab Sandwiches at Tony’s Crabshack in Bandon – toast, lettuce, Thousand Island Dressing, all surrounding some of the freshest crab, I’ve ever been served.
A number of friends had recommended Amuse, and I couldn’t think of a better prelude to a performance of Macbeth than eating there. The restaurant is small with a simple and restrained décor, and the service was impeccable from start to finish. Although I was prepared for good food, I hadn’t expected to have such good bread – I could have made a meal just out of their fresh Pain d’Epi and butter. After opening and pouring our Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Yamhill-Carlton region (2006 Angela from their Clawson Creek Vineyard) our waiter presented us with a few Amuse Bouche, what a way to start - see Amuse images.
Our salads were thoughtfully composed with the freshest greens, a combination of textures and flavors, the judicious use of cheeses, and dressings that counterpointed the combinations. My Seared Sonoma Duck Breast was done perfectly, - the skin was crispy and the flesh was a 'medium' pink - and combined with the French lentils and orange zest it seemed to be a ‘homey’ play on the classic Duck l’Orange - and yet it was more sophisticated at the same time! My diner companion’s Game Hen was actually my first choice, but our waiter informed us that they were from Arkansas, I decided on the duck breast. (If Portland’s Ned Ludd can source delicious game hens from Central Oregon, I wondered why the chef at Amuse was shipping them over 2000 miles?) This dish was the only let down in the entire meal; it was just a tad over cooked, and the chef was a little heavy with the black truffle oil which dominated the entire plate – the kale, fingerlings, and celery root were well prepared. The desserts were too enticingly described on the menu to pass up, and the pastry chef delivered beyond our expectations - my Beignets were just about perfect, and you can’t get any more satisfying than homemade ice cream and grilled figs.
The evening was capped off with something I had wanted to experience for decades, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It was even more of a treat for me since that evening’s performance was Macbeth, one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. The staging was incredible, and while the supporting cast was very, very strong, the principals, Peter Macon as Macbeth and Robin Goodrin Nordli as Lady Macbeth, bordered on mesmerizing. I was sure that nothing on the trip could top that evening, that is, until the next day when reached Crater Lake…
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