Gone Fishing

The Scoop is on hiatus :). In case you haven't noticed...there haven't been any posts in awhile. The Scoop hopes to be back, but for now, you'll have to explore on your own!

The Scoop's on the Holly's Side

You should totally check out this post about the Holly Theater renovation by George Kramer, who's from Ashland.

The Scoop does not claim to have an in-depth understanding of the specific issues at hand. That being said, the Craterian's whole argument is bunk. Providing another entertainment venue in the collection of vacant buildings that is now downtown Medford can only be helpful. Hopefully, it really does provide affordable entertainment that lots of people feel they can spare a few bucks to take advantage of.

And beyond that, since when is "They shouldn't be allowed to open because they might put us out of business" a reasonable argument? If the Craterian (or the Holly) were to go out of business because it can't compete, that's survival of the fittest, baby. The consumer should make that decision, not some cranky board of directors that refuses to change with the times.

Southern Oregon Food Scene Gains National Notice

Our little Rogue Valley is getting noticed on the national food scene. Of course, Harry & David has been a house name for years for fattening cubicle-dwellers on corporate gift baskets, and the wine industry has been gaining some notoriety, but lately a bunch of smaller artisan food businesses are making a splash.

Examples:

• Rogue Creamery. Best cheese in the world?! Best American blue?
  
• Lillie Belle Farms has snagged its share of press mentions and awards
  
• Gary West, to be featured on the Today Show
• Caldera Brewing Co in Ashland, mentioned in Bon Appetit and won some award in Germany
  

That's without mentioning the gobs of small family farms and folks who sell at the growers markets.

It's no longer uncommon to flip through a magazine like Sunset (which is regional, of course, but "The West" is kind of a big region) and see products from our neck'a the woods mentioned or recommended.

All of this is very exciting, since the Rogue Valley needs to find another industry that can sustain life like timber used to. Combine the interest in sustainability, a climate that's tailor-made for growing and some talented food makers, and we've got a recipe for some very yummy success.

What's your favorite artisan/small food spot in the valley? In the name of all that is candied, fermented and otherwise delicous, DO NOT say something idiotic like Hometown Buffet or Papa Murphy's.

Local Site Review: Rogue Valley Gardener

So...The Scoop is fully aware of having made this promise before, but we're back. For real. And the first item on the agenda is a quick review of a home-grown gardening site called the Rogue Valley Gardener.

Since we all know that gardening in Southern Oregon is different due to our fantabulous climate, it is really exciting to have a resource that's just for our region. Having the OSU Extension is great and all, but let's be honest, life is online these days. And it's a pain to have to call someone with a gardening question.

Enter the forums on the Rogue Valley Gardener, or RVG as they call themselves. Sign yourself up (and make a donation!! Support local biz!) and post your question. In the meantime, mosey on over to the "garden community" and show off some pictures of your garden, join a group and connect with other garden nerds in the area. Cool, huh?

As The Scoop noted above, RVG is entirely funded by donations. If you like it and you'll use it, support it with a few bucks! (Yeah, you. We know you've been shelling out for one of those billy-club-sized candy canes every time you go to Bimart.)

The Scoop loves to see the Rogue Valley entering the 21st century by acknowledging that the interwebz.com exists. Kudos to the folks behind RVG (who are they? We don't exactly know. Verrrry mysterious.) for making a place online for our the denizens of our fair valley to yak about one of their favorite topics: growing stuff.

Southern Oregon Hotels - The Scoop's top 5 Medford Oregon hotels

Coming in from out of town to visit Southern Oregon this year? The Scoop has you covered. We've done our pillow research, chatted up some visitors and locals to put together our top hotels for your trip to Southern Oregon. This is round one (we cover top Medford Oregon hotels first) of what will likely be a few reviews on hotels best suited for your stay in Southern Oregon. If you disagree or have a different suggestion share it in the comments below!

The Local Dish - Reviewed

We all love to eat right? The Scoop certainly does and it's for that very reason that Southern Oregon grown foodie website - The Local Dish - is our first business review of the new year. Whether your a hardcore food fan or someone who simply enjoys the occasional binge eating, TLD has you covered.



The meat of the site prawns from the basics - (shameless I know). You can find tips for cooking (recipes, videos, how-to's,) tips for growing food (growing herbs and veggies, working on raised garden beds, etc.) as well as videos, restaurant reviews and a variety of other tasty informational morsels. Navigation is simple and easy, keeping with the basic tabs we have all grown accustom too.

Recently the site has been pushing its new blog. As The Local Dish works to make a national name, owner Barb Magee has brought in a variety of bloggers from popular food areas in the country (San Fran, Chicago, Portland...) that are sure to get you in the mood to try something new. There have been rumblings of even bigger changes in the future and we'll be watching to see what TLD cooks up as it works to bring local food communities to the national stage.

Just a Short Update

To all the faithful (no matter how few :) ) readers: The Scoop will be back after the winter hiatus in the near future. Thanks for taking a look and if you like what you see throw a link this way and tell your friends!