Looking to relax this Thanksgiving and spend time with friends and family, rather than the hustle and bustle of the kitchen? Washington County has got you covered!

Black Bear Diner

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Price: $16.99
Reservations: Not available

Menu: Your choice of Traditional Slow Roasted Turkey or Prime Rib with soup or salad and traditional stuffing, mashed potatoes, fresh carrots, homemade corn bread, homemade bread pudding, soft drink, coffee or iced tea.

Gustav's

Hours: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Price: Not available
Reservations: Recommended

Menu: Rotisserie turkey, creamy homemade mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing, giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, homemade pumpkin pie.

Hayden's Lakefront Grill

Hours: Not available  
Price: $24.95 adults, $19.95 seniors, $10.95 children 10 and under.
Reservations: Recommended

Menu - Salad Selections: Broccoli, Raisin, Walnut, and Goat Cheese Salad, Tossed Salad with Ranch or Balsamic, Caesar Salad, Waldorf salad. Entree Selections: Sliced Roast Turkey, Gravy, and Cranberry, Sliced Roast Pit Smoked Ham with Mustard Sauce, Prime Rib, Horseradish Sauce, Au Jus, Herb Roasted Halibut. Side Selections: Mixed Steamed Vegetables, Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots, Roasted Winter Squash, and Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing, Maple Mashed Sweet Potato with Caramelized Pecans. Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Freshly Baked Potato Rolls. Dessert Selections: Pumpkin Pie, Assorted Cheesecake Bites, Petite Fours, Cookies, Apple Pie. Chocolate Caramel Bread Pudding

McMenamin's Grand Lodge

Hours: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Price: $23.95 adults, $18.95 seniors, $11.95 kids 6-12, free for kids 5 and under
Reservations: Required

Menu: Grandma's relish tray, mixed green salad with dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, and honey roasted pecans. Roasted sweet potatoes with brown sugar glaze, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, French green beans with brown butter and roasted garlic, traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, cider-brined leg of pork with maple mustard sauce, homemade apple crisp, pumpkin pie with Chantilly cream, fresh baked rolls & butter.

Newport Seafood Grill

Hours:  Not available
Price: $18

Menu: Traditional Turkey Dinner featuring slow roasted all natural free-range turkey, cornbread and sausage stuffing, parmesan buttermilk mashed potatoes, fresh cranberry relish, roasted vegetables and house made gravy.

Whether you spend your Thanksgiving in Washington County, or elsewhere, we wish you a restful and relaxing holiday!

The Beaverton Farmers' Market season comes to a close with The Harvest Market on Saturday, November 22, a celebratory day featuring the end of the season's harvest in a grand way.  This is the last chance to shop for market specialties before the holidays. Customers stock up on hand made  foods for holiday cooking, as well as beautiful hand-crafted wreaths and swags, natural table décor, hostess gifts, hand made gourmet gifts and more.  The Harvest Market is a tradition, always popular, featuring many artisans who create products just for holiday dining and decorating.

The Market is especially excited to welcome back radio personality Mike Darcy, KXL's garden expert, sponsored by New Season's Market, who will be broadcasting live from the Market. Market-goers and listeners are encouraged to ask Mike their gardening questions and get advice from one of the Pacific Northwest's most popular garden guru.

At 10am,  a James Beard Chef of the Year,  Vitaly Paley, chef/owner of Portland's Paley's Place Bistro, will sign his new  cookbook "Paley's Place Cookbook," published in October 2008, created in collaboration with local cooking teacher and Chef Robert Reynolds.  Chef Paley's comes to the Market following a media tour in New York City to promote his cookbook, which we understand is 'flying off the shelves.' Buy a cookbook at the market, or bring yours for award-winning Chef Paley to sign. 

The Harvest Market will be the final market until May 2009, the last chance to gather ingredients for one of the most important meals of the year - Thanksgiving. As Market Master Ginger Rapport says, "This is the time for comfort food, to get out the soup pot, the casserole dishes and Dutch ovens!"  The market farmers will be selling ingredients for fall menus, everything from chilies to cheese, dark breads and meats, to root vegetables and beans, apples, pears and more. Local artisans have created stunning holiday tabletop and door décor especially for the Harvest Market.  To the Season!

Autumn is finally here! The crisp, cool air. Golden and rust-colored leaves falling from the trees. The smell of wood-burning fireplaces. This truly is my favorite season, which also happens to coincide with one of my favorite - and most versatile - fruits: apples.

Until I moved to Oregon, I only thought there were about a dozen or so types of apples: Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Gala, Rome, Granny Smith, Jonathon and my all-time favorite, McIntosh (yum).  I was surprised to learn that there were more than 25 varieties of apples, many of which I've never heard of before. Akane, Gravenstein, King, Liberty, Spitzenberg...and list goes on.

In Washington County, we're blessed to have several apple orchards that sell these wondrous apples. One of my favorite places for apples is the Smith Berry Barn. Don't let the name fool you, although it's known for U-pick berries, in the fall they sell ready-picked apples, lots of 'em, and they host the annual Apple Fest each October.

A couple of weekends ago, my mother and I drove down to Smith Berry Barn to pick up some apples at their annual Apple Fest (they only sell their apples at the store, not at the local farmers' markets). Of course, as with any trip to the Smith Berry Barn, I snagged some other things as well, such as seedless raspberry jam made from the Smith Berry Barn's own berries, and bought some useful kitchen tools that will most likely sit in a drawer unused, since I don't cook.

After snacking on apple sausage and imbibing hot apple cider, we set off for the Oregon Heritage Farms, located not far from the Smith Berry Barn. There, we found various different varieties of apples, of which my mother purchased to go into her delicious apple pie.

After sampling dozens of varieties of apples, I suddenly was inspired by the many apple dishes I could try.  This just may be the year that I dust off that apron and start baking again. Apple crisp, baked apples, applesauce, apple betty...the possibilities are endless.

By Sylke Neal-Finnegan

  Beaverton Bakery is a Washington County institution. Not long after I started working at the WCVA, one of my colleagues brought in donuts for the office; we chopped them up and tried some of each (my favorite was the Maple Bar). I've stopped by the convenient downtown Beaverton location a few times  since then, and everything from the apple pie to the pineapple upside down cake has been amazing. This weekend, however, the Beaverton Bakery staff truly outdid themselves. I threw a baby shower for my dear friend and co-worker, Cherie, and I asked the bakery to match their nursery theme, "Monkeying Around," and include two baby monkeys for Cherie and her husband's twin boys. The result was unbelievable! Two adorable monkeys, bananas in hand, lounged in a hammock strung between two palm trees. It was tough to make the first slice when it came time to cut the cake, because we didn't want to ruin it, but boy was it worth it! The marble cake was moist and dense, the marbled fudge and cream cheese filling was scrumptious, and there was just the right amount of frosting. If you get a chance to stop by Beaverton Bakery while you're visiting, you will definitely not regret it!

By Julia Adam

The annual Oregon Bounty program, which celebrates the state's awesomely rich agricultural goodness, launched this month. This statewide program is a great way for folks to experience first-hand the region's culinary delights, local cuisine, fruits, coffees, wines, saké, etc. And for those who didn't know, Oregon produces A LOT of beer, wine, distilled spirits (including Absinthe), tea, coffee and the list goes on.

I was very excited when the Oregon Bounty trail hit Washington County with a networking party at SakéOne in Forest Grove. The event, hosted by Travel Portland, was attended by several folks who work in the Portland Metro region, including some of our colleagues and stakeholders, such as Lois Hornberger with Pacific University and Amanda Robinson with McMenamins Grand Lodge.

SakéOne president, Steve Boone, and the incomparable Jennifer Brownstein, tasting room manager, were on hand to greet guests, lead tours of the kura (saké brewery) and to share their incredible saké with guests.

In true Bounty style, a variety of Oregon delights were paired with a flight of saké. It's amazing how great SakéOne's G "Joy" goes with buffalo jerky from L-Bar-T Bison Ranch, and how cashew boules from Moonstruck Chocolates makes a perfect sweet treat when paired with Momokawa Organic Nigori saké.

If you haven't visited the folks at SakéOne, I highly recommend it. The saké is amazing, and will it dispel any misconceptions you may have about saké, which is more versatile that people may think. Plus, you, too, can enjoy the saké parings with some of Oregon's best culinary delights for just $10 per person through November 30.

By Sylke

By Julia

I'm still behind schedule on this blogging thing, but I'm trying to get better! So Cherie and I were lucky enough to have some great site tours last week, and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you all. Tuesday we visited the Bamboo Garden which is a great spot for you if you (a) love bamboo - they have over 300 varieties! - or if you (b) love the outdoors. In addition to bamboo, the property is filled with an interesting variety of fruit trees and flowers which attract hummingbirds. Schedule a tour in advance and someone will be available to show you around; it's definitely worth planning ahead. Oh, and be prepared, because the last mile or so to the property is unpaved, though the road is still perfectly passable. On the way back, we stopped in North Plains at the Rogue Brew Pub & Eatery for some sandwiches (though unfortunately not for a brew - being on the clock as we were). The place isn't fancy, but it was good, and the service was great.

Now, hold onto your hats, because I know some of you are going to be really excited about this one! After lunch, we got a special tour at Roloff Farms! For all of you who aren't familiar with the TLC show Little People, Big World, I'll clue you in. The Roloffs are a family of six, four of whom are Little People. They run a farm here in Washington County, and they open to the public during pumpkin season when they offer tours and pumpkin picking. They've expanded their season this year and will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10am-6pm, September 27 through October 26. Matt Roloff was kind enough to take us on a tour in the Mule, and I'll just bet that the place is a whole lot of fun when the big orange pumpkins are dotting the fields and kids are hopped up on pre-Halloween candy. If you're a fan of the show, definitely plan a trip that falls within their open dates.

Friday we got to visit the new and coming-soon properties of Old Recreation B&B in Forest Grove. One of two houses is open, and it's a beautiful craftsman that's been remodeled into a 5-bedroom B&B. The other property, just around the block, will be a 6-bedroom. Either, or both, of the properties is ideal for a group get-away like a wedding or family reunion, and the Forest Grove location makes it a perfect jumping-off point for wine tours and outdoor adventure. I can't wait to plan a visit myself!

Last but not least was my Saturday adventure. After rolling straight out of bed and to Cedar Hills Crossing, I went to see The Dark Knight (along with 15 million other people). It was so great that I was all revved up and raring to go, so I ran home, changed into some biking gear, loaded up the new mountain bike, and headed off to Hagg Lake in western Washington County. I'd heard tell of the 15-mile single track trail surrounding the lake, and in my post-TDK euphoria, I though "oh, I can do 15 miles at 3pm." Now, in post-euphoria, I would not recommend such an undertaking. Luckily, Cherie called and invited me over for a barbecue, so I cut the ride short. Next time, I'll be starting early! The trail is serious single track, lined in many places by blackberry brambles, and it features (from the southeastern portion that I rode) quite a few switchbacks and steep inclines/declines. Definitely check it out, but be prepared! The trail is multi-use, non-motorized, so be sure to keep an eye out for pedestrians, horses AND bikes!

By Sylke

Ok, I am not a foodie, nor do I try to pass myself as a foodie, but I have to say that I love food! I cannot cook - and I don't have the patience for it - so I eat out... a lot. So, I thought I would share my non-foodie views on some of my favorite dining spots in Washington County.

First and foremost, I must make a public declaration: I love sushi. There are so many fantastic sushi places in Washington County, and whittling them down to only a couple of spots is extremely difficult, but here it goes.

Syun, located in downtown Hillsboro (just a couple of blocks from the MAX light rail), is fantastic. The authentic Japanese restaurant makes many "best-of" lists, and after one taste, it's easy to see why it continually ranks among the best sushi places in the Portland Metro area. Good selection, fresh fish.

Hakatamon, located next to Uwajimaya in Beaverton, is also a fantastic place to get great sushi. It is always busy, the food is amazing. This is one place where you definitely will not leave hungry. The best bang for the buck is definitely at Hakatamon, where many entrees, including sushi, include miso soup and salad. Yum.

I can't talk about sushi without mentioning Mio Sushi, in Beaverton, which has a baked sushi-like dish called, sushi pizza. No, it's not fish and wasabi on a pizza crust, it's a very filling - and very satisfying - mixture of fish topped onto seaweed and baked. Delicious!

After sushi, my second favorite type of food is Greek. When Greek Cuisina opened a new cafe in Tualatin, I couldn't contain my excitement. Unlike the original restaurant in downtown Portland, Tualatin's Greek Cuisina has a more casual atmosphere. However, the menu is very similar, and includes my personal favorite dishes: gyros and spanokopita. It's very festive, especially if someone is celebrating a birthday. Ouzo, anyone? Opa! 

One restaurant that I want to get back to, and soon, is Cafe Allegro, one of Tigard's best-kept secrets. I recently went there with a colleague, who is a regular of the cafe and recommended it for lunch. The menu has a wide variety of Italian specialties, from traditional Italian pasta dishes and risotto to Panini and spinach sautes. Luckily for me, they have take out, which can be a girl's best friend.

There are so many places to check out, and I've only hit the surface. I'm thinking barbecue for dinner tonight...

By Julia

So, as is clear from my absence on this blog, I've been really busy the last few weeks. The sun came out, and my energy level automatically kicked itself up from "snail" to "cheetah." Well, maybe not quite cheetah, but at least up to a respectably speedy animal pace. Anyway, now I have to catch up on everything I've been doing. I'll try to be brief!

Back on Friday, June 27 I was lucky enough to attend the premiere of The Broadway Rose Theatre Company's production of Les Miserables. Now while the Deb Fennell Auditorium at Tigard High is far from the madding crowd in Times Square, the performance was more than respectable, and even I, jaded art school graduate that I am, shed a tear when poor little Gavroche, played by utterly charming 5th-grader Alex Thede, met his end. The theatre's summer season runs through August, so be sure to catch one of their upcoming performances.

Rhiannon already covered our participation in the LIVESTRONG Challenge, which was a great event, so I can skip over that. In keeping with our active theme, we've taken up golf lessons. Meriwether National Golf Club offers a great "Ladies Learn to Golf" program, so after years of running my mouth about how much I wanted to learn to play, I'm finally doing it. AND...our pro, Tom Carey, just qualified for the U.S. Senior Open, being held next week in Colorado! That means I'm learning from an expert!!! My dad's going to so regret that he never took me to the driving range, because now that I've got such a great teacher, I'm going to kick butt when we play!

The weekend before last was The Main Course in Forest Grove, which was fantastic. They closed down Main Street and a whole bunch of local wineries set up tables and tents and did a two-hour tasting session which was accompanied by delicious appetizers from Andina, Portland's highly touted Peruvian restaurant. Believe you me, we sampled all of the tasty bites multiple times - quality assurance, right? It was so hot that we stuck with mostly white wines, and by the time 7pm rolled around we had tried most of the wines on our "must-sip" list. We had double-booked, so instead of sticking around for the al fresco dinner (which I hear was wonderful!) we bounced over to SakeOne to check out their summer concert series. Between the fabulous tunes by Jonah and the tasty tartness of the Lavender Lemonade Saketinis, I could have stayed there all weekend. Alas, the music ended, but we were still in fine form, so we proceeded to McMenamins Grand Lodge where we sat outside at the Yardhouse Pub and had a relaxing and much-needed dinner. What a truly perfect day - it was a great reminder of why I moved to Oregon in the first place!

By Sylke

Washington County is filled with hidden treasures, and finding them makes me feel like I won a lottery. A weekend filled with errands and trips to the farmers' markets was punctuated with side-trips that made my Saturday seem like a mini-vacation.

My first stop was at the Hillsboro Farmers' Market, where I scored some of the sweetest berries - strawberries, blueberries and some hybrid blackberry - so far this season. Of course, I couldn't leave without getting a rhubarb pie, made with locally grown rhubarb, no less.

There is something nostalgic about Main Street, and the just the sight of the new Venetian theatre and adjoined wine bar had me planning future sojourns to downtown Hillsboro. So with my head in the clouds, and my car smelling like a field of fresh berries, I headed home, but decided to take the back roads rather than the main drag.

It is on one of Washington County's "back roads" where I discovered Rood Bridge Park. I stopped and explored the park. The weather was perfect, cool and a little cloudy, and the park wasn't crowded.  I envisioned a friends-and-family get-together with B-B-Q and a friendly game of croquet, and started planning the guest list and menu in my head.

Time to get back on the road, and I decided to make one more stop before I get home to nosh on my treasures from the farmers' market, so I traveled to the Beveland Street Coffee House. This was my first time there, and after pulling into the parking lot, I knew that this was going to be my new hangout. It is a quaint coffee shop that serves a tasty latte, not to mention that they also serve beer and wine...I went for the coffee, but stayed for the shopping. About a fourth of the shop has fun and unique gifts, candles and other goodies that I couldn't resist.

After spending $50 on candles, coasters and a cute bag, I finally ventured home, where I made a yogurt parfait with my fresh berries, lit my new eucalyptus and lavender candle from Beveland Street Coffee House and started planning my next perfect Washington County Weekend.

By Sylke

During a media tour of the fabulous wineries in Forest Grove, we stopped at SakeOne for a tour and tasting. As the public relations manager for the WCVA, I have made many stops at SakeOne, since it's definitely a draw being the only sake brewery of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, if not the entire country. However, this trip was especially delicious since I was able to try their new line: organic sake!

According to Dewey Weddington, SakeOne's marketing guru, their organic sake, under the Momokawa label, is the first (and only) to carry the USDA Organic seal, which ensures that every step in the creation of this beverage is organically certified. (Other items to note are that the green bottles maximize recyclability, the screw-cap is made from recycled materials and the label is printed on "tree-free" paper that is made from renewable fibers from bamboo and grasses.)

You may ask, "But how does it taste?" In a word: Luscious. There are two styles of the organic sake, Ginjo (filtered, with a smooth finish and bite) and Nigori (unfiltered, creamy and lush), with the latter being my favorite of the two, although they are both very tasty.

Not being a sake expert myself, I recommend that you take a trip to Forest Grove to check it out for yourselves. And while you're there, don't forget to try their Coconut Lemongrass nigori sake - after one sip of this, you'll forever forgo the pina colada as the perfect summertime cocktail.