So while we were in Bingen for Thanksgiving my parents stayed one night at the Inn of the White Salmon. My mom and I got a tour from the owner, who has been there about a year and is slowly remodeling the space. The downstairs hall is light and bright with local art works and the upstairs hall is much darker since it has not been redone yet. The ‘old’ rooms are adorable! Bedspreads and fixtures that so many of us remember growing up with. They recall small town life and homespun goodness for me. The new rooms are sparse and lovely; very modern and peaceful. There is a ‘family’ room that is huge and would allow a huge family to gather and play. They even built in a hostel with built-in bunk beds (2 queens!), lockers and a shared bath for the thrifty traveler that values clean, safe lodgings. If you go to the White Salmon (read: Columbia Gorge) I can’t recommend this place enough. The rates were great, the accommodations were very nice and the $5 breakfast (complimentary if you have one of their rooms) was great! We all ate there on Friday before Mark and I left town. We got fantastic coffee, juice, fruit, pastries, breads, an assortment of meats and cheeses, yogurt, homemade granola, and they had a toaster for English muffins (maybe bagels? maybe not…) The food seemed to be all hand made on the premises, and on top of all that we got a hot egg dish! We could choose from 2 daily dishes or made-to-order scrambled eggs. Fantastic!
Before we went to the AC/DC concert (talk about fabulous! These guys are in their 50’s and 60’s and they rocked it hard every minute they were on the stage. I was exhausted just having convulsed through every song!) we went to The Rock Wood Fired Pizza and we were not the only ones who that that was appropriate. The place was packed! I LOVE their pepperoni pizza (I get a custom pie w/less cheese and more pepperoni) more than anyone else’s. Now mind you, when I go to Tutta Bella (my favorite) I only get the Margherita pizza, and at Pizzeria Fondi (my other favorite) I either get the Margherita or the Bianca because their homemade cheese is sooooo good. I can’t stop getting the pepperoni at the Rock and that’s ok with me. It is fabulous!
Ok so there is a new restaurant in Keyport (yes, Keyport, really!) calledIsland Jamz and it is ‘Caribbean’ food. I haven’t been there yet (though I may be going there for lunch this week for a meeting) but I am excited to try it. The menu looks different for these parts and that is always fun! Have you tried it? What about other new restaurants? Tell us about them!
