Morning Glory

Location: Ashland, Oregon

Food: Breakfast food, American food, cocktails

Close to: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Cabaret Theatre

The Morning Glory’s atmosphere speaks to the kind of food it serves. The building was originally a house, and it retains its screened-in porch, but the walls have been painted with cheery murals of plants and fields. Coffee is served in mismatched mugs, and jars of marionberry preserves are available at every table. The food – excellently made breakfast favorites served in huge portions – matches the charm of the decor, making a stop at the Morning Glory mandatory for any Ashland tourist.

The breakfast menu is essentially divided into two parts: Egg dishes and pancake variants. The egg dishes also come with a number of sides, such as crisp hash browns and light, airy muffins; if you prefer breakfasts made up of many small components, ordering off the egg side of the menu might work better for you. One of the best egg dishes is the black forest ham and white cheddar scramble ($12/$10 for a half portion), which accents the classic American flavors of ham and eggs with a sharper variety of cheese.

Although the egg dishes and sides are delicious, it’s difficult to beat the impression made by the Morning Glory’s pancakes, waffles, and French toast when they’re brought to the table. Most astonishing of all is the lemon ricotta stuffed French toast with raspberry syrup ($11.50), two giant slices of French toast with a thick cheese filling. Tangy syrup poured on top helps cut the richness of the ricotta while accentuating the flavor with the taste of raspberry. Other items to choose from include the filling oatmeal pancakes with walnut butter ($11) and the Belgian waffle ($10.50), an American breakfast standard served with lemon butter.

A set breakfast menu isn’t the only thing the Morning Glory has to offer. A smaller lunch menu offers burgers and sandwiches, while brunch-style alcoholic libations like mimosas and Bloody Marys are available all day. There is also a rotating series of specials, displayed at the chalkboard close to the entrance: If something there interests you, it’s a good idea to order it while you can.

Many people who make a habit out of going to Ashland each year for vacation make sure to stop at the Morning Glory at least once. Should you choose to experience the incredible food, quirky environment, and relaxing atmosphere of the restaurant for yourself, the Morning Glory is very likely to become your tradition, as well. 

Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2014: A Wrinkle in Time

Ensemble. Photo courtesy Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

One of the advantages theatre has over film is its power to convince the audience of visual metaphor. If a special effect looks cheesy in a movie, it is noticeable, but in a play using ribbons for water or dancers for wind is not only acceptable but elegant. OSF’s adaptation of the Madame L’Engle children’s novel deftly translates the “magical science” to the stage in beautiful way that could only work on stage.

A multitude of performance arts are used in the adaptation, including stage magic, ventriloquism, and dance, and unusual props (such as a meteor-shaped disco ball) are combined with A/V special effects to create an experience that doesn’t betray the sense of wonder conveyed by the text. A lot of theatre, especially high budget theatre, is too reliant on stage gimmicks; however, because this is an adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time, the effects only serve as a more faithful adaptation. After all, what could be more faithful than sparking an interest in sets and stage mechanics?

The main trio of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin were played by Alejandra Escalante (Juliet from 2012’s Romeo and Juliet), Sara Bruner, and Joe Wegner respectively; their performances cut to the core of their characters as children who have outgrown their numerical age. The Murry children especially possess the emotional maturity to be expected from their age (including Charles Wallace’s posing at a greater level of maturity) but never lose their intellectual talent and curiosity. My favorite supporting actor was the graceful Dan Donohue as the archetypal physicist dad Mr. Murry.

A Wrinkle In Time is designed for children and children-at-heart; it often relies more on visual wonder than metaphorical complexity. However, this is the kind of theatre keeps art alive by igniting a love of theatre in a new generation, and I am proud of OSF for creating it.

Pasta Piatti

Location: Ashland, Oregon

Food: Italian

Close to: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Cabaret Theatre

Pasta Piatti is an Italian restaurant, conveniently located on Ashland’s Main Street. Described as “New World Italian,” I first went to this restaurant last year with my father, once in March and once, like this year, in September. The food was so good that I requested to go back this year with my family, a decision that I do not at all regret.

Pasta Piatti was crowded in March, but in September evenings there are only a few people in attendance, mostly eating on the restaurant’s spacious patio. The interior, with quiet music and dark wood, made for an inviting, intimate atmosphere. A number of wines and draft beers are available; I had a sip of a tart, crisp Riesling but my tastes in wine are so far not advanced enough to give a thorough review.

The first item I made sure to order was the house ciabatta ($3.50). Although dishes come with a few slices, only the whole loaf has a light brushing of oil on top, along with a salt-and-pepper seasoning that makes it one of the best breads I’ve ever eaten. As a Bay Area native and self-opined bread connoisseur, that is very high praise.

For an entrée, I had the lasagna ($14.95); the cheese was sweet and as wonderful as one might expect from a restaurant in one of Oregon's prime dairy locations. I also tried the planked sockeye salmon ($18.95), which was covered in a smoky glaze that brought out the fish’s sweetness. For dessert, I had a créme brulee ($6.50); it came with slightly sweet, crisp cookies for dipping and huckleberry preserves. Besides being a French dessert in an Italian restaurant, the only issue with the créme brulee was that the ramekin itself was deep but not wide, meaning there wasn’t as much crust to balance the richness of the cream.

Pasta Piatti has an excellent selection of Italian food and a wonderful atmosphere. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a  nice dinner in Ashland. The extensive wine bar, beautiful terrace seating, and intimate indoor space make it a great place to go on a date as well.