We started by sharing the Mini Wild Mushroom, Bacon, and Filet Mignon Wellingtons – moist chunks of tenderloin spread with mushroom duxelles and encased in a delicate pastry crust. Finished with a port wide reduction, cauliflower and baby pea pods, this is a delicious starter, one of my favorites.

Our second course was a soup/salad split for us. I had the Sweet Potato soup, finished with a homemade marshmallow cream and chives. I was nervous about the marshmallow part – fearing a gob of thick white substance, but my fears were unfounded. The cream was more like an oil, delicately sweet and redolent with real marshmallow flavor. It perfectly complimented the earthy richness of the creamy soup. Lovely.

My partner had the Chopped Caesar salad with homemade croutons. The flavors were bold and strong. There was just a hint of creaminess and he croutons were incredibly good. Strong flavor and good crunch, but not overly dry.

For my main I enjoyed the Wild Mushroom Canneloni. Thin folds of homemade semolina pasta wrapped around thinly sliced wild mushrooms finished in an aged Parmesan bechamel sauce. Incredibly rich, very delicious, perfectly done. Accompanied by a bit of beet (roasted perhaps) and more pea pods with pickled cucumber, this was another dish that straddled the ofttimes murky time between winter and spring dishes.

J. had the Pan Seared Chicken Breast, a succulent piece of breast, perfectly cooked so it was tender and juicy, with mashed potatoes and a garlic jus. Very refreshing, the garlic was tasty but not overpowering, and married well with the chicken’s natural flavor. There was a side of asparagus and those pickled cucumbers and they went well with the overall flavor profile.

I had the 2005 Cliff Creek Syrah and enjoyed the deep flavors of cherry and chocolate balanced by a hint of smokiness.

Another fabulous meal!

We began with the wood grilled white prawns, a succulently tender dish that is a perennial favorite. They have a particular seasoning blend that transforms a great dish into a work of art. The accompanying Romesco sauce is best eaten spread on bread rather than with the prawns themselves. I had the Salt Cod Brandade, a creamy and rich concoction that I’ve wanted to try for years. It was very good, with a bread crumb crust, accompanied by thin garlic toasts. The portion was too much, and I only had about 1/3 of it, leaving room for my main entree and dessert.

For our main, I had the (seasonal) Butternut Squash Ravioli which came served with wild mushrooms and a sage cream sauce. The ravioli were tender and plump, cooked perfectly. The sage cream was a delicate seasoning that brought out the sweetness of the squash and the mushrooms were sliced thin before being cooked, which made them flavorful without being spongy.

My partner had the Hanger Steak, another menu staple. Wood-fired and accompanied by the best creamed spinach we’d ever had and salt-roasted Yukon potatoes, this was a great dish marred only by it arriving rare instead of the requested medium. A return to the kitchen resulted in a steak that was closer to being medium, but not quite there. That was a rare event, and the wait staff were very apologetic about it. Mistakes happen, and we understand that so we didn’t throw a fit.

Dessert was the always-excellent-why-try-anything-else Beignets, served with crème anglaise and berry jam. Served fresh and hot, the three beignets are perfect to share, and disappeared quickly from the plate. We honestly try to choose other desserts, but the beignets are so good we have a hard time choosing anything else.

Throughout the meal I enjoyed a Lan Tempranillo, which I very much enjoyed. The service was excellent, well paced and appropriately solicitous. Amuse is a wonderful restaurant, you’ll always have a fabulous meal there!

Billed as a beloved Oriental legend, this is the tale of a 1,700-year-old snake demon who spends a day as a woman and falls in love with a simple pharmacist’s assistant. With the help of her maid, another snake demon, she marries her love and helps him become a great success. But true love must undergo trials, and snake demons more than others.

Let me tell you now that this production joins my top ten plays from the sixteen years I’ve been attending OSF. I urge you to move it to the top of your ‘to see’ list immediately. It’s only playing through early July, and tickets will sell out soon. (I’m strongly considering traveling back in early June just to see it again.)

Director/author Mary Zimmerman excels at taking ancient stories and re-visioning them into modern terms. At the Preface I learned that Ms. Zimmerman casts the production without having a script in hand. The script was developed on the first days of rehearsal, and tailored to the skills and abilities of the actors. A tremendous burden for both the author and actors, but one fraught with tremendous potential. And the actors live up to the potential, beautifully. OSF regulars Emily Sophia Knapp and Christof Jean are particularly wonderful in their varied roles (and Jean’s heartfelt closing words will rip the tears from your eyes, matching the ones in his). Newcomers Amy Kim Waschke and Tanya McBride are truly excellent as the White Snake and Green Snake, respectively. The production is elegantly simple and I must offer loud kudos to Scenic Designer Daniel Ostling for doing such a good job of realizing Ms. Zimmerman’s vision.

Can you fall in love at first sight? Have all true lovers met in previous lifetimes? Can love survive doubt and the machinations of outside forces? With some fairly clear references to current politics, Zimmerman offers up a perspective in which love transcends physical limitations, like being human and being a snake.

Bring a hankie, or two, and go watch one of the best plays OSF has ever produced.

The bed is a bit mixed. The mattress is very comfortable – firm, yet not stiff. The pillows, however, are dreadful. There are a lot of them (six I think) but they are all very soft and flat. We asked the Front desk if they have firm pillows and they sent us a housekeeper with three new pillows, all flat and soft, but made of polyester/foam instead of feathers. SO missing the point. When was it that the hotels decided that a good night’s sleep means great mattresses and flat pillows? The sheets are cotton, the blanket down, and there is a lovely heavy cotton blanket providing the color and extra warmth if needed.This is a very quiet hotel – even though our room faced the street we were mostly unaware of any external noise. The occasional bus or other large vehicle intruded a bit, but not for long. And unless we had no neighbors (which I can’t believe) we couldn’t hear anything from adjoining rooms. Our neighbors upstairs were a bit creaky on the floor, but nothing too bad.

The bathroom has old-fashioned styling, with subway tiles and a fabric shower curtain. Products (the usual shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion, and soap) are by Gilchrist & Soames and were lovely – I really liked the delicate floral scent which faded once my hair dried. The shower head is an oversized ‘dinner plate’ style, and there was good pressure and great heat. The showerhead is placed pretty low, however, approximately 5 feet up. This made it pretty awkward for my 6′ sweetie.

Finally, it was very clean. It didn’t smell like anything at all, which I (a smell sensitive person) appreciated muchly.

The room, in fact the entire hotel, has a bird theme. Very sweet and charming. We were gifted with a lavender bath sachet, which I will take home to enjoy in a real tub (the one here is very shallow). On the downside, however, this was a very small room (#224). There are some shelves in the closet, but they are difficult to get to because of the full ironing board and iron hung on the inside of the door. One chair in the corner by the window had no reading light near it., and wasn’t positioned to be able to watch TV. To do that, we needed to sit on the bed, and here is where the bad pillows played a larger role: if I hadn’t brought my own pillow from home, we would not have been at all comfortable sitting up in bed – there was just no support for the back!

A continental breakfast is included in the rate, and includes coffee/tea, oatmeal, toast, and a few pastries. No fruit or yogurt, or even fruit juice.

This is a nice place, but I do think you can stay at a B&B with a full breakfast and similar amenities for the same price, or less.

Located just three blocks from OSF theaters, this 1913 Craftsman bungalow provides travelers with vintage furnishings and modern comforts. Their breakfasts were, hands down, the best I’ve enjoyed in all my years of visiting. Scrumptious and served with a lot of interesting conversation and no sense of rushing. Jon & Carmen Reinhardt have been innkeepers for a long time, and they clearly enjoy their work.

The rooms are comfortably furnished with luxurious beds, private baths, air conditioning, ceiling fans, wifi, and private entrances.

This is one of the best places I’ve stayed in all my years of visiting Ashland.

Highly recommended.

http://www.cowslip.com/

Set on five acres of farmland with gorgeous views and beautifully landscaped gardens, the Inn is a delight for visitors to enjoy. Most of the rooms are in the elegantly restored 1896 farmhouse, with a sumptious private cottage and barn. There is a family of goats and geese adding to the atmosphere.

The Inn has incredibly good breakfasts, and wonderful hiking (or biking, borrowing one of the loaners from the Inn) trails to help burn it off. The rooms are very comfortable, with one of the best beds I’ve ever slept on.

Highly recommended.

http://www.countrywillowsinn.com/

The house is gorgeous, with wonderful common areas inside and out. As a special bonus, the pool is wonderful (and highly recommended during the summer months). There is a lot of privacy, each room has an outdoor sitting area and many have fireplaces and whirlpool baths. All of the rooms have wifi, private entrances, air conditioning, cable TV, and kitchenettes with microwave ovens and small fridges. A full breakfast is included.

This is a wonderful place, one of the best B&Bs in town.

Highly recommended.

http://www.shrews.com/

Just a bit over four blocks from the theater, all of the rooms are air conditioned with private baths, wifi , and a subtle ‘green’ sensibility that adds to the excellence of this accommodation. Of special note are the hearty, healthy, tasty, breakfasts and the ample tea served at 4pm. Most of the food served is sourced from organic and local providers.

The B&B has fresh flowers in every one of its seven rooms. The nine Garden Suites have kitchenettes, private entrances, and decks overlooking the garden. Travelers staying in the  suites have a continental breakfast and most of the suites have Jacuzzi tubs. (They can also pay a bit more and join the regular breakfast.) The B&B and Suites are two separate properties caddy-corner from one another. It began life as a boarding house, and has been run by the friendly and informative Deedie and David Runkel since 2002. (Check out their lively reviews of each season’s plays on their website!)

The innkeepers are making changes with an eye toward making the inn as green as possible. For example, they’ve installed hot water on demand heaters and new windows in the Garden Suites. The (100% cotton and scent free) sheets are dried outside.

The rooms are spacious and quiet. The beds are comfortable and the location is great.

Highly recommended.

http://www.ashlandbandb.com

Located on the north end of town, just off the main thoroughfare and surrounding a lovely courtyard, each unit also has a vine-covered outdoor seating area where you can enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. It is surprisingly quiet (and you may be visited by the local cat, a friendly boy who will graciously accept your skritchins and then catch lizards for fun). The three bedrooms even have upstairs balconies to enjoy.

The Cottages are very clean and comfortable with air conditioning, wifi, cable, and barbeques. Julia and Mark Roupp have been the owners for many years now, and although they aren’t on site, they are just a phone call away.

No pets, no smoking, they don’t take credit cards, and a deposit is due with your reservation.

Highly recommended.

http://www.abbottscottages.com

First off, I appreciate the fact that they offer non-Coke/Pepsi sodas, so you can actually have sugar instead of man-made chemicals in your drink. Then, they do an excellent job of providing a menu made from locally sourced and organic providers.

I had the house salad. This is a large plate of field greens (which vary by season) with goat cheese, candied hazelnuts, aged rosemary goat cheese and a marionberry balsamic vinaigrette. Served with a side of bread, this is a delicious salad that fills you up.

The boys had grilled cheese and soup. Half of a grilled Tillamook cheddar sandwich with tomato served alongside a cup of (that day) tomato-basil soup. The sandwich was golden on the outside and gooey on the inside and perfectly matched the sweet-sour tanginess of the tomato soup.

Service was a little odd; I think our server was in training. She did great, but the fact that her ‘work; was checked up on by another overly-inquisitive server was unsettling. Then again, it may be the fact that we were sitting with a celebrity. Three sodas and our meals came to less than $40 (not including our tip).

We often have a meal at Larks when we visit, and we think they are best at lunch and brunch. (Brunch is particularly fun as the menu changes based on what is available from local farmers, creameries, meat producers, and seafood providers.)