TRAVEL: Savor Cannon Beach food + wine festival
February 26, 2010 by karenvitt
Filed under Neat STUFF, Neat TRAVEL
By Erin Flesch, NEAT contributor
You know, spring break is not just for rowdy teens with a penchant for beer bongs and promiscuity. Grownups deserve a shake-off-the-winter-blues vacation as well. Those in search of more sophisticated fun (as in sip, not chug) would be well advised to check out the Savor Cannon Beach Wine and Culinary Festival at Cannon Beach over the weekend of Friday March 12 through Sunday, March 14.
Oregon’s go-to “charming coastal town,” situated a mere 70 miles from Portland, has a varied and surprisingly cutting-edge gastronomic scene, sure to impress even the most discerning of PDX foodies in search of a good time (and some good wine). This is the first year of the Savor Festival, although Cannon Beach has hosted much smaller “wine walks” in years past.
Chef Bob Neroni, owner of the esteemed EVOO Cooking School in Cannon Beach, is happy the city is gaining notoriety for its bourgeoning food scene. Neroni, a former New Yorker, says “We see lots more interest in raising the food bar. Our casual dining here has always been noteworthy, and we think fine dining can compete very well with other food towns – even our close neighbor, Portland.” Sounds to us like a throwdown in the works.
The EVOO School is one of many fine local restaurants hosting a winemaker’s dinner for the festival on both Friday and Saturday nights. One of the festival’s main events is the wine walk on Saturday, March 13 (registration for the wine tour begins at the Coaster Theatre at 2 p.m.). Participants can indulge their inner aficionado for $25, which gets you a wine tasting map and a wine glass that can be filled and refilled at more than 20 local shops featuring Northwest wineries.
Presented by the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, all proceeds from the festival will benefit the Cannon Beach Children’s Center. That’s right, you’re drinking for the children.
Throughout Cannon Beach, hotels, restaurants, galleries and shops will all be offering special deals for the festival. In preparation, we took a quick trip to the sea to see what we could find.
Stay:
The Ocean Lodge – One of the most posh setups on the Oregon Coast, find gorgeous oceanfront views (like, you’re literally on the beach), and amazing two-person whirlpool tubs in 1940’s resort style rooms that are also pet-friendly. The rooms also feature flat screen TVs and electric fireplaces. The lodge is offering special package deals for the Savor Festival, starting at $349 per night – which includes two tickets to the hotel’s Friday night wine tasting and two tickets to the Children’s Center Wine Tour on Saturday (ticket value is $120 – so that’s a great deal for a luxury getaway). The Ocean Lodge, 2864 South Pacific Street; 503-436-2241. www.theoceanlodge.com
Hidden Villa Cottages – Located in midtown Cannon Beach, these quaint cottages feel homey, not hotel-y, and put you within easy walking distance to restaurants, shops, and gallerys – that’s pretty important during a wine-tasting festival, right? As the only stand-alone motel style cottages in town, each unit has a full kitchen and lots of privacy, making this a perfect choice if you’re considering an extended stay – like a week’s worth of spring break, for example. Hidden Villa Cottages, 188 East Van Buren St.; 503-436-2237. www.hiddenvillacottages.com
Inn at Cannon Beach – This low-key inn is tucked inside a pretty landscaped garden setting just one block from the beach, and offers a welcoming family environment – warm cookies and sand buckets for the kids, pet baskets for the fur-friendly rooms, and fireplaces and tasteful decor for the grown ups. Starting Sunday, March 7, The Inn will kick off its spring break rates starting at just $99 per night. The Inn at Cannon Beach, 3215 S. Hemlock St.; 503-436-9085. www.atcannonbeach.com
Eat:
EVOO Cannon Beach Cooking School – Stop by for an artisan bread making class or for a dinner of Peruvian duck with warmed wheat noodles, or perhaps pan seared halibut with Dungeness crab and garlic aioli (right). Either way you’ll leave a happier and more educated person. Be prepared though, this downtown gem fills up fast on the weekend and is a favorite among locals and visitors alike for their unique culinary style and hands-on approach to dining. They’ve also got a stellar retail section filled with gourmet foods, wine and handmade tablewear from local artists. EVOO Cannon Beach Cooking School, 188 South Hemlock St.; 503-436-8555. www.evoo.biz
Newmans at 988 – When you think of the coast, you may not think of classic French and Italian cuisine, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at Newmans, tucked away in a small yellow house toward the south end of town. Chef and owner John Newman elevates costal eating to new heights with his foie gras pasta with black truffles (only $16!). The elegant menu is small but outstanding, featuring the best Oregon and Northwest ingredients, served in a low-lit cottage setting just made for romance.
Newmans at 988, 988 South Hemlock St.; 503-436-1151. www.newmansat988.com
Ecola Seafood Restaurant and Market – This is where you go when you want your seafood fresh as can be and not too spendy. The atmosphere is all business: picnic tables, Oprah on TV and kids running around, but the food is pure Oregon goodness. Grab a fresh crab cocktail for a mere $6.99 or a mouth wateringly good clam chowder for $3.99. The prices can’t be beat and the food can’t either. Ecola Seafood Restaurant and Market, 208 North Spruce St.; 503-436-9130. www.ecolaseafoods.com
The Butler Did It – Cannon Beach is packed with so much unique shopping and gorgeous galleries there are just too many stand-outs to list. But we did find a few faves worth mentioning. This cheekily-named antique shop is filled with treasures you just can’t find in picked-over Portland. Johnny Cash plays on repeat and you can find old skeleton keys for $5 bucks a pop. The shop is tiny but impossible to leave once you start browsing. The Butler Did It, 124 North Hemlock St.; 503-436-259.
The Wine Shack – Right next door to The Butler Did It, the wine shack offers up the best wine selection on the Oregon Coast. Opened in 1977 by Dean and Pat Reiman, the well-known shack offers small, hard-to-find wines from high quality producers – many from Oregon, but also from national and international wineries. The shack hosts wine tastings every Saturday afternoon, including during the Savor Festival, and if you’re looking for a souvenir to take home, snatch up a bottle of of the Puffin Brand Columbia Valley Red Wine. The shop’s proprietary blend of wines from Oregon and Washington – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Francfor – is just $21, and they donate a percentage of the proceeds to Friends of Haystack Rock. Plus, how cute is the packaging (right)?! The Wine Shack, 124 N. Hemlock St.; 503-436-1100. www.beachwine.com
Dena’s Shop on the Corner – It used to be you couldn’t shop for clothing and accessories other than baggy sweats and flip-flops at the Oregon Coast – oh, and also tie-dyed T-shirts and jewelry made from bits of broken shells. But Dena Draxton changed all that when she first opened her fashion-forward boutique in 1999, and since then her shop’s stash gets more and more sophisticated every year. If you’re a gal after The Neat Sheet’s heart (ie, you want to shop even while you’re on vacation) stop in and see what’s new for spring. We found contemporary jeans, tops, jackets, shoes, boots and lingerie from brands including Hudson, Johnny Was, Three Dots, Honeydew and many more. Dena’s Shop on the Corner, 123 S. Hemlock St.; 503-436-1275. www.denasshop.com
Savor Cannon Beach Wine & Culinary Festival
Friday March 12 through Sunday, March 14
Find more info. at the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce Web site
Photos this page by Karen Vitt and courtesy of local Cannon Beach shops and services mentioned in this article. Top photo of Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach was taken from a beachside room at Ocean Lodge.
We have stayed at the Ocean Lodge, so child friendly, amazing view, great service!