Caldera Brewing Company was the first craft brewery on the West Coast to can it’s beer. But beer was not our reason for choosing that mountain view eatery for dinner. Our niece Denise suggested meeting there during our overnight stay in Ashland Oregon. She thought we would enjoy the menu and the eclectic decor. And she was right on all counts.
The interior of the eatery is unique to say the least.
The entire restaurant is lined with row upon row of beer bottles!
Caldera houses Oregon’s largest beer bottle and can collection. There are over 4,500 cans and bottles on display on those shelves!
I can only hope there is never an earthquake in Ashland. And can you imagine dusting all of those bottles?
The restaurant was a delicious choice, for sure. Their menu is filled with gourmet choices and unique pizza selections.
But the very best part of the meal was spending time with this dear family we rarely get to see! (We were sorry young Ben was away at a school retreat event. That was our only regret.)
And you can’t imagine the JOY I felt when Denise presented us with a huge bottle of HONEY! We knew immediately where that honey had originated. Denise’s husband Scott grew up on an Oregon farm I have dubbed The Garden Of Eden. His parents still live on that farm where they raise the most amazing fruits and vegetables I’ve ever seen. And they also raise bees! You can read all about the farm by clicking HERE.
That honey is brimming with the flavors of the orchard and of the garden the bees call home. And I have never tasted a richer, thicker, sweeter honey in all of my life! It was a gift I will treasure for years! (Did you know honey can last for thousands of years? It will eventually crystalize, but you simply need to warm it to turn it back into a liquid once again.) Eventually I’ll be sharing the recipes I create using that sweet nectar from that Oregon Garden of Eden!
We were seated at a picnic table outside. It was a perfect, private place to visit and to catch up since our last visit two years ago. The Caldera menu offered many delicious choices, but when I saw fish and chips I knew that was my choice. And it was a good one.
The rest of my tablemates chose wisely as well.
It was a wonderful evening shared with people we love. But all too soon it was time to head back to our hotel.
Rest assured we will think of those wonderful folks every time I open that huge bottle of honey. And nothing could be sweeter than family memories served up with a drizzle of honey!
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