Lasagna and tiger prawns and Barbera, oh my. Ristorante DiPompello

Another tasty tidbit from the team at TravelTheGorge.com.

Ristorante DiPompello is a rare find in these days of franchised food and multiple-location restaurants. Independently owned and very personally managed, DiPompello is reminiscent of small, family-run European eateries.

The DiPompello experience begins at the sidewalk with seasonal al fresco dining. It's location in downtown Troutdale lends itself beautifully to outdoor seating, with wide well-maintained sidewalks connecting art galleries, antique shops, specialty stores and a nice variety of small restaurants. But this book is too good to judge just by its cover. Wander in. Return the warm hello. Follow the rich scents of Chef Saul Pompello's seafood entrees to the back of the dining room, past the Italianate murals to the window wall overlooking the Columbia Gorge to the Washington foothills. Order a bottle of Barbera to go with the complimentary bruschetta that magically appears.

At this point, the team would usually mention a couple of dishes we enjoyed and leave you to your own devices. But we've eaten here too often to list just a few. So here goes:

Must haves:
Sautéed Tiger Prawns and Mushrooms with fresh basil and garlic
Caprese Pompello
Sautéed Fresh Mussels
(...and these are just appetizers.)
Our favorite entrees:
Chicken Piccata
Seafood Risotto
Our favorite sandwich:
Meatball Sandwich (ask for extra Marinara)
Favorite Pastas:
Lasagna - a classic
Gnocchi alle Bistecca - in a rich, tangy burgundy sauce.

Are you running out the door yet?  Follow all of the above with their Tiramisu. It's not homemade but it is wonderfully moist and not overly sweet.

Buon appetito!

Prego. (You're welcome)

                                                                  Ristorante DiPompello







              

That Amazing, Electrifying Converter Station

Another highly charged thought from the team at http://www.travelthegorge.com/

On an otherwise barren hill southeast of The Dalles, overlooking the Columbia River and Mt. Hood, sits a complex worthy of Star Wars.  One of the least known "attractions" in The Gorge, the Celilo Converter Station positively hums with power, the power that lights the stars in Hollywood and Los Angeles.

Celilo is the northern end of the nation's longest and biggest direct-current power line, known as the DC intertie.  In the spring and summer, it converts excess alternating current generated by the Bonneville Power Administration grid - such as The Dalles Dam, The Bonneville Dam and the Columbia Gorge wind turbines - into direct current and sells it to the Sylmar Converter Station in California.  This reduces California's dependence on fossil fuels and helps pay for the Northwest's federal dams and transmission system. In the winter and at night when California plants generate more electricity than the Golden State needs, they return the favor.

Most of the Eugene Starr Complex, of which the converter station is only a part, is conductor cables, control grids, arc valves and surge arresters, but there is also a very modern meeting center with soaring ceilings, sweeping stairways and a glass wall overlooking the world.  Extremely effective security staff  make sure the building and its vital purpose are respected around the clock.

Since "911" tours of the facility are no longer conducted, but look up to the east from highway 197 south of the Dalles to get a glimpse of this unsung modern marvel.  For more information call 541-296-3615.
(Information taken from Bonneville Power Administration publications.)

Shirley's Tippy Canoe Floats Our Boat

Along the bank of the Sandy River northeast of Troutdale, Oregon, the Tippy Canoe has been welcoming wanderers since the 1940's.  Once a run-down roadside bar, today's Tippy Canoe is a warm, clean, classy dining destination.  The sprawling dining room encircles the open bar with richly panelled walls and truly amazing wood and metal sculptures of the Columbia Gorge's much revered salmon and other artsy touches. Out back, beneath giant Douglas Firs, is a huge - and we mean HUGE - outdoor seating area with polished stone tables and benches.

This weekend, the TTG Team descended on Shirley's and were received as though we were their best long time customers, possibly relatives.  Our server, Deanie, offered us our choice of table anywhere in the dining room and we chose one looking out over the open-air seating.  Absolutely the farthest table from the front door - no problem.

Shirley's is pretty much famous for seafood at dinner time, but we were there between breakfast and lunch and had our choice from both menus.  Yes, there are oysters, and halibut, and shrimp and just about any seafood you can name on the menu, but we opted for major comfort food.  The patty melt was ample and tasted and looked just like God intended.  The crab omelet was full of fresh crab - Dungeness, of course, and the chicken fried steak, the size of a dinner plate, was crisp, hot, and served with a plenty of rich country gravy.  The Team, being who they are, shared a bottle of Kendall Jackson chardonnay for $30, a reasonable price, if not the cheapest in town. 

If lots of good food, welcoming staff and surroundings aren't reason enough to visit "The Canoe", then go there for the drive.  We took I-84 toward Troutdale, took exit 18 south along the Old Columbia River Highway to Shirley's then followed it east past Vista House and The Gorge waterfalls.  Sundays don't get much better.

Tippy Canoe Back Dining Room

                                              Tippy Canoe Outdoor Seating Area

Everybody's Brewing Beer

Well, not just everybody... Everybody's Brewing in White Salmon, Washington, however IS brewing beer, great beer; with 16 beers on tap, at least 9 of them their own.  The rest are from other local brewers so you'll always have a regional pour. 

But beer isn't the only thing going on at Everybody's.  The truly cozy pub is located on the main drag in White Salmon with a great view of Mt. Hood.  Food and beverage service is casual and friendly, with good seating both indoors and out.  Everybody's opens at noon every day, serving a good variety of starters, entrees and salads, with some kid's options thrown in just to make sure there's something for everybody.  The TTG Team really enjoys their sweet potato fries, the Mediterranean plate and the pulled pork burrito, but everything we've ordered has been flavorful, ample and fun.

Yes, the menu is fun and eclectic - but you haven't heard the music yet.  In just a few visits you could sip suds to the strains of bluegrass, reggae, western and/or punk folk music.  There's always something new going on at Everybody's, and everybody's going.

Another valuable insight from Travel the Gorge