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Food and wine shine during Restaurant Week Fabiola Donnelly gets her hands into her work. A food blogger on "Not Just Baked," she is an avid booster of the culinary scene and has participated in chamber culinary events. Graham Lewis photo Sunday Jan 29, 2017 at 1:57 PM Jan 29, 2017 at 1:57 PM By Jim Flint For the Tidings For those who come to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and all the other drama, music, and outdoor attractions, the large number of restaurants here is a bonus. Ashland Restaurant Week next week Monday through Sunday, Feb. 6-12, will celebrate and showcase the city’s unique culinary scene and the talented local chefs who make it all happen. An event planned and promoted by the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, Restaurant Week tempts locals and visitors with specials offered by participating restaurants. It’s an opportunity to enjoy a taste of the best of Ashland at discounted prices before the busy OSF season begins. Specials during Restaurant Week range from single entrees to multi-course dinners. Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant will offer a smoked salmon pot pie for $19. “Besides our house-smoked salmon, our pot pie includes onions, carrots, celery, peas, dill, thyme and a crispy scone topping with lemon-dill butter,” said Black Sheep owner Susan Chester. “I imagine we’ll be serving a lot of our pub favorites, too, during Restaurant Week,” she said, “like our banger and mash, scotch eggs, welsh rarebit, and shepherd’s pie.” Omar’s Fresh Seafood & Steaks will emphasize the surf side of the menu for its one-course special. Chef Jeff Hunt is featuring their house-cured, bacon-wrapped scallops with truffle corn cream, smoked grits, baby carrots, and crispy leaks for $28.95. “February is fresh live oyster month at Omar’s,” said Jennifer Sink, one of the owners. “We’ll be offering at least six varieties of fresh Pacific and Puget Sound in-shell oysters, prepared in a variety of styles — all month long,” she said. Chef Billy Buscher at Alchemy Restaurant & Bar at the Winchester Inn is offering, for $39, a three-course prix fixe dinner Wednesday through Sunday to celebrate Restaurant Week. Included will be an appetizer, soup or salad, and entrée. “Our appetizer will be a pickled beet and endive salad with smoky bleu cheese from Rogue Creamery,” he said. Diners can choose from two entrees. “The vegetarian option is a baked vegetable tiella with zucchini and herbs. It’s my grandmother’s recipe,” Buscher said. “The other dish will be sous vide free-range chicken breast with crispy skin and a walnut-parsley pistou.” Other restaurants offering specials include Hearsay Restaurant & Lounge, a three-course prix-fixe dinner for $35; Liquid Assets, a three-course chef’s special for $38; Scarpetta Prima, a three-course dinner for $40; Smithfields Restaurant & Bar, a three-course dinner for $33; and Smithfields Pub & Pies, a “Pi” discount of $3.14 on all pies from 7 to 11 p.m. Many more restaurants will be participating and readers can check the chamber’s website between now and Restaurant Week to view their specials and other news about the event. The site will be updated frequently during the period. Go to www.ashlandchamber.com, click on Visitors, then Culinary, and scroll down to the Restaurant Week link. Prizes are up for grabs during Restaurant Week, too. Participating restaurants are donating $25 gift certificates. Winners will be drawn from entry forms submitted by dining guests and workshop attendees. A special grand prize culinary basket filled with goodies will be awarded one lucky winner. Coinciding with Restaurant Week is Jefferson Public Radio’s 36th annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction on Feb. 9 at Ashland Springs Hotel. Regional wine and food will be featured and the auction tables will be filled with contributions from area residents and businesses, all in support of programming on JPR. Also that week, culinary classes will be offered at the Ashland Food Co-op. You can get the details at the store or at its website, www.ashlandfood.coop. — Jim Flint is a former newspaper publisher and editor now living in Ashland. Reach him at [email protected].