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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 25, 2006 Jefferson State Pub Plenty of neighborhood taverns serve up fried bar food, but the Jefferson State Pub has elevated deep-fat frying to its specialty. From conventional starters such as onion rings and fried cheese sticks straight through to brownies and cheesecake battered and fried, the Ashland bar that has taken over the space of the old Siskiyou Micro Pub celebrates cholesterol's every source. Even one of the salads comes topped with fried mozzarella. Actually, the menu states that all foods are fried in healthy, trans-fat-free oils. The light, crispy morsels that issue forth from the fryer aren't greasy, demonstrating the kitchen crew's careful attention to oil temperature. The beer-battered appetizers (each $5) captured the attention of my husband's co-workers at an after-work gathering. They were even willing to try the fried spicy pub pickles, alleged on the menu to be a deep South classic, but reported by a reliable taster to be a salty, smooshy spear not that different from the zucchini wedges also available. I saved my palate for an order of Willapa Bay oysters ($9), briny bites enrobed in a delicate beer batter and accompanied by a dab of cole slaw with a sour cream and cayenne dressing. Advertisement A choice of sauces — from simple tartar, barbecue, and ginger sweet and sour to curried mayo, spicy baja aioli and lime-cilantro cream cheese — accompany all these fried wonders. The pub touts fish and chips as its signature dish and offers a selection of seafood, including cod, halibut, oysters, shrimp, scallops, mussels and calamari. Prices range from $6 to $10. Diners can choose the batter to coat their catch — the beer batter I went with, a tempura, a chili-lime batter or a gluten-free batter made with chickpea flour. For those who don't fancy fish, the menu also offers chicken tenders, sausages and tofu or vegetables, all battered and fried, too, as well as burgers and a few salads that haven't been dipped in boiling oil. Chip choices include thick-cut, thin-cut or sweet potato fries. They must be ordered separately for $3 an order, so the cost of actually getting fish and chips or a burger and fries can add up. Texas native Chris Burgess, who heads the pub's kitchen, barbecues on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. She slow cooks ribs, brisket, chicken and hot links on an outdoor grill and serves them up with a choice of cowboy beans, green beans, slaw, potato salad or corn on the cob. The smoky, spicy smells waft temptingly down Water Street, and the flavors on the plate don't disappoint. Unless you have a Texas-sized appetite, the platter with two meat selections and two sides for $14 is ample for sharing and that's what my husband and I usually do. The brisket isn't always ready by Saturday, our favorite day for lounging on the pub's excellent creekside patio, so we haven't tried it. However, the chicken is moist and tender, the pork ribs are succulent and the hot links are hot, hot, hot. The sauce on the chicken and ribs is spicy and not too sweet. The pub has 12 taps that pour mostly regional brews, including those from Caldera, Walkabout and Rogue Brewery. Pints cost $4 and pitchers are $14, unless you're drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, which is priced at half that. The pub also promises a devotion to presenting live music, with acoustic shows including a bluegrass jam on Saturday evenings on the deck, and an improved stage inside for regional touring artists. — Anita Burke Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com