Document text
Carlotta's: a spot to celebrate Photo by Melissa Martin Carlotta's owner Charlotte Boehm, left, and manager Misty Cranford show off the restaurant's oak staircase. The staircase leads to a conference room that seats 70 people and is equipped for audiovisual presentations. It was inaugurated last fall when 75 fishermen from the Single Fly organization ate breakfast before drifting down the Rogue River. Restaurant offers fine dining in Shady Cove By MELISSA MARTIN SHADY COVE -- Charlotte Boehm wanted to make sure she was selecting the right chef for the restaurant that would bear her nickname, Carlotta's. So she asked Jeff Poulsen to prepare Christmas dinner for 80 guests in her Shady Cove home. He served salmon, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and his famous banana chocolate pudding with mint creme anglaise. The dinner was a hit and Poulsen became the chef when Carlotta's Fine Dining opened its doors last February. "Opportunities like these don't fall out of the sky that often," said Poulsen, who's been cooking for a decade. "The atmosphere at Carlotta's is elegant and romantic, with dinner lights and fans in the evening, great food and service and a fine wine selection." Carlotta's is located in the same building as the remodeled and expanded Two Pines Smokehouse. Both owned by Charlotte and Ron Boehm, the restaurants have two kitchens and two personalities: Two Pines, known for its smoked meats and Tex-Mex menu, has Jim Geear, former owner of Digger O'Dell's in Medford; and Carlotta's has Poulsen, formerly at McCully House and Jacksonville Inn. "When we open the door between Two Pines and Carlotta's, you can hear all the Two Pines customers say, "aaaaah,"' said Misty Cranford, the manager of Carlotta's. "It's like a whole different world." Carlotta's is decorated with oil paintings, blue-and-white carpets and wallpaper and an 18th century Australian hutch. There are elegant ceiling fans made of canvas, bicycle spokes and fishing wire, crystal and dinnerware that the Boehms selected from San Francisco shops, and adjustable lights above each table. "We thought, `Wouldn't it be nice to be able to adjust the lights brighter while you are reading the menu and ordering and then turn them down when you are ready to eat," Charlotte Boehm said. "And that's just what we did." A highlight is the owner's booth, which seats six or seven. It's higher than the other tables and has a brass and marble chandelier. Diners control their own lights, music and fan. Carlotta's has a gas fireplace and oak cabinets, trim, tables and a staircase crafted by woodworkers from Grey Oaks Development, one of several companies owned by Charlotte and Ron Boehm. Their main business is Trans-Box Systems, Inc., a package delivery and courier firm with customers in nine western states. "I was 14 when my family moved here from Astoria and we used to have family celebrations at Mon Desir, Dardanelles or the Rogue Valley Country Club," Boehm said. "That's what I hope Carlotta's will be like, a place people come to celebrate." For his part, Poulsen prepares grilled chicken breast with mango salsa, herb-crusted, slow-roasted prime rib, sauteed mushrooms stuffed in a puff pastry box and much more. The Sunday brunch menu is offered from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and ranges from $8.95 for a personalized omelette served with muffins and breads from the on-site bakery to $12.95 for blackened prime rib. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA