Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Pot rules pack OLCC hearing in Medford ... County commissioners support GMO lawsuit resolution ... Forecast says foot or more of snow could fall on Mount Ashland by Friday ... Pot rules pack OLCC hearing in Medford ... County commissioners support GMO lawsuit resolution ... Forecast says foot or more of snow could fall on Mount Ashland by Friday ... Yelp's Top 10 Medford restaurants choose their personal favorites Yelp's Top 10 choose their personal favorites Comment By Sarah Lemon for the Mail Tribune Follow @@thewholedish MailTribune.com By Sarah Lemon for the Mail Tribune Follow @@thewholedish Posted Dec. 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Sarah Lemon for the Mail Tribune Follow @@thewholedish Posted Dec. 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM » RELATED CONTENT --> Top 10 Medford restaurants Owners of Yelp’s Top 10 Medford restaurants rate their own personal favorites. 1. Bambu 2. Porters 3. Downtown Market Co. 4. E... » Read more X Top 10 Medford restaurants Owners of Yelp’s Top 10 Medford restaurants rate their own personal favorites. 1. Bambu 2. Porters 3. Downtown Market Co. 4. El Molcajete Mexican Grill 5. Jaspers Cafe 6. Kaleidoscope Pizzeria & Pub 7. Over Easy 8. Cicily’s Pastaria & Grill 9. Buttercloud Bakery & Cafe 10. Misoya Bistro   Yelp's Top 10 Medford restaurants 1. Buttercloud Bakery & Cafe 2. Elements 3. Soo Rah Korean Cuisine 4. Downtown Market Co. 5. Jaspers Cafe 6. The Wharf Fresh Seafood Market & Eatery 7. Larks 8. Kaleidoscope Pizzeria & Pub 9. Paisans Pizzeria & Bistro 10. Luigi’s Italian Sandwiches — Source: Yelp.com, as of Nov. 23 (omits mobile food units) The Mail Tribune identified Medford’s top 10 restaurants using the online review site Yelp.com (omitting the site’s No. 3 and No. 8 rankings for mobile food units Ooblies Waffle Food Truck and Victory Dogs, respectively). Restaurant owners in Yelp’s top 10 submitted their top 10 list of Medford restaurants to the newspaper. Each ranking was assigned a point value, and scores were tallied to produce a single top 10 list. In the case of a tie, the restaurant with the better Yelp ranking was awarded higher standing on Medford restaurateurs’ list. What's your favorite Medford restaurant? Tell us at www.facebook.com/mailtribune • How sites such as Yelp have changed the way we eat » Social News Quality, consistency and overall service. All three are measurements, says Adam Ward, of a restaurant’s recipe for success. “Those things make that complete package,” says Ward. “Where it’s dining, and not just eating.” The chef demands nothing less from his own Medford establishment, Bambu. Loyal customers, including a cadre of restaurateurs who deem Bambu Medford’s best eatery, expect the same. “They do a fun, unique thing,” says Gibson Holub, co-owner of Buttercloud Bakery & Cafe. Holub’s restaurant was ranked No. 1 in Medford by the popular online review site, Yelp.com . But when the Mail Tribune asked him and other Medford restaurateurs in Yelp’s top 10 to reveal their prime choices for dining out, almost all cited Bambu. “That’s quite the honor,” says Ward, 40, who has operated the upscale Pan-Asian spot with his wife, Veronica Ward, for nearly 15 years. Attaining the rank of chef before it was “cool,” Ward has worked in professional kitchens for more than half his life. “They know what it takes to do it,” says Ward of fellow restaurant owners, particularly those who also toil in the trenches. Hands-on owners are the hallmark of most Medford restaurants listed Nov. 23 in Yelp’s top 10. Below Buttercloud, the site’s users favor Elements, Soo Rah Korean Cuisine, Downtown Market Co., Jaspers Cafe, The Wharf Fresh Seafood Market & Eatery, Larks, Kaleidoscope Pizzeria & Pub, Paisans Pizzeria & Bistro and Luigi’s Italian Sandwiches. The Mail Tribune asked the owners of those 10 restaurants to pick their top 10 — not including their own. Their picks, in order, are Bambu, Porters, Downtown Market Co., El Molcajete Mexican Grill, Jaspers, Kaleidoscope, Over Easy, Cicily’s Pastaria & Grill, Buttercloud and Misoya Bistro. “We buy fresh every day; we cook fresh every day,” says Nora LaBrocca, co-owner of Downtown Market Co. It comes as little surprise, says LaBrocca, that her 5-year-old business holds nearly the same status with Yelp users as with local restaurateurs. Downtown Market is known for composing an entirely new menu every week, based on ingredients’ freshness and availability coupled with the cooks’ inspiration. Customers who crave the variety of Downtown Market join restaurateurs eager to see how the concept of such frequent change translates onto the plate. “I’m an adventurous eater,” says Holub, who awarded Downtown Market the No. 1 spot on his list. “So I’m looking for something unique.” Yet LaBrocca’s food values are reassuringly familiar, says Holub. Buttercloud and Downtown Market are “very similar” in their small-scale production of high-quality dishes made almost entirely from scratch. A commitment to quality, particularly seafood, has been Ward’s calling card since reinventing a fast-casual Asian Grill outpost as Bambu in 2001. Ward’s tenure at Ashland’s Thai Pepper schooled him in Southeast Asian-style noodles and curries, while a short stint in Hawaii acquainted him with Pacific Rim cuisine. An eclectic menu with plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options compels a considerable number of customers to dine at Bambu every week. Sometimes, lunch patrons return the same day for dinner, says Ward. “We’re a neighborhood restaurant,” says Ward. “That’s our bread and butter.” And when Ward breaks bread outside his own restaurant, his standards steer him to Elements, Larks and Porters. Reach freelance writer Sarah Lemon at [email protected]. By Sarah Lemon for the Mail Tribune Follow @@thewholedish MailTribune.com By Sarah Lemon for the Mail Tribune Follow @@thewholedish Posted Dec. 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501