For our last night we had planned to return to a restaurant we ate
at 14 years ago on our previous visit to the Willamette Valley, but our
hosts at the B&B quickly convinced us otherwise, and graciously
asked us to join them at a relatively new winery atop the Dundee Hills
just minutes away. Native Flora is owned and run by a wild and crazy,
but oh so fun couple, and the food was provided by Chef Jody Kropf of
Red Hills Market where we had gotten some amazing sandwiches for lunch
earlier that day.
We arrived to the gorgeous home at the top
of the hills with magnificent views and later a spectacular sunset over
the coastal mountains. It was a night to be remembered.
To
drink we started with an amazing Jolly Rancher Rose that is made from a
rare blend of Pinot Blanc & Pinot Noir and apparently smells like
the candy of the same name during the fermentation! To eat we had Endive
with Briar Rose Chevre/Walnut/Scallion and Watermelon Radish.
It
was, however, the Wood-fired Diver Scallops win a Pinot Blanc/Orange
sauce that made us all wild. It was served with the Native Flora Pinot
Blanc which was the same wine used to cook them as well. Chef Jody has a
"food truck" that he can drive around with his own wood-fired oven that
is awesome for catering and we enjoyed every bite.
Next
came a wondrous Preserved lemon, shaved fennel, toasted hazelnuts,
summer greens salad with Wood fired crostinis with local olive oil and
sea salt, which was nice but the amazing Wood fired sweet onion tart
& herbed heirloom tomatoes was another true treat from this roving
oven and chef. we had moved on to 2010 First Time Pinot which was I I
chose the wood-fired roasted wild Chinook salmon w/corn suckatash,
although chicken was an option and we enjoyed more Pinots, this time
called JAGUAR 2010 and later I recall, the unreleased 2012. We even
had a Riesling that had not yet even been named and could not be sold!
Dessert was a wonderful Chocolate, hazelnut, red wine
and chevre torte - warmed in the oven and served with crushed hazelnuts
and local honey and while I am not a chocoholic, the goat cheese truly
made this dish sublime.
We had more wine, more fun and only left after we made a purchase from this fabulous ne
