Your Favorite Place to Eat in Salem?? (Portland, Bend: schools, restaurants)

[OREGONRAIN]

When I want a good restaurant, I usually wait until I travel some place, I never found the restaurants in Salem or Oregon in general all that great. Between the smoking in the bar within the restaurant or just what one would call a real good restaurant, Oregon just doesn't have that many.

[taiga]

I like Thai Orchid, 285 Liberty St. They also have 2 restaurants in Portland, and thier Pad Thai is the best! The Thai iced tea is good too.

[Summertime]

If you like HUGE Crab Louie or Shrimp Louie salads
for $10.95 with a warm roll, and good coffee,
(I add cream and sugar, though),

and if it is your birthday, tell them, and they will
give you a chocolate cake with ice cream on top
(big enough for two to share)..

go to the Flight Deck Restaurant at Salem Airport...

watch the small planes come and go...

and enjoy good service.

It is out on 25th past Madrona.

They serve the same menu all day til about 10 pm.

[KatieShock]

Marco Polo Global Restaurant! This is one of the best things about Salem. It's on Liberty right downtown, across the street from the new Conference Center. They have a Chinese menu, a European menu, a vegetarian menu, AND a gluten-free menu. So, suffice to say they cater to people with diets and allergies. Awesome food, great staff, many of the sauces and soups are made in house in small batches. During the weekdays they serve a lunch buffet where you can try a lot of their dishes. I can't say enough great things about this restaurant, seriously.

Also I'd like to mention Off Center Cafe, Busick Court, Sassy Onion (and its sister Two Doors Down), Soba, Blue Pepper, and Casey's.


Ben J asked about a forum or such network for Salem, and one that hasn't been mentioned can be found at [moderator cut][/url]. This forum was put together by the Culture Shock Project, a national non-profit community building organization that was started right here in Salem. Good place to ask questions about Salem and what it's got to offer.

[Oregon Lover]

My wife and I eat out often, in Salem and outside Oregon when we travel. Unfortunately we have found no restaurants in Salem that compare to other places we have lived and traveled. Most restaurants in Salem are chains. They have driven out most of the good independent retaurants.
The only thing we have found in Salem that is better than you find in most towns, are the curly fries at Burger Basket. Sad but true.

[Rosa canina]

The Off Center Cafe...I've missed it so much.

Some of the best times of my life...best people..the place nourishes more than the body and I wouldn't trade it for all the five or whatever star restaurants in Portland.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by Rosa canina

The Off Center Cafe...I've missed it so much.

Wow. Is Ruthie still running it? My wife and I used to stop in there for the bibble and squib breakfast. Ruthie and I did a food booth together at the Country Fair for a while. I don't think I have seen her in almost 20 years.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by Ben J

Speaking of Salem...anyone know of a forum for Salem...a local one affiliated with a newspaper, etc...? Thanks

Google the Statesman Journal newspaper in Salem. They have fora, though not very good ones. Most of the contributors have political axes to grind.

[Rosa canina]

Hi Larry,

no, Duncan is. Not sure what Ruth is up to these days--I think she might have a little place downtown.

[alyles]

Hands down, Maverick's Bar & Grill on south commercial. Great food, great prices.