Thai Pepper, Ashland, Oregon

On Wednesday, our first full day in Ashland, Nancy and I arose on local time, breakfasted in the Silver Frog, our delightful VRBO, and then strolled into town to Lithia Park. The park is a long wooded strip with well-maintained paths and a very gradual climb along the lovely cascades of Ashland Creek. I imagine it’s a bit short of two miles each way, and we enjoyed it immensely.

Then we regrouped, improvised a lunch, and hustled over for a matinee performance of Julius Caesar. The play was an upstart crow collective production. The characters were in various 20th century dress, and the entire cast was all-female and/or nonbinary. The approach changed the character of the play substantially from classic productions, and it was very interesting. We recycled the program so I can’t price actors by name, alas. I thought the actor who played Brutus was very good while the collective’s idea of a frenetic and frantic Cassius was less successful. The talented cast carried it off with éclat.

After the play we went back to our home away from home and relaxed until time to stroll over to Thai Pepper at 84 North Main Street. We’d tried to go on the first night but there was a 30 minute wait, which was too long for people whose appetites were still on Eastern Time. The weather was shaking its fist at everyone, so we chose to sit inside. On a dry day the deck seating and especially the patio a floor below beside Ashland Creek would have been delightful.

The interior was agreeable as well. Soft jazz played on the sound system, and the tables were set well apart. From the ceiling white, pink, and black umbrellas hung upside down and added a touch of whimsey. We enjoyed the setting.   Nancy started with a Thai Lime Salad from the vegetarian menu (the main menu has one with beef), which I seem to have neglected to photograph. Imagine a salad of “Cucumbers, Red Onions, Cilantro, Mixed Greens, Spicy Lime Dressing, Mango Chutney,” mostly cucumbers. Oh, and atop it were crushed peanuts, which were a good touch. The lime dressing was very nice, and she enjoyed the salad. Meanwhile, I had the Cucumber Salad, shown here in progress.

Cucumbers and onions with a touch of vinegar was a summer staple of my childhood, so I enjoyed this. This vinegar had a touch of sweetness, unlike that of my youth. It could have used more onion for balance and interest. For her entree, Nancy ordered the Yellow Country Curry.

She was well pleased with the two large shrimp and especially the abundance of red, yellow, and green vegetables. The coconut-milk based sauce had a very curry flavor and a nice touch of ginger.

I ordered Garlic Pork.

I added juice from the lime wedge and dug in. The pork was from the loin, and had been sliced and given a welcome caramelization. You also see the cherry tomatoes and onion slices, also caramelized, and some fresh cilantro. Garlic was discernible and I detected a hint of Serrano pepper. In all it was remarkably mildly seasoned for a Thai dish. Also unusual was the lack of a sauce. Still, it was a tasty dish.

After a good dinner, we ambled over to the Shakespeare Festival and saw their performance of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. It was great fun. The play is light, frothy, and relentlessly clever. Its former stinger satirizing Victorian society has long been drawn, and today it’s a source of innocent merriment, to borrow a period phrase, and great fun.

Ashland is a fine city, compact and walkable, with nice places ot stay, just the right touch of Portlandia, much to do and see, and a lot of good food. You should go. And if you’d like a gentle dip into Thai food, Thai Pepper is the place for you to go.

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