The Edgewater Thursday Farmer’s Market is back for the summer season.  Running seasonally from May through September, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Thursday, the market features local vendors, community engagement initiatives, activities centered around children, and aims to attract everyone –  people on lunch breaks and families and youths enjoying their summer holiday.  There will be homemade crafts such as soaps, jewelry, and pottery for sale. Bread and flower bouquets. Fr

Roy Long had never stepped foot in a food cart pod as of a few years ago. Now, he’s the owner of Checkpoint 221, West Salem’s first and only food cart pod. Long first discovered the joy of the food cart pod while living in Portland and working for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. As a father of four, he saw how the open seating spaces and many choices made the experience particularly family-friendly.  “Everybody gets what they want, and the kids can run around,” Lon

Christy and Wayne Miller craft their two most important relationships – the one with each other, and the one with Odd Moe’s – by using the same ingredient: integrity.  Of course, they are more humble than that.  “We’re just two people that make lots of pizzas,” Christy said, laughing.  Pizzas that are made with fresh dough that’s never frozen; with local produce (when available) that are chopped by hand; patented, secret red and white garlic sauces. Even the cheese they use i

Adobe Restaurant and Bar, a relatively new establishment located at the corner of State and High streets, features Latin-inspired cuisine, using fresh ingredients to create memorable dishes that capture the essence of Latin flavors. They consider themselves a fine-dining establishment, with a menu crafted with passion. They are open every day from 4 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and on Fridays they don’t close until midnight. For weekend brunch, they open at 10:00 a.m.  Reservations are

Seems like we’ve had a spurt of new French restaurants in the Salem area. My latest discovery is Clink! Located on the 2d floor of The Forge, Suite 230, 285 Liberty St. NE. It opened last fall and has taken its rightful place among the finest eateries in Salem. It is open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday from 4 p.m. through 7 p.m.  They do a fine brunch on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. Reservations are recomme

There is another new restaurant in town, and I couldn’t resist a visit. Encore opened on November 14 at 195 High Street NE, adjacent to the Grand Theatre. It has been a space with many uses over the years, including hosting a wine bar, Paradiso, and other restaurants that came and went too quickly to remember.  Encore fits nicely into its location adjacent to the Grand Theatre, and includes a glass door between the theatre and the restaurant, making it convenient to dine and

Welcome back to the Westside Newspaper! We have missed you. I am back too, but not on a regular basis. I will chime in when something hits me that you readers might find interesting. In the past I have written about food, restaurants, travel, and even a little satire, not to mention the April Fool’s Day spoofs. My contributions in the future will hopefully hit on all those areas. I will be fully retired as of the end of 2025, and plan extensive travels and adventures, some of