Page 68 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2018

the good life | pack the bags

paddling about the pool together,
Renee drifted off to befriend a girl
her age. The Upstate New Yorker had
come with her California grandpar-
ents to view the eclipse a few days
prior. A group from France had been
there for the same reason, logging
miles across continents, chasing
eclipses like some folks chase tor-
nadoes. I was curious about others
who might come long distances, and
the clear winners are those from the
Ukraine and Russia. They show up
before Christmas, for surely our
coldest, snowiest winters pale in
comparison to theirs. Fisher folks
come in the spring, duck hunt-
ers in the fall. Duck Dynasty cast
members have been spotted in the
Klamath basin.

The Ruddy Duck, the lodge’s in-
house restaurant, has its own green-
house. Plant starts make their way
to two community gardens and
eventually to the restaurant’s table.
One evening I indulged in the Farm-
to-Fork dinner. At the end of the
meal, I set down my fork quite full
and wholly satisfied. The salad was
so fresh I envisioned the sou-chef
sprinting to the garden to pick the
veggies. My entrée was roasted lamb
cooked to perfection, and creamed
spinach—forget how your grand-
mother fixed it. The third course,
fried huckleberry pie alamode, had
me curious, but did not disappoint.
Renee went for the steak once
more. (Once she discovered steak
on the kids’ menu, she ordered
it three times.) Executive chef,
Matthew Renshaw, stopped by our
table on the patio to make sure the
meals were to our satisfaction. We
gave him thumbs up.

Breakfast at the Ruddy Duck includes
the usual fare, with some delightful
additions, such as elk sirloin hash and
duck sausage. As participants in the
As you read this, perhaps you’re tucking away the idea of Blue Zones Project (a program of
purposeful healthy living), they serve
going next spring or summer. You might want to rethink healthy choices to start the day. The
same holds true for lunch and dinner
that plan, for winter is a perfect time to visit Running Y. salads and entrées.

66 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | winter 2018