Page 110 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2019

chow | local habit

Come see why
we have been voted the best
4 YEARS RUNNING!

OPEN 11 AM TUES-SAT
LUNCH & DINNER
(must be over 21 at all times)

210 SW 6th Street
Downtown on 6th between G & H
Grants Pass, OR 97526 | 541 295-3094
Reservations for Parties of 8 or More Only

www.TheTwistedCorkGrantsPass.com

Southern Oregon’s
Premier Bistro

& Wine Bar

It’s easy to find all kinds of reasons why our society is fractured, and everyone with an opinion
has one about why: too much screen time, too much TV, too much divisive political rhetoric,
too much whatever… Turns out, I have an opinion as well, but as a thought experiment, I
would like to change the direction of the causal arrow. Entertain me for a moment, and let’s
investigate whether the problem might not be too much of anything. The problem might be
the distinct lack of something.

Until very recently (early 20th Century), the history of human existence has been a history of
eating together. Eating together is something that ties humans to each other in a unique way. The
food traditions of virtually every society bring people together to celebrate, to mourn, and to
honor. Weddings, births, deaths, celebrations of life, significant calendar days, days of religious
Outstanding Local importance, a stranger shows up, you haven’t seen a person in a long time, before a journey, after
Wine Selections a journey, a going away party, a welcome dinner, the proverbial pie to the new neighbor—all
human events where we eat together. Even the words festival and feast are tied together through
the Latin festus, which makes the connection in our language at least 2,500 years old. We “break
bread,” “toast in the New Year,” have family reunion picnics, take casseroles to new parents, and
mark the beginning of new courtships with dinner plans. The very first human connection of
mother and child is a food connection. Humans eat together. That’s what we do.

Award Winning Chef Well… until recently.

108 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | winter 2019