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chow | adventure dining
“Shutting down the inside dining rooms has had quite the impact on
our business, but we have rallied to come up with new and exciting
ways to continue to serve our guests. The hardest part of the last year
was shutting the doors for roughly a three month period,” says Jason
VanDusen, director of marketing of Grants Pass-based Thomason
Hospitality, which operates Taprock along the Rogue River, Elmer’s
Restaurants throughout Oregon, as well as Pita Pit and The Human
Bean.

“This has been an unprecedented year to say the least. We have man-
aged many new situations to ensure the safety of our guests and team.
We also have reimagined different areas of the business to create safe
and fun adventures for guests during a difficult time in everyone’s
life,” adds Travis Hamlyn, president of the Grants Pass-based Hellgate
Jetboat Excursions.

At Taprock, the restaurant’s cuisine focuses on American food like
burgers, steak, and sandwiches. They serve roughly 300,000 guests
annually. The three-story restaurant is modeled after a log cabin and
juts over the river. VanDusen adds that Taprock’s guests “come from
all over. From local Grants Pass residents to nationwide travelers.
Being a stop on the I-5 corridor definitely gives us the opportunity
to serve guests while stopping in for a break from their journey. And
nine times out of ten, these guests make it a point to return the next
time they travel through.”

Over at Hellgate, guests combine a jet boat experience with a meal
at the Hellgate River Lodge. The prix fixe menu includes biscuits and
cornbread, as well as roast chicken and ribs. The riverside venue also
caters private events and Hamlyn says in a regular year they welcome
75,000 guests between May and September, which is basically the
beginning and end of the area’s high season.

He goes on to note that “jet boats are really an Oregon story and have
been unique to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest for some time.”
They operate in very shallow water, which gives riders a sense of
gliding over the waves.
UNUSUAL GEMS
What may be most important about the dining experience along this
river is the vibe that comes from the welcoming locals. “The char-
acter of a region is often best expressed by the folks that make their
livelihoods sharing their backyards with ‘friends they haven’t met yet,’
” shares Liz Wan, a multi-faceted wine industry diva who runs the
Grants Pass-based VinoVerse wine consulting firm.

“There is no better evidence of this statement than the tribe of folks
that operate the dining facilities along Southern Oregon’s Rogue
River,” she says. Be prepared for open arms when you arrive and plan
to leave with new friends who you’ll want to come back and visit
time and again.” Even before guests have a bite they will get to know
the area’s leisurely pace and what she calls “Southern Oregon’s com-
fort culture.” The local culinary take is very much farm to table in
inspiration and based on fresh ingredients and the fun that chefs have
experimenting with them.

One of the area’s restaurants that very much embodies those values is
the Teapot on Wheels, a cozy spot that serves high tea in Gold Hill and

118 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | spring 2021