Page 123 - Southern Oregon Magazine Summer 2022

A LOOK AT BAR JULLIET
The double L in the restaurant’s name turns what would have been a woman’s
name into the word for July in French. “It’s somewhat of a nod to the Shakespeare
festival. We assumed everyone would pronounce it like Juliet, but like the spell-
ing of Julliet,” says co-owner Corrie Robinson about the surprising spelling.

The couple behind Hither has a fantastic culinary pedigree: both Frances and
Otavia in San Francisco, under Melissa Perello when the restaurant got its first
Michelin star; as well as stints for Danny Meyer and an internship at Per Se under
chef Thomas Keller in NYC. We are super forunate that the young couple left San
Francisco to raise their kids here. With an eye for the little ones, they even have
a kid’s menu with sophisticated dishes like steak frites with Meyer Lemon aioli.

Hither’s fried chicken is legendary. I have never been a fried chicken girl, but
fell so hard for this preparation with honey and Aleppo peppers. They have
transported this, and some of their best dishes to Bar Julliet, which is along the
creek in Ashland in the old Ostras’ Spanish restaurant space. The warm brick and
wood-floored space with its tall ceilings has been spiffed up and is even more
welcoming than it was before.

Everything is shareable, starting with small, veggie-focused plates and ramps
up to larger meat dishes. The asparagus served with walnuts the first night I
was there was crisp and complex. The heaping pile of snap peas peppered with
sofrito, bacon, and mint was crunchy and excellent. The clams are swimming in
a lemony ginger broth and the duck breast with shallot date jam is divine. I hope
they never take it off the menu!

The best thing about the joint is the totally local, absolutely surprising wine
list. I had a Melon de Burgoune, the grape used in Muscadet in the Loire region
of France, which was made in Oregon by Bow & Arrow. As someone who has
covered wine for close to three decades, I didn’t even know the grape was grown
in Oregon. With a focus on natural and organic wine, they come through with
some amazing and surprising wines from our home state. There is also a nightly
rotating punch, as well as classic cocktail offerings.

What is even more important is that their wine-by-the-bottle prices are incred-
ibly reasonable, starting out at $27 for Bow & Arrow’s Chenin Blanc from the
Willamette Valley, ramping up to $101 for Bonnet-Ponson’s Pinot Noir from
Champagne, much like they are at Hither. What is more, the wines are mostly
delicious and surprising. I had a stunning Côte-de-Brouilly from Baron de
L’Écluse, a Gamay Noir-based stunner from Southern Burgundy for $47. This
is a big relief for the fine-dining crowd so we can enjoy a lovely bottle without
breaking the bank.

Bar Juillet
47 N Main St, Ashland
541-625-6536
www.BarJuillet.com

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