Savory Road with Jeff Baker

Northeast Portland eateries. The food gets better each visit.  Come along with Jeff as he describes an indulgent weekend he and Donna spent up there. Contact us at thesavoryroad@gmail.com, or visit Savoryroad.com. 

Come along with Jeff in his car for his review of Ramen in Azusa and Coffee in La Canada.

A bit of American history is hidden among the trees along Interstate 5 in Tumwater, Washington, just south of the capitol city of Olympia. Abandoned buildings – some dating back to 1905 are now simply relics of what used to be a top-selling national beer. If only those buildings could talk, what a story they would tell. Actually, one is still alive and still telling stories! The Schmidt House was the residence of the owners of Olympia Beer and today it’s open for tours and looking as good as ever! Jeff gets a tour from Don Trosper and learns all sorts of interesting trivia, including why Clint Eastwood insisted on drinking Olympia in his movies.   

Jeff didn’t get past the Naples train station in 2004. Italians told him the streets were too dangerous for a young family to visit. He always regretted his decision to pass on this fascinating city. He got his second chance in 2017 when he and wife Donna returned. They took a food tour with Naples native Ricardo Prencipe of Context Tours. Come along on this journey. Jeff sees some unique things while tasting espresso, fried pasta, and Limoncello. He winds up learning how to make Margherita pizza the first pizza ever – invented in Naples.

Steak Sinatra - Hey - what's not to like? Hot seared tenderloin strips, red peppers, and mushrooms, covered in a delicious wine and tomato sauce. I might have gone my entire life without trying it because this dish was a family joke. Way back when, my Dad (a huge Sinatra fan) tried to make it and nearly burned our house down. I'll share that story, then take you to Palm Springs where Donna and I strolled into the legendary Johnny Costas Italian Restaurant and I finally got chance to taste the real Steak Sinatra - prepared by Johnny’s son Vince who runs the joint these days. His father was a personal chef to Sinatra at his Rancho Mirage compound. Johnny taught Vince his great culinary skills – quite evident in this fantastic dish. In this episode, you'll hear about Frank's history in the desert along with how Johnny got there, and how he cooked his way into Frank's heart.  

Nir Elkayam is the executive chef at Jerusalem’s popular Inbal Hotel, located just blocks from the walls of the Old City. They have been serving a variety of guests for decades - from heads of state to common visitors like us. He refers to the Israeli kitchen as a “baby” that has just been born. Most recently, the Inbal has taken advantage of the pop-up restaurant concept.  This ever changing venue allows them to serve – in addition to traditional fare - new and exciting dishes they’ve invented from Israel’s cornucopia of cultural influences.    

Jeff explains that he and Donna will be producing a new podcast called Air2share - stories about what they discovered when moving off the beaten path and staying in an AirBnB. 

This is a sample of our new podcast about staying in AirBnB. We'd love you - our Savory Road fans, to give it a listen and give us some feedback. Find our Facebook page under Air2Share Podcast. Enjoy!

My friend and Edinburgh native David Bain shares how a good Scottish breakfast works as the hair of the dog that bit you. 

LA native Andrew Tyree owner of Coast to Costa, lead us to the cuisine and culture of downtown LA, including Little Tokyo for handmade Udon, Olvira Street for classic Mexican taquitos, and Chinatown for chili-fried beef with Thai Basil. We headed up to Bunker Hill for a finer dining experience. We met Chef Tim Holingsworth owner of Otium located next to the Broad Museum. 

Chef Tim Holingsworth is owner and head chef at Otium restaurant located next to the Broad Museum near 2nd and Grand in downtown LA. 

When not guiding travelers through Cuba, Spain, and Mexico, Andrew Tyree of Coast to Costa leads food and culture tours in downtown LA. 

Melissa Gibbs is manager of Bodnant Welsh food, a converted farm located in the Welsh countryside. It’s the perfect setting for a unique store that presents locally grown and produced Welsh food

On our recent trip to Switzerland, Donna and I had a chance to enjoy traditional, home-made Fondue prepared by locals. We stayed at an AirBnB in Merlagin -  a lakeside village located at the base of the Alps near Interlaken. This beautiful setting is the heart of Fondue country and the dish has remained a significant part of the culture all these years. Our hosts Claude and Anna Marie explained why Fondue is still so popular..because they like cheese in Switzerland. In this episode, I share a few tips on how to make your Fondue come out smooth and creamy. 

Choosing an AirBnB flat in the Southwark neighborhood was a great move. Down the street and just under the London Bridge, we found a 1,000-year-old market - known as the Borough Market since the mid 18th century. The market was surrounded by related historical sites, such as London's last surviving coaching inn, and one of the first coffee houses (they've only been drinking tea in England for a mere 250 years). Jeff talks with Food Anthropologist and Context Tour Guide Anna Seecharan about the enourmous effect this market had on London history.  

You'll find the history of this sweet paste interesting...

This week the Savory Road leads to Toledo Spain, where I found cookies, cakes, and candies made from Marzipan. We’ll feature the history of this delicious almond-sugar paste - and talk about convents where it’s made by nuns and sold in a very peculiar fashion. Join us this Thursday morning at 6:45 and 8:45 during Morning Edition..  then again on Saturday morning at 5:35 and 7:35 during Weekend Edition - on 91-9 KVCR in southern California.

Family members interrogate - rather - interview Jeff and Donna about their 9-week UK-Europe trip. While still suffering jet lag, the couple disclose many things not heard on their "from the road" podcast, including haunted barns, less-than-fab food, and annoying habits. Parental guidence included (have to listen to get that one).

A wrap-up of the final days of this trip including Paris, Belfast, and Irish cities near Trim. From JFK Airport as Jeff and Donna await their connection to home of Los Angeles.