We go back to the Blue Goat...and enjoy it!

I have changed my perspective. 

I was always a little worried that living in wine country I would take to wearing short pants and sandals with socks, but I am not really sure what my new uniform will be.

You see I have a confession...or two.

I've been listening to funk.

We now have a (working) hot tub.

I realize that this is a digression from what you would expect from the title of this blog post but I wonder if it has not in some way changed my personal bias.

Those who have followed this blog may have noticed my fondness for old country western music and The Legendary Stardust cowboy. That has not changed as much as, shall we say evolved.

It all started when I bought a whole pile of albums on eBay. I wanted Jimi Hendrix, “Electric Ladyland,” and in the process I also won the CCR Country Album, a Marshall Crenshaw album- (I always liked the song “Cynical Girl” and have been trying to learn the chords for “Mary Anne”), plus, Jimmy McGriff's Friday the 13th Concert at the Cook County Jail, and a Barry White album. Barry White just because I figured everyone who has a Hi-Fi and a hot tub should have a Barry White album.

Anyway, there was a mix-up in the shipping and eBay's invoicing system and the seller just threw in a whole pile of other albums instead of giving me a refund. I was not so happy about the Bee Gees album, but have been listening to Junior Walker and the All Stars, and Tower of Power, “Bump City” on a regular basis.

I was in fact humming “Psychedelic Shack” to myself as the wife and I skipped into the Blue Goat last night for a night out on the town.

Actually, we were on our way to the infamous Blue Moon in McMinnville for the two steaks for $20 special, but we have wanted to give the Blue Goat a third chance and it was on the way. (Click here to read of my previous visit-which has generated a steady stream of traffic to this blog. Traffic which generally clicks through as they are really not the sort to care about the grumpy lowbrow comments of perpetually annoyed farmers.)

We were met at the door by a cheerful waitress, and as most of the tables were full we opted to share the long table with a group that was almost ready to leave.

We got our menus right away and despite our long standing bet that they would be out of our first choices we were pleasantly surprised to find they did in fact have what we wanted.

Much to our surprise the next group though the door was the only guy in our neighborhood who still has his Obama bumper sticker. He also brought his lovely wife and stepdaughter, who is a bit of a world traveler.

Despite the fact that I have in fact hid from him on several occasions when I did not feel like discussing politics, and I have had to explain that it will take more than the offer of one beer to get me in a hot tub with him as I do fear a reach-around, we invited them to sit with us.

We had a nice time. We discussed the daughter's world travels, the food was good and the prices are really not bad for a dinner menu.

I had as close to a steak as I could get. I was a little critical as we have just had some pretty incredible home grown beef but I am not complaining.

My wife had something resembling a tamale, but the corn husk was mostly for decoration. The black beans that came with it were very good. They sparked a discussion of the injustice of Mexican restaurants serving that nasty brown bean mush that comes from the ACME Restaurant supply store but I suppose that is a bit off topic.

The dessert was wonderful. I can’t hear half the time, and I didn’t actually look at the desert menu, and I’m sort of a Philistine, so I don’t know exactly what I had, but it had chocolate and caramel and it was really good caramel and we had good strong coffee to go with it.

Now I do see that I have blathered on long enough to lose most of my readers and I kind of lost the whole train of thought that started with my acquisition of a pile of worn out Funk records so I must wrap this up.

The Blue Goat has survived the first year. The food has improved, (they actually have food an hour from closing time), I was able to get my dessert, the coffee was good, it is not terribly expensive (in today’s world), it is clean, the waitress was nice and knew what she was doing, and I no longer feel any guilt about not eating at Ashes Café. In fact Ashes is no longer Ashes, it is now a beer and broasted chicken joint and I have no temptation to give it a try. 

But I do have to tell you what I find quite amusing about small town sophistication.

When ever I have been at the Blue Goat or talk about the Blue Goat someone always comments on the people who are, “not from around here.” It is the hallmark of the small town Nouveau-Winesnob to think they are the only clever and sophisticated person in town. It is also the hallmark of most grumpy farmers to assume that anyone not wearing Romeo's and a flannel shirt is a communist. 

The fact is that in rural Oregon there are plenty of educated and clever sorts, not all of them sip wine, not all are annoying, (but some are), but many people have made a conscious decision to not live in the city. They are generally communists but that whole world domination thing seems to be less worrisome these days than it once was.
Again, I digress...

I just want to conclude with my opinion. 
I think it is nice to have a place where you can have an interesting dinner and sip a glass if you so desire, or have a good cup of coffee if you do not.

I suspect the Blue Goat will fill that niche.

However for lunch on Monday, I’m going to Uncle Jack’s BBQ for a Brisket Sandwich!
And I do miss Ashes cafe, and the Mexican place across from the bank. Well, I also miss J & J's restaurant but that was a couple years back.