Bernards Farms, Oregon

I have to admit to my own preconceptions and prejudices. I tend to think people who live in rural places, especially rural Oregon, will be more conservative in their politics and values. This was what I assumed about the people who run Bernards Farms, a farm and produce stand (in a barn) about 5 miles outside of McMinnville, Oregon, which is about 45 minutes southwest of Portland. Having been a Portlander for about 5 years now, I enjoy the extremely progressive atmosphere that infuses this town. Whenever we go outside its environs, to partake of the many scenic wonders nearby: the coast, Mt. Hood, etc., I always feel a bit wary that I might come across people much less liberal than I'm used to. Not that that makes them bad, but I am comfortable in my little bubble. 

Whenever we drive to the beach town of Lincoln City, we stop at Bernards Farms. They grow hazelnuts there, and sell them for less than you can buy them in the Portland stores, plus the fact that they're fresh and delicious. We use them to make hazelnut milk as they are much more sustainable than almonds. Did you know that? They require much less water (almonds need a ton!), don't need pesticides and besides, they're a local crop. Bernards Farms also sells produce in season, walnuts, honey etc. 

We were passing by last March, basically the day the Coronavirus lockdown was put into place in Oregon (we were not yet aware it had happened), on our way to the beach, and stopped at Bernards Farm as usual. The produce stand was open, but there was no-one there. A sign asked that you leave cash or a check in a box, and take what you want. Wow. That struck me as pretty darn sincere - and trusting - as there was probably thousands of dollars of nuts and produce. The problem was, I had neither cash nor a check. So I took two pounds of hazelnuts, and left a note that I would call them and give them my credit card over the phone or send a check. The lady who answered the phone said to just send a check and I did. That right there gets them a pretty high sincerity rating, plus the fact that their hazelnuts are amazing. 

Then the Black Lives Matters protests started after the killing of George Floyd and we didn't get back down to the beach for a while. The next time we did though, in late July, we of course stopped by Bernards Farms. Everything was as nice as usual, the employees back at their jobs, wearing masks, and being safe - and over the register two huge signs: One said Black Lives Matter, the other was this one: 

 

I was impressed. My favorite farm stand also stood proud in support of their values - those that I believe to will move our country closer to "justice for all." 

Thank you, Bernards Farms. Your evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere! 

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Conin Mexican Cuisine

This article was intended to be run in the December issue of the SW Connection. Through a series of rather bizarre lapses in communication, it was not included. Beyond that, our relationship with the paper has now been severed. We wish the Southwest Connection and it's new Editor, Mr. Bill Gallagher the very best in the new year. Mr. Gallagher, by the way, is starting a "Letters to the Editor" column. If you wish to contact him: bgallagher@pamplinmedia.com

Okay then... In mid-September I received a tip from a reader, Katie Songer, about a place here in Southwest Portland that was simply not on my radar in any way. One of the reasons for that, I suppose, is that it’s a little bit difficult to find, even when you know the address on Barbur Blvd. Honestly, I looked, and looked and even drove right past it several times without seeing it. Part of that had to do with the direction I was traveling in. I was heading South on Barbur, knowing that it had to be on the West side of the street to my right, however the place is most cleverly tucked away in a small cluster of shops. To see it when heading South, is very much like merging onto the Ross Island Bridge off of Natio. You have to know how situate your car perpendicularly to do it, right? In the case of finding Conin Mexican Cuisine for the first time, head North, notice that the UPS store is on your right, and look to the left. There it is! Ta-da!

Let it be known, Conin Mexican Cuisine is a destination I’m only reluctantly sharing with you. The reason I hesitate is that, once known, it’s going to be much harder to get in. Fortunately, they offer reservations.

Georgina and I decided to have dinner early on Saturday night. The wind was blowing, and, because I’d just had the car washed, a light rain was beginning to fall. It was already dark in anticipation of the time-shift taking us back an hour. Not having been to Conin before, we could only hope that our intrepid, five-minute journey into the desperate wilds of Southwest Portland would be rewarded with something more than just okay.

Because of our early timing, we were the first people in the place, and, frankly, entering an empty restaurant can have something of a chilling effect, if you know what I mean? Gah, perhaps it was empty for a reason! How wrong that possibility turned out to be. To be clear, stepping in out of the weather we found ourselves in the cozy, quite beautiful interior: traditional Mexican music played gently in the background. In one corner over the full bar, two flat screens silently displayed soccer and football. By way of the time of the year, there was a lovely Ofrenda (Día de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead - offering table) set up against one wall, honoring those who are no longer with us. In this simple welcoming environment, we felt immediately at home and were greeted most warmly. What a great intimate place this would be for a party!

I started with a stellar Margarita served in a Mason jar with a handle. Georgina had a Pacifico from the tap. To keep us happily occupied while we made our decisions, fresh corn chips were placed on the table along with an excellent salsa, which thankfully contained only a hint of cilantro (allergic, you see). I ordered Tacos de Pescado: three slightly crispy shells generously filled with fish and the house’s special toppings, sprinkled with cotija cheese. Georgina had the carne asada version. Each of these dishes, and I cannot stress this enough, were O.M.G. extraordinary and delicious. Oh, and did I mention the churros made-to-order in-house? I should have!  

Katie, closed her letter to me with this, “…since we love it so much, we selfishly want it to thrive so it'll stay in business and we can keep eating there for many years.” Well I couldn’t agree more, however, Katie I would suggest this is something of a double-edged sword. An hour or so later when Georgina and I were leaving, the dining room was very nearly packed, and other rain-drenched cars were eager to contest the spot we were making available in the small parking area. People who know about Conin – know about Conin.

Rating: Extraordinarily Sincere

For reservations call: 971-808-5627

eMail: conin@coninpdx.com 

9111 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland, OR 97219

Site: http://www.coninpdx.com  

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If you know of a business or person anywhere on the planet you think might meet our criteria please send their information to me jon@searching4sincerity.com. I can’t promise to write about them though, as that in itself would be, well, you know… insincere.

Hillsdale Farmers Market

What is more wonderful on a crisp fall day than perusing booths of seasonal vegetables and fruits, local meats and seafood, baked goods, dairy products and other items that will delight your taste buds and benefit your health?

Not much that I can think of.

Though the Portland State University Farmers Market is probably the biggest in town, it feels more like a weekly event than a local tradition. On the other hand, there’s something innately satisfying about being able to just pop over to the Hillsdale Farmers Market on a Sunday, right here in our own neighborhood, where it sets up in the parking lot of Rieke Elementary school at 1405 S.W. Vermont St.

The last time I was there, I scooped up freshly caught salmon, vine-perfect tomatoes, a handy bag of baby lettuce, some crunchy local apples, late-season zucchini and a pint of the last strawberries of the summer. When it comes to buying fresh, local produce, I find a grocery store simply does not compare to the flavor and value available at the farmers market.

Oh sure, I might be able to find a zucchini for a few pennies less in the bins of grocery stores, many of which certainly sell — at least for part of the year — some local produce. But it’s never the same in freshness as what I find at the farmers market, where growers bring their wares straight from field to market.

We all know that a store-bought tomato almost never compares to what the local farmer grows (or what we grow in our own backyards), and strawberries imported from California are a far cry from the delicious red nuggets harvested from nearby farms. Yes, OK, we won’t find all the items at the farmers market that we get used to having year-round from the grocery store (like kiwis and avocados, for example), but the fruits and veggies at the former ensure that we are always buying seasonal, as well as local.

That’s better for the local economy, better for the environment (fossil fuels aren’t being used to ship products long distances) and better for our palate.

And what about fish, meats, eggs, etc.? Again, it all comes down to supporting our local farmers and fishermen and getting items for our table that have been lovingly, humanely and often organically raised, or caught with sustainability in mind.

At Hillsdale Farmers Market, you can even grab a little lunch from some of the booths that sell prepared foods, like soup or tamales. You can also pick up a delicious loaf of freshly baked bread, pies, muffins or other goodies, or a beautiful bouquet of seasonal flowers. I never come away from the market with anything less than some new discovery and a feeling that I’ve participated in my community in a very special, and kind of basic, way.

So that all income levels can benefit, the farmers market accepts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) card (as most markets do), which can be swiped at the info booth in exchange for tokens. In order to make the SNAP purchases go even farther, Hillsdale Farmers Market participates in the Double Up Food Bucks statewide program, which means that SNAP participants can receive up to $10 in matching funds by purchasing tokens at the market’s information booth; they then get $20 for their SNAP purchases instead of $10.

Sarah West, who manages the farmers market, shared with me that Hillsdale’s matching program is unique, because it is not being run by a USDA grant. Hillsdale Farmers Market does 100 percent of the matching and the fundraising itself. This helps the program overall and, by proxy, helps fund markets that are less well off.

Businesses can donate at various financial levels, including sponsoring a booth at the market, and the market accepts public donations as well. West is usually at the info booth, or you can speak to the volunteers there too. 

For more information, contact West at contact@hillsdalefarmersmarket.com or check out the market’s website at hillsdalefarmersmarket.com

The market is open every Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. from May until the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and twice monthly from December through April. I couldn’t rate our wonderful Hillsdale Farmers Market as anything less than Extraordinarily Sincere!

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

John's Marketplace has stood the test of time - with good reason

John's Marketplace is an institution in Southwest Portland's Multnomah Village. If you're a beer person,this is your paradise.

"Basically, if you can get it (beer) here in Oregon," the shop advertises, "then we have it!"

You want wines? The selection is supreme and the staff incredibly knowledgeable, especially if you happen to run into Dave Kaplan, the "wine guy" at John's Marketplace. Kegs, drafts, wine tastings, fantastic burgers and sandwiches — it's all at John's.

However, I'm particularly fascinated by the historical aspect of John's, which anyone other than longtime residents may not know. It is among the oldest remaining businesses in Multnomah Village, dating back to 1923, when it used to be John's Meat Market, according to Nanci Hamilton's historical booklet, "Portland's Multnomah Village."

While many businesses in Multnomah Village closed their doors after World War II because of the arrival of convenient shopping meccas like Fred Meyer and Washington Square in Tigard, as Hamilton points out, the most notable establishments that still remain are John's and Renner's Grill (1939).

According to the Multnomah Historical Association's website in a piece written by Lowell Swanson, John Feuz Sr. bought a meat market from James Sullivan on Dec. 1, 1922, which at the time was located where Sacred Money Studios now resides. John at that time was 28 years old, having come from Switzerland in 1914, where he'd been trained as a butcher. His wife, Anna Gabriel, whom he married in 1923, became his business partner.

John and Anna used the front of the store for their retail business and the back for wholesale. John also delivered meat to his customers and sold it wholesale to the Oregon Electric Railway. He had a two-story smokehouse on premises and made his own sausage in his basement. He started selling groceries as well as meat in 1932, and opened the store in its current location at 3535 S.W. Multnomah Blvd. in 1958.

John's store remained in the family until 1984, when it became mostly a convenience store under the management of John's son David. In the early 90s, Jack Furman bought the place and was the one who added the wine and beer selection. In 1999, the current owner, David Percival, bought John's Marketplace and runs it to this day.

Since I tend to be drawn to historical places and things, knowing its history makes John's all the more appealing to me. But most importantly, I have never, ever, not found what I wanted in terms of wine or beer at John's. And if I didn't know what I wanted (since I'm not the world's biggest connoisseur of beer or wine), some helpful salesperson there would steer me the right way.

John's has wine tastings every Friday evening from 5-7 p.m. when, for $5 a person, you can sample a variety of local and imported wines. They also have Winemaker Tastings a few Saturdays a month. You can check their website, johnsmarketplace.com, under "events" for specifics, or keep an eye on their sign, where they advertise various events — including some that are free!

But let's get back to the food.

You can sit at the lunch counter at John's and enjoy $5 draft pours while you chow down on legendary Tillamook cheeseburgers — single or double, with bacon or without, "veggie-tized" or not. They've got a "Killer Turkey" sandwich with turkey, bacon, provolone, lettuce, tomato, etc.; the "Flying Pig" sandwich, with ham, Tillamook cheddar and fixins'; the "Virgil," a BLT with onions and avocado; a "Dirty Cheesesteak," with lean steak marinated in a house brew; and a grilled Tillamook cheddar and provolone sandwich on Challah bread.

Yummy, hardy and all a great value.

So next time you're looking for exactly the right libation or a delicious sandwich/burger, visit the place that's made its name in history for all the right reasons: John's Marketplace.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

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