We want to extend our most sincere thanks to everyone who donated to the staples drive for the Children’s Center. The center’s conference room was filled with bags donated by our Twilight Friends. It was a beautiful sight! Twilight also donated $250 of groceries and personal care staples to the center.
The winners of the donor appreciation goody baskets were Carolyn W. and Nancy S. Many thanks to all of you for your generosity! You have made a tremendous difference in the lives of the children served by this amazing agency.
So I read a post recently about us that speculated about our name and a connection to the Twilight series books and movies. I figure it’s about time to formalize a response to this question.
No, we didn’t name the restaurant after the Twilight book and movie series (although we’d happily host a party for the cast here). In fact, at the time of our naming, we didn’t even know the books existed. Nevertheless, we are indelibly connected to them now due to an odd serendipity of the release of the books and movies and our opening.
The real reason we named the restaurant Twilight is not nearly as compelling. We were trying to come up with a name for the restaurant, and our first few name picks were Flying Pig Pizzeria (I have a thing for flying pigs, as you can see in spots in the restaurant) and BrewHaHa (because we wanted to craft our own beer and have live comedy). We decided Flying Pig was too close in name to Flying Pie in Portland, and we decided BrewHaHa was something we weren’t really prepared to take on quite yet–we figured being new restaurateurs, it was better to concentrate our efforts on the food and managing the business, as we knew we’d have our hands full with just those things.
So we had no name. Nada. Nothing. We decided to do a little brainstorming session to help our creativity and focus in on what we wanted our name to reflect. We envisioned a warm and inviting atmosphere where people felt comfortable. We envisioned a space reflective of that time of day between day and night, when the sun begins to set and sends that warm glow over everything its rays touch. That’s what we wanted to make people feel. Thus, Twilight. No vampires. No werewolves. Just a warm ambiance where you can enjoy good beer and pizza.
We do, however, have a ghost. Henry, as we’ve monikered him, seems to think he’s our caretaker. He makes lights burn out over problem areas/equipment, and he occasionally makes his presence known by sending wine glasses across the server alley in a projectile of quickly broken glass (usually if something else is amiss, and it’s our job to figure out what that is). Henry is very, very protective of us. And we like that, so we welcome his presence. Yeah, right, you may be saying, as most of our new employees do, until Henry introduces himself, sometimes in a not-so-subtle manner. You don’t have to believe it. It’s okay. But it makes him none less real.
I hope this lessens the mysticism and answers everyone’s questions regarding the birth of our name. Henry seems to like it, and that’s okay with me. Cheers, buddy. (And please stop breaking my wine glasses.)
On a recent trip to visit family in Newport, Oregon, we stopped in at the Rogue Ales Public House (http://www NULL.rogue NULL.com/locations/locations NULL.php) on Bay Boulevard in Newport to do a tasting or two of the Rogue ales selection. I don’t usually fawn over small little excursions like this, but we were treated so well (no, not because we’re in the industry…they didn’t know us from Adam) that I have to recommend that on your next trip to the Oregon Coast, you stop and give them a try.
Our server, Ronnie, was so extremely gracious and knowledgeable, I have to say it was some of the best service I’ve been shown in a restaurant of any level, particularly good for a pub. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, neither particularly big beer drinkers, were just as impressed as we were at the level of knowledge shown by the server. (These are the kind of servers all restaurant owners/hospitality managers would like to clone…someone who truly loves the place they work for and is a cheerleader and an advocate for the establishment.)
Between the four of us, we must have tried at least eight ales and two of the distilled spirits that Rogue is now making. We were also lucky enough to get to try Charlie ’81, a special commemorative brew we were told was made in honor of the homebrewer that inspired the Rogue founders to start their enterprise.
The Hazelnut Rum we tried is so amazingly good it can be had straight or on the rocks, and I don’t like straight alcohol as a rule. But the goods were so very, very good that even I could enjoy them that way. Any of you who have ever been out partaking with me know what a sissy drinker I am. They also make a Pink Gin that I would be proud to put in anyone’s gin and tonic.
The ales we tried were all very good as well, but the standout among them of the ones I hadn’t already tried (and carry here at Twilight) was the Hazelnut Brown. Browns don’t generally ellicit excitement in me, as I usually like something stronger and punchier, like an Imperial IPA or an American Strong, but Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown had sexy nuances of flavor that most browns don’t even try to embody. So very good, you’ll be seeing it on our shelves in the immediate future.
We didn’t eat at the Ale House, as we had some lively and large fresh crabs on the menu for that evening, but everything we saw come by our table looked to be pretty superior as far as your everyday pub food goes.
So next time you’re on the coast, stop in and say hello at the Rogue Ales Public House. We hope you have as good a time there as we did.
On a recent trip to the Oregon Coast, we stopped to visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium. They have a temporary exhibit there that is a must see for everyone.
The project is called The Washed Ashore Project: Plastics, Sealife, and Art (http://washedashore NULL.org/index NULL.php), and is a tremendously clear visual presentation of just how damaging non-biodegradable materials are to wildlife and the environment. All materials for the project were collected in a two-mile radius of the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and when you see the sheer volume of the materials, it is a clear demonstration that we must reduce, and eventually end, our use of plastics, styrofoam, and other non-biodegradable materials. The exhibit is on display at the Oregon Coast Aquarium through April 13, 2011.
Ben Cohen, of Ben & Jerry’s, gives a great visual presentation here of what it would take to feed needy children, fund Head Start, rebuild our schools, and end our reliance on oil, proving that it’s not hard if you have clear priorities.
(http://www