Omar's

Gresham Street, Ashland, July 29, 2012—

LAST NIGHT OF OUR WEEK here in Ashland, where we stay every year with three other couples, as I mentioned yesterday. The Ashlanders, I call us. Four very different couples, with otherwise different enthusiasms and preoccupations, coming together for this purpose and, as an entire group, occasional dinners, maybe quarterly, back home in Sonoma county.

Tonight we ate at what can only be called a roadhouse, a kind of restaurant we like to patronize maybe once a month or so — we have a very informal monthly roadhouse schedule with one of the other couples, in fact. It's the kind of place for a Martini, a steak, and a salad, and that's exactly what I had. Okay green salad, with chick peas and croutons and a decent vinaigrette. Okay grilled top sirloin, buttered, with decent french fries and rather nice sautéed vegetables.

Chianti Classico, Rocca delle Macìe, 2009: characteristic, balanced

• Omar's, 1380 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland; (541) 482-1281

Six of the eight Ashlanders, outside New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro: Marjorie, Rhoanne, Gaye, your blogger, John, Mac. Lindsey's holding the camera; Stefan's off in the bushes somewhere.