I ordered my mocha and meal at 11 a.m. and was told it would likely take 30 minutes to receive my food. I happily settled in for the wait. My mocha arrived in under five minutes and my food arrived 15 minutes later. The turnaround felt very reasonable given how many patrons were waiting for their food and coffee orders.

What a great way to stay toasted on a cold day. Exit 69 was as good a Cold IPA as I have had. I put it up there with Boneyard’s RPM. So good in fact, we bought the four-pack of 16-ouncers to share during the week. It was a short week. At 6.3 percent alcohol, it had a good kick and a lightness that led to a second pint. 

Our foodie Charles Childs takes us on a wild culinary ride as they adventured down Riverside Trail and were captured by the sounds, sights and smells of the Bargeway Pub. Like Homer, distracted by the siren call, Charles did not return home without getting their hands around some incredible dishes and delightful hazy distractions.

I heard that Hot Point is a favorite Chinese restaurant in The Dalles for many and that their portions are generous. So, I could not help myself from getting to the bottom of this mystery and investigating what made Hot Point so good. Consider me a food detective. The Nancy Drew of Egg foo.

It starts with crusty homemade sourdough bread and then it is topped with a healthy spread of cream cheese, smoked trout, salty capers, sprigs of fresh dill, with a side of arugula and a lemon wedge. It ends with OMG!

This sauce was not spicy but it created a sweet tangy backdrop that balanced the flavor of many toppings. The caramelized onions play off the tanginess of the barbeque sauce creating more depth of flavor when eaten with salty cured meats such as ham and bacon. The Local Dish Food bits bites and tips on finding those tasty hidden gems By Charles Childs/ CCCNews Foodie

The smell of the homemade waffle cones alone practically grabs you by the shirt collar giving you no chance to resist the temptation of a warm crisp cone.

Esquites are like creamed corn’s sexy cousin. This snack blends corn, cheese, cream, with a dash of chili lime salt on top all conveniently in a cup of bliss. Because the corn is warm it melts the cheese creating that Instagram-worthy cheese pull.

Editor’s Note - We are introducing our new food columnist today who will be out and about monthly looking for great menu items around The Dalles. Their Column, The Local Dish, will review plates too good to miss. In the meantime, squeeze a little lime on some savory tacos at Mi Pueblito.