so we got to Oregon, and...

...to no one's surprise, a nice dinner was in the offing.

We'd actually planned a meal in Medford at a place called Decant.  Alas, they were unable to accommodate us because of staffing issues.  At least they let us know.  Not only that, but they offered to book us a table at their sister property, The Restaurant at Jacksonville Inn in the nearby village of Jacksonville.  Funnily enough, we were booked there for the Friday, but then Peter messaged to say that his aunts were going to cater a grilled dinner the next night at the hotel we were staying at, so we canceled Friday and headed to the Inn that Thursday night.

We got to the restaurant, and it was a lovely dining room.  Even better, they had a bistro/bar area tucked in the back, and while the dining room was handsome and busy, the bistro had almost no one there. 

Much better for quiet conversation, so we opted for it.  A cozy corner for me and Conrad and Van.

For my drink, I opted for their negroni, made smoky with mezcal. 

Yum!  For my dinner, a starter of the burrata with winter pesto and prosciutto. 

My main was rabbit with gnocchi - ah, I love rabbit! 

The dessert escapes me - a tart or pie, a little fritter, some ice cream.  We shared that one, and it was tasty, too.

The owner came by a couple of times, deeply apologetic about the reservation situation.  We were far from upset, I promise.  We'd had some really terrific food and drinks and a very good, knowledgeable server.  It was a fantastic start to the weekend culinarily.

And then it was time to go.  We exited through the back patio which was littered, beautifully, with all these amazing leaves in wonderful fall colours. 

Back in the car, we slowly drove through town.  And there, in the corner of a yard, a deer feeding.  Lovely to see, and not the last deer we would see in Jacksonville that weekend.