Holiday spirit at The Gallery

Published 12:00 am Thursday, November 24, 2016

No Thanksgiving dinner plans? Don’t despair. The Gallery Restaurant and Bar has you covered.

An intrinsic part of the scene in Sisters, The Gallery takes good care of its local patrons. To that end, it’s offering turkey dinner with all the trimmings tonight — complementing the usual dinner menu of pork chops, country-fried steak, fish and chips, liver and onions, meat loaf and more.

The Gallery has been a Sisters original since the 1970s, when it opened in the middle of town on U.S. Highway 20, here known as Cascade Street. It is, indeed, a gallery of art, featuring both Western-themed paintings (oils, watercolors, pen-and-ink) and a valuable collection of Winchester rifles, many of them dating from the 19th century.

The decor carries from the street-side cafe, where breakfast and lunch are served, into the wood-paneled rear bar, where evening diners enjoy their meals in an atmosphere of sports television, country radio and video poker. There are no windows here, so time can fly by.

Morning meal

I’ve made recent visits for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There were pros and cons to each of my meals. But service was never an issue; the wait staff’s efficient, no-nonsense approach was refreshing. If you waffled too long in placing your order, the server would get you on her next circuit of the room.

In the morning, I ordered a three-egg Denver omelet ($10.95). The eggs were nicely wrapped around good-size chunks of ham, onions and green bell pepper, topped with cheddar-jack cheese: It was an excellent omelet. It came with a perfectly toasted English muffin (my choice) with jam.

But the hash browns were so badly overcooked, I regretted that I hadn’t chosen house-made applesauce as an accompaniment. The potatoes were as crispy as pork rinds. My server responded appropriately: As compensation, she offered me a slice of pie.

The Gallery’s pies aren’t normally a breakfast item, I’m sure, but there were a lot of options: fruit pies, cream pies, meringue pies. I considered enjoying a slice with the excellent Gallery coffee, but instead ordered a slice of Dutch apple, to go. It later made an afternoon snack. The apples were soft but not mushy, a lot like my mother used to make. Perhaps needless to say, I enjoyed it.

Lunch and dinner

The burger I ordered for lunch one day was pretty ordinary. Granted, the Classic Deluxe was a decent piece of meat, one-third pound of locally raised ground beef, garnished with lettuce, two tomato slices and some pickle chips. I topped it with a slice of Swiss cheese for an extra 50 cents. Thousand Island dressing precluded any additional call for ketchup or mayonnaise.

But for $9.75, I expect a burger with a bun that doesn’t fall apart on my second bite. And I expect fries that have been cut in-house, not poured, as these appeared to be, from a frozen-food container. Next time I would choose to accompany with a cup of soup or one of several salads — a green salad, a pear salad or coleslaw.

I did visit the salads at a subsequent dinner. My Caesar ($10.25), to which I could have added chicken or shrimp for an additional $2, was simple and frankly minimalist. Chopped romaine leaves and toasty (but flavorless) croutons were tossed in a creamy dressing that could have used more garlic and a touch of anchovy paste. Parmesan cheese was shaved on top. The lettuce was fresh, so I was satisfied.

My favorite things to eat at The Gallery were its fish and chips ($11.95), which the menu bills as “famous.” Four hearty chunks of Alaskan halibut, bigger than golf balls, were hand-dipped in a light tempura batter and deep-fried. While I’m not normally a huge fan of fried foods, these were so well drained, they carried no obvious residual oil. House-made tartar sauce was so delicious, I requested extra.

Again, I didn’t care for the fries. The coleslaw wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but it was far from the worst — white and red cabbage with carrot was topped with a light dressing that nicely balanced sweet and tart.

The Gallery must be getting a good deal on its halibut. The menu offers the option of cod, instead of halibut, for $17.95. In most restaurants I visit, halibut is the premium product.

Premium isn’t a word I’d use to describe the wine selection, however. The top-end red varietals are made by 14 Hands, a lower-end producer. Clearly, beer is the beverage of choice here, with both local craft selections and mass-market labels available.

— John Gottberg Anderson can be reached at janderson@bendbulletin.com.