My wife and I looked forward to New Year's Eve with great anticipation. We had made reservations at a small, Mediterranean restaurant called Intaba's, located in Corvallis, on the West side of the Willamette Valley, and were gearing up for an evening of great food, wine, and music. With several delays in getting out the door, not to mention the abundant snow, we finally made it to the restaurant about an hour late.  
 
The setting for the restaurant is a nice, quiet location of Corvallis, just south of the city center, located along Highway 99W. The restaurant is what appears to be a renovated house, with a primary indoor seating area with hardwood floors, artisan paintings hanging on the walls, and lovely indoor decor that really gives the place a relaxed, welcoming feel about it. There is also adequate outdoor seating, protected against the elements by an extensive, enclosed awning, and kept warm by gas heaters, not to mention the immense, custom, brick-oven fire used to cook the food.  
 
Intaba's features an all-organic menu. Over 95% of their menu -- from appetizers, salads, side dishes, to the artisan entrées, even the extensive beverage list of wines, beers, juices, coffees, teas, etc. -- are produced and prepared using organic means. For the evening's celebrations, the chefs had prepared the an amazing, multi-course dinner. The menu selections for the evening can be found here:  
http://www.oregonwines.com/bannerredirect.php?BannerID=29  
 
We chose a bottle of Italian Nuova Cappelletta 2000 Barbera for the meal. It paired incredibly well with our dinner: carrot and parsnip soup; fresh green salad with Bosc pear, Gorgonzola dolce, and ginger Balsamic vinaigrette; smoked salmon, sundried tomato and Chèvre tart; and last but not least, the fire grilled wild Chinook salmon with blackberry Merlot reduction glaze, over apple pecan wild rice.  
 
We shared two desserts that evening: the chocolate Bathsheba cake with caramel sauce; and the almond apricot stuffed pears, poached in ginger pear brandy and served with organic whipped cream. With these wonderful treats we enjoyed a glass of blackberry honeywine from Honeyrun Winery.  
 
 
 
Our choice of cuisine usually has an emphasis on Mediterranean fare, though it is usually difficult to find and prepare these types of foods using organic ingredients. I have to tell you, the meal was simply incredible. Not a single flavor, ingredient, or detail had been overlooked, the wines paired incredibly well, and without question the meal was one of the ten best I enjoyed in 2003!  
 
On to the evening events... following dinner, many of the guests mingled outdoors, where a jazz band had begun playing. Some guests enjoyed hot cups of freshly-brewed coffees and teas, while others staying warm under the gas heaters. As midnight drew close, Intaba's staff came around, and provided everyone with complimentary glasses of Cantina Pizzolato Italian organic méthode-champenoise wine.  
 
And then, it was midnight! Happy New Year 2004! The jazz band played well on into the night, and welcomed the new year with a downright fun style. Wherever you may have been this past New Year's Eve, we hoped you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did. If you happen to be passing through Corvallis, you should consider stopping in at Intaba's, if not to partake of the great food or wine, then to take in the same creative atmosphere that is now putting Intaba's on many a culinary map!  
 
Contact Information for Intaba's:  
 
Intaba's Wood Fired Eatery  
1115 South Third St, Highway 99W  
Corvallis, Oregon 97333  
Phone: (541) 754-6958  
 
Visit Intaba's Web Site:  
http://www.oregonwines.com/bannerredirect.php?BannerID=28  
 
Email Intaba's:  
http://www.oregonwines.com/bannerredirect.php?BannerID=30  
 
Happy New Year!, from the staff at OregonWines.com