We ate here the one night we stayed in Ashland, OR. The restaurant is quaint, and serves mostly local and organic ingredients, with a valid attempt at high end cuisine. The food overall was good, and most was made with familiar pairing of food combinations and preparations, so don't expect innovation, and there were some hits and misses. Overall it was a pleasant experience for being in Ashland, OR, and far away from a major city.

The biggest hit were the desserts, and we were told by the waiter that their pastry chef did a run at the French Laundry (a 3 Michelin starred restaurant in Yountville, CA). We ordered the beignets, which were light, fluffy, and served with a homemade raspberry jam that was the recipe of the pastry chef's grandmother, with a comforting taste I still remember, and the meringue tart which was a bit on the sweet side for my tastes, but I adored the unusual combination of flavors.

For dinner we ordered both of the salads, the Watercress and the Arugula, which were very well balanced, and the dressings not overpowering. Then we had the The beef tenderloin, which was the best entree we ordered, and was cooked perfectly tender, and full of flavor. We also had the truffle roasted game hen, which had too much truffle oil for my liking, giving it a cloyingly rich taste, and some of the meat was still running with red juices next to the leg bones (we were told this is how game hen is normally, and I'm not very familiar with it, so I chose not to eat those parts). We also had the scallops, which were very fresh with tremendous flavor and not overcooked. Unfortunately the scallops had grit and the little muscles still attached, (grit in scallops is something I've experienced even at high end restaurants in San Francisco, and this always irritates me!)

The biggest misses are the uncomfortable, molded plastic chairs, and the cramped dining room, which can get warm.

Our expectations must have been too high. Drinks were so so, table was uncomfortable, fish preparation was mediocre.

Went to Amuse for the first time. Thought the service and food were outstanding. I would highly recommend it if you are visiting Ashland.

This is the place for that special evening where you want everything to be just right. A small place with wonderful atmosphere, fantastic wait staff and amazing food. If you're an traditional steak and potatoes person this might be a little risky but for the slightly more refined palate Amuse is your place!