My husband and I have had a busy spring, but earlier this week we realized it had been quite a while since we’d treated ourselves to a nice dinner out. I recalled a restaurant review I’d read in our local paper about a month ago for a small French restaurant in nearby Ashland, and we agreed to give it a try. Husband-and-wife team Nat and Grace Borsi (he’s the chef, and she runs the front of the house) opened it almost two years ago, wanting to create a friendly, casual place with a neighborhood bistro vibe. They wanted the name to be a little French but not too fancy or high-end sounding. They hit upon Cocorico, the French “cock-a-doodle-doo,” and I can assure you, everything about this place gave me something to crow about!

We arrived just a few minutes ahead of our 7:30 reservation. (Reservations are suggested but not required; they set aside some seating each night for walk-ins). This being Ashland, we knew that diners who would be attending an 8 o’clock performance at the Shakespeare Festival would be finishing their meals, and the atmosphere would be a little quieter than earlier. Indeed, we waited outside the main door to make room for those leaving, as the vestibule space is quite tight here. Grace Borsi greeted us warmly, thanking us for dining with them this evening, and walked us to the all-season patio in the back. We passed through a mostly full room; for a Thursday night, the place was really buzzing!

The patio was also almost full, but we had our choice of two tables and opted for the one furthest from the door. This is a really lovely space, with blonde wood benches along one long wall, matching tables and comfortable chairs. Between each table are planters with an assortment of live plants: fuschias, hostas, coleus and star jasmine. They make a nice living screen between the tables, though I was a little worried that even with the screen, the gentleman at the next table might be a little too loud. His party was getting ready to leave, though, and we shared a little conversation. We learned he was (as I suspected from his clear delivery!) one of the lead actors in a play at OSF that we intend to see later this summer. It’s one of the things I love about dining in Ashland.

I appreciated the subtle but bright-enough light from the attractive fixtures overhead; I like to be able to read the menu and see my food without having to use my phone’s flashlight app!

Shortly after being seated, we were greeted by our server, Meg, who, having noticed that we’d brought our own bottle of wine for the evening, had brought two stems with her. We appreciated her cheerful, friendly service throughout the evening; she also thanked us for choosing to dine there this evening and, learning this was our first visit, let us know that everything (“except for the bread,” made by a local bakery) was house-made: the sauces, the pasta, the desserts. She told us that Chef Nat was French; and although the menu is French-influenced, he draws on other culinary traditions as well. After opening our bottle (a lovely 10-year-old Syrah from Spring Valley Vineyard in Walla Walla, Washington, one of our favorite producers) and sharing the evening’s specials, she left us to peruse our options. Oh, so many excellent choices! The Starters list (nine, plus the special) includes warm and cold plates and offers salads, vegetables, a few seafood items and olives. The Mains included a few pasta dishes, lamb, chicken, a few vegetarian options, a fish of the day and steak. Prices for the starters ranged from $8 to $24, and the mains ran $21–35 — very reasonable for Ashland and the quality of the food. Cocorico seems very gluten-free friendly, and several items on the menu were marked as being adaptable to vegan and/or vegetarian as well.

We decided to begin with the starter special: clams in a white wine broth, thin slices of chorizo, shallots and chives, served with generous slabs of grilled bread drizzled with what I would guess was a little basil oil. The aroma was fantastic, and the generous bowl proved more than enough for the two of us. The clams (wonderfully plump and large) were perfectly steamed, and the chorizo provided a nice burst of savory flavor, while the broth, soaked up by the bread, was a joy in itself.

We decided to have the grilled asparagus, listed as a starter, served with our entrées. It was as tasty as it was beautifully presented — as were all the dishes here; I love the brightly colored stoneware, befitting the bistro vibe, clearly chosen to complement each dish. I’m sure I never would have thought to serve grilled asparagus with goat cheese, but it was fabulous, providing a creamy texture to the perfectly grilled spears,  which were drizzled with a Dijon shallot vinaigrette and sprinkled with pine nuts and pickled onions. Heavenly!

Harry settled on the carbonara for his entrée, and he was presented with a generously full plate of house-made vermicelli coated in a decadently rich and flavorful sauce of cream, bacon, Parmesan, egg yolk and caramelized onion. He shared a bite with me, and I found the pasta perfection and the sauce even more so. I was equally delighted with my roasted chicken. Again, Nat used cheese — this time, mascarpone in the sauce and Boursin in the whipped potatoes — to add a level of flavor and creamy texture that heightened this homey dish and made me so happy! Added layers of complexity came from the strawberry-rhubarb compote, providing sweet notes, and peri-peri sauce, adding an unexpected but just-right zing to the plate. And, again, the dish was lovely to behold, too, with dashes of color added with flower petals and herbs to create a balanced picture.

Well, we had to leave room for dessert (as we had checked out the options online earlier), so Meg kindly boxed up what we couldn’t finish (plenty for dinner the next night) as we tried to choose from several sweet options. The fresh strawberries (just coming into season now in Oregon) served with honeycomb and cream were very tempting, but we ended up choosing marionberry pie (another Oregon favorite) with house-made vanilla ice cream. We were pleasantly surprised when Chef Nat brought out our dessert himself, thanking us also for choosing to dine with them this evening, and we thanked him for a wonderful meal.  As you can see, I was so eager to try it that I took a bite before remembering to take a picture! The crust was thin, light and crisp, and the filling was full of that wonderful berry flavor and was not overly sweetened . . . a mistake made too often, I feel. The ice cream proved the perfect complement to the warm pie: creamy, rich and flavorful.

We left feeling fully sated and fully appreciated by the warmly welcoming staff at Cocorico. We will be sure to return again and again to revel in the wonderful atmosphere and delectable food here.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor