November 2013

Food and Fun at Mystic Treats

Mystic Pizza and Treats, Ashland

When Michael and Erika Lowe, owners of Mystic Treats Pizza & Pastries at 2345 Ashland Street (in the Tolman Creek Shopping Center) were younger, they both held several positions in the food industry, from dishwashing and pizzeria management to pastry chef. That experience led them to pontificate on what they would do differently, what practices they disagreed with, and what they thought the market was missing.
Fifteen years later, after working as technology consultants, they finally made the leap and opened their own restaurant, Mystic Treats in Talent, in the fall of 2010. They quickly outgrew the space, and when they heard the Old Farmhouse restaurant location was available, they jumped on it. The restaurant opened in Ashland in July 2013.
"Opening our own restaurant was accompanied by some auspicious opportunities," Erika said. "We originally planned to be a mobile food unit, focusing on the farmers' markets and local festivals. I had intended to feature pastries with a few savory items. During the start-up process we came across a small location in Talent. Pizza has always been a passion of Mike's, so the addition of pizzas and salads seemed to be a reasonable expansion of our offerings."
Mike and Erika have been vegetarians for 22 years, and the offerings at Mystic Treats reflect that.
"We wanted to develop a menu that was fully rounded, including exciting versions of familiar options," Erika said. "We try very intentionally to build recipes that mirror recognizable comfort foods that you don't always associate with vegetarianism. Raw foods, sprouts and brown rice absolutely have their place, but that is not what we're going for here. We like to call it 'comfort veggie.'"
Mystic Treats is a modified vegetarian restaurant catering to clients with food restrictions and concerns, like gluten sensitivity, vegan or the dairy free, GMO and organic priorities and the like. The menu includes pizzas, veggie burgers and veggie dogs, salads, and pastries.
Mike and Erika produce everything in house, with the exception of beer and wine.
"We make all of our breads and dough," Mike said. "Our pastries, dressings, sauces, burgers, hot dogs and sodas are made from scratch. Even the ketchup, mustards and pickles are custom crafted at the Mystic. Family and community are important to us, so we strive to maintain an atmosphere that reflects our values."
The restaurant also hosts music at least three nights a week, plus special events like their recent Oktoberfest and a screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
"We want to create an environment conducive to leisurely socialization," Erika said. "Our five-year plan is to expand into brewing craft beers. We love to pair specific brews with our menu."
Mystic Treats is open seven days a week. For more info, call 541-897-0045.

Automotive Repair & Diagnostics at Miles Automotive

Miles-AutomotiveThe road that led Ryan and Jennifer Miles, to become owners of Miles Automotive, 690 S. Pacific Highway in Talent, has been a long and adventurous one.
Both were born and raised in southern California, but they knew it was not the place they wanted to raise their children. So after their son was born they moved to Tennessee. "We had family there and thought 'why not,' it may be what we were looking for," Jennifer said. "Not at all! We were in a completely different world there and never adjusted or felt comfortable."
So a daughter, a dog and five years later, they packed up and headed back west, landing in a small town near Phoenix, Arizona. Ryan, an ASE Certified Technician, was working at an automotive repair shop when the economy went south.
"We had been wanting to open our own shop for a long time," Ryan said. "We realized that the time wasn't right for that, but it was the right time to find a place we wanted to live and be happy in. We had moved from California so that our children could have a better life, but instead we just moved them to a much hotter version of where we grew up."
The Oregon coast beckoned, and being outdoor enthusiasts, they packed up again and moved to Oregon.
"The Coast was not what we expected," Jennifer said. "It just kept on raining, so we started searching for a place in the Rogue Valley where we could open our own shop. In October 2012 we opened Miles Automotive in Talent, and we love it. We've met many wonderful people here—good schools and lots of outdoor adventures. This time we're here to stay!"
At Miles Automotive, they specialize in computerized diagnostics and automotive electrical work. Ryan is also certified in steering and suspension, brakes, engine repair and performance, drivetrain, and heating and air conditioning. He is also trained in light and medium duty diesel repair and maintenance. They also do regular scheduled maintenance on both domestic and import autos.
Jennifer has been working in customer relations for ten years and can also relate to a female's perspective on auto repair. "Working with many different shops in various places and seeing people get taken advantage of gave us the idea to open an honest shop where people could start trusting their mechanics again," Jennifer said. "We know we can't just say 'you can trust us.' We will earn your trust."
Miles Automotive is open Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm and Saturday by appointment. "We know people have busy lives," Ryan said. "Please call prior to bringing your car in on Saturdays."

Snap Fitness to Add a South Ashland Location

Snap-Fitness24-7Snap Fitness 24/7 is opening its 5th Rogue Valley location in South Ashland this coming January at 2205 Ashland Street. Eric Acevedo, Regional Manager for the franchise which owns and operates 11 fitness centers in Oregon and California, is excited about the new location.
"This will be our second location in Ashland," Eric said. "We opened our existing downtown location on Oak Street in January 2012. The new South Ashland location will be the largest Snap Fitness in the Rogue Valley with added amenities such as saunas, a Group Fitness Studio, and outdoor training areas."
Members will be able to use both clubs in Ashland or any of the five Rogue Valley locations, including Medford, Talent and Jacksonville.
"We've been surprised how much our members use multiple locations throughout the week," Eric said. "We'll also be upgrading our Talent facility to a new larger building next year, as well as adding a sixth location in North Medford. We have a winning formula, and the response from the communities we're in has been tremendous."
Eric has been a fitness buff most of his life. His family owned and operated fitness centers in Alaska and Montana for twenty years. He moved to Ashland to attend SOU, then returned in 1998 for graduate school.
"I was fortunate enough to meet my wife Nada, who was attending SOU on a basketball scholarship," he said. "We moved to Portland for about ten years and worked in the corporate world. Once we had children, we decided to get out of the city. Ashland had all of the great qualities we wanted for raising a family."
Snap Fitness boasts some of the best strength training and cardio machines in the industry. They also have large free-weight areas and dedicated Group Fitness rooms. Classes such as Zumba, Body Toning and Yoga are included as part of the regular monthly dues.
"We have a fantastic team of certified personal trainers," Eric said. "New members can schedule a complimentary 1-hour session to help them get started. Our clubs are clean, conveniently located, and affordable."
For more information, call 541-201-2444.

The Rhythm of Healing with Noah Volz

Noah VolzMaintaining a healthy body (and mind) is a combination of a lot of things, and at Rhythm of Healing Ayurvedic Clinic in Talent, owner Noah Volz's unique and personalized approach to healing offers three modalities in one: Massage, Yoga and Ayurvedic Medicine.
"This triad allows me to facilitate a dynamic and complete recovery of common and complex conditions," Noah said. "We are called Rhythm of Healing because each of our lives has a pattern, a cadence, or a rhythm like a playlist or a music album. It is that rhythm that creates the perspective and beliefs that predispose us toward health or disease."
Noah has been practicing meditation techniques since he was 17, when he ran across a book in English at a flea market in Berlin, Germany, called The Alpha and the Omega. After graduating from Fort Lewis College he attended a yoga teacher training in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He taught in various places, then traveled to India to learn more.
"That experience helped me realize that my life's purpose was to practice the healing science of Ayurveda," Noah said. "Our modern world promotes an overworked, overscheduled, and overextended lifestyle. One of the primary tenets of my practice is quality over quantity. While completely changing your lifestyle and diet will bring a cascade of changes, sometimes just making one really essential change can have lasting benefits."
Noah recommends that essential change, then supports it with herbs to increase the benefits of the change.
"By educating my clients, I keep them accountable and inspired in their healing process," he said. "They can then better cope with stress and make informed decisions for maintaining health. Many clients have a perspective that limits their responsiveness to stress. Both yoga and Ayurveda align clients with their life's compass and internal intelligence."
After receiving his degree in Ayurvedic Medicine, he worked with a center in Eugene before moving to Talent in 2008 and opening his own center.
Rhythm of Healing is an integrative care center offering a full spectrum of therapies designed to restore balance and maintain health. They include an Ayurvedic initial consultation; a follow-up visit; Ayurvedic Massage; Therapeutic Massage; Ayurvedic yoga classes; seasonal cleanses; and wellness seminars and workshops.
For more information, email Noah at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to www.rhythmofhealing.com. The center is located at the Om Sweet Om Yoga Studio at 108 S. Market Street in Talent. The phone number is 541-513-7750.