&

Dal and Renee Carver saw opportunity in Talent.

The Carvers, restaurateurs who&

ve operated the Wild Goose in Ashland for almost seven years, wanted to create something that Talent didn&

t have.

This town of 6,255 people &

a 21 percent population increase over the last five years &

has two time-worn bars and a handful of restaurants, many with daytime-only hours.

&

There weren&

t a lot of places to eat dinner,&

Dal said. &

We&

re just trying to stay out of everyone&

s way and create our own niche.&

They thought Talent could use a smoke-free place to have a drink after work, a patio to dine on, a piano bar and panini, which Dal noted is plural without a &

s&

on the end.

Two months ago, the Carvers opened Avalon Bar Grill on West Valley View Road between Highway 99 and Interstate 5.

When the doors opened, the sign out front hadn&

t been put up yet and finishing touches to the interior were still going in two weeks ago, but people have found Avalon anyway.

&

The community itself has been very, very excited,&

Renee said. &

They&

re just elated to have somewhere to go.&

Tables group in three areas &

the red-brick toned bar area, light yellow dining space near the windows and charcoal walls next to the piano &

around horseshoe-shaped bar with a glossy, black granite top. One weekday night, jazzy, big-band music acted as the backdrop for quiet dinner conversation and the clink of ice in those after-work cocktails.

— — — Another of Avalon&

s offerings is turkey panini — &

Dal Carver is quick to point out it doesn&

t take an &

s&

— in the plural.

&

I&

d feel better if the Rolling Stones were on the radio,&

one man at the bar said.

Most evenings, live music takes the place of the piped-in atmosphere. Dave Scoggin sings and plays the house piano on Mondays and Jim Quimby takes it over on Thursdays. Bil Leonhart delivers his seven-string guitar work on Wednesdays. Friday and Saturday nights feature traditional piano bar-style entertainment.

&

It&

s turning into a dinner house,&

Renee said, adding they still plan to enlarge the dinner menu and wine list offerings.

The Carvers initially planned Avalon as a lunch and pub-style food establishment, but interest in a more extensive dinner menu inspired additions such as steak, poached wild salmon, pasta and nightly specials. On Sundays, they serve brunch. And the Carvers promise it&

s not just the Wild Goose menu flown north.

&

We&

re trying to keep this interesting,&

Dal said. &

It gives people one more choice instead of one more location.&

Avalon Bar Grill is open from 11 a.m. to midnight and serves its dinner menu from 5 to 9 p.m. The restaurant is located at 105 W. Valley View Rd. in Talent.

Staff writer can be reached at 482-3456 x 225 or jsquires@dailytidings.com.