Arbor House Restaurant
Celebrating 47 years in Southern Oregon
Story by Andrea Jacoby OShell
Photography by Ezra Marcos
One Restaurant, Endless Impact
As a new mom, my world has been completely flipped upside down in the best way possible. I look for community through a new lens. The familiar phrase, “it takes a village,” means much more to me than it ever did before. So when I walked into Arbor House Restaurant, the warmth and the feeling of family invigorated me. Smiling faces greet you from all corners of the restaurant, captured in a state of joy, a moment in time made permanent by the single click of a camera. The biggest smile of all is on Leah Calhoun’s face, the youngest daughter of Kitty and Patrick Calhoun. She’s the ultimate host, the matriarchal heart and soul of Arbor House, not to mention the owner, chef, and whatever other hat the restaurant needs to be worn during the day-to-day operations. But she never compromises her integrity. Leah makes time for every single person who crosses her path, including me. “Make yourself at home,” she says as she brings me a freshly brewed, steaming cup of coffee served with a splash of heavy cream.
The Family that Works Together, Stays Together
On a dream and a whim, the Calhoun family left everything they knew in Brooklyn, New York, in the early 1970s, with five kids packed into their VW Bus. “They wanted to raise their kids in a different lifestyle, they were hippies,” says Leah. So, in search of that lifestyle; they spent the next two summers searching for a place that felt like home. Twenty-five states later, they found it in a vertical log cabin from the Gold Rush, a community of like-minded people in the heart of the Applegate Valley. “They wanted to keep us tight as a family and instill a work ethic,” Leah recalls. Although Patrick Calhoun’s original dream was to start a school, he instead decided to return to what he knew best after owning a restaurant in Brooklyn, and opened the Arbor House Restaurant in 1979.
The actual Arbor House building has its own interesting past. “It used to be a greasy spoon, The Ham and Egger on Jackson in Medford,” Leah says with a chuckle. It was eventually relocated to Talent for the owner’s mistress to run and became the Fort Wagner Diner. From there, it became a family-run Mexican restaurant and was sold to the Calhoun family in 1979. They compiled their kitchen from The Carter House, a restaurant that burned down in Medford. They recently replaced that secondhand, beloved, six-burner Wolf stove with a new, ten-burner model. “It’s been life-changing,” says Leah. Now, the charming building with an arbor façade, encircled by old-growth trees and a simple wood sign that reads Arbor House Restaurant in gold lettering, gently sways in the breeze, seemingly beckoning you to come home, it’s time for dinner. But Arbor House has never been about the building; it’s always been about the people inside.
Tailor-Made with Love
They’ve always been a family that makes it work. Leah recalls her mom getting creative to stretch meals. “Mom fed eight of us on one chicken.” That can-do, make-do attitude runs deep in her veins, and it is the core of her work ethic. She took over the restaurant in 2007 when her brother Joel decided to take a step back. It’s still a family affair, though! “75% of the people that work here are family, and if they’re not, they become family.” It’s her job to ensure that all the moving parts of the business run as efficiently and waste-free as possible, just like her mom and dad taught her. She shops on Tuesdays, everything is made fresh throughout the week, and it sells out by Saturday. And while the core of the menu stays the same, Leah is always open to evolution. “Our most recent addition is cioppino,” she says, beaming. That’s the beauty of Arbor House. If you’re a purist, you can always go back for the classics like the beef stroganoff, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try some of their newer dishes. Everything pairs exceptionally with the local beer and wine list on rotation. The bar is small but mighty and houses several familiar and beloved local bottles of wine.
One thing is for certain, though: you need to come to Arbor House with an appetite. Your tailor-made meal includes three courses: a fresh homemade biscuit, soup and salad, and an entrée. Leah isn’t alone in the kitchen; head chef, Isiah Titus, of whom she is extremely proud, carefully constructs each dish. Leah makes all the salad dressings (three come with your salad); their blue cheese dressing converts haters to lovers. Her from-scratch soups are what they have grown to be known for. The split pea soup is a once-forgotten recipe she revitalized for a modern palate. “It’s good food made with love,” she says with a conviction that extends all the way to her food suppliers. She shops as much locally and organically as possible, and highlights local favorites like Cherry Street Meats.
Leah’s favorite part about owning Arbor House is the freedom to cater to everyone’s needs and wants. She’s never one to shy away from a dietary restriction or special request. “I always want to be accessible and community-oriented.” You don’t have to have a dietary restriction to get a custom meal. “I’ll always accommodate; I’ll order you a lobster!” She laughs, but she is completely serious.
The Ripple Effect
When you’ve been a part of a community for nearly 50 years, you become a touchstone for people during all the different stages of their lives. This is the core of Arbor House. You simply feel at home. In the restroom, a bulletin board overflows with layers of handwritten thank-you notes and Christmas cards from near and far, each expressing heartfelt gratitude for Leah and the Arbor House team. “Healing happens when community comes together.” Leah means it; her actions speak volumes. Following the Almeda Fire that destroyed so much for so many, Leah rallied her troops, and they began doing a community dinner that ran for two full weeks. They served over 150 people a night. The community dinner became so popular that it turned into a fundraiser, which turned into a matching fundraiser from an anonymous donor. They were able to raise $40,000 for fire victims. Leah continues the tradition of giving by providing Arbor House gift certificates for local fundraisers whenever possible.
In turn, the community rallied around the Calhoun family when their father, Patrick, passed away suddenly in a traffic accident in the 1990s. People came from near and far to support Kitty and the rest of the Calhoun family through those challenging times. Twenty-four years later, Kitty passed away at the age of 83. “There were many peaks and valleys,” Leah says tearfully. And through all those ups and downs, Leah and her family have stayed strong in their conviction to be the best neighbors possible. “It’s an honor to be there for our customers, from baby showers to memorials.”
Cheers to 50 More Years!
A lot of things in life are uncertain, but one thing we do know is a good meal from a friendly face can cure almost anything. Leah has certainly seen it all throughout the 47 years Arbor House has been in business, and while it hasn’t always been easy, it’s been a privilege. “It’s a legacy I get to carry,” she says. She is always looking toward the future and has a lot of exciting plans for Arbor House. “I want to work on my business, not at my business.” It’s an inspiring, can-do attitude that we should all incorporate in our day-to-day lives.
So, bring your checkbook (credit cards are not accepted), loosen your belt a notch, and prepare to be transported to a time when meals were lingering times, conversations weren’t cut short by the ding of a cellphone, and time seemed to move a little bit slower. Leah, along with her family and friends who line the dining room walls, will greet you with smiles that will leave an indelible mark on your heart. Long after the last spoonful of dessert is eaten and plates are cleared, that feeling of belonging will stay with you. It isn’t just a meal, and community still matters—more than ever.
Arbor House Restaurant
541-535-6817
