Gogi’s Restaurant
A Gourmand’s Dream
Story by Leslee Ryerson
Photography by Ezra Marcos
On the quiet corner of South Oregon Street and West Main in historic Jacksonville sits an unassuming three-story building that houses Gogi’s Restaurant. A covered front porch runs the length of the façade, lined with a bar top supported by local wine barrels. Wooden planters overflow with fresh herbs and edible greens, while hanging baskets cascade, setting the perfect stage: you are in Oregon wine country, about to enjoy an unhurried meal, rooted in local, fresh ingredients.
Chef Gabriel Murphy was just 27 when he returned to the Applegate after years apprenticing under master chefs in Italy and Central California’s wine country. So when he and his brother Jonoah were offered the chance to purchase Gogi’s in 2007, it was a welcome return to his childhood home and the community he loved. A few years into the venture, his longtime partner, Harmony Duel, joined the close-knit team.
Gogi’s menu is driven by Chef Gabriel’s innate ability to know what available ingredients complement what. If Gabriel’s gift is a superb palate, Harmony’s gift is her people skills. Years in sales made her a natural fit, working both sides of the bar as front of the house manager. Chef Gabriel puts it simply: “With the intimate size of the restaurant, every staff member is key.” You’ll see each staff member’s name listed on the menu, the website, and hear them referenced during your dining experience. “We want to showcase and credit their individual skillsets and artistic creations.” That genuine appreciation translates to a staff that goes above and beyond in everything they do.
Farm-to-table and house-made aren’t buzzwords at Gogi’s, they are the restaurant’s ethos. Everything is crafted in house from scratch. From the menu boards and the outdoor bar top (all built by Chef Gabriel), to the house-cured meats, pickles, sauces, crackers, bread, pasta, even the Tajín on the margarita rim are made in house. Why buy it when you can make it better yourself seems to be the rule. Everything has been touched by the chef’s kiss.
Behind the bar, Harmony has crafted an inventive and artistic cocktail menu. House-made infusions and syrups, the freshest produce, and quality spirits, make every drink elevated. She follows trends, honors the classics, but always adds her signature “extra.” Like the Gogi’s espresso martini. The Espresso 43 blends Ketel One vodka, Kahlua, Bailey’s, Licor 43, and espresso, served in a chilled, chocolate-lined martini glass with a home-baked cookie garnish. The Davina is a blackberry-lime vodka cocktail created for a special customer. It’s so good it’s a menu staple. The Blue Goose martini features Grey Goose, olive juice, and blue cheese–stuffed olives. The Spicy Margarita uses jalapeño-infused tequila, fresh lime, with a house-made Tajín rim. Another standout is the Dirty Old-Fashioned made with Knob Creek bourbon, Luxardo cherry, muddled orange, and bitters.
An equally impressive wine list is packed with local favorites from Quady North, Troon, Upper Five, Kriselle Cellars, and Plaisance Ranch. With selections from the Willamette Valley, California, France, and Italy, there’s something for every palate to complement every dish.
Your meal begins before you even order. A tiny delicious surprise arrives, the amuse bouche, signaling you’re in a true fine-dining restaurant. A flavorful tease of what’s to come, so good you pause mid-bite. Then comes a highlight for the staff (and diners): the reading of the nightly specials. “This is where everyone’s talents and ingredients are on center stage.” From the amuse bouche, daily bread, appetizer, soup, entrée specials, rotating desserts, and a complimentary petit four, Chef Gabriel says “It sets the tone for the evening, from first bite to final goodbye.”
A generous basket of crunchy focaccia and fresh baguette follows, with an herb-bright dipping oil so delicious you won’t miss butter or balsamic. Loaves are also available for purchase to go.
The frequently changing menu is dictated by seasonality and the quality of what local farms and purveyors can provide. Some menu staples remain because guests insist on them. An updated version of warm roasted beets, a beloved dish from the original Gogi’s, combines locally grown beets, fresh chèvre, toasted walnuts, and a truffle-balsamic reduction. Another must try starter is the Artisan Cheese and Charcuterie Board. Overflowing with house-cured salami with anise, house-cured capicola, house pickles, toasted baguette, and house-made mustard. It’s a board with endless flavor combinations, each more delicious than the last. A tuna tartare starter is served with scallion, preserved lemon, and a house-made squid-ink cracker. You know it will be fresh and bright or it wouldn’t make it on the menu.
The salads are just as fresh and delicious. Delicate butter leaf and avocado is dressed with chardonnay dressing and creamy chèvre. Or try the green salad that crunches with fresh apple, blue cheese, and honey vinaigrette. Fresh spinach with poached pear, lemon ricotta, candied walnuts, and a red wine vinaigrette is another favorite.
Main courses range from steaks, pork, poultry and seafood, depending on what’s best at market. When we dined, the menu had a grilled bone-in pork chop served with fresh corn polenta, agrodolce cabbage, and an apple-pancetta compote. Smoked salmon carbonara was as beautiful as it was delicious, consisting of fresh made, hand cut tagliatelle tossed with smoked salmon, pickled sweet pepper, caper, and tomato. Salt-and-pepper seared Oregon Coast albacore arrived perfectly cooked atop preserved lemon risotto, a smear of tomato coulis, artichoke relish, and pea shoots. Steak lovers chose between a dry-aged ribeye, filet mignon, and a charbroiled bistro steak. All are top-quality cuts impeccably prepared. Duck confit was served with French-style lentils, wilted chicory, carrot, and a port-plumcot sauce.
Desserts are not to be missed. Cheesecake flavors change often as do the sorbet and ice cream flavors, all house made from scratch. Other options include a vanilla bean crème brûlée made with bourbon vanilla bean served with fresh berries. The triple chocolate brownie mousse cake with salted caramel sauce is topped with vanilla whipped cream. Or try something more delicate, a flourless lemon berry tart with Chantilly cream and lemon sauce.
This diverse menu reflects what Chef Gabriel calls “the romance of using the local ingredients around us and working together to create more than just a story, but to invoke an emotion inspired by the food, the atmosphere, and the service.” He credits local farms and artisans such as Flora Farms, Quady North, Kriselle Cellars, Jefferson Farm Kitchen. “We appreciate and rely on all foragers, farmers, and industry artists,” he says. Not to mention his own family. “My mother and brother have been growing and providing produce from their five-acre farms since I bought the restaurant.” He also gives a special nod to Vittorio Carrara, “a nomadic gleaner whose truckloads of lovingly hand-picked produce have always inspired me on my culinary journey.” Chef Gabriel adds, “It’s fulfilling to showcase the bounty around us in the Rogue Valley.”
Other preferred partners include Magnolia Inn, and Kubli House. Caring for the ecosystem of small town tourism is beneficial for continued success.
It’s 100% apparent that Chef Gabriel’s favorite part of his job is feeding people. “Not just through the food, but through the entire experience.” Early mornings are spent with just him and his ingredients. “I enjoy making the bread and expressing myself with simply water, flour, and salt.” Another ritual he cherishes is Family Meal. “Every Saturday, Gogi’s prepares an elaborate meal for the staff, their families, local industry folks, and anyone brave enough to wander in after hours, there’s always an open door.”
That kind of generosity and love is what carried them through being closed for 18 months during the pandemic. Gabriel recalls, “We survived COVID through Sourdough Saturdays,” where Gogi’s donated the ingredients and the staff volunteered their time to bake bread, cookies, and make soup. Neighbors lined up at the front porch, giving whatever they could, every dollar going straight to the staff. They also offered local wine since the tasting rooms were not accessible. “We created a positive movement during uncertain times and loved the feeling of togetherness.” The generosity continues through Gabriel’s newest passion, wood-fired sourdough pizza. “For those curious to try one, you might catch me donating them on select Tuesday afternoons on our patio out front.”
His favorite meal to eat? “Any meal prepared with passion and intent.” Which would be every meal you’ll ever eat at Gogi’s. When asked what Gogi’s “secret sauce” is for success, he is characteristically humble. “There is no secret sauce. Years of hard work, passion, dedication, and love keep us going. The Rogue Valley is a unique and dynamic community, and we wouldn’t be here without the support of everyone in it.” That humility and perpetual gratitude might be the secret sauce.
They say a person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected. For Chef Gabriel and Harmony, that appreciation translates to outstanding cuisine, gracious hospitality, and impeccable service. I would be remiss to not mention Matthew Ligon, Jyotir Barbagallo, Kenzie Deascentis, Stella Yance, Dylan Quinlan, I’m Mikey Straub, and Troy Culy. Gogi’s wouldn’t be the same without them.
Gogi’s is open for dinner service Wednesday thru Saturday, from 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended but not required.
Gogi’s Restaurant
235 W Main St, Jacksonville
