To experience meals as theater — where Oregon’s chefs show off their creative skills and talent in intimate settings — try a tasting menu. At these fine-dining experiences, you sit back and enjoy a series of multiple prearranged courses, a few bites at a time. Each small plate celebrates local agriculture, heritage and seasonal influence and changes frequently. Here’s what to expect at some of Oregon’s most celebrated restaurants with tasting menus in Portland, Ashland and the Willamette Valley — just be sure to make your reservations ahead of time to mark a special occasion or impress your date.

Tucked away in a secluded alley off the main downtown drag, Mas is not a place that one just happens to stumble upon. But seek it out, you definitely should.

An arty town ensconced by mountains and vineyards, Ashland is an enchanting cultural hub in Oregon’s Rogue Valley, with exceptional food, a budding wine region, and nearby natural wonders.

The James Beard Award-nominated, New York Times-lauded tasting menu restaurant has accrued plenty of praise, but not many people actually know the chef. Is it worth the price tag and four-and-a-half-hour trip?