Little Bites: Old School: Kayo's new dinner house plans and Oxford's 10 Below | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Little Bites: Old School: Kayo's new dinner house plans and Oxford's 10 Below

10 Below and the Oxford Hotel are set to officially open this week. Located in the lower lobby of the hotel, 10 Below gets its name from the hotel's street address (10 NW Minnesota). The menu ($8-25), by Chef Sam Reed, formerly of Sunriver Resort and The Biltmore in Arizona, is sure to please. Local Bendite Todd Lambert joins Reed as Sous Chef at what is likely to be a new hotspot in Bend. The bar features a high-end selection of liquors. The décor alone is worth the trip. Shiny, white antler looking light fixtures adorn the ceiling; a colorful wall of woven lights blurs the line between function and art; sculptural tree stumps, saplings, and cross-sections pay tribute to the eco-friendly, environmentally-conscious tagline of the Oxford Hotel.


For those looking for something a little less urban-retro, longtime Central Oregon restaurateur Kayo Oakley is getting back to his supper club roots with a new venture in the former home of the Rustic River Bar and Grill. Kayo, who was best known for his namesake "Roadhouse" restaurants in east Bend and Redmond, recently sold his small bar and grill off Third Street which will be operating as Kelly D's.

The new venture, which is expected to open sometime in February, will be called Kayo's Dinner House and Lounge. It's a return to Oakley's roots who opened a similarly named and styled restaurant on the south end of town in the 1980s.

"I started it in the last recession and gave people a place to have a nice dinner at an affordable price. We all stuck together through the bad times and prospered in the good," said Oakley who went on to start three restaurants under the Roadhouse theme in Bend and Redmond before cashing out.

Oakley laid low for that last few years but said he was looking forward to getting back into the restaurant game with his new venture, which will feature a menu centered on fresh seafood, steaks, ribs and other classic supper club style food. Given the current economic climate, Oakley said he plans to hold the line on his prices with most entrees ringing in under $20.

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