Alice Finer

Anyone who's been in Bend for more than five minutes can tell you that folks around these parts take their beer very seriously. New microbreweries pop up like wildflowers, and the market never seems to get flooded. But for me the best part about a brewery is the requisite brewpub that inevitably pops up with it. Don't get me wrong, I love the beer. But I love the bar and, more importantly, the bar food even better. The hard-working chefs at our area brewpubs are often overshadowed by the brew, and the menus are taken for granted. Since this weekend the town will be gathering at the Des Chutes Historical Museum to celebrate the first annual Little Woody Barrel-Aged Brew Festival and all the hops and malt that go along with it, I thought a rundown of food favs from the brewpub menus around town was in order.

Anyone who's been in Bend for more than five minutes can tell you that folks around these parts take their beer very seriously. New microbreweries pop up like wildflowers, and the market never seems to get flooded. But for me the best part about a brewery is the requisite brewpub that inevitably pops up with it. Don't get me wrong, I love the beer. But I love the bar and, more importantly, the bar food even better. The hard-working chefs at our area brewpubs are often overshadowed by the brew, and the menus are taken for granted. Since this weekend the town will be gathering at the Des Chutes Historical Museum to celebrate the first annual Little Woody Barrel-Aged Brew Festival and all the hops and malt that go along with it, I thought a rundown of food favs from the brewpub menus around town was in order.

When I'm in the mood for Chinese, I usually tend towards Hong Kong Restaurant. Not only is it the first place I happened upon when I moved to town, but since Chinese dining rooms are not known for their atmosphere, I've always been too taken with the backdoor charm of the adjacent Bamboo Room to explore anywhere else.

When I'm in the mood for Chinese, I usually tend towards Hong Kong Restaurant. Not only is it the first place I happened upon when I moved to town, but since Chinese dining rooms are not known for their atmosphere, I've always been too taken with the backdoor charm of the adjacent Bamboo Room to explore anywhere else.

Now, that's a bagel.Whenever I've lived in a place for a while, the time inevitably
comes when I feel like there's a key food option that I'm missing. I have
plenty of favorites when it comes to restaurants, but for everyday, a quick
breakfast or take-out lunch that offers a restaurant level of satisfaction
without the usual cost or commitment of dining out, I suddenly find myself at a
loss for what to eat. Most normal people would fill this dietary gap by going
to the grocery store, purchasing selected items and combining them at home to
create a meal-you know, cooking. But for me, it's far preferable for someone
else to come up with what I didn't know I wanted, prepare it far better than I
ever could and spare me the pain and, ultimately, disappointment in my
inability to properly feed myself.

Enter the Bagel Stop. Less than a week after my first visit, I can
already tell that it is the antidote for that creeping indecision at mealtime.
Pretty much everything here appeals, and it goes way beyond just bagels.
Offerings range from breakfast sandwiches and baked goods to gourmet deli
sandwiches, soups and salads, as well as a full catering operation for anything
from picnics to weddings. Closing at 3 p.m. daily, there's no eat-in option for
dinner, but a rotating line-up of take-home meals is available. It's sold as
dinner for two at $22, but is probably enough for four. 

Now, that’s a bagel.Whenever I’ve lived in a place for a while, the time inevitably
comes when I feel like there’s a key food option that I’m missing. I have
plenty of favorites when it comes to restaurants, but for everyday, a quick
breakfast or take-out lunch that offers a restaurant level of satisfaction
without the usual cost or commitment of dining out, I suddenly find myself at a
loss for what to eat. Most normal people would fill this dietary gap by going
to the grocery store, purchasing selected items and combining them at home to
create a meal-you know, cooking. But for me, it’s far preferable for someone
else to come up with what I didn’t know I wanted, prepare it far better than I
ever could and spare me the pain and, ultimately, disappointment in my
inability to properly feed myself.

Enter the Bagel Stop. Less than a week after my first visit, I can
already tell that it is the antidote for that creeping indecision at mealtime.
Pretty much everything here appeals, and it goes way beyond just bagels.
Offerings range from breakfast sandwiches and baked goods to gourmet deli
sandwiches, soups and salads, as well as a full catering operation for anything
from picnics to weddings. Closing at 3 p.m. daily, there’s no eat-in option for
dinner, but a rotating line-up of take-home meals is available. It’s sold as
dinner for two at $22, but is probably enough for four.

Awe, Shucks. So, "decadent and depraved"-the words Hunter S. Thompson used to describe the Kentucky Derby in his landmark 1970 article-isn't quite accurate, but the Sagebrush Classic and the Derby have a few similarities. Like Derby festivities, Sagebrush also ostensibly surrounds a sporting event, in this case a golf competition at Broken Top featuring 52 foursomes. And just as the Derby draws crowds of well-heeled spectators sipping mint juleps, Sagebrush attendees get gussied up and sip on Bend's signature drink, handcrafted beer from the Deschutes Brewery. Granted, instead of seersucker suits and wide-brimmed hats, you're more likely to find maxi sundresses, polo shirts, jackass shorts and loafers with black socks, and here in Central Oregon we really guzzle rather than sip, but close enough.

What the folks in Louisville don't have that the landed gentry at Sagebrush do is a great cause to justify the decadence. In the past 21 years, the Sagebrush Classic has raised over $2 million for the Deschutes Children's Foundation. However, that said, the ensuing debauchery, albeit in the name of philanthropy, is certainly comparable to what goes on at Churchill Downs, especially in the infield. Give a crowd of over 1,000 people a '70s cover band, unlimited Mirror Pond and the excuse that they're doing it all for the children, and you've got yourself a party.

Awe, Shucks. So, “decadent and depraved”-the words Hunter S. Thompson used to describe the Kentucky Derby in his landmark 1970 article-isn’t quite accurate, but the Sagebrush Classic and the Derby have a few similarities. Like Derby festivities, Sagebrush also ostensibly surrounds a sporting event, in this case a golf competition at Broken Top featuring 52 foursomes. And just as the Derby draws crowds of well-heeled spectators sipping mint juleps, Sagebrush attendees get gussied up and sip on Bend’s signature drink, handcrafted beer from the Deschutes Brewery. Granted, instead of seersucker suits and wide-brimmed hats, you’re more likely to find maxi sundresses, polo shirts, jackass shorts and loafers with black socks, and here in Central Oregon we really guzzle rather than sip, but close enough.

What the folks in Louisville don’t have that the landed gentry at Sagebrush do is a great cause to justify the decadence. In the past 21 years, the Sagebrush Classic has raised over $2 million for the Deschutes Children’s Foundation. However, that said, the ensuing debauchery, albeit in the name of philanthropy, is certainly comparable to what goes on at Churchill Downs, especially in the infield. Give a crowd of over 1,000 people a ’70s cover band, unlimited Mirror Pond and the excuse that they’re doing it all for the children, and you’ve got yourself a party.

Head out to the river for Ocean finds like this at Kokanee Cafe.Until a recent visit to Kokanee Café, my exposure to executive chef Roscoe Roberson was limited to his winning performance in this year’s Top Chef competition at the Bite of Bend. With gutsy dishes like chilled watermelon-ginger and pork cheek medallion soup as well as a black chef’s uniform, cowboy hat and swaggering personality to match, Roberson stole the show. At Kokanee, I expected flamboyance, a little city-goes-to-the-country juxtaposition of culinary flash against a tranquil backdrop. But as anyone who has been to Kokanee already knows, only half of that assessment is true. Yes, the spot is serene, the digs are rustic and the service friendly and unimposing, but what I tasted, while cosmopolitan in quality, was as quiet as the setting and completely without gimmick.

Housed in a wooden cottage with a stone chimney and screened-in porch just yards from the Metolius River and the Camp Sherman Store and Fly Shop, Kokanee blends in seamlessly with the giant ponderosa pines surrounding it and neighboring cabins that make up the Metolius River Resort. Only about 45 minutes from Bend, just north of Sisters, the settlement of Camp Sherman (permanent population 250) and the river that runs through it offer world-class fishing, hiking and camping, but it’s worth the drive just for dinner at Kokanee. The menu, which changes every year, is largely Northwest cuisine focusing on fish and game and local ingredients.

Head out to the river for Ocean finds like this at Kokanee Cafe.Until a recent visit to Kokanee Café, my exposure to executive chef Roscoe Roberson was limited to his winning performance in this year's Top Chef competition at the Bite of Bend. With gutsy dishes like chilled watermelon-ginger and pork cheek medallion soup as well as a black chef's uniform, cowboy hat and swaggering personality to match, Roberson stole the show. At Kokanee, I expected flamboyance, a little city-goes-to-the-country juxtaposition of culinary flash against a tranquil backdrop. But as anyone who has been to Kokanee already knows, only half of that assessment is true. Yes, the spot is serene, the digs are rustic and the service friendly and unimposing, but what I tasted, while cosmopolitan in quality, was as quiet as the setting and completely without gimmick.

Housed in a wooden cottage with a stone chimney and screened-in porch just yards from the Metolius River and the Camp Sherman Store and Fly Shop, Kokanee blends in seamlessly with the giant ponderosa pines surrounding it and neighboring cabins that make up the Metolius River Resort. Only about 45 minutes from Bend, just north of Sisters, the settlement of Camp Sherman (permanent population 250) and the river that runs through it offer world-class fishing, hiking and camping, but it's worth the drive just for dinner at Kokanee. The menu, which changes every year, is largely Northwest cuisine focusing on fish and game and local ingredients.