Alice Finer

Eat large with small plates at 28.Anyone who grew up with a big brother, particularly one that is
handsome and talented, knows how it feels when said sibling invades the
little niche that you have diligently and meticulously carved out for
yourself, that tiny corner of the world where you shine the brightest.
With one step into your sacred space, he steals your thunder, along
with all the attention and probably a few of your friends. Being just
such a little sister myself, I immediately thought of 28, a fixture on
Bond for the past three years and the second child of owners Steve and
Cheri Helt, when big bro Zydeco opened last month in its new downtown
location right across the street.

As a diner, of course I’m thrilled
to have the whole brood in town. A recent visit to the new Zydeco
showed that, though the decor is slightly more sterile than it was at
the old location, the service remains impeccable and the menu is
largely unchanged. Every bite was as impressive as always. But while
lavishing my attention on the new kid on the block, I felt a little
like a traitor to my kind and increasingly compelled to throw 28 some
much deserved love-for little sisters everywhere.

Baked halibut at the south Bend bistro.I read an interview in the New York Times last week with celebrity chef
Tom Colicchio of the Craft restaurant family and most recently of Top
Chef fame. When asked about his cooking philosophy, he said, "Buy the
best you can find or afford and don't overmanipulate it. If I cook a
scallop, the best praise you can give me is that it tastes like a
scallop." Chef Lars Johnson of the South Bend Bistro in Sunriver seems
to subscribe to a similar doctrine, serving the freshest ingredients
with bright flavors and clean, considered preparations that maximize
what is inherent in the food.

The kitchen isn't the only area where
this sophisticated simplicity and adaptability shines. The cozy dining
room situated in a little house adjacent to the Sunriver Village Mall,
plays on the residential architectural elements. Tables peer out framed
windows with parted curtains at the beautiful outdoor deck overlooking
the woods. A terra cotta tile floor is scattered with mismatched area
rugs adding warmth to the space. Lighting is intimate, and wall
treatments are alternately wood, straw weave, and textured plaster
dotted with framed photographs of nature scenes. A single purple tulip,
appropriately in season for May, adorns each table, and tablecloths are
beige, a nice departure from the usual white, indicating a slightly
different, homier take on high-end.

Baked halibut at the south Bend bistro.I read an interview in the New York Times last week with celebrity chef
Tom Colicchio of the Craft restaurant family and most recently of Top
Chef fame. When asked about his cooking philosophy, he said, “Buy the
best you can find or afford and don’t overmanipulate it. If I cook a
scallop, the best praise you can give me is that it tastes like a
scallop.” Chef Lars Johnson of the South Bend Bistro in Sunriver seems
to subscribe to a similar doctrine, serving the freshest ingredients
with bright flavors and clean, considered preparations that maximize
what is inherent in the food.

The kitchen isn’t the only area where
this sophisticated simplicity and adaptability shines. The cozy dining
room situated in a little house adjacent to the Sunriver Village Mall,
plays on the residential architectural elements. Tables peer out framed
windows with parted curtains at the beautiful outdoor deck overlooking
the woods. A terra cotta tile floor is scattered with mismatched area
rugs adding warmth to the space. Lighting is intimate, and wall
treatments are alternately wood, straw weave, and textured plaster
dotted with framed photographs of nature scenes. A single purple tulip,
appropriately in season for May, adorns each table, and tablecloths are
beige, a nice departure from the usual white, indicating a slightly
different, homier take on high-end.

The sauteed fish tacos with camerones at Jalapenos. Tucked away on a stretch of Greenwood Avenue a few blocks west of Pilot
Butte, Los Jalapeños is the kind of place that people like to think
they "discovered." This tiny taqueria housed in a small stucco yellow
building with a shingled roof, red chimney, green doors and a couple of
purple picnic tables on the side patio has that air of a hidden gem.
The narrow interior with salmon-pink plastered walls, a tropical-themed
fresco and a neon Budweiser sign with palm trees has fewer than 10
tables, which line one side of the room. On the other side, fake brick
wainscoting, a register window, drink machines and a large menu board
serve as a curtain behind which the kitchen hums with activity.

In
reality, Los Jalapeños is far from the buried treasure it is perceived
to be. It certainly has that charmingly scruffy appeal topped with an
ample helping of kitsch, and there is no doubt that you can get quality
fare for near hole-in-the-wall prices, but this taqueria is much more
of a mainstay than its loyal patrons would like to think. In fact,
established in 1996, it's practically old guard. A steady flow of
customers visit throughout the day for a line-up of traditional a la
carte taqueria offerings, including burritos ($3.50-$7.50), tacos
($2.95-$3.25), enchiladas ($5.50 for two), tostadas ($3.95) and the
like, as well as a selection of platters ranging from combo plates to
house specialties like Carne Asada ($10.95) and Chile Verde ($9.95),
pork in a green sauce with mushrooms, onions, cilantro and zucchini.

The sauteed fish tacos with camerones at Jalapenos. Tucked away on a stretch of Greenwood Avenue a few blocks west of Pilot
Butte, Los Jalapeños is the kind of place that people like to think
they “discovered.” This tiny taqueria housed in a small stucco yellow
building with a shingled roof, red chimney, green doors and a couple of
purple picnic tables on the side patio has that air of a hidden gem.
The narrow interior with salmon-pink plastered walls, a tropical-themed
fresco and a neon Budweiser sign with palm trees has fewer than 10
tables, which line one side of the room. On the other side, fake brick
wainscoting, a register window, drink machines and a large menu board
serve as a curtain behind which the kitchen hums with activity.

In
reality, Los Jalapeños is far from the buried treasure it is perceived
to be. It certainly has that charmingly scruffy appeal topped with an
ample helping of kitsch, and there is no doubt that you can get quality
fare for near hole-in-the-wall prices, but this taqueria is much more
of a mainstay than its loyal patrons would like to think. In fact,
established in 1996, it’s practically old guard. A steady flow of
customers visit throughout the day for a line-up of traditional a la
carte taqueria offerings, including burritos ($3.50-$7.50), tacos
($2.95-$3.25), enchiladas ($5.50 for two), tostadas ($3.95) and the
like, as well as a selection of platters ranging from combo plates to
house specialties like Carne Asada ($10.95) and Chile Verde ($9.95),
pork in a green sauce with mushrooms, onions, cilantro and zucchini.

I’m always looking to try new places, so I asked a chef friend where he likes to eat locally. He’s a total food snob with limited leisure time, so I figured whatever he deigned to eat outside of his own kitchen was bound to be impressive. Without pause he threw out Sparrow Bakery as his favorite spot in Bend. Not much for baked-goods myself (I will pretty much always abandon the biscuit or forgo dessert to make room for another pork chop), I was dubious of the suggestion. Knowing the source, I shouldn’t have hesitated. Sparrow is far beyond your average purveyor of bread and pastries, though they have a beautiful selection of both. The strongly French-influenced menu of breakfast and lunch items, all under $10, is worthy of the highest praise, even from those of us with an abnormally strong predilection towards the savory.

Open in its current incarnation since 2006, Sparrow has quietly built a passionate following. The tiny, square, brick building covered with vines and buried among warehouses for lease and parking lots near a railroad crossing boasts a scenic view of the Highway 97 overpass just off Colorado Avenue. But instead of languishing in the location, this diamond in the rough has used it and successfully cultivated that cool, industrial air that is a fixture in most urban areas but scarce in these parts. At once prolific bakery, local café with wi-fi and gallery featuring rotating exhibits, Sparrow is one of a couple of hipster pioneers populating the block, along with its neighbor Bend Experimental Art Theater. With ample commercial space available, I wouldn’t be surprised if the area becomes a draw for local arts groups and other bohemian types.

I'm always looking to try new places, so I asked a chef friend where he likes to eat locally. He's a total food snob with limited leisure time, so I figured whatever he deigned to eat outside of his own kitchen was bound to be impressive. Without pause he threw out Sparrow Bakery as his favorite spot in Bend. Not much for baked-goods myself (I will pretty much always abandon the biscuit or forgo dessert to make room for another pork chop), I was dubious of the suggestion. Knowing the source, I shouldn't have hesitated. Sparrow is far beyond your average purveyor of bread and pastries, though they have a beautiful selection of both. The strongly French-influenced menu of breakfast and lunch items, all under $10, is worthy of the highest praise, even from those of us with an abnormally strong predilection towards the savory.

Open in its current incarnation since 2006, Sparrow has quietly built a passionate following. The tiny, square, brick building covered with vines and buried among warehouses for lease and parking lots near a railroad crossing boasts a scenic view of the Highway 97 overpass just off Colorado Avenue. But instead of languishing in the location, this diamond in the rough has used it and successfully cultivated that cool, industrial air that is a fixture in most urban areas but scarce in these parts. At once prolific bakery, local café with wi-fi and gallery featuring rotating exhibits, Sparrow is one of a couple of hipster pioneers populating the block, along with its neighbor Bend Experimental Art Theater. With ample commercial space available, I wouldn't be surprised if the area becomes a draw for local arts groups and other bohemian types.

Dishes go global at Chloe. In the year and a half that Chloe was open in Redmond, the restaurant
gained a considerable reputation and loyal following despite its
strip-mall location. Chef Jerry Phaisavath and his wife Elaine,
however, sought a new space that would be more compatible with what
they envisioned, where they could take Chloe to the next level. They
have found it in Sisters. Opening in January at the FivePine complex
just as you enter town from the south on Highway 20, Chloe has really
come into its own. From the menu to the décor to the service, it's hard
to imagine that the restaurant was ever anywhere else.

The room,
awash in earth tones, wood and stone, stands out from its
white-tablecloth, New-American brethren. Stylized scenes, shapes and
materials taken from nature are cleverly incorporated into every
surface and accessory. There's a terrarium built into the wall by the
host stand. The ceiling above the clover of semicircular booths in the
center of the room features tiny twinkling lights against a black
background emulating the night sky. Upholstery is modern, but if you
look closely you'll find a geometrical pattern of oblong leaves. By far
my favorite touch is the basket-woven moose head mounted over the
fireplace in the cozy bar area. From the light fixtures to the cutlery
(the knives have flat handles perpendicular to the blade so it stands
up straight when set down), you can tell that every detail was
carefully considered.

Dishes go global at Chloe. In the year and a half that Chloe was open in Redmond, the restaurant
gained a considerable reputation and loyal following despite its
strip-mall location. Chef Jerry Phaisavath and his wife Elaine,
however, sought a new space that would be more compatible with what
they envisioned, where they could take Chloe to the next level. They
have found it in Sisters. Opening in January at the FivePine complex
just as you enter town from the south on Highway 20, Chloe has really
come into its own. From the menu to the décor to the service, it’s hard
to imagine that the restaurant was ever anywhere else.

The room,
awash in earth tones, wood and stone, stands out from its
white-tablecloth, New-American brethren. Stylized scenes, shapes and
materials taken from nature are cleverly incorporated into every
surface and accessory. There’s a terrarium built into the wall by the
host stand. The ceiling above the clover of semicircular booths in the
center of the room features tiny twinkling lights against a black
background emulating the night sky. Upholstery is modern, but if you
look closely you’ll find a geometrical pattern of oblong leaves. By far
my favorite touch is the basket-woven moose head mounted over the
fireplace in the cozy bar area. From the light fixtures to the cutlery
(the knives have flat handles perpendicular to the blade so it stands
up straight when set down), you can tell that every detail was
carefully considered.

It's a clam bake.It's Friday night after a hard week. You're looking for an indulgent
meal with some good wine, a few cocktails beforehand, maybe some live
music after. But you're spent, rendered incapable of making decisions
or traveling far. Well, no need. Somehow, right under our noses,
Giuseppe's on Bond has slowly morphed into just such a dining and
entertainment emporium where you can work that plan to its full
fruition without leaving the premises.

A downtown mainstay since
1985, the restaurant's most recent redesign successfully conveys a wine
cellar feel with brick walls, wine racks, a long corridor of
high-backed wooden booths and lots of good source lighting. Goomba's,
the bar and lounge in the back of the restaurant, was added in 2001 and
the outdoor "Urban Patio" last year, both great spots for an aperitif.
And now, the new Sessions Wine Bar and Music Stage just past the
entrance is in full swing with live acts every Friday night
transforming the front dining area into something resembling a supper
club for the over 30 set.