Amy Belasen

My idea of visiting a country club involves visiting my wealthy aunt on the East Coast or sneaking into a certain resort hot tub after hours. Walking the grounds, playing golf and sipping cocktails on a wrap around patio that overlooks the entire Cascade mountain region? Not in my vocabulary. But now that Pronghorn has opened its door to the public, all are welcome to experience impeccable service, dining, golf and stays at Pronghorn Club
This summer, Pronghorn is hosting wine dinners that highlight nearby vintners and others with strong connections to Central Oregon. These events take place in Chanterelle, Pronghorn’s rustic fine dining restaurant that specializes in Pacific Northwest cuisine. The setting is spectacular, featuring a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, unbeatable views of the Cascades and an extensive wine list. And for those who don't know, Pronghorn is now open to the public thanks to its new 48-suite lodge that opened last summer.

We like our rating systems, don't we Bend? When I'm travelling, I set my Zagat criteria to 20 or higher (in search of the best). When I'm in Bend, I compare each dining experience to the one before – my own personal ranking system. In Bend, ratings are as ubiquitous as bumper stickers and reputation counts. Restaurants come and go; few stand the test of time. The New Lodge Restaurant at Black Butte Ranch has clear staying power and earns high marks in my book.Located between Sisters and Camp Sherman off of Highway 20, Black Butte Ranch houses a few different restaurants, but is best known for The New Lodge Restaurant. My companion and I arrived on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and as we made our way down the driveway, we saw deer, then horses, then geese and finally the majestic Mt. Washington, framed against ponderosa pines and trembling aspens. Yes, I'd call this a destination.

I recently returned from a visit to the East Coast with a renewed appreciation for all things ethnic – pastries, pastas, pashminas – the list was about 13.4 miles long (not coincidentally, the length of Manhattan).

With the changing of seasons, I look forward to more daylight, getting back on my bike and the opening of Kokanee Café in Camp Sherman. Just last week, I rode my bike out to Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery, grabbed a popsicle at the General Store on the Metolius River and basked in the late-afternoon sunlight. Later that evening, I met several friends at the Kokanee Cafe for dinner.
As we were led to our table, we noticed several changes and upgrades to the familiar space, including newly painted walls, new art on the walls, high-quality glassware and other changes. We were impressed by the brass-top bar, complete with beer on tap, premium liquor selections and a cocktail list. But thankfully, the chef hadn't changed. Chef Roscoe Roberson, two-time Central Oregon Iron Chef champion, was once again manning the stoves. Gilded with several bottles of good wine and friends that included two chefs (one, the former chef of Kokanee Café), a birthday girl, two all-pro servers/musicians and a couple of foodies, we held court in the covered patio.

With the changing of seasons, I look forward to more daylight, getting back on my bike and the opening of Kokanee Café in Camp Sherman. Just last week, I rode my bike out to Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery, grabbed a popsicle at the General Store on the Metolius River and basked in the late-afternoon sunlight. Later that evening, I met several friends at the Kokanee Cafe for dinner.
As we were led to our table, we noticed several changes and upgrades to the familiar space, including newly painted walls, new art on the walls, high-quality glassware and other changes. We were impressed by the brass-top bar, complete with beer on tap, premium liquor selections and a cocktail list. But thankfully, the chef hadn't changed. Chef Roscoe Roberson, two-time Central Oregon Iron Chef champion, was once again manning the stoves. Gilded with several bottles of good wine and friends that included two chefs (one, the former chef of Kokanee Café), a birthday girl, two all-pro servers/musicians and a couple of foodies, we held court in the covered patio.

I’ve learned some lessons about eating sushi over the past several years. First and most important, don’t trust Texas-style sushi – the oversized, unbalanced and less-than-fresh rolls. I also avoid all-you-can-eat sushi unless I can see the coastline from my seat. Happy hours, on the other hand, are a great way to sample different types of sushi. Finally, if you're going to have a drink, you've got some unique options. Many sushi restaurants offer an assortment of Japanese beers, warm and chilled sake, in addition to sake cocktails.
Half-price sushi at TOMO Japanese Restaurant on Monday night is yet another lesson: be in the right place at the right time. TOMO is the southernmost eatery in a family of restaurants that includes Szechuan, SOBA and Five Fusion, owned by siblings Di and Howie Long. Lined with green bamboo walls, a six-seat sushi bar and a private tatami room, TOMO is much more welcoming once inside. For slightly larger parties, if you can snag the tatami room, where guests sit on mats or pillows and eat from a low table, you're golden.

It's not every day that a person can enjoy the company of friends, wine and food in a great setting while supporting the local community and farmers. But at The Taverna at Maragas, the newly revisisioned tasting room on Colorado, you can have your wine and drink it, too. The Culver-based Maragas Winery is about as local as you can get. Add to that a menu of locally focused, Mediterranean-influenced dishes from talented chef Justin Brown and you've got a winning combination.
I arrived at the Taverna on a Saturday evening with close to a dozen friends and the intention of sharing good conversation, small plates of food, and some legit local wine. We'd all enjoyed tapas restaurants in larger cities, but hadn't found the equivalent in Bend, until now.

It's not every day that a person can enjoy the company of friends, wine and food in a great setting while supporting the local community and farmers. But at The Taverna at Maragas, the newly revisisioned tasting room on Colorado, you can have your wine and drink it, too. The Culver-based Maragas Winery is about as local as you can get. Add to that a menu of locally focused, Mediterranean-influenced dishes from talented chef Justin Brown and you've got a winning combination.
I arrived at the Taverna on a Saturday evening with close to a dozen friends and the intention of sharing good conversation, small plates of food, and some legit local wine. We'd all enjoyed tapas restaurants in larger cities, but hadn't found the equivalent in Bend, until now.

As I rode John Flannery's Green Energy bus to Sunriver for the soft opening of Hola!, the third in the growing family of Mex-Peruvian restaurants, I couldn't pass up the chance to help coin the new restaurant's nickname. “Hola! Hola! Hola!” was one idea, but owners Marcos and Alberto Rodriguez thought it too long for the Sunriver signs. Hola³! was another idea but co-owner Peter Loews said it was too mathematical for margaritas. We arrived in Sunriver before settling on a moniker, but as we waited for a table another idea came to mind. “Hola Tres” was my final plea, but a margarita arrived before I could say, “Uno, dos, tres!”

As I rode John Flannery's Green Energy bus to Sunriver for the soft opening of Hola!, the third in the growing family of Mex-Peruvian restaurants, I couldn't pass up the chance to help coin the new restaurant's nickname. “Hola! Hola! Hola!” was one idea, but owners Marcos and Alberto Rodriguez thought it too long for the Sunriver signs. Hola³! was another idea but co-owner Peter Loews said it was too mathematical for margaritas. We arrived in Sunriver before settling on a moniker, but as we waited for a table another idea came to mind. “Hola Tres” was my final plea, but a margarita arrived before I could say, “Uno, dos, tres!”