Amy Belasen

You know how when you're looking at a car to buy, say a Honda or a Subaru, you'll suddenly notice how many people have that same car out on the road? I always find that a little curious. A similar experience led to this week's review. My friend Dave said he was coming into town, a Crazy Dave's ginger beer appeared in my fridge, my sister named her rescued cat David and I accidentally stepped on my favorite Dave Matthews CD. So perhaps it was foreshadowing or slightly serendipitous that I was assigned to review Rockin' Daves Bagel Bistro, owned by not one, but two Daves: Dave Flier and David Cohen.
Most of us know the story – Bagel Stop on Greenwood, owned by Flier and Cohen, burned down. That was last September, four days before their two-year anniversary. The outpouring of support from local businesses was immediate and genuine as restaurant owners rushed over in sweatpants asking how they could lend a hand. Flier describes the intense sense of belonging that he discovered in the wake of the fire, “I never knew what community was until this happened. To me, this is the best part of Bend.”

When 28 closed this spring, I shared the sentiments of friends who'd felt broken up with and betrayed. How could one of the best spots to grab a martini and a flatbread pizza be sold out from under a group of loyal patrons? Left to find another hip night spot, I was in a daze.
Fitting in someplace else proved difficult. Astro has martinis but the atmosphere is different. 900 Wall has a slightly older crowd and Amalia's seems to cater to a younger crowd. It felt like an effort for me to fit in elsewhere and a series from Blockbuster with a bag of popcorn began to seem more my speed. Just as I was about to give in to another season of United States of Tara, Tart Bistro announced their opening in the old 28 location. Instantly intrigued, I waited for what couldn't have come soon enough (and really did emerge as if overnight), the opening of Tart, with its promise of a French-based, globally inspired eatery and libation destination.
Decidedly different from 28 while still catering to a similar late night drinking and dining crowd, Tart Bistro picks up where 28 left off. Corey Donovan and Amy Christensen are the husband-and-wife team behind the latest fusion spot in Bend – this one of French countryside and Pacific Northwest cuisine. The décor is fun, the servers are friendly. The centerpiece of 28, the beautiful custom bar, remained intact – a welcome home for me after a month in limbo. I breathed a sigh of relief and hoped the food would be good. After a hit-and-miss lunch, a recent dinner won me over with food, atmosphere and service.

When 28 closed this spring, I shared the sentiments of friends who'd felt broken up with and betrayed. How could one of the best spots to grab a martini and a flatbread pizza be sold out from under a group of loyal patrons? Left to find another hip night spot, I was in a daze.
Fitting in someplace else proved difficult. Astro has martinis but the atmosphere is different. 900 Wall has a slightly older crowd and Amalia's seems to cater to a younger crowd. It felt like an effort for me to fit in elsewhere and a series from Blockbuster with a bag of popcorn began to seem more my speed. Just as I was about to give in to another season of United States of Tara, Tart Bistro announced their opening in the old 28 location. Instantly intrigued, I waited for what couldn't have come soon enough (and really did emerge as if overnight), the opening of Tart, with its promise of a French-based, globally inspired eatery and libation destination.

While Bend is famous for its vast numbers of coffee roasters and coffee shops, dunk-worthy pastries are often harder to find. But when found, that perfectly moist muffin, that flaky-buttery croissant, or that corn-crusted caraway rye loaf tastes as if it must have been sent from above. What's really going on? Hard working pastry chefs and bakers, are working early mornings and sometimes into the evenings (but we'll get to that later) to provide Bend with wholesome, fresh baked breads. Between bites of herb-and-oil bread from Bend's newest bakery, Baked, I've compiled a short list of some of our favorite Bend bakeries.

While Bend is famous for its vast numbers of coffee roasters and coffee shops, dunk-worthy pastries are often harder to find. But when found, that perfectly moist muffin, that flaky-buttery croissant, or that corn-crusted caraway rye loaf tastes as if it must have been sent from above.

A recent surge in gourmet street food vendors has added welcomed diversity to Bend's vibrant casual dining scene. Local food vendors include former chefs who have tired of the restaurant scene, but can't give up their love affair with good food. For others, a food cart is a means to start a small business and grow a base of regular customers before opening a full-scale restaurant or moving into wholesale markets.

Between sips of any number of bountiful, fresh-squeezed smoothies, regular customers can tell you why “Juice” is Mother's middle name. Have a hankering for chocolate or need a dose of wheatgrass to get you through the afternoon? You'll find the perfect fix for a sweet tooth or sedentary slump at Mother's. Beyond a liquid diet, Mother's other offerings include breakfasts and lunches, with an emphasis on healthy, nutritious ingredients.
Mother's breakfast menu features bagels, homemade sweet breads, waffle sandwiches and more. Bagels are fresh from Seattle in savory varieties including pesto parmesan and jalapeño. Mother's offers four acai bowls, centered on the potent antioxidant and omega-rich acai berry, grown in the Amazon region of Brazil. This super food, pronounced “ah-sigh-yee,” has a rich flavor of berries and cocoa. I enjoyed the small NW Bowl, a blend of organic acai berries, blueberries, marion berries, strawberries, vanilla non-fat frozen yogurt and apple cider, and topped with fresh blueberries, sliced banana, crushed hazelnuts, hearty granola and honey.