Best Bloody Mary Morning Elk Lake Resort Lawn chair scooted up to the edge of the lake, toes in the water, spicy bloody mary in hand and a bottle of rosé chilling between my feet. I was sure that life couldn’t get any better than this. We awoke to morning mist on the lake and […]
Laura Kessinger
Posted inFood & Drink
Big News: Prineville Brews
Solstice Brewing Company releases first microbrew
It was 1868 when Barney Prine first settled on the banks of the Crooked River, building a blacksmith shop nearby, and a post office a few years later. Soon after, the entire area bore his name— Prineville. Still under 10,000 people, Prineville has retained its small-town roots, while at the same time embracing opportunities for […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Homemade Gourmet
Great gifts for any foodie on your list
It's a tough task, finding an appropriate gift for everyone. Friends, family, relatives, coworkers, teachers, the mail carrier. Here are three things I try to remember: Less is more: Dark chocolate with a handwritten note is much more meaningful than a store-bought card stuck to a $40 waffle iron that will rarely get used. It […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Decidedly Disenfranchised
Hot Rock Pizza evolves out of dissolved Pizzicato franchise
I have firm feelings when it comes to some restaurant franchises. They’re not all totally awful, but usually they are, and I rarely patronize any. They tend to pulse with upbeat, annoying music. Flashy branding attempts and catchy marketing phrases are everywhere you look. Worse yet, service is usually coached and disingenuous. So, I was […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Common Space
Crow’s Feet Commons: the new biking and backcountry basecamp, with beer!
I have always been fond of the old Rademacher historic building facing Mirror Pond on the westside of downtown. In my late teens, it was the Mirror Pond Gallery, where my bestie and I would attend poetry readings with mock maturity, sipping wine and spilling words with all the beatnik 40-somethings. So I was sad […]
Posted inFood & Drink
New Paint For Parrilla
Westside stand-by gets a facelift, but remains true to its roots
Long ago, in a distant yesteryear, I had written off Parrilla Grill completely.
A finicky vegetarian, my initial visit left me turned off and confused by meaty-carb-loaded combos. Giant tortillas tried to disguise far-reaching fusion food as honest burritos. I watched with dismay as fettuccini alfredo was folded into (it’s true) a tortilla. And I left, deeply disturbed.
Years later, many friends remained loyal followers, citing favorites such as the “red-headed step child” (with smoked chicken and Frank’s hot sauce) and the “wrap of Khan” (with bamboo shoots and Thai peanut sauce). Eventually, they dragged me back in for another try.
Posted inFood & Drink
No Dishes, No Drama
Be thankful—you can dine out on Turkey Day!
Although coordinating a feast for family can be a real reward, for most of us this means spending hours darting in and out of the kitchen while friends and family await your company. And by the time you finally do sit boastfully by your bounty, you’re exhausted—long before the turkey-induced coma has had a chance […]
Posted inFood & Drink
As The Garden Grows: One of region’s finest restaurants hires new executive chef
At first glance, the small house with an edible backyard garden on Hood Avenue in Sisters may be mistaken for a long-held private residence.
At first glance, the small house with an edible backyard garden on Hood Avenue in Sisters may be mistaken for a long-held private residence. But step inside the candle-lit cottage and you’ll discover one of Central Oregon’s most intimate dining experiences.
For eight years now, Jen’s Garden has created an ever-changing menu of Southern France-inspired cuisine, offered a la carte or as a three or five course wine-paired dinner. And building a solid reputation under the careful direction of owner and previous executive chef, T.R. McCrystal and his wife Jen.
Posted inFood & Drink
East or West, Mother Knows Best
New Mother’s Juice Café proves bigger is better
I have long been a fan of Mother’s Juice Café, patronizing the small house on Galveston Avenue since it first opened for business back in 1999.
From one tiny kitchen came countless choices for smoothies, fresh juice, breakfast and lunch. And despite the economic ups and downs of the last decade, Mother’s has proved its staying power.
Not by reinventing itself or cutting quality for the sake of cost, but by continuing to appeal to active Bendites by offering “healthy, wholesome goodness.”
Posted inFood & Drink
Cheap Eats On 2nd Street: Quick and affordable freshness just off the beaten path
2nd Street Eats is a hole-in-the-wall breakfast and lunch spot where The Brown Bag used to be, hidden in plain sight just north of Greenwood Avenue on 2nd Street.
Some of the best potato salad around.
I’ve always had a soft spot for mom and pop joints—the no-frills food, the camaraderie among customers, the satisfaction of supporting a little ol’ family business.
2nd Street Eats is the modern version. It’s a hole-in-the-wall breakfast and lunch spot where The Brown Bag used to be, hidden in plain sight just north of Greenwood Avenue on 2nd Street. From the outside of the nondescript building, it may not look like much, but venture in for the surprise of homemade bagels, handmade chocolates and inexpensive eats.