Sara Roth

Ten years ago, the closest Central Oregonians could get to buying local, organic food in the winter was to drive three hours to greenhouses in the valley. Even just a year ago, locavores who lived for their summertime weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) bounties were stuck buying veggies and meats from aisles under fluorescent lights.

It's tough not to have high expectations for a venture that combines an old favorite – in this case, Marz Bistro – with a prominent chef and restaurateur – Gavin McMichael of The Blacksmith and Bourbon Street. Marz, the 2008 winner of The Source Weekly's Restaurant of the Year, recently sold to McMichael and re-opened under the same name.

Ten years ago, the closest Central Oregonians could get to buying local organic food in the winter was to drive three hours to greenhouses in the valley. Even just a year ago, locavores who lived for their summertime weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) bounties were stuck buying veggies and meats from aisles under fluorescent lights.

It's tough not to have high expectations for a venture that combines an old favorite – in this case, Marz Bistro – with a prominent chef and restaurateur, Gavin McMichael of The Blacksmith and Bourbon Street. Marz, the 2008 Source Weekly Restaurant of the Year, recently sold to McMichael and re-opened under the same name.

The first thing you notice when walking into Common Table is the 20-foot-long black walnut table, which runs the length of the new non-profit café on Oregon Avenue. The restaurant, which occupies the former Cork location, has been open for just over a month. Yet, with minimal promotion, save a few articles (we wrote about the enterprise back in August) and some Facebook activity, the café has been packed for both lunch and dinner nearly every day of the week.