Sorry, We're Open

The only question about La Rosa's late-night scene is whether you can get a seat.Bend's reputation as a town of early birds is slowly but steadily diminishing. However, restaurants that seat after 9-9:30 p.m. are still hard to come by. It's not clear whether restaurants have trained diners to arrive early or whether diners have trained restaurants to close early, but it's undeniable that the problem persists. The brewpubs are always a good place to look. Deschutes Brewery & Public House (1044 Bond St.) and JC's Bar & Grill (642 NW Franklin Ave.) serve full menus until close. In addition to a late-night menu, Bend Brewing Company (1019 NW Brooks St.) offers half-price appetizers 9 p.m. to close, and McMenamins has a second happy hour featuring food specials 10 p.m.-midnight. If you don't mind eating in a nightlife setting, other good bets include bar-restaurants like the Astro Lounge (147 NW Minnesota Ave.), Bendistillery (850 NW Brooks St.), Bo Restobar (550 NW Franklin Ave.), Decoy Bar & Grill (1051 NW Bond St.) and The Summit Saloon & Stage (125 NW Oregon Ave.), which offer full menus until close that are a pretty large step above run-of-the-mill pub fare. If you're in the mood for something higher end, 28 (920 NW Bond St.), from the owners of Zydeco, offers a late-night menu of small plates until 11 p.m., and Staccato at the Firehall (5 NW Minnesota Ave.) serves a pared down menu of salads, soups and pastas 9 p.m. to close. If you're out near Northwest Crossing and a little peckish late evening, La Rosa (1444 NW College Way) has a late-night menu of Mexican treats, as well as the "amigo" hour, 9 p.m.-close, featuring $6 and under tapas. In Sunriver, head straight to the Owl's Nest for a midnight snack. Hopefully, if Bend's nocturnal diners take full advantage of these late-night offerings, we'll have more to choose from by next year. - Alice Finer