In my mind, sushi was something you ordered in a sleek restaurant with a long bar, a serious chef and a fairly serious price tag. A food truck was not where I expected to find pristine slices of fish and beautifully rolled maki. My first bite at NorthFresh Sushi proved me very wrong. Sometimes all […]
Food & Drink
Central Oregon Locavore is Expanding
Central Oregon Locavore is getting ready to open a new location on the west side of Bend. Founder Nicolle Timm-Branch says itโs in direct response to surveys and listening sessions the nonprofit conducted in 2025. It wasnโt water rights, labor costs or weather that were top of mind. Timm-Branch says they heard from โfarmers, ranchers […]
The Loving Fungi
About 10 years ago Willis Mitchell was invited to forage for mushrooms. โI was just fascinated. Oh my God! This is food? This tastes amazing! And then I found out theyโre highly medicinal and I could not stop educating myself about them!โ His passion eventually led to the recent opening of an apothecary, The Loving […]
Sip Happens at Minnieโs
On any given evening in downtown Bend, the sidewalks along Wall and Bond Streets hum with the usual mix of aprรจs ski glow, Patagonia puffers and the anticipatory buzz of dinner reservations. But inside the newly opened The Westman is a softer scene. One that invites you to sink in, warm up and linger over […]
Pizza Week Roundup
My Pizza Week adventure was amazing.ย Last week I told you that I was going to try all of the featured pizzas that The Source posted during this special week, that rivals some of the more popular observations, like Cat Herder Day, Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day and The Festival of Sleep. Iโve […]
The Luck of the Bendite
Every once in a while, a food truck comes out of nowhere with a concept so pristine and perfect that it immediately feels like it has always been part of a town’s culinary landscape. Places that open with such effortless attention to detail and handmade craft that the diner realizes they were missing something they […]
Rosemary & Fox to Open Mid-March
The Jackalope Grill in downtown Bend is closing. Its last night will be Feb. 28. A social media post announced the restaurant has been sold. After a remodel, a new restaurant called Rosemary & Fox will open with owners Chef Josh Podwils and his wife, Kate. The name comes from Chef Joshโs favorite herb, rosemary, […]
Bacon Lovers Have a New Haven
A new breakfast spot prominently featuring bacon has opened near downtown Redmond. bacon Bar N Brunch celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 5. The restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating, features standard breakfast items like eggs, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal and avocado toast but also has thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, candied bacon, bacon omelettes, BLT […]
Pizza Week Preview
Pizza.ย Almost everybody likes it.ย Not everybody, though.ย My wife doesnโt.ย I wish I would have known that before we got married.ย You hear about people finding out after the wedding some deep dark secret, but this must be the worst kind. I could handle discovering previous marriages, undisclosed children, or belonging to a cult, but you donโt like pizza?ย What […]
Bend Beer (and Cider) Scene Gets a Collective Shakeup
To paraphrase the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, โThe only thing constant in life is change.โ Some 2,500 years later, his musings describe the state of beer here in Bend. Itโs a city rich in craft brewing culture where Deschutes Brewery is one of the nationโs oldest and largest breweries, but beyond that monolith, everything is in […]

