Eco Bistro might be located a bit out of the way, anchoring a curve in south Highway 97 by the Porsche dealership, but inside the doors you’ll find a cozy restaurant that could be found along any winding road in the wine country. One side of Bend’s newest restaurant is a boutique that sells an […]
Chow
Posted inFood & Drink
To Market
Two new grocery stores will change the face of westside shopping
It’s hard to imagine the undeveloped plot off Lava Road, between NW Arizona and Colorado avenues as a bustling, commercial hub. The three-acre lot is one of the few remaining bits of wild West in old Bend, a lot that along with the visible smoke stacks, reminds passers-by that the Old Mill was once filled […]
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Little Bites: Pho-shure! Steakerrific!
Best restaurants in Bend heading downtown
All that junky-looking brown paper on the windows of what was once Amalia’s? It’s coming down! And something fabulous will soon be happening behind those windows! That’s right. Amalia’s is doneskis. But the even bigger news is that PHO IS COMING TO DOWNTOWN. Tan Vo, the owner of Pho Viet on Third Street, confirms that […]
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Winter’s Abundance
No shortage of seasonal foods despite the weather
Walk the aisles of most local grocery stores and you’ll still find tomatoes, green beans and big heads of lettuce—all the summer season foods you love. Only this time of year, they taste more like starchy, watery cardboard. Not so with tender beets, robust cauliflowers and spicy kales. This time of year, these foods and […]
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My Top Ten Meals and Moments of 2012
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 […]
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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 […]
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Little Bites: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Carts Club
Dedicated food carts stay
open despite the cold
Central Oregon winter has officially arrived. Bachelor is open, Jubelale is on the shelves, and I had to scrape a thick layer of ice off of my car windshield this morning. As we settle into hibernation mode, ready to gorge ourselves on fatty holiday meals, don’t forget about local food carts, some of which are […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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.
