In three years, as many restaurants have occupied the familiar space along the back stretch of SW Century. Two years, Players, a longtime dark and dingy bar, closed its doors. A year, Blue Pine cleaned the space up, let some sunlight in and optimistically opened a gastropub, with an impressive menu and specials like a […]
Food & Drink
Posted inFood & Drink
Local “Bud”
A light-bodied beer for beer fans only
The most common misconception among non-beer drinkers is that lighter beers taste less “like beer.” This is good for Bud Light, but not for the people drinking it. Often, these folk only have beer socially and try to minimize the impact of drinking something they don’t like. The problem with this approach is that beer […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Not the Same as Mexican
Sol Verde serves up deliciously spicy New Mexican lunches
Frida Kahlo is not the same as Georgia O’Keeffe. Oh sure, their paintings may have the same vibrant colors contrasting with some of the same stark, blocky images, but the artists are clearly separated by cultural differences and influences as defined as the border between the United States and Mexico. Likewise, it is important to […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Three India Pale Ales, Please…
Hold the Imperial.
Settle down, Hop Heads. Sometimes a simple beer is just what hits the spot. Sometimes it feels like brewers are constantly chasing trends. And, too often pale ales are ignored in this hyper-experimental climate. Wacky new recipes are fun and important, but so are the classics. Moreover, pale ales are great because they are about […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Shhhhhh! A Tasty Bit of History
Palmer’s Cafe is still Bend’s best kept secret
It is understood that all opinions are basically relative. I mean, for example, I am not a huge fan of eggplant, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that a dish with eggplant in it is atrocious. (But, let’s say it together: Yuck!) That said, all opinions aside, there are two absolutes when it comes to the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Bend’s most refreshing beer…
…and how to create your own with even more Bendfluence
It’s time once again for 10 Barrel’s most polarizing, seasonal beer: Swill. To its fans, the name is clever and ironic; to its haters, the name couldn’t be more accurate. This year they’ve coined it American Radler. But what is that and will it bite? Radlers are traditional German shandies—aka, beer mixed with soda or […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Understanding the Sex Appeal of Tubby Jugs
Five reasons to love growler stations, and three reasons you shouldn’t
No longer reserved solely for jug bands and moonshine, growlers are all the rage. But why? Sixty-four ounces of beer jug doesn’t sound chic—or really all that slimming or easy to transport; yet it is. In fact, bulk-section beer popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, leaving cider and kombucha rushing to open their own taps. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
I Scream, U Scream . . .
Bend gets a locally-made ice cream!
When Ben & Jerry’s started making ice cream, flavors came in about three choices—vanilla, chocolate and, for the bold, strawberry. Oh sure, there was the more expansive Baskin Robbins dishing out 32 flavors, but even those were fairly traditional, with variations on chocolate like Rocky Road. But in 1978, two Vermont hippies had a completely […]
Posted inFood & Drink
What Makes Bend Such a Beer Town?
Well, it takes a whole week to explain that
There are so many aspects and different definitions to what it means for Bend to be a “beer town,” but, entering its third year, the loosely organized Beer Week is coalescing as a summer ritual that seeks to provide dozens of examples of exactly what that means. With nearly every local brewery opening its doors, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Opening for business!
Some springtime cleaning leads to summertime changes
Wild Ride Brewing 332 SW 5th St., Redmond With 10 in-house taps and 2 guest taps serving local ciders, the transformed Redmond Parr Lumber building serves as the newest addition to the craft brewing community in Central Oregon. The locale also features various menus from the rotating food trailers outside the brewery. Redmond’s new version […]
