Food & Drink

Goats have a long and storied history in farming cultures. One of the first domesticated animals, goats are still vital to many cultures and cuisines around the world – except for the United States.

Goats have a long and storied history in farming cultures. One of the first domesticated animals, goats are still vital to many cultures and cuisines around the world – except for the United States. But this is changing. Goat cheese has earned a place in foodie circles and restaurants, and goat meat isn't far behind. But a stigma persists. I recently mentioned that I was writing about goat meat in the Source Weekly offices and at least three staffers grimaced. Some said it was tough and tasteless, some were turned off by the animal itself. But goat is an incredibly healthy meat, with less cholesterol and as many calories as chicken. Furthermore, goat cheese is a tasty alternative for those who don't like or can't eat traditional cheese.

I follow a quirky rule of thumb not to frequent restaurants with pictures of their food on the menu. So my heart sank a bit when I opened the menu at Thai Thai, the new Thai restaurant in Northwest Crossing last week. Luckily, thanks to spot-on recommendations from an enthusiastic waitress and prime seating for a picturesque sunset over the Cascades, Thai Thai exceeded my initial expectations. The restaurant kept much of the inherited furnishings from the previous owners of the Mt. Washington Drive restaurants, which included 38 Degrees, Aloha Café and most recently NWX Bar and Grill. New owners and longtime Bend residents Corey Bock and Vivah Bachiraseneekul, who moved to the U.S. from Thailand ten years ago, have added a Thai flare with elephant candleholders and wall decorations, photography of a floating market in Bangkok and other small touches.
My party was seated in the back of the restaurant, facing west toward the mountains. Paula, our enthusiastic waitress, was quick to check in with us and point out some of her favorite dishes on the menu. Overall, Thai Thai's dishes are on the mild side, so if you're looking to clear your sinuses when you go there, order your dish extra spicy. We started with the satay chicken ($7.50), served with two small dishes of peanut and cucumber dipping sauce. The accompanying peanut dressing lacked the super rich flavor I tend to associate with satay. Later on, I learned from Bachiraseneekul, head chef at Thai Thai, that the lighter flavors are intentional.

I follow a quirky rule of thumb not to frequent restaurants with pictures of their food on the menu. So my heart sank a bit when I opened the menu at Thai Thai, the new Thai restaurant in Northwest Crossing last week. Luckily, thanks to spot-on recommendations from an enthusiastic waitress and prime seating for a picturesque sunset over the Cascades, Thai Thai exceeded my initial expectations. The restaurant kept much of the inherited furnishings from the previous owners of the Mt. Washington Drive restaurants, which included 38 Degrees, Aloha Café and most recently NWX Bar and Grill. New owners and longtime Bend residents Corey Bock and Vivah Bachiraseneekul, who moved to the U.S. from Thailand ten years ago, have added a Thai flare with elephant candleholders and wall decorations, photography of a floating market in Bangkok and other small touches.
My party was seated in the back of the restaurant, facing west toward the mountains. Paula, our enthusiastic waitress, was quick to check in with us and point out some of her favorite dishes on the menu. Overall, Thai Thai's dishes are on the mild side, so if you're looking to clear your sinuses when you go there, order your dish extra spicy. We started with the satay chicken ($7.50), served with two small dishes of peanut and cucumber dipping sauce. The accompanying peanut dressing lacked the super rich flavor I tend to associate with satay. Later on, I learned from Bachiraseneekul, head chef at Thai Thai, that the lighter flavors are intentional.

You know how when you're looking at a car to buy, say a Honda or a Subaru, you'll suddenly notice how many people have that same car out on the road? I always find that a little curious. A similar experience led to this week's review. My friend Dave said he was coming into town, a Crazy Dave's ginger beer appeared in my fridge, my sister named her rescued cat David and I accidentally stepped on my favorite Dave Matthews CD. So perhaps it was foreshadowing or slightly serendipitous that I was assigned to review Rockin' Daves Bagel Bistro, owned by not one, but two Daves: Dave Flier and David Cohen.
Most of us know the story – Bagel Stop on Greenwood, owned by Flier and Cohen, burned down. That was last September, four days before their two-year anniversary. The outpouring of support from local businesses was immediate and genuine as restaurant owners rushed over in sweatpants asking how they could lend a hand. Flier describes the intense sense of belonging that he discovered in the wake of the fire, “I never knew what community was until this happened. To me, this is the best part of Bend.”

It had been quite a while since I’d ventured up to Northwest Crossing looking for something sweet to eat. There was Sage Cafe with pastries galore, fresh baked rice krispie treats and decadent brownies, and then there was Riley’s Market with locally baked cookies and–ooh!–frozen yogurt.