Food & Drink

Between sips of any number of bountiful, fresh-squeezed smoothies, regular customers can tell you why “Juice” is Mother's middle name. Have a hankering for chocolate or need a dose of wheatgrass to get you through the afternoon? You'll find the perfect fix for a sweet tooth or sedentary slump at Mother's. Beyond a liquid diet, Mother's other offerings include breakfasts and lunches, with an emphasis on healthy, nutritious ingredients.
Mother's breakfast menu features bagels, homemade sweet breads, waffle sandwiches and more. Bagels are fresh from Seattle in savory varieties including pesto parmesan and jalapeño. Mother's offers four acai bowls, centered on the potent antioxidant and omega-rich acai berry, grown in the Amazon region of Brazil. This super food, pronounced “ah-sigh-yee,” has a rich flavor of berries and cocoa. I enjoyed the small NW Bowl, a blend of organic acai berries, blueberries, marion berries, strawberries, vanilla non-fat frozen yogurt and apple cider, and topped with fresh blueberries, sliced banana, crushed hazelnuts, hearty granola and honey.

Between sips of any number of bountiful, fresh-squeezed smoothies, regular customers can tell you why “Juice” is Mother's middle name. Have a hankering for chocolate or need a dose of wheatgrass to get you through the afternoon? You'll find the perfect fix for a sweet tooth or sedentary slump at Mother's. Beyond a liquid diet, Mother's other offerings include breakfasts and lunches, with an emphasis on healthy, nutritious ingredients.
Mother's breakfast menu features bagels, homemade sweet breads, waffle sandwiches and more. Bagels are fresh from Seattle in savory varieties including pesto parmesan and jalapeño. Mother's offers four acai bowls, centered on the potent antioxidant and omega-rich acai berry, grown in the Amazon region of Brazil. This super food, pronounced “ah-sigh-yee,” has a rich flavor of berries and cocoa. I enjoyed the small NW Bowl, a blend of organic acai berries, blueberries, marion berries, strawberries, vanilla non-fat frozen yogurt and apple cider, and topped with fresh blueberries, sliced banana, crushed hazelnuts, hearty granola and honey.

When living in London, I entered restaurants on the famed Indian cuisine mecca, Brick Lane, with the general expectation of leaving uncomfortably full. Between the creamy dishes and the various accompaniments, this was almost a guarantee.
The Spice Box, a new “home-style Indian cooking” restaurant in Bend, defies this expectation. Lighter, modern takes of classic Indian dishes are served in well-balanced portions from this small, brightly lit eatery on Century Drive. “This is Indian food from a healthy perspective,” says owner and chef Mrinal Patel-Warburton. “The foods you see in traditional Indian restaurants are what we'd see at weddings and social gatherings. The food at Spice Box is what you'd find on a table in an Indian home.”

When living in London, I entered restaurants on the famed Indian cuisine mecca, Brick Lane, with the general expectation of leaving uncomfortably full. Between the creamy dishes and the various accompaniments, this was almost a guarantee.
The Spice Box, a new “home-style Indian cooking” restaurant in Bend, defies this expectation. Lighter, modern takes of classic Indian dishes are served in well-balanced portions from this small, brightly lit eatery on Century Drive. “This is Indian food from a healthy perspective,” says owner and chef Mrinal Patel-Warburton. “The foods you see in traditional Indian restaurants are what we'd see at weddings and social gatherings. The food at Spice Box is what you'd find on a table in an Indian home.”

With its warm hearth-like interior, Thyme's setting parallels its menu – bistro food that's comforting, rustic and modern. While the menu is not overly ambitious, it is creative enough to remind us of Thyme's lineage; the McCrystals, owners of Jen's Garden, aren't building a fine-dining empire, they are responding to the needs of the town that has spawned their success. Chef Caryl Hosler came over from Jen's Garden to command the stoves at Thyme, setting expectations high.
The restaurant was busy when we arrived on a Thursday evening although thoughtfully placed partitions kept noise levels down. The centerpiece of the dining room is a rustic fireplace that leads the eye to the well-stocked bar. A few leather couches, tables, and bar seats are perfect for a quick drink after work or for watching a game. The dining room combines round banquettes and tables. The wait staff supports one another and is very knowledgeable about the menu and food preparation.

With its warm hearth-like interior, Thyme's setting parallels its menu – bistro food that's comforting, rustic and modern. While the menu is not overly ambitious, it is creative enough to remind us of Thyme's lineage; the McCrystals, owners of Jen's Garden, aren't building a fine-dining empire, they are responding to the needs of the town that has spawned their success. Chef Caryl Hosler came over from Jen's Garden to command the stoves at Thyme, setting expectations high.
The restaurant was busy when we arrived on a Thursday evening although thoughtfully placed partitions kept noise levels down. The centerpiece of the dining room is a rustic fireplace that leads the eye to the well-stocked bar. A few leather couches, tables, and bar seats are perfect for a quick drink after work or for watching a game. The dining room combines round banquettes and tables. The wait staff supports one another and is very knowledgeable about the menu and food preparation.

As the buds of spring begin to bloom, Amalia's, the latest addition to the downtown Bend restaurant roster, offers an array of organically focused Mexican cuisine for lunch and dinner. With an emphasis on family-friendly dining by day, and a lounge with DJs spinning on weekend nights, Amalia's seems to have it all together.
Chef Roberto Cardenas is a friendly face constantly abuzz around the restaurant, maintaining a strong presence with guests to ensure satisfaction. He has chosen a fine group of fresh-faced servers to head up the front-of-house operations. The Amalia's menu is comprised of innovative, contemporary Mexican cuisine with lots of flavor, color and variety.

As the buds of spring begin to bloom, Amalia's, the latest addition to the downtown Bend restaurant roster, offers an array of organically focused Mexican cuisine for lunch and dinner. With an emphasis on family-friendly dining by day, and a lounge with DJs spinning on weekend nights, Amalia's seems to have it all together.
Chef Roberto Cardenas is a friendly face constantly abuzz around the restaurant, maintaining a strong presence with guests to ensure satisfaction. He has chosen a fine group of fresh-faced servers to head up the front-of-house operations. The Amalia's menu is comprised of innovative, contemporary Mexican cuisine with lots of flavor, color and variety.

Over the last few weeks, Sarahlee Lawrence has been cutting up fifteen varieties of potatoes. She has pink ones, purple ones, blue ones and the standard run-of-the-mill white spuds. She's so excited about planting these bits of root vegetables for this year's harvest that her voice quickens.
“We've got the full gamut of vegetables from early greens to pumpkins,” Lawrence says. “It's going to be quite the experience.”
This may be an understatement for Lawrence as this is her first season running a CSA . Last year she tended and harvested a test garden on her family's 30-year-old farm, Lawrence Farm in Terrebonne, but this year she's growing three acres and two greenhouses worth of vegetables and flowers for her garden called Rainbow Organics. All season long, Lawrence will put together baskets of veggies and flowers for her CSA members and sell the remaining produce at the Northwest Crossing farmer's market. In addition, members are invited to tour her farm and participate in events such as a canning day.