Food & Drink

Most every locality – be it country, state or city – has a bitch. It's that neighboring area that serves as home to the rednecks and tramps of barroom jokes, the town that makes another town's citizens feel better about themselves. Every France has a Belgium to degrade. Where would New York be without New Jersey to kick around? Londoners have their Essex girls, Beverly Hills has the Valley, even Arkansas has Mississippi. Around these parts, poor Redmond takes it in the gut from Bend at every turn. However, the most slighted of Central Oregon cities would have to be Prineville. Other than Prinetucky jokes and snickers at the town's very mention, I've heard little about the area, so I thought it was time to pay a visit.

Most every locality – be it country, state or city – has a bitch. It's that neighboring area that serves as home to the rednecks and tramps of barroom jokes, the town that makes another town's citizens feel better about themselves. Every France has a Belgium to degrade. Where would New York be without New Jersey to kick around? Londoners have their Essex girls, Beverly Hills has the Valley, even Arkansas has Mississippi. Around these parts, poor Redmond takes it in the gut from Bend at every turn. However, the most slighted of Central Oregon cities would have to be Prineville. Other than Prinetucky jokes and snickers at the town's very mention, I've heard little about the area, so I thought it was time to pay a visit.

When I'm in the mood for Chinese, I usually tend towards Hong Kong Restaurant. Not only is it the first place I happened upon when I moved to town, but since Chinese dining rooms are not known for their atmosphere, I've always been too taken with the backdoor charm of the adjacent Bamboo Room to explore anywhere else.

When I'm in the mood for Chinese, I usually tend towards Hong Kong Restaurant. Not only is it the first place I happened upon when I moved to town, but since Chinese dining rooms are not known for their atmosphere, I've always been too taken with the backdoor charm of the adjacent Bamboo Room to explore anywhere else.

Last Sunday morning found me a little worse for the weekend wear. But as disjointed text messages lamenting the night before and proposing breakfast started coming in, I realized that compared to my potential dining companions, I was in reasonably good shape. My one-too-many was certainly a far cry from the impressive 3 a.m. nightcap at Starz that one of them reported. I could tell it was going to be a delicate brunch with disaster looming around every corner. The slightest lapse in service or undercooked egg could send someone over the edge. I bargained that the best chance of pleasing four fragile, hungover friends (well, really three hungover and one still drunk) with many and varied sensitivities was CHOW.

Last Sunday morning found me a little worse for the weekend wear. But as disjointed text messages lamenting the night before and proposing breakfast started coming in, I realized that compared to my potential dining companions, I was in reasonably good shape. My one-too-many was certainly a far cry from the impressive 3 a.m. nightcap at Starz that one of them reported. I could tell it was going to be a delicate brunch with disaster looming around every corner. The slightest lapse in service or undercooked egg could send someone over the edge. I bargained that the best chance of pleasing four fragile, hungover friends (well, really three hungover and one still drunk) with many and varied sensitivities was CHOW.