Food & Drink

I'm always looking to try new places, so I asked a chef friend where he likes to eat locally. He's a total food snob with limited leisure time, so I figured whatever he deigned to eat outside of his own kitchen was bound to be impressive. Without pause he threw out Sparrow Bakery as his favorite spot in Bend. Not much for baked-goods myself (I will pretty much always abandon the biscuit or forgo dessert to make room for another pork chop), I was dubious of the suggestion. Knowing the source, I shouldn't have hesitated. Sparrow is far beyond your average purveyor of bread and pastries, though they have a beautiful selection of both. The strongly French-influenced menu of breakfast and lunch items, all under $10, is worthy of the highest praise, even from those of us with an abnormally strong predilection towards the savory.

Open in its current incarnation since 2006, Sparrow has quietly built a passionate following. The tiny, square, brick building covered with vines and buried among warehouses for lease and parking lots near a railroad crossing boasts a scenic view of the Highway 97 overpass just off Colorado Avenue. But instead of languishing in the location, this diamond in the rough has used it and successfully cultivated that cool, industrial air that is a fixture in most urban areas but scarce in these parts. At once prolific bakery, local café with wi-fi and gallery featuring rotating exhibits, Sparrow is one of a couple of hipster pioneers populating the block, along with its neighbor Bend Experimental Art Theater. With ample commercial space available, I wouldn't be surprised if the area becomes a draw for local arts groups and other bohemian types.

Dishes go global at Chloe. In the year and a half that Chloe was open in Redmond, the restaurant
gained a considerable reputation and loyal following despite its
strip-mall location. Chef Jerry Phaisavath and his wife Elaine,
however, sought a new space that would be more compatible with what
they envisioned, where they could take Chloe to the next level. They
have found it in Sisters. Opening in January at the FivePine complex
just as you enter town from the south on Highway 20, Chloe has really
come into its own. From the menu to the décor to the service, it’s hard
to imagine that the restaurant was ever anywhere else.

The room,
awash in earth tones, wood and stone, stands out from its
white-tablecloth, New-American brethren. Stylized scenes, shapes and
materials taken from nature are cleverly incorporated into every
surface and accessory. There’s a terrarium built into the wall by the
host stand. The ceiling above the clover of semicircular booths in the
center of the room features tiny twinkling lights against a black
background emulating the night sky. Upholstery is modern, but if you
look closely you’ll find a geometrical pattern of oblong leaves. By far
my favorite touch is the basket-woven moose head mounted over the
fireplace in the cozy bar area. From the light fixtures to the cutlery
(the knives have flat handles perpendicular to the blade so it stands
up straight when set down), you can tell that every detail was
carefully considered.

Dishes go global at Chloe. In the year and a half that Chloe was open in Redmond, the restaurant
gained a considerable reputation and loyal following despite its
strip-mall location. Chef Jerry Phaisavath and his wife Elaine,
however, sought a new space that would be more compatible with what
they envisioned, where they could take Chloe to the next level. They
have found it in Sisters. Opening in January at the FivePine complex
just as you enter town from the south on Highway 20, Chloe has really
come into its own. From the menu to the décor to the service, it's hard
to imagine that the restaurant was ever anywhere else.

The room,
awash in earth tones, wood and stone, stands out from its
white-tablecloth, New-American brethren. Stylized scenes, shapes and
materials taken from nature are cleverly incorporated into every
surface and accessory. There's a terrarium built into the wall by the
host stand. The ceiling above the clover of semicircular booths in the
center of the room features tiny twinkling lights against a black
background emulating the night sky. Upholstery is modern, but if you
look closely you'll find a geometrical pattern of oblong leaves. By far
my favorite touch is the basket-woven moose head mounted over the
fireplace in the cozy bar area. From the light fixtures to the cutlery
(the knives have flat handles perpendicular to the blade so it stands
up straight when set down), you can tell that every detail was
carefully considered.

It’s a clam bake.It’s Friday night after a hard week. You’re looking for an indulgent
meal with some good wine, a few cocktails beforehand, maybe some live
music after. But you’re spent, rendered incapable of making decisions
or traveling far. Well, no need. Somehow, right under our noses,
Giuseppe’s on Bond has slowly morphed into just such a dining and
entertainment emporium where you can work that plan to its full
fruition without leaving the premises.

A downtown mainstay since
1985, the restaurant’s most recent redesign successfully conveys a wine
cellar feel with brick walls, wine racks, a long corridor of
high-backed wooden booths and lots of good source lighting. Goomba’s,
the bar and lounge in the back of the restaurant, was added in 2001 and
the outdoor “Urban Patio” last year, both great spots for an aperitif.
And now, the new Sessions Wine Bar and Music Stage just past the
entrance is in full swing with live acts every Friday night
transforming the front dining area into something resembling a supper
club for the over 30 set.

It's a clam bake.It's Friday night after a hard week. You're looking for an indulgent
meal with some good wine, a few cocktails beforehand, maybe some live
music after. But you're spent, rendered incapable of making decisions
or traveling far. Well, no need. Somehow, right under our noses,
Giuseppe's on Bond has slowly morphed into just such a dining and
entertainment emporium where you can work that plan to its full
fruition without leaving the premises.

A downtown mainstay since
1985, the restaurant's most recent redesign successfully conveys a wine
cellar feel with brick walls, wine racks, a long corridor of
high-backed wooden booths and lots of good source lighting. Goomba's,
the bar and lounge in the back of the restaurant, was added in 2001 and
the outdoor "Urban Patio" last year, both great spots for an aperitif.
And now, the new Sessions Wine Bar and Music Stage just past the
entrance is in full swing with live acts every Friday night
transforming the front dining area into something resembling a supper
club for the over 30 set.

It would be extremely efficient if the bar was like a coffee shop and there was one line where people ordered and one place where they picked up. No one would ever get missed, everyone would wait the exact same amount of time for a drink, and nobody would ever wait for change or a credit card slip.

It would be extremely efficient if the bar was like a coffee shop and there was one line where people ordered and one place where they picked up. No one would ever get missed, everyone would wait the exact same amount of time for a drink, and nobody would ever wait for change or a credit card slip.