Food & Drink

The once bustling merenda space will reopen as 900 Wall in April. After being courted by several big name chains, the space formerly
occupied by Merenda has a new tenant in 900 Wall, a local group
spearheaded by former Merenda GM Mike Millette who plans to open his
new restaurant in early April. The restaurant will include some minor
touchups of the restaurant's interior, which has sat unused since
Merenda closed its doors in early January. Millette said the restaurant
will be instantly recognizable to Merenda fans, but will feature a
retooled menu, which former Merenda and Deep chef Cliff Eslinger is
testing right now. The new menu will put focus more on dishes that are
accessible and recognizable to the general public. Millette said the
restaurant would like to expand from its base of upwardly mobile urban
diners to casual and family diners.

"Jody's food was tremendous,
but there are some people who were really not that knowledgeable about
food," Millette said. "We're still a meat and potatoes town."

All you can possibly, ever eat at Taj Palace.In lean times, we all find ourselves cutting corners. Dining
out-particularly for lunch-is usually among the first casualties of a
slashed budget. It’s true, it’s easy enough to save and grab a slice or
a taco at midday or (gasp!) pack a sandwich from home. But sometimes
there’s business to take care of that’s best done over food, or maybe
you just want to sit down for a civilized meal at midday. Well, don’t
sweat the bill. Bend has some excellent options in a variety of flavors
for inexpensive lunch, and it’s a great way to get your eat-out fix for
a fraction of the dinner price. The maximum cost for two at the
restaurants below was $16 (without drinks). So treat that potential
client, indulge in a hot meal that doesn’t come out of a can. As the
saying goes, there’s no free lunch. But it’s pretty impressive what you
can get in this town if you’re willing to shell out a few bucks.

All you can possibly, ever eat at Taj Palace.In lean times, we all find ourselves cutting corners. Dining
out-particularly for lunch-is usually among the first casualties of a
slashed budget. It's true, it's easy enough to save and grab a slice or
a taco at midday or (gasp!) pack a sandwich from home. But sometimes
there's business to take care of that's best done over food, or maybe
you just want to sit down for a civilized meal at midday. Well, don't
sweat the bill. Bend has some excellent options in a variety of flavors
for inexpensive lunch, and it's a great way to get your eat-out fix for
a fraction of the dinner price. The maximum cost for two at the
restaurants below was $16 (without drinks). So treat that potential
client, indulge in a hot meal that doesn't come out of a can. As the
saying goes, there's no free lunch. But it's pretty impressive what you
can get in this town if you're willing to shell out a few bucks.

There are a few givens that can lead a man to drinking: divorce, death of a loved one, and the use of a voice-activated phone menu system. Even the most tolerant will find themselves throwing the phone across the room after they have had to repeat “check account” sixteen times to hear the same voice repeat again and again, “I’m sorry. I didn’t get that.” Succumbing to screaming, “No kidding you didn’t get that. You are a goddamn voice without a brain – so how could you possibly GET THAT?” You walk to the bar because nothing cures a broken soul like a cocktail.

Sitting on your barstool feeling slightly ashamed that you are the only person in the bar mid-afternoon, you start to wonder whose idiotic idea it was to have you clearly shout your account number and password repetitively into the phone. What was wrong with pushing the buttons? Obviously there is a lobby by Identity Thieves of America to keep up this practice, as there is no doubt they are all over Washington doling out gifts and promising senators favors to keep this system alive.

There are a few givens that can lead a man to drinking: divorce, death of a loved one, and the use of a voice-activated phone menu system. Even the most tolerant will find themselves throwing the phone across the room after they have had to repeat "check account" sixteen times to hear the same voice repeat again and again, "I'm sorry. I didn't get that." Succumbing to screaming, "No kidding you didn't get that. You are a goddamn voice without a brain - so how could you possibly GET THAT?" You walk to the bar because nothing cures a broken soul like a cocktail.

Sitting on your barstool feeling slightly ashamed that you are the only person in the bar mid-afternoon, you start to wonder whose idiotic idea it was to have you clearly shout your account number and password repetitively into the phone. What was wrong with pushing the buttons? Obviously there is a lobby by Identity Thieves of America to keep up this practice, as there is no doubt they are all over Washington doling out gifts and promising senators favors to keep this system alive.

With winter seeming to kick back into gear here in mid-February it's time to put all those prematurely released spring ales on hold and keep our focus on the big brawny ales that will sustain us until it's time to exchange the long underwear for non-marine certified inflateables. Deschutes Brewery's recently released Hop Henge is the perfect candidate.

With winter seeming to kick back into gear here in mid-February it’s time to put all those prematurely released spring ales on hold and keep our focus on the big brawny ales that will sustain us until it’s time to exchange the long underwear for non-marine certified inflateables. Deschutes Brewery’s recently released Hop Henge is the perfect candidate.

See food?You may have inadvertently stumbled upon High Tides Seafood Grill, a
small unassuming spot on Bond, after running out of patience with the
hour-long wait at the Deschutes Brewery across the street. Or maybe you
were fortunate enough to get an inside tip from a generous local. But
if not, you may have missed it, and that's a shame. For over a decade,
High Tides has been quietly and consistently turning out quality
seafood in interesting preparations at reasonable prices for a growing
base of loyal customers and visitors lucky enough to have found it.
Possibly
because of the five-and-dime awning and storefront glass, the
restaurant appears very different from the outside than it feels on the
inside. That must be why it took me a couple of months after moving to
town to notice it and another few to walk through the door. Turns out
the dining room, flanked by walls painted to the ceiling with an
underwater scene dotted with little metal fish, is very pleasant and
even lively on busy nights with tables at the front that can be put
together for larger groups and high-backed wooden booths along the
sides for more intimate occasions. The service is as warm and amiable
as the space.

See food?You may have inadvertently stumbled upon High Tides Seafood Grill, a
small unassuming spot on Bond, after running out of patience with the
hour-long wait at the Deschutes Brewery across the street. Or maybe you
were fortunate enough to get an inside tip from a generous local. But
if not, you may have missed it, and that’s a shame. For over a decade,
High Tides has been quietly and consistently turning out quality
seafood in interesting preparations at reasonable prices for a growing
base of loyal customers and visitors lucky enough to have found it.
Possibly
because of the five-and-dime awning and storefront glass, the
restaurant appears very different from the outside than it feels on the
inside. That must be why it took me a couple of months after moving to
town to notice it and another few to walk through the door. Turns out
the dining room, flanked by walls painted to the ceiling with an
underwater scene dotted with little metal fish, is very pleasant and
even lively on busy nights with tables at the front that can be put
together for larger groups and high-backed wooden booths along the
sides for more intimate occasions. The service is as warm and amiable
as the space.

Tyler and the gang at Sliver Moon have served up another winner with this smooth-drinking specialty ale. Micro Cosmos isn't a huge fan of the brown style, which tends to lack the personality of other ales.