Food & Drink

Each year on New Year’s Day, no matter how hung over I am, I host a brunch. Continuing a long family tradition, I serve black-eyed peas, collard greens and pork chops. In my family, these foods are considered lucky when you eat them to start off the year. The greens represent dollar bills, and the black-eyed peas symbolize coins. The pork is supposed to be for health, but I’ve always found that claim rather dubious.

There are other stories explaining why Southerners eat black-eyed peas, greens and pork on New Year’s Day. One scenario blames it on the “War Between the States,” during which Union soldiers regularly burned crops and raided Southern kitchens. Black-eyed peas were considered livestock feed, so the soldiers ignored fields of them. When they were finished taking or destroying everything they considered edible, Southerners made do with the rejects, which meant black-eyed peas, greens and hog jowls. So, for some Southern families, these foods are served in remembrance of their Confederate ancestors.

Here’s the beefI love steak. All kinds of steak. But steaks vary tremendously in flavor, texture and tenderness. The steak I might recommend may not be the best one for someone else’s taste. For just that reason, I put together a “steak personality primer” to identify some of the differences between the different cuts and the people who like them.

For the purposes of this article, the term steak will refer to a choice cut of beef. While steaks are cut from many different kinds of animals, this is the most common. The best steaks come from the short loin, sirloin and rib sections of a cow, where muscle movement is minimal and fat content is high.
My favorite steak is the rib eye. Cut from the rib section, this is the juiciest of steaks. Also known as Spencer or Delmonico steak, this cut is a great piece of meat to throw in a blackening pan, since its marbling turns to juice when it touches the sizzling hot iron. If you’re in the rib-eye camp, you (like me) think flavor is everything. You probably tend to shy away from frou-frou presentations and towards simple, rich foods.

Here’s the beefI love steak. All kinds of steak. But steaks vary tremendously in flavor, texture and tenderness. The steak I might recommend may not be the best one for someone else's taste. For just that reason, I put together a "steak personality primer" to identify some of the differences between the different cuts and the people who like them.

For the purposes of this article, the term steak will refer to a choice cut of beef. While steaks are cut from many different kinds of animals, this is the most common. The best steaks come from the short loin, sirloin and rib sections of a cow, where muscle movement is minimal and fat content is high.
My favorite steak is the rib eye. Cut from the rib section, this is the juiciest of steaks. Also known as Spencer or Delmonico steak, this cut is a great piece of meat to throw in a blackening pan, since its marbling turns to juice when it touches the sizzling hot iron. If you're in the rib-eye camp, you (like me) think flavor is everything. You probably tend to shy away from frou-frou presentations and towards simple, rich foods.

The happy hour that’s downright joyful.
Although still sometimes referred to as a "new bar" in town, the Summit Saloon and Stage has actually now been open for an entire year.

The happy hour that’s downright joyful.
Although still sometimes referred to as a “new bar” in town, the Summit Saloon and Stage has actually now been open for an entire year.

The latest casualty on the Central Oregon dining sceneThe fallout from Bend’s housing crash continues to ripple through the broader local economy, particularly the restaurant industry.
Last week news got out that Volo, the upscale urban-style eatery on Bond Street, had quietly closed its doors.

The latest casualty on the Central Oregon dining sceneThe fallout from Bend's housing crash continues to ripple through the broader local economy, particularly the restaurant industry.
Last week news got out that Volo, the upscale urban-style eatery on Bond Street, had quietly closed its doors.

The Tumalo JartiniCraving a good steak, but don’t feel like getting all gussied up and blowing your whole paycheck on dinner? You might consider the Tumalo Feed Company. I’ve been eating there since the early ’90s and can honestly say I’ve never had anything but a good meal there. Consistency, as well as generous portions and a price that includes everything from appetizers to dessert, is typical at this western-theme restaurant in Tumalo.

The parking lot is filled most weekend nights with an assortment of large vehicles, many of them American-made trucks. Popular among rural Central Oregonians, this restaurant in the heart of Tumalo transports diners through time and space as soon as they enter the door. In the restaurant’s foyer, a wood-burning stove, stuffed turkey and life-sized plaster cowboy are reminiscent of a Farrell’s gone country.
Straight ahead is the western-style saloon, complete with swinging doors and live western music. A full range of alcoholic drinks are served here, including a list of their signature Jartinis – martinis served in a mason jar ready for you to pour into a martini glass. My favorite is the Manhattan – a generous pour of bourbon with sweet vermouth shaken over ice. Drinking bourbon at the Tumalo Feed Company just feels right to me, but purists can choose from a selection of several gin and vodka Jartinis.