Food & Drink

M&J is the kind of bar that every town needs. It’s got cheap
drinks, friendly bartenders, the best tequila selection this side of
the Rio Grande, two pool tables, a jukebox with everything from Willie
Nelson to Phish to the Beastie Boys, and, of course, the adjacent Sip N
Suds, so you can enjoy a pint while you wait for your laundry to dry.

M&J is the kind of bar that every town needs. It's got cheap
drinks, friendly bartenders, the best tequila selection this side of
the Rio Grande, two pool tables, a jukebox with everything from Willie
Nelson to Phish to the Beastie Boys, and, of course, the adjacent Sip N
Suds, so you can enjoy a pint while you wait for your laundry to dry.

Editor’s note: There is a long tradition of Bendites sneaking south to
Baja California to escape the long Central Oregon winters. With that in
mind, we asked one of our dining correspondents to give us her
impressions of the beach side culinary scene during a recent trip.
On the Baja taco tour.Fish
tacos and Baja California are synonymous. Right? I found out on a
recent trip to Baja that ordering a little turf with your surf is a
good idea too. Sure, the fish is fresh and lovely. Coming from Bend in
the wintertime, I thought I would eat fish tacos every day of my
vacation. But my quest for fish tacos turned into a delectably edible
educational experience involving both tacos del mar y de la tierra.
On
our first night in San Jose del Cabo, my fiancée and I were greeted by
friends who spend considerable time in the southern Baja town. They
took us out to Las Guacamayas, their favorite taco place. “You like
tacos al pastor?” they asked. As they well knew, if they weren’t
already, al pastor would become my new favorite.

Editor's note: There is a long tradition of Bendites sneaking south to
Baja California to escape the long Central Oregon winters. With that in
mind, we asked one of our dining correspondents to give us her
impressions of the beach side culinary scene during a recent trip.
On the Baja taco tour.Fish
tacos and Baja California are synonymous. Right? I found out on a
recent trip to Baja that ordering a little turf with your surf is a
good idea too. Sure, the fish is fresh and lovely. Coming from Bend in
the wintertime, I thought I would eat fish tacos every day of my
vacation. But my quest for fish tacos turned into a delectably edible
educational experience involving both tacos del mar y de la tierra.
On
our first night in San Jose del Cabo, my fiancée and I were greeted by
friends who spend considerable time in the southern Baja town. They
took us out to Las Guacamayas, their favorite taco place. "You like
tacos al pastor?" they asked. As they well knew, if they weren't
already, al pastor would become my new favorite.

Animal Planet doesn’t run nature shows on human mating rituals because
they don’t want to be confused with Girls Gone Wild. As all bartenders
know, courtship and mating rituals are among the most varied and
fascinating of all human behaviors. The sequence and variety differ by
age, but a few essentials are usually in place – cocktails, dim
lighting, and music.

Most courtship takes place in the evening,
starting with bathing and preening. The female of the species may spend
hours working on her plumage and makeup.The male concentrates on
shaving his facial hair into the desired effect to attract the right
mate: clean shaven for the girl who cares about success and prosperity,
a goatee for the woman who desires adventure, and no shaving to attract
the female who prefers life in a Volkswagen bus. Aromatherapy is
usually in play as well. The female douses herself with a bouquet of
floral or fruity aromas, while the male is drawn toward woody or spicy
scents.

Animal Planet doesn't run nature shows on human mating rituals because
they don't want to be confused with Girls Gone Wild. As all bartenders
know, courtship and mating rituals are among the most varied and
fascinating of all human behaviors. The sequence and variety differ by
age, but a few essentials are usually in place – cocktails, dim
lighting, and music.

Most courtship takes place in the evening,
starting with bathing and preening. The female of the species may spend
hours working on her plumage and makeup. The male concentrates on
shaving his facial hair into the desired effect to attract the right
mate: clean shaven for the girl who cares about success and prosperity,
a goatee for the woman who desires adventure, and no shaving to attract
the female who prefers life in a Volkswagen bus. Aromatherapy is
usually in play as well. The female douses herself with a bouquet of
floral or fruity aromas, while the male is drawn toward woody or spicy
scents.

chet dzienis pulls a slice from the oven at Pisanos. There is a new entry on the block in Bend’s pizza-by-the-slice wars,
primarily a dogfight between Mondo’s and Cibelli’s until relative
newcomer Pisano’s Pizza came on the scene last fall at Northwest
Crossing right next door to Riley’s Market.

Pisano’s is owned and
operated by Ed Barbeau, and it’s the restaurant’s second location in
Central Oregon – the original Pisano’s is in Prineville, but Barbeau
said he plans to close its doors by the end of this month due to the
slumping economy. The Northwest Crossing location is doing fairly well,
he said, thanks to a steady volume of customers attracted to the
mixed-use neighborhood center, which according to its website has
20-or-so businesses whose doors remain open.

chet dzienis pulls a slice from the oven at Pisanos. There is a new entry on the block in Bend's pizza-by-the-slice wars,
primarily a dogfight between Mondo's and Cibelli's until relative
newcomer Pisano's Pizza came on the scene last fall at Northwest
Crossing right next door to Riley's Market.

Pisano's is owned and
operated by Ed Barbeau, and it's the restaurant's second location in
Central Oregon - the original Pisano's is in Prineville, but Barbeau
said he plans to close its doors by the end of this month due to the
slumping economy. The Northwest Crossing location is doing fairly well,
he said, thanks to a steady volume of customers attracted to the
mixed-use neighborhood center, which according to its website has
20-or-so businesses whose doors remain open.

When the guys over at Cascade Lakes Brewing dropped Mirco Cosmos a line about their new winter ale with an offer to send by a sample we didn’t hesitate to take them up for, ah, research purposes. And we’re glad we did.

When the guys over at Cascade Lakes Brewing dropped Mirco Cosmos a line about their new winter ale with an offer to send by a sample we didn't hesitate to take them up for, ah, research purposes. And we're glad we did.