Food & Drink

To me, there are only a few touchstones of Bend left anymore when it comes to the food scene. The landscape of cuisine has always been fluid and ever-shifting, but now, more than ever, it seems like we can’t take any of our favorite spots for granted. Whenever I’m showing out-of-state filmmakers around during the […]

Organic grocer to open in downtown Redmond The vacant JoAnn Fabrics building on SW Sixth Street in Redmond will soon be home to Natural Grocers. The City of Redmond says the Redmond Urban Renewal Agency has approved a forgivable grant of up to $500,000 to Natural Grocers for building improvements. The City says the grocery […]

One bite of Cascade Alchemy Bowls’ Mt. Hood Bowl and I immediately regretted every visit I had ever made to Blacksmith Public House without ordering it from the food truck. The creamy Thai-inspired peanut sauce was bright and citrusy. Tender marinated chicken, crunchy pickled carrots, sautéed bok choy and cool cucumber slices came together over […]

Eight local bands are teaming up for a free concert to help fight local food insecurity. The idea started last year when a member of the Bend band Long Operators wanted to do something to honor his late grandfather, a preacher in Seattle. After learning his family had been assisted by St. Vincent de Paul […]

Here’s an easy summertime recipe, perfect for making sandwiches to tote along on whatever adventure you’re setting out upon. Where I grew up, everyone had their own family recipe for pimento cheese and pimento cheese sandwiches were in everybody’s cooler at the lake or picnic in the park. I shared two versions of pimento cheese […]

     Bamboo Sushi has finally arrived in Bend and judging by the crowds, Central Oregon has been waiting patiently. Originally expected to open back in December, the restaurant finally welcomed its first guests during the first week of June. Since then, word has spread quickly. On my recent early evening visit, the wait for either […]

The owner of the Pika Pika, Vivienne Mariotti, is expanding her business next door into the former Red Chair Art Gallery space on the corner of NW Bond Street and Oregon Avenue to open a cafe. “Our vision for the adjacent space is to create an elevated Japanese and French-inspired pastry concept that focuses on handcrafted […]

By mid-July, a corner of Bend’s west side near Powder House Ski & Patio is going to look a lot different. Where a narrow lot once sat largely underused, a 7,000-square-foot building has risen — barn wood walls, 40-foot ceilings, a 50-foot belly bar and a rooftop garden perched atop repurposed shipping containers. Welcome to […]

Every morning, a warm and inviting aroma comes from the center of the Village in Sunriver, where Hot Lava Bakery is serving up delicious pastries, coffee drinks and blended smoothies to locals and tourists. Along with an extensive breakfast and lunch menu, Hot Lava Bakery makes custom cakes and cupcakes for events and special occasions. […]

Jessica Natvig recently moved across the country from Marco Island, Florida, to Bend with her dehydrated sourdough starter in tow. She and her husband are from Oregon. They have a busy household with three sons, ages 7, 4 and 6 weeks, but still manage to operate a small batch sourdough kitchen called Lady Sourdough out […]