The restaurant world is ever-changing. The annual Source Restaurant Guide aims to include new openings and popular staples to help you plan your eating year! We know more is coming as well. Bamboo Sushi is expected to open in the spring of 2026 in downtown Bend on NW Oregon Avenue. The owners of Powder House […]
Special Issues & Guides
Restaurant of the Year: Sen Thai Noodles & Hot Potย ย
Several things make Sen a remarkable dining experience, but itโs the combination of all of them that solidifies it as the Sourceโs restaurant of the year. First among everything, as delicious and groundbreaking as the food is, the hospitality is what is immediately apparent. There is a genuine warmth to the staff that makes Sen not just a destination location in Bend, but reminds […]
Rookie Food Cart of the Year: The Dominican
Robert De Los Santosโ love language is serving someone up a delicious plate of food. Heโs been that way since his days growing up in the countryside of the Dominican Republic, where itโs customary for people to have a meal ready for anyone who might happen to walk in the door. The love behind the […]
Rookie Restaurant of the Year: Ken’s Artisan Pizza
Iโve been dreaming about the next time I can go to Kenโs Artisan Pizza for at least the last 15 years, so it feels odd now to be naming it the Rookie of the Year. But many will already know that those two things can co-exist, because Kenโs has been a world-renowned pizzeria in east […]
What It Takes to Run a Restaurant Right Now in Central Oregon
Running a restaurant in Central Oregon in 2026 is not for the faint of heart; by nearly every account, itโs harder than it has ever been. But the ones who make it work are rewriting the rules in real time. โHands down the most difficult challenge in operating restaurants right now is trying to make […]
Food Cart of the Year: NorthFresh Sushi
Youโd be forgiven for assuming that local sushi chef Jeff Berneski has it all figured out. Source readers, after all, voting in the 2021 Best Of Central Oregon contest, elected Berneskiโs NorthFresh Sushi Best Rookie Food Cart. And Berneski had only just relocated to Central Oregon the year before. And this year, NorthFresh is also […]
Central Oregon Pets 2026
Iโve always held a strong belief that my two dogs and cat have unique personalities, but after reading all the entries for the pet contest, I must acquiesce that other peopleโs fur-babies โ and even feathered ones โ are just as special. The paddleboarding cat on the cover seems remarkable as does the chicken that […]
2026 Pet Photo Contest Winners
We received overย 400 amazing entries, each one full of personality, charm, and heart. From playful pups and cuddly cats to the most unique and lovable companions, this yearโs contest was full of them all. Click here to see the winners!
The Star of the Show
A miniature donkey from Montana has become a celebrity in Central Oregon. Cimarron Kid was relocated to Crook County in 2000, from Bart and Marion Bartonโs donkey farm, Bartonโs Brayinโ Assets. He found his Oregon home with their daughter, Kim Griffin, who also owns a variety of animals including a mustang, chickens and goats. The […]
The Happy Little Hero
As Roger Caras, an animal rights activist, once wrote in “A Celebration of Dogs,” “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” This sentiment certainly captures how Ed Jackiewicz felt about his pup, Smooch. When Ed’s daughter first expressed her desire for a dog, her mother was skeptical. After being turned […]

