Special Issues & Guides

Off the beaten path and right up our alley, Bend's Produce Patch.In winter, the word "fresh" is core to the Central Oregon vernacular.

Sparrow Bakery's
Croque Monsieur

Believe it or not, my favorite local dish is a pastry, sort of. Because I run a dinner house I don't get to go out in the evenings very much.

Braised short ribs with pickled vegetables at Cork. Listening to the latest rumblings, you'd think that no one goes out to eat anymore.

Ryan Barnett, Fireside red
Barnett with Ariana’s GnocchiAriana's Gnocchi and peas
Since the recent closure of Bistro Corlise, my regular dining spot, I was confused as to where to take my wife for a good dinner. Then I found Ariana and their wonderful gnocchi.

Flatbread hits all the right notes when it’s family time.When you've got kids in tow, eating out is a luxury.

Chef Matt Neltner from Deschutes Brewery with anothr perfect pairing.Any decent cooking or etiquette class arms you with the basic knowledge that red wines go with dishes involving beef or game and white wines should be paired with fish or light chicken dishes.

When it comes to restaurants, of course it's highly subjective, but there are
some specific considerations: execution, presentation, creativity, ambience, service, value, consistency, attention to detail. When the field is as deep as it is here in Central Oregon, however, the deciding factor is often harder to articulate. It's that quality
that makes your eyes roll with every bite, that makes you inhale deeply as you swallow
so as not to waste that last vestige of flavor, where nothing in the overall dining experience distracts you from your appreciation. It's what makes you remember and relive the meal weeks or months later. It's when the very character of the restaurant embodies the values and tastes of a given place at a given time.