Cover Story
Financial Spelunking
The price of everything has gotten more expensive over the past decade. That scene from “Arrested Development,” where clueless matriarch Lucille Bluth guesses the cost of a frozen banana at $10, is, sadly, more tragic than funny the closer inflation inches us toward that outlandish price tag.Adjusted for inflation, a $10 frozen banana in 2003…
Best Local Brewer: Tonya Cornett — UPP Liquids
Precious little is handed to anyone in Central Oregon’s robust brewing scene that isn’t hard-won. In roughly two years, Tonya Cornett went from being laid off from the Canadian cannabis company that owns 10 Barrel Brewing, to winning a slew of awards for the beers she helped create as a co-owner at UPP Liquids, the…
Best Fitness Studio: Altius Pole Studio
Emily Aygun totally understands that people might not know what to expect when they walk into Altius Pole Studio, named the 2026 Best Fitness Studio in the Source readers’ poll. She recalls feeling the exact same way when she attended her first pole-dancing class. It was a moment that changed her life. A mathematics major at San Jose…
Best Burrito: Los Jalapeños
When Gonzalo Morales opened Los Jalapeños on Greenwood Avenue, Bend’s population was somewhere around 30,000 people, the Old Mill District shopping center was still just an old mill, and the town’s first roundabout hadn’t even been built yet. That was 1995. The restaurant has been serving authentic Mexican fare ever since. “I’ve seen every change, ups and downs,” Morales said. Morales said at some point he won a “Best Of” award…
Best New Food Cart in Redmond: Top Dogs
Mustard, mayo and ketchup? Check! Bacon, grilled onions and peppers? Yes, please. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? Wait, what? At Top Dogs, named 2026 Best New Food Cart for Redmond, there are big dogs, little dogs, chili dogs and the fan favorite, street dogs, which feature a bacon-wrap grilled dog topped with all the usual condiments, grilled onions and peppers — and the aforementioned Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. …
Best Nachos: Luckey’s Woodsman
Some masterpieces only come after years of dedication, practice and tinkering. Others are born out of pure necessity. That’s how Jackson Higdon describes the creation of his “mountain nachos,” which were voted the best nachos in Central Oregon by readers of the Source. Higdon started his mountain man-themed food truck, Luckey’s Woodsman, in the parking lot of the Sunrise Lodge at…
Best Architect Firm: Crabtree Architecture + Design
Best Architect Firm is a new category in our Best of Central Oregon readers’ poll for 2026, and based on Central Oregon’s explosive growth — and the wealth of beautiful new buildings that come with that growth — the category definitely faced some stiff competition. You might not know Crabtree Architecture + Design by name,…
Best Sour Beer: Sea Plague
Tucked away in a quiet, shady block on Second Street in the Makers District, adventurous beer drinkers will find Funky Fauna, the home of truly unique brews, owned and operated by Michael Firth and Danielle Burns. The front of the house exudes a cool, dark vibe despite large windows that let in plenty of light.…
Free Will Astrology, Week of August 13, 2026
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Given how extra vibrant and refreshed you have been feeling, I would understand if you had zero interest in confronting The Dilemma That Refuses to Fade. Why deliberately tangle with that stale, long‑term energy drain when your spirits are so high? Here’s why: At this moment, you possess a new and…
Best Lodging in Redmond: SCP Redmond Hotel + Best Happy Hour & Best Bar in Redmond: Wayfarer Club
On a recent hot Friday afternoon the Wayfarer Club in the cozy confines of the SCP Hotel in downtown Redmond is fairly packed, with only a few empty seats to be had. The happy clientele appeared to be a mix of hotel guests and locals, probably more of the latter. Smoky skies and an unhealthy…
Best Matcha: Little Cole Coffee Co.
With matcha gaining traction over coffee, especially among Gen Z, it was only a matter of time before this little ol’ paper’s readers’ poll got on board and added the powdered Japanese green tea beverage as an official category. Consider us caught up. The inaugural winner in our Best Matcha category is, like many local…
Best Radio Personality: Kris Arnold
Kris Arnold oozes cool. She’s rocking an all-black outfit and black sparkly slides, her blonde beachy waves shot through with vivid pink. She looks like she’d be right on point in front of the camera on a cool music show or fronting a rock band. But fortunately, for Central Oregonians, she’s quite happy behind the mic, playing a wide selection of rock from the past five decades as a DJ on 92/9 FM. It’s no…
Best Senior Living Community: Whispering Winds
The daily calendar at Whispering Winds Retirement Community is packed with a variety of activities including bingo, cardio drumming, birthday parties, chair volleyball, mimosas & watercolor class, bridge club, shopping trips, live music and so much more. Whispering Winds, which opened in 2003, has 148 residents and about 60 staff members. Source readers voted it Best Senior Living Community…
Best Restaurant in Sisters: The Open Door
What makes The Open Door so special is that it never set out to be just a restaurant, or, in its unique case, just a gallery. The Open Door is really a sense of place and belonging. Walking into the patio on a bright summer morning, I admit, I felt extremely at peace. In 2000,…
Best Shoe Store: Bend Shoe Co
Teague Hatfield has owned the Birkenstock-Bend Shoe Co store on NW Wall Street for a decade. That store has a long history in downtown Bend, originally opening in 1976. Hatfield and co-owner Tori Oshel opened the eastside location off NE Highway 20 in the Forum Shopping Center four years ago. Together, the stores have 26 employees. “We’re a classic comfort shoe store,” said Hatfield, who has…
Best Nonprofit Serving Basic Needs: The Giving Plate
The Giving Plate started 16 years ago when Gary and Debra Kelso started a food bank with the hope of helping 500 local families. The nonprofit has been growing with its community ever since. Gregory Prestel joined The Giving Plate in April as the executive director. He emphasized that his new role reflected the efforts of everyone, especially those…
Best Mediterranean and Best Falafel: Kefi Fast Fresh Mediterranean
When Nick Stanitsas opened a new Greek joint in a north Bend shopping center, his goal was to be voted Best Mediterranean restaurant in the Source’s annual readers poll. Today, as he looks to sell the restaurant, Stanitsas can confidently say he achieved what he set out to do and then some: Kefi Fast Fresh Mediterranean has won the Best Mediterranean category five years in a row. …
Best Chiropractor: Wellness Doctor
Wellness Doctor’s win of Best Chiropractor comes in a very timely matter – the business just celebrated its 20th birthday. When I popped in to talk to the founder of Wellness Doctor, Jason Kremer, he was called from his office by a friendly yell down the hallway, “Hey Dr.K!” This pretty much sums up the atmosphere within…
Best Local Home Builder & Best Restoration/Remodel: Sierra James Construction
Source readers voted Sierra James Construction the Best of Central Oregon in two categories this year. The Restoration team has also taken top honors the past few years. “I’m proud of our teams and proud of our growth. We’re going into our 10th year,” says Charley Roberts, partner and chief financial officer of Sierra James Construction. His business partner is Jesse Rowden. The company has more than 200 projects currently underway and about 60 employees. The…
Best Lunch in Sunriver: Josie K’s Deli & Kitchen
Josie K’s Deli & Kitchen is a family affair through and through. April Potesta and her sister, Lindsay Morris, own the restaurant, which is named after one of their grandmothers. “We wanted this all to be loosely based off of our family — our menus, our family recipes. We’re an Italian family so we have a whole bunch of grandmas with a whole bunch of…
Best Local Artist: Megan Marie Myers
When Megan Marie Myers relocated from Portland to Bend in 2015, it was hard for most Bendites not to notice. Not that Myers cuts an outsize public persona — she’d rather be ultra-running in the Cascade foothills with Smokey, her border collie. Instead, her playful art, reminiscent of children’s book illustrations and vintage Saturday morning…
Best Nonprofit Serving Animal Welfare: Humane Society of Central Oregon & Best Local Fundraiser: Tuxes & Tails & Best Thrift Store: HSCO Thrift Store
The Humane Society of Central Oregon has a long history of winning multiple “Best of Central Oregon” categories, which shelter managers say is a tribute to the public. “This community cares so deeply about animals and I am just astounded every time the community shows up in so many ways. We see that by people coming in to adopt animals. We see it…
Best Bike Shop: Pine Mountain Sports
Even though he only bought Pine Mountain Sports in June, Rafe Lehner says he regularly notices longtime customers who walk into the west side Bend bike shop. And they recognize him. Lehner worked at Pine Mountain in 2013, shortly before opening Mountain View Cycles in downtown Hood River the following year. Lehner, who co-owns Pine…
Best Coffee Shop in Redmond: Tite Knot Craft Coffee
Stepping into the slice of tranquility created by the owners of Tite Knot Craft Coffee in downtown Redmond, visitors can sit quietly inside or enjoy the lush, grassy garden area outside. The coffee shop opened in 2021 during the pandemic, so customers were forced to order outside at a cart parked behind the building. That turned out to be an unexpected…
Best Local Band: Not Your Ex Lover
Voted Best Local Band by Source readers, Not Your Ex Lover describes itself as a “Latina, femme, (mostly) queer, ALL GRRL rock band based in Bend, Oregon.” The band also offers the following: “Their music tells the story of love and heartbreak with a grunge-pop vibe — and lots of sparkle. The band was formed…
Ron Wyden, Spitting into the Wind
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) was in Bend this week, holding a press conference with local elected officials to express dismay over the federal government’s handling of fire management and public forests. Considering that the smoke map of the greater Northwest is currently glowing bright red due to all of the fires in the region, it’s…
Say Cheers to Summer with these Local Food and Drink Events
Ah, summer. It’s hot, it’s smoky and it’s fleeting. For those looking to enjoy the fruits of the season before it gets away, here are a few upcoming food-and-drink events — heavy on the drink side — to get on your calendar right now. Aug. 15: Viaggio Chef’s Dinner and Wine Pairing Viaggio Wine Merchants…
Let’s Get Smooshed into Sweaty Little Venues Again
I’ve been making it a point to go to more small concerts lately. Hear me out. When all is said and done, there’s something good about knowing your money is fueling the next local show instead of disappearing into a corporate balance sheet And in all honesty? I’m a college student. Those $150 nosebleed seats…
Olive & May Nears Its Opening Date
The iconic building on the northwest corner of Wall Street and Franklin Avenue in downtown Bend now has a tentative opening date, offering patrons something of a Bend history lesson along with its food and drink. Olive & May is the creation of Peter Kost, Caprice Neely and Fergal Donoher — all who have at…
Letters to the Editor, Week of Aug. 13, 2026
Develop the canals! As an alternative to the entire Bend population trying to access reduced parking and limited areas of the Deschutes in the downtown area, how about the canals! This water is already flowing through the growing eastside population; we could use it. This would involve some collaboration, like the Bend whitewater park. It…
Wildfire Recovery Benefit Concert in Redmond
As fire crews continue getting the upper hand with the Bench Fire, burning four miles southwest of the Warm Springs community, it will be some time before the reservation is fully restored. The fire destroyed six tribal homes and five outbuildings. As of Aug. 6, it was 84% contained at 67,071 acres. The reservation is also dealing with a water shortage which was exacerbated by a 6-inch…
Second Suspect in Alleged Awbrey Glen Home Invasion Named
An alleged home invasion in Bend that turned deadly last March went months without an update from law enforcement. That changed on Aug. 4 when authorities arrested Jacob Charles Teeter in Prineville. Police suspect Teeter was an accomplice involved in the fatal event in the Awbrey Glen neighborhood on March 12. The Bend Police Department has characterized the incident as a home invasion in which another Bend resident and suspected intruder, Zachary Douglas, died. Teeter, 37, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary, fourth-degree assault, tampering…
The Peter Problem
What makes Spider-Man the greatest superhero of all-time isn’t his ability to swing through New York City on sticky webs shot from his wrists, nor is it how he protects humanity from villains like Green Goblin and The Vulture. I mean, those feats are certainly impressive, but what makes Spider-Man the absolute best is his…
Sunriver: A Central Oregon Treasure
Imagine coming to Sunriver since you were seven years old, riding your bike down to The Village every summer morning to get donuts before anyone else in the family was awake. Twenty years later, you fulfill a lifelong dream to buy that place just two streets over from where your parents used to rent. That’s…
Bend into Balance: Nathaniel Perullo & John O’Sullivan
Bend is not short of incredible athletes, nor amazing coaches and transformational leaders. Nathaniel Perullo, 2025 Under 19 National Boulder Champion of the U.S., and John O’Sullivan, founder of Changing the Game Project, are two top examples. Both shared profound reflections on the role of youth sports, intrinsic motivation and the value of a “multi-movement…
Raw, Heartfelt Country Musicians Put Central Oregon on their National Tours
Gritty rock ‘n’ roll packed with soul Nashville-based, rock and alt-country rambler Liam St. John will stop in Redmond on his nationwide on Aug. 15 after releasing his debut album, “Man of the North.” Rolling Stone described it as “a bluesy, powerful album that announces the Washington state songwriter as an artist you need to…
Chasing Dark Skies
When Christian Heeb first turned his lens to the night sky, it wasn’t a dramatic career pivot so much as a natural next chapter. A longtime travel and nature photographer, Heeb says night work simply completes the story of a place. “If you travel in nature for photography, you capture all aspects — sunrise, canyon…
Annual Midnight Event Creates Excitement in Central Oregon
One of the most famous meteor showers, the Perseid, is making its annual journey through the skies over Central Oregon. Perseid meteors are unique in that they are very small (the size of a grain of sand or small pebble), very fast and very, very bright. The showers occur in August, making them easy to…
When Trying Too Hard Backfires: A Gentler Path Through Erectile Difficulty
Dear Dr. Jane, I was married for over 20 years to my former wife. We had a sexless marriage for the last couple of years, but I never had any stamina issues when we were still intimate. Since the divorce, I’ve been dating, and I finally found a really nice woman — we’re exclusive now.…
Roman’s Island Barbecue: Beyond Brisket
The first bite of Roman’s Pork Belly Burnt Ends makes it clear this is not your typical barbecue joint. The exterior has the caramelized crispness that good burnt ends demand, while the inside remains surprisingly meaty with just enough rich fat to carry the smoky flavor. Instead of leaning into heavy sauces and oversized portions,…
New Fire Off China Hat Prompts Evacuation Notices
Update: Officials withdrew all evacuation notices for the fire, called the Hidden Forest fire, Friday night. A fire that was reported Friday morning quickly prompted evacuation notices for people south of Bend. The fire broke out roughly 12.5 miles south of Bend, off China Hat Road, near Arnold Ice Cave. The area is a popular…
Pilot Who Crashed Plane Had Been Indicted for Five Counts of Invasion of Personal Privacy
The plane crash west of Tumalo on Aug. 4 appears to have been a suicide, according to law enforcement officials. Authorities have identified Bend resident Steven Nicholas Charlton, 48, as the pilot of the 2025 Cirrus SR22T, which he took airborne at 1:34 pm from the Bend Municipal Airport, five hours before the crash law enforcement…
