Food writers like myself and Source contributor Donna Britt get to eat a lot of sumptuous meals around Bend and Central Oregon. With so many restaurants opening in the last several months, restauranteurs are keen to show off the goods. But a recent opening of this type is still sticking in my mind, several weeks later.
Starting Aug. 5, Domaine Serene Wine Lounge in downtown Bend began offering a new menu featuring the creations of Chef George Morris, the executive chef of Sixtop Restaurant Group, which also operates Nome and Bos Taurus, among others. The new menu offers “wine-inspired cuisine with a French bistro flair while incorporating Pacific Northwest ingredients and influences,” according to a press release.
“This partnership will offer so many unique opportunities to play with the French and local Oregon influences,” Morris said in the release. “I’m excited to continue raising the bar for Bend and give them a world-class experience that will keep people talking long after they leave.”
Our evening at Domaine Serene included three courses and a sampling of the new menu, each item paired with a wine selection. Britt and I started with the Amuse-Bouche of Shigoku Oysters on the half shell, paired with Domaine Serene’s Evenstad Reserve Dundee Hills Brut Rose. Small in size but bursting with flavor, the oysters kicked the meal off right.
From there we sampled the Lyonnaise Salad paired with the winery’s Rockblock Oregon Viognier, a peachy wine that paired well with the crisp salad. Carrying the day were the Seared Day Boat Scallops paired with the Etoile Vineyard Chardonnay — a delightful combo of buttery, melt-in-your mouth scallops and a lovely chardonnay. Plates of Mary’s Free Range Duck L’Orange, paired with a Chateau de al Crée, Maranges En Goty Pinot Noir, and the Fresh Fetticini Pasta with the Evanstad Reserve Chardonnay, meant not only were we blown away by the delicious pairings, but also, wondering who we could talk into “date night” to go back another evening.
This article appears in Source Weekly September 7, 2023.
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