Here is a hill I am prepared to die on: Over the last decade, Central Oregon has quietly stepped into the spotlight as a burgeoning destination for foodies across the country. We’ve long been a mecca for tourists from around the world looking for jaw-dropping outdoor recreation, but our food scene will have just as much gravity within the next few years. I’m calling it now.
While it’s still an absolute blast to take a day trip to Portland to catch a meal at Eem, Screen Door or Kann, Bend has earned its destination flowers for unpretentious, truly elevated spots like Yoli, RBC, PotLuck and Tara Pinto’s Mundrelli’s Italian Kitchen (among a few others).
Ever since my first bite of food prepared by Chef Pinto, I knew Bend had once again found itself on the receiving end of truly remarkable cuisine. When Mundrelli’s first opened at Silver Moon Brewing, I understood we had something special. Over the last year and change, however, the menu has been dialed in so expertly that it feels —and tastes! —like we’re getting world-class, authentic Italian comfort food from our Pacific Northwest backyard.
From its new location at Base Camp behind the Powder House, you can immediately tell this is a new era for Mundrelli’s. From a small, expertly curated herb garden alongside the truck to the gorgeously designed rig itself, Mundrelli’s wows aesthetically and with the depth and breadth of its menu.
“I cook from the heart and I wanted to share that through my menu,” says Pinto. “I wanted to bring some of the flavors and traditions I grew up eating with my family to Central Oregon.
“Food has always been so much more than food to me. It’s memories, it’s family, it’s love. It has the ability to transport you to another time and another place, and that’s what I hope people experience when they eat Mundrelli’s.”
Let’s start with the Parm & Pesto fries, which, I’m just saying, you should start with as well. Tossed in garlic butter and topped with pesto and a gently grated parmesan, these fries are entirely too sexy. I’ve noticed — especially as a garnish for French fries — pesto can sometimes clash with potatoes and create a goopy, almost poutine-esque mess that fails on a textural and flavor level. Luckily, this pesto is vibrant and punchy. Combined with the crunchy, buttery fries, it’s a nutty powerhouse that pairs beautifully with the mains.
I tried three sandwiches, which is objectively insane. Half of a single sandwich is more than enough for a regular human person to consume. Luckily, as I keep trying to tell everyone, I am somewhat of a superhuman X-Man; still, it took me two days to finish the trifecta.
I think one of the reasons why Pinto will always have me as a customer is because she respects the importance of bread as the (literal) backbone of the entire sandwich. Fresh ingredients? Great. Innovative and exciting flavor profile? Awesome. But if you don’t come correct with the bread, none of it matters.
Brilliantly, Mundrelli’s sandwiches come on Big Ed’s focaccia. This is already, inarguably, one of the best focaccias made in the country, let alone Bend. This bread is thick, crispy perfection that balances notes of oregano and parmesan flawlessly. When used in tandem with Mundrelli’s sandwiches, we’ve got something generational on our hands.
First off, the Polpetta is mandatory for those with a deep and abiding love of meatballs. Packed with house-made Italian meatballs, rich pomodoro, fresh mozzarella, parmesan and basil, this sandwich is what I picture when I need comfort food. Tender and explosive in flavor, these meatballs are unlike any I’ve had before, almost leaning into the profile of a layered Italian sausage more than the standard, dense sphere you picture when you hear “meatball.”
The Parmigiana follows suit. It’s an intentional and exciting take on a classic chicken parm. With crispy, hand-breaded chicken, mozzarella, pomodoro, pesto, sweet peppers and parmesan on Big Ed’s focaccia, it’s an approach that feels classic and innovative at the same time. The thick, perfectly breaded chicken combined with Pinto’s thick, buoyant pomodoro makes for a truly remarkable sandwich. Her pomodoro somehow manages to be voluptuous in flavor and texture, yet remains vibrant and completely non-acidic. It’s a remarkable concoction, leading me to believe there’s some mad scientist to Pinto and her culinary inventions.
“I’m bringing the flavors and recipes I grew up with in my Italian family to Central Oregon,” says Pinto. “I wanted to share the food I grew up loving and bring a little piece of that to the place I now call home. A big part of that is keeping the spirit of my Nonna and father alive by sharing the traditions, recipes and love for food they passed down to me.”
Finally, I took on the signature sandwich: the Mundrelli. Packed with delicate Mortadella, mozzarella, house-made pistachio cream, arugula, EVOO, cracked pepper and pistachios on Big Ed’s focaccia, it’s a show-stopper. The freshness of the tender Mortadella is incredible. Combined with the mildly sweet, earthy pistachio cream, it makes for a signature dish unlike anything else in the high desert.
“The Mundrelli is really a reflection of the things I love about Italian food,” says Pinto. I have always been obsessed with pistachios, and I absolutely love mortadella, so I wanted to build a sandwich around those flavors and really let them shine. What was really important to me was creating something that you couldn’t just get anywhere else. It has become my signature for a reason. It’s a little bit of Italy, a little bit of me, and a whole lot of love for food.”
As I said, Portland no longer has the monopoly on destination-worthy dining in Oregon. I’ll be up on my hill, waiting for you to join me.
Mundrelli's Italian Kitchen
Wed-Sat 11:30am-8pm, Sun 11:30am-7:30pm
At Base Camp
319 SW Century Dr., Bend
Instagram: @mundrellis_italian_kitchen
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