Open only since this past fall, the Hook & Plow in Bend's Westside Yard is the fourth location of the small West Coast chain operated by twin sisters Lisa and Lauren Cassity. The family-run restaurant group opened its first Hook & Plow 10 years ago in Hermosa Beach, California. Other locations are in Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach.
The Cassity sisters were born and raised in Hawaii but have been coming to Bend with their family since they were young kids. That led to them moving here in 2020 and opening The Fold Craft Pizza + Kitchen in Sunriver. But back to Westside Yard now and my recent dinner at Bend's version of the Hook & Plow.
As our server succinctly explained, the Hook & Plow is a farm-to-table restaurant, sourcing seafood, meats, produce and other ingredients as locally and organically as possible. Everything is made from scratch and the menu changes frequently and seasonally. My first impression of the one-page menu was that it was small and fairly typical of a local, casual fine dining establishment: Oysters, chowder, fries, a few salads, sandwiches, fish & chips, a New York strip and a handful of sides.
But there were a few unexpected items to consider such as Peppadew Hummus, a Halloumi Sandwich and a Mezze Plate with falafel, sumac onions, grilled broccolini and a cilantro-based zhoug sauce. With Ahi Poke, Diver Scallops, Blackened Crab Cake, Salmon Salad and Cioppino, the emphasis certainly seems to be on the "hook" portion of things.
The drink menu, which varies from location to location, is a fine reflection of Pacific Northwest wines, Oregon brews and a dozen handcrafted cocktails. Our table ordered an Oregon pinot noir, a couple of Blood Orange Jalapeño margaritas and a Reposado Old Fashioned.
We sipped our nice drinks and enjoyed a platter of Washington coast oysters with a citrus mignonette and tomato ponzu along with a big skillet of Furikake Fries as starters. The oysters were fresh and sweet and the fries, seasoned with the furikake seaweed seasoning, truffle oil and grana padano (a soft, buttery cheese from the Po Valley in Northern Italy), were crispy and hot and quite good dipped in Portland ketchup and mustard aioli.
The Market Catch of the day was sturgeon (editor's note: the print edition said swordfish; we regret the error), which was featured in the Fish & Chips and the Fresh Off The Hook pan seared entrée, both ordered by our table. We also ordered the 10 oz. New York Strip with Lillet Rouge au poivre (a black pepper sauce), braised kale and a Kennebec potato au gratin. I had to go for the Blackened Crab Cake from the appetizer choices as my main dish because, as everyone who knows me knows, I can't pass up a crab cake. We also got a simple green salad to share.
While the restaurant was surprisingly full on this icy evening, our food arrived quickly. I was lucky to get a taste of almost everything we ordered. The sturgeon dish was lovely and perfectly seared and seasoned. The accompanying couscous and bok choy were flavorful and delicious. The huge serving of fish & chips was light and crispy and the house pickles, served on the side, were a bright touch. My crab cake was good-sized, full of shredded crab, fennel and scallion, and perfectly pan-fried. It was not overly breaded and the tartar sauce was mild and tasty.
The strip steak, which was the only steak on the menu, was served on a huge, rectangular bed of potato au gratin, which was actually the star of the dish. Browned and crispy on the outside and super creamy on the inside, the potatoes were fabulous while the steak itself was a bit underwhelming in the flavor department. The Lillet Rouge au poivre was reminiscent of a compound butter rather than a sauce and didn't melt into the meat like you might expect. The side of braised kale was excellent, seasoned with smoked paprika, shallot, peppadew and pear. That might have been my favorite bite of the entire meal. The green salad was a fresh mix of lettuces, shaved radish, cucumber and small tomatoes tossed in a light, lemon citronette (vinaigrette). It was quite good.
We skipped dessert even though the Blood Orange Posset with persimmon and falernum sounded good (next time). There was also an Espresso Basque Cheesecake and a Coconut Bread Pudding.
All in all, the atmosphere was modern, casual and welcoming. There were nautical touches throughout and the bar looked like it would be a comfy place to sit and sip a drink. The service was solid and we were pleased with the food. The only complaint from my dinner companions was that it was loud and hard to hear at times and I think that's due to the high ceilings and big glass garage doors. I'm looking forward to a warm weather visit when those garage doors may be opened wide, and halibut may very well be the Market Catch of the day.
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