The thing about being a food writer is that once people realize that's what you do for a living, they immediately ask for recommendations on where and what to eat. I always feel self-conscious about that because what if I recommend a certain restaurant or a certain menu item and then the person goes there and eats whatever it is and is disappointed? Then that person may go around saying, "Donna doesn't know what she's talking/writing about" and I lose whatever bit of credibility I may have had. Or so it goes in my head.
Everyone's palate is different. I may think something is absolutely delicious and you may think it's too spicy or boringly bland or the most disgusting thing you've ever put in your mouth. But here I am, going out on a limb and talking about a few of my favorite dishes at a few of my favorite haunts around town right now. If you try one of these dishes and like them, awesome. And if you try them and think they're lacking, please forgive me for leading you in the wrong direction.
Pub House Nachos
True confession time in case you're just getting to know me. Despite my affinity for fine dining, my last meals (because I would have more than one), would revolve around things like chicken wings, nachos, mac & cheese – you get the idea. So the first recommendation I have for you is the Pub House Nachos at Immersion Brewing.
These nachos are on Immersion's appetizer menu and are big enough to share, but I order them as a meal. Sometimes I love a big platter of nachos with everything imaginable on top, but I like these nachos because they're fairly simple yet full of flavor. What you get is a nice pile of house-fried tortilla chips with just the right amounts of queso, pico de gallo and habanero cream; the cream isn't too hot but spicy enough to exude flavor. Then you get your choice of meat or black beans or both. I've had the Grilled Southwest Chicken and the Carnitas and I think the chicken is my favorite. It, too, has a bit of spice, but not too much. There's just enough cheese and just enough creaminess paired with the crunch of the chips and the brightness of the pico to make every bite a standout bite.
Calabrese Pizza
Now, as much as I love chips and salsa and tacos and burritos, I'm not such a huge pizza fan. However, I have discovered a pizza that I definitely want to eat again and again: The Calabrese pizza at Nome on Century Drive.
While they have half a dozen pizzas on the menu, including a classic Margherita and a Wild Mushroom pie with porcini cream and preserved lemon, I'm recommending the Calabrese, featuring salame calabrese, sweet and hot peppers, as well as scamorza, ricotta and local honey. All of those fabulous ingredients combined make for a sweet-spicy combo that explodes in your mouth.
Salame calabrese is mildly hot and a typical salami of the Calabria region in Southern Italy. Scamorza is a Southern Italian cow's milk cheese which is similar to mozzarella. It's made using the pasta filata technique, a unique stretching process which gives the cheese a more fibrous structure. And while I don't usually like ricotta cheese, this pizza has perfect dollops of creamy ricotta which, along with the honey, nicely offset the spice of the salami and peppers. Oh and the crust! Thanks to Nome's wood-fired pizza oven, the thin crust comes out perfectly browned and chewy.
Pork Osso Bucco
Next stop, El Rodeo on Third Street in Bend. For all the years I've enjoyed eating at this festive family Mexican restaurant, I never noticed the Pork Osso Bucco on the menu. A few weeks ago, we were having a family birthday celebration at El Rodeo and we noticed it on their specials board. A couple of us ordered it and we all had bites and it was phenomenal. I've eaten it twice more since then.
Traditional Italian osso bucco is made with veal or other beef shanks, braised in a tomato and wine sauce. El Rodeo's version is a pork shank braised in a green or verde sauce. The pork shank is cut from the front forearm of a pig. It's a tough cut of meat but full of flavor thanks to the bone marrow that melts into the braise when slow cooked. I'm telling you, this dish is "off the hook." So tender, so flavorful and so huge! You can definitely share this dish or take half of it home for later. The giant, tender pork shank is served atop the green sauce alongside rice, beans and tortillas and garnished with chopped onion and cilantro. I've had osso bucco before but never has it tasted as good as it does with this simple green sauce. The meat literally falls off the bone and melts in your mouth.
