Little Bites: Ariana, Bethlyn's Global Fusion & Root Cellar

With a fine attention to detail, a rotating seasonal menu and the use of high-quality, locally-grown ingredients, Ariana Restaurant is no stranger to big praise by critics and writers who've dined there. This year, Ariana has been awarded, for the second year in a row, the OpenTable 100 Best Restaurants in America. Ariana is one of four restaurants chosen in the state of Oregon. OpenTable is an online reservation system serving over 24,000 restaurants. Among the restaurant's other accolades, in 2014 the James Beard Foundation invited chef/owner husband and wife-duo Ariana and Andres Fernandez to prepare a full-scale dinner for the organization's members in New York City.

From caterer to food cart to brick and mortar, Bethlyn's Global Fusion has quickly become a locals' favorite. The fried avocado tacos put Bethlyn on the map, and now her menu boasts an eclectic internationally-flared mix of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore fare. Dishes on the fixed menu include Korean waffle bowls, Vietnamese salmon sandwiches, and bi bim bop bowls.

Bethlyn's success at the old Second Street Eats location has prompted the search for a larger venue. On Dec. 23 the second street location will close, reopening at the old New York Sub Shop location on Newport Avenue, across the street from Newport Market and Backporch Coffee. Bethlyn's Global Fusion is expected to go back online the first or second week of January.

Bethlyn's old location will not be vacant long. Anna Witham of the Root Cellar will open a permanent restaurant there starting early February. The popularity of the Root Cellar's 1-2-3 pop-up dinners and demand for more Root Cellar meals encouraged Witham to open 123 Ramen. This Ramen shop will be "very house-made," says Witham, with her objective to be "nourishment for the masses!"

1304 NW Galveston Ave., Bend

541-330-5539

arianarestaurantbend.com

New location: 1075 NW Newport Ave., Bend

541-617-0513

bethlynsglobalfusion.com

1289 NE Second St., Bend