One bite of Cascade Alchemy Bowls’ Mt. Hood Bowl and I immediately regretted every visit I had ever made to Blacksmith Public House without ordering it from the food truck. The creamy Thai-inspired peanut sauce was bright and citrusy. Tender marinated chicken, crunchy pickled carrots, sautéed bok choy and cool cucumber slices came together over a bed of rice and quinoa in a bowl that somehow managed to be hearty, fresh and incredibly satisfying all at once. Before I was halfway through lunch, I was already planning my return visit.
I have spent some quality time at Blacksmith Public House in Redmond in recent times for live music and casual gatherings. I always admired the lineup of food trucks offering everything from pizza and burgers to tacos and Asian-inspired fare, but somehow Cascade Alchemy Bowls, which won “Best Food Truck” in Redmond in 2025, had escaped my attention. It took an enthusiastic recommendation from a friend to finally steer me toward the colorful truck on the west side of the courtyard.
Cascade Alchemy Bowls serves, what owners Curtis Christiansen and Jaimie Edwards call, healthy comfort food. It sounds like an ambitious promise, especially for a menu built around dietary restrictions, but after just one meal it becomes clear these bowls are about abundance rather than limitation. They are colorful, satisfying and layered with fresh flavors that never feel like a compromise.
The truck has an equally compelling origin story. Christiansen, who grew up in Redmond, says he first fell in love with the restaurant industry while working his first job as what he jokingly calls a “porcelain technician,” otherwise known as a dishwasher. Edwards grew up in Corvallis before making her way across the Cascades to Central Oregon in her early twenties. When the two met, Christiansen was preparing to launch his own food truck centered around hearty bowls. Then reality intervened.
Edwards could not eat many of the ingredients featured in his original recipes, including wheat, garlic, onion and apples. Instead of abandoning the idea, the couple completely reimagined the menu together. They spent months developing recipes that eliminated gluten, soy, canola oil and many common high FODMAP ingredients while refusing to sacrifice flavor. (FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyois, which are types of sugars that are poorly absorbed by the body.)
Cascade Alchemy Bowls was born in 2021. The name reflects more than clever branding. Alchemy traditionally refers to transformation, and the couple believes that eating foods suited to your own body can create a kind of everyday magic by increasing energy and reducing unwanted symptoms. “It was tough at first to create the new dishes that met all the criteria, but it was totally doable,” Christiansen says. “It took a few months, but we got it dialed in.”
That dedication has paid off. Cascade Alchemy Bowls has developed an enthusiastic following. “Redmond has really shown that they love us,” Christiansen says. “Especially being a gluten-free truck,” Edwards adds. “We didn’t think people were going to come out for us like this. We really appreciate all the support.”
Their dream is to eventually open a small brick and mortar restaurant in Bend before expanding farther along the Cascade Range, fittingly mirroring the mountain-inspired names of their bowls, including Mt. Hood, Mt. Shasta, Newberry Crater and Bachelor Butte.
As we chatted, a lunch line formed. It quickly became obvious that many were repeat customers. “We’re 100 percent gluten-free, but everybody loves our food,” Christiansen smiles. “People who are gluten-free bring their families, who also love eating our bowls because the flavor is exceptional. With no garlic or onion or wheat, it allows you to taste all the flavors.”
Running a food truck together presents its own challenges, but Edwards believes their partnership is one of the business’s greatest strengths. “We communicate well with each other,” she says. “We’ve definitely built a business that we want to do together.”
Like any food business, there are obstacles. Labor remains Christiansen’s biggest concern. Edwards points to the weather and the unpredictability of customer traffic. Since nearly everything is made from scratch, including the sauces and pickles, prep begins at least two hours before opening every day.
Thankfully, all that work shows up in the food. I savored every bite of my Mt. Hood bowl and Edwards suggested I also try her favorite, the Green Lakes Bowl. Built with ginger shoyu chicken, grilled bok choy, pickled carrot slaw, sunflower seeds and a dill forward garden tahini herb sauce over sweet potatoes, it became dinner later that evening. The tahini sauce delivered plenty of fresh dill without overwhelming the bowl. The sweet potatoes added just enough sweetness to balance the tangy sauce while the sunflower seeds contributed a welcome crunch.
Christiansen’s favorite, the Mt. Shasta Bowl, leans into bold Mexican-inspired flavors with barbacoa-style shredded beef, black beans, cotija cheese, jalapeños and an irresistible elote sauce. “It has everything that goes on Mexican street corn, just made into a sauce,” he explains. Bright cilantro, lime zest, ancho chile and creamy richness make it every bit as craveable as he promised.
The rest of the menu continues the same thoughtful approach. The Deschutes Burger Bowl pairs a beef patty with watermelon rind relish and house burger sauce. The Alpine Summit Bowl transforms breakfast into an all day option with potatoes, bacon, feta, a fried egg and balsamic glaze, while remaining fully customizable. Even children have their own simplified bowls built around chicken, rice or sweet potatoes.
With generous portions, fresh ingredients and every sauce made in house, the prices feel entirely fair. Small bowls begin at $15 while large portions range from $18 to about $23. Cascade Alchemy Bowls proves that healthful food doesn’t have to be boring, restrictive or joyless. Instead, it can be colorful, deeply flavorful and satisfying enough to keep you planning your next visit before you’ve finished the first bowl.
Cascade Alchemy Bowls
Mon-Wed 11am-8pm, Thu-Sun 11am-9pm
Blacksmith Public House
308 SW Evergreen Avenue, Redmond
cascadealchemybowls.com
IG: cascadealchemybowls
This article appears in the Source July 16, 2026.
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