Everything about chef Juri Sbandati makes an impression, from his flaming red chef coat and playful demeanor to his enormous talent in the kitchen. After years working as a private chef and caterer in and around Central Oregon, it's no wonder that his new restaurant, Trattoria Sbandati, opened with a built-in following. Not only is his authentic Tuscan cuisine spectacular, but his very presence radiates good cheer. Stewarded by Sbandati's charming wife Kinley, the intimate space in La Rosa's old spot on College Way is as warm and inviting as the food it serves. But when Juri comes out to greet his liege of loyal patrons, which he does frequently, the room lights up.
The Joy of Cooking: A taste of Tuscany with Sbandati spirit
Posted inFood & Drink
The Identity Crisis: Your stereotypical drinker
I am often asked if you can tell a person by what they drink, and of course I can.
Rum and Coke? You're laid back and uncreative. You aren't worried about drinking caffeine and sugar until 2 a.m. and you don't care much for ambiance. You usually hang out with one other friend and you'd rather chill at the bar than shake your booty.
Tic Tac?(orange rum dropped into orange juice and red bull) You were born after 1986. You spend a considerable amount of time primping yourself before you leave the house and you always have an entourage. You never drink alone and you have one intention at the bar – to hook up.
Posted inMusic
No Jingle Bells: But Aaron Meyer plays plenty of other snowy material at his big holiday show
There is a radio station in town – I won't hint as to where it resides on the FM dial – that has devoted itself to playing Christmas music around the clock. And “around the clock” is not being used figuratively here. If you wake up at 3:18am to take a leak, you can flip on your radio (if you are the type of person that has a radio in your bathroom) and get properly Mannheim Steamrollered. You can also drive to work tapping the steering wheel along to “Little Drummer Boy” and drive home tapping the same steering wheel to a different version of “Little Drummer Boy.”
So, yes, people love holiday music and it's for that reason that Aaron Meyer, one of the Northwest's most skilled violinists, has become a master of the season, even if he isn't exactly wild about “Jingle Bells.”
Posted inMusic
A Subtle Step Forward: Erin Cole-Baker
Erin Cole-Baker
Talon and Spur
Erin Cole-Baker has earned her stripes in Bend's local music scene. As one half of The Erins, Cole-Baker displayed strong songwriting capabilities and an ability to fit in well with different folk styles. Now, with her solo release Talon and Spur, we hear what seems like a matured songwriter whose songs are solidly structured and lyrically unique. The album proves one of the most complete folk-oriented offerings to come out of Central Oregon in recent memory. Rooted in Americana, the record also echoes the indie acoustic vibe that's been blowing up in Portland for the past few years.
Posted inCulture
Our Picks for 12/9 – 12/17: Aaron Meyer, Cross Nats Blow-Out Bash and more
Aaron Meyer Holiday Concert
friday 11
How often do you get to see holiday concerts by a “rock violinist?” This is actually the first time the esteemed Aaron Meyer, one of the Northwest's most well-known players, has performed his holiday show in Bend. Turn to page 23 for more. $25. Tickets at www.bendticket.com. 7pm. Old Stone Church, 157 NW Greenwood Ave.
Posted inNews
Who's Afraid Of The Family Farmer?: The Oregon Farm Bureau decides to shoot first at a sustainable farming group in Deschutes County
Kendra Kimbirauskas spent a good chunk of her childhood on a working farm in her home state of Michigan. The farming bug stuck with her. She now has roughly 100 chickens and goats that she and her husband raise for meat and dairy at her rural home in the small town of Colton about 60 miles southeast of Portland. She slaughters her own chickens and is the manager of her local farmers market.
So it came as somewhat of a surprise to Kimbirauskas to learn that she's an anti-farm organizer working to undermine Oregon's agricultural community. In fact she was shocked – because she said it's not remotely true.
But that's what dozens, perhaps more, local farmers and other members of the Deschutes County agricultural community heard about Kimbirauskas after they got an unsigned “fact” sheet produced by the Oregon Farm Bureau, a Salem-based non-profit that serves as the umbrella group for 34 local farm bureaus across Oregon, including Deschutes County, and counts more than 54,000 members.
Posted inOpinion
A Touching Fairy Tale About Taxes
Like all good politicians, the late Ronald Reagan understood that the best way to drive a message home to people was not with dry statistics but with stories – anecdotes about ordinary folks like themselves. (Some of Reagan's stories were true and others were not, but that wasn't the point; the point was they were effective.)
Taking a page from the Reagan playbook, opponents of Measures 66 and 67 tried to tell Oregonians a story. The story was told in the first person by Carol Leuthold, who with her husband owns a dairy farm in Tillamook, in a letter mass-mailed to voters.
Posted inOpinion
Bowl Me Over: Copenhagen climate change, Tiger's troubles and the BS in the BCS
The author has been sent on the road to discover a lost country formerly known as America. He is reporting from the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, convincing attendees that everything's fine, no need to worry, and that President Obama isn't really president, on assignment for Or-Bust.com and The Source Weekly.
No wonder our credit cards are about to be taken away. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) has declared himself a “one-man truth squad” while ambushing President Obama's trip to the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, mumbling repetitiously, “greatest hoax ever perpetrated… Every day something new comes out that debunks the science… ” This is the same fine elected representative from Oklahoma (born in Iowa) who cites the Bible during major policy decisions (Jesus is a lobbyist for the petroleum and coal industries, if you didn't know) and has coined the term “Climategate,” saying ever so respectfully at the Environment and Public Works Committee, “We won, you lost, now get a life.” One ray of hope locally is Madeline (Moey) Newbold, a Redmond high grad, studying at the University of Oregon who raised enough money to send herself to Copenhagen where she is blogging about the summit at http://www.moeyincph.blogspot.com/
Posted inOpinion
Winter Weather Banter
Unless you're stranded in a woodstove-heated cabin outside Sisters you've probably had the chance to gather that the only acceptable topic of conversation over the past few days in Bend is the weather, or specifically the temperature. (It got really cold, dontcha know?) This is more evidence that, despite our traction tires and abundant mountain snowfall, Bend is still not a winter town. We drive around in blinding snowstorms without our lights on. (Hey, I can see fine!) We don't change the summer diesel out of our school bus fleet, stranding students on street corners.
Posted inOpinion
Embrace The (Cyclo) Cross
As many of you are already aware, the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships will take place in Bend's Old Mill District and on the grounds of Deschutes Brewery from December 10-13. In addition to the races themselves, a weeklong celebration of cycling has been planned, featuring art exhibits, parties, film premiers and more taking place throughout the city. Registration for this event has already broken records for a Cyclocross National Championship and we are expecting upwards of 4,000 total visitors.