When you’re getting a piece of art riveted onto your body that’s going to last the rest of your life, there’s no screwing around. Monolith Tattoo Studio gets that. That’s why they hire only the most qualified and talented artists. The shop's staff are versed in every aspect of tattooing, grey scale realism, traditional, color […]
2014 Best of Central Oregon
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Coffee
Backporch Coffee Roasters
Dave Beach started roasting as a hobby while a student at the University of Oregon. At the time, he explains, his then-girlfriend was out of town for a term, and to fill the time, he picked up the new hobby. When she returned to Eugene, she dumped him, but the skill set—and love for coffee […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Childcare Facility
Westside Shorty’s
As a single parent of an almost-five-year-old, I know how agonizing it can be to find top-notch childcare. So here ya go, parents: Whether you’re looking for just a couple weekdays sans kiddos, or you’re virtually in need of a pseudo-mom, Westside Shorty’s tops our list for outstanding childcare. Open year-round for children ages three […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Happy Hour
900 Wall
While it’s a rare treat to be excused from my desk during typical happy hour hours (who gets off work at 4 pm?!), I’ve made the hard-driven sacrifice to try just about every discounted eating and drinking scenario I could reasonably get my mouth around in Bend. As far as quality and bang-for-my-buck is concerned, […]
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Best Place to Nerd Out
Pegasus Books
Duncan McGeary has owned Pegasus Books in the same location on Minnesota Avenue. for 30 years. He is the second owner only to Mike Richardson, now the publisher of Dark Horse Comics in Portland, who owned the shop for five years before McGeary took over. The downtown store is legendary for anyone in Bend who […]
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Best Health Club/Gym
Juniper Swim and Fitness Center
The facilities at Juniper Swim and Fitness Center are remarkable, and so incredibly versatile—with slides and a splash parks pleasing for kids, and outdoor Olympic-length lanes for the serious athletes (and almost always a lane open!). But, dear teenaged Juniper lifeguards: Sitting outside all afternoon by the pool is what is known as a “cush” […]
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Best Western Wear
Cowgirl Cash
Cowgirl Cash is not a traditional western wear store–it’s a BEND western wear store, and owner Rebecca Charlton understands the difference. After all, she comes from a long line of Central Oregon cowgirls. Her mother, Jeannie Smith, was the Deschutes Rodeo Queen in 1962, and Cowgirl Cash pays homage to her spirit, offering clothes, boots […]
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Best Calves
Bike Mechanic Barb Bohm-Becker
Every type of athlete has a muscular calling card (think: swimmers’ sculpted lats, runners’ killer quads). For cyclists, it’s cut calves that call out to passersby—sinewy and strong as they pump the pedals. And while there is no shortage of impressive gastrocnemii (that’s Latin for “stomach of the legs”—fitting, since at their peak, they are […]
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Best Hangover Food
D&D Bar and Grill
The D&D takes pride in the fact that they mix the stiffest drink in town while also serving the best hangover food, no matter the time of day. It is comforting to know that it's possible to get obliterated and then build it right back up again all under the same roof. “The fact that […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Bicycle Shop
Hutch’s Bicycles
A local fixture for more than 30 years, Hutch’s Bicycles has grown alongside Bend’s bike culture. When Jim Lewis—who has worked with bikes since he started building them in his garage at age 9 and has never been employed by any other company—was tasked with opening the first of two Bend shops on the eastside […]