Each day more trails lose snow and our warm-weather Central Oregon playground expands. Whether you want to hike, bike, kayak or backpack, those are all activities that work up an appetite. If you don’t have time to make lunch at homeโor are visitingโthere are a few places in town making sandwiches ideal for throwing in […]
Chow
Little Bites: Tough Cookie Podcast Celebrates Badass Women in Food
Have you ever been in a restaurant and overheard a really interesting conversation? The new Tough Cookie podcast feels like just that. Darlene Veenhuizen of Pickle Jar Studios interviews women in all areas of the food industry, from product makers to chefs, and all the lady bosses in between, about what it’s like to be […]
Bend Brewsters
It is no longer a great novelty to see women in professional brewingโespecially in Oregon, where the sheer size of the scene dictates that at least a few must be involved, statistically speaking. Among Bend’s breweries, though, women still stand out, thanks to the roles they’ve taken as brewmasters focused on research and development. “I […]
Eco Eats
Have you heard the joke, “How do you know if someone is vegan?” The answer is, “Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.” As much as that joke is funny, the vegan struggle is real. They need to tell you because they don’t eat animal products: no meat, eggs, milk, cheese, or even honey, for most of […]
Some of That Sweet, Sweet Hop Bud
The Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma, Calif., is such a massive brewery these days thatโthanks to being half-owned by Heineken Internationalโit no longer counts as a “craft brewer” the way the Brewers Association defines it. With a second large production facility in Chicago and a third opening soon in Azusa, Calif., Tony Magee’s brew operation […]
Drink the Trees
“Let’s drink some pine tea,” my partner Jim said, at our camp along the Metolious River. “Uh, Ok,” I murmur, trusting that this man with a botany degree knows what he’s talking about. “I’ve never thought about drinking the trees.” He grabs the new growth off of a young Douglas firโthe bright green, tender new […]
Bend’s Best Kept Secret Turns 70
The M&J Tavern has stood on the corner of Greenwood and Hill collecting colorful stories for the past 70 years. The tavern, which has changed hands six times, opened in 1947, just after World War II, when Bend’s population was barely 11,000. They only served beer and wine back then and their patrons were primarily […]
Little Bites: Saying Goodbye to Family Businesses
Just as they turned five years old, Mazza Bistro announced on Facebook, “Dear customers, this is to inform you that this coming Thursday, March 30th, will be Mazza’s last day in business due to loss of lease.” Mazza Bistro was a family-owned authentic Middle Eastern restaurant that served fresh, affordable food downtown. Michel Shehadeh, executive […]
Grounding the Flight
It’s a typical Saturday afternoon at Crux Fermentation Project: families and dogs outside, diners and beer nerds inside, and what seem to be half a dozen taster trays underneath the taps, waiting to be filled. “They tend to come and go in waves,” the bartender comments. “It’s sort of the same deal as Bloody Marys. […]
The Search for a Candy Factory
If the availability of commercial kitchen space is an indication, Bend likes its sweets, treats and eats. A combination of the popularity of locally made food products, food trucks and the legalization of marijuana are making it tough to find a commercial kitchen space in Bend. It’s not tough to see why; in the last […]

