Paleo Eats is the creation of Central Oregon multitasking mom-turned-entrepreneur, Debbie Fred. It’s said that necessity is the mother of all invention, and Fred was not exempt from that rule. Nutrition was always a priority to this mother of three, but when she became aware that her first two children had severe food-related allergies, the […]
Food
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Breakfast + Lunch Guide 2015
As Bend continues to grow, so too does its food scene. And while dinner tends to get all the attention, we think breakfast and lunch are equally worthy of celebration. Think about it: Eating breakfast for dinner is a thing. Dinner for breakfast? Not so much. That is, unless you’re eating last night’s pizza. (Always […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Restaurant Formerly Known As
Jen’s Garden reopens as the elegantly casual Cottonwood Café
“I want to make a little party every day,” says owner Jen McCrystal. She is standing near the swinging door between the dining room and a backroom kitchen. For the past decade, McCrystal has managed, owned and cooked at Jen’s Garden, inspired and detailed French cuisine in Sisters. But a year or so ago, she […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
The 2015 Restaurant Guide
It has been an odd year for restaurants in Central Oregon. While the economy has blossomed and the population has steadily grown along with tourism, the number of new restaurants over the past year has been relatively low. “It’s about restaurants planting their roots this year,” explains Kinley Sbandati, for Trattoria Sbandati, our choice this […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
By the Numbers: Restaurant and Food Index
U.S. restaurant industry sales (2014): $709.2 billion Farmers’ markets in Portland (2014): 20 Farmers’ markets in Bend (2014): 2 Oregon’s national rank for number of farmers’ markets: 15 Top rated Bend restaurants on Yelp: 1. Spork, 2. Zydeco, 3. Ariana Number of Mexican restaurants in Bend: 23 Number of Indian restaurants in Bend: 2 Average […]
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Nah, I’m Gonna Stay
Sunny Yoga Kitchen gives a reason to loiter for lunch
Open for little more than a year, Sunny Yoga Kitchen is pretty much what its name promises: A restaurant that doubles as a yoga studio—or vice versa, inverse pose, yin yang. Surprisingly, though, the front room—a small and tidy space with several tables—does not have much natural light, as the name might indicate. But, walking […]
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Vote for Your Favorite Central Oregon Restaurant
It’s that time of the year, when we take a look at the culinary landscape and fill you in on what’s hot and who’s got it, for our annual Dining Guide. But this year, in addition to naming a Restaurant of the Year and Rookie of the Year, we’re introducing two new categories of recognition—Food […]
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From the School of Mom
The Curry Shack brings authentic Indian food to Bend’s east side
I first fell in love with curry when I was 25 years old, and living in Singapore. It wasn’t any place special—really, little more than a dining hall with bins full of chicken masala and potatoes soaked in orange curry that I would sop up with deep-fried naan bread. But that place opened up an […]
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Fat Tuesdays Brings New Orleans Closer
Authentic Cajun cuisine arrives in Central Oregon
The approximately 2,300 miles that separate Bend from New Orleans’ world famous Cajun cuisine has recently been reduced to a mere drive across town. That’s right; the unique and storied flavors of Acadian-inspired Cajun cuisine have arrived in Central Oregon. No need to wait for some one-off bacchanalian trip to New Orleans, the ambrosial smell […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Hot Potato!
Fries à la Carte pushes the frontier on French fries
Imagine a delicious Thai curry dish, made with spicy green coconut milk curry, drizzled with savory hoisin sauce and sprinkled with green onions, crunchy sesame seeds and fresh Thai basil bursting with flavor. Sound delicious? Now, take away the rice and dump this concoction onto a pile of just-crispy-enough, lightly salted sweet potato fries. Jaw […]