Quick Bites

We’re not ready to call the Great Bend Restaurant Shakeout over just yet, but lately we’ve been hearing more about restaurants opening than closing. Following a wholesale massacre that brought down dining titans Merenda, Deep, as well as Volo, Bistro Corlise and, earlier, Blue Fish Bistro, the downtown scene is poised for a rebound of sorts. Over on the corner of Minnesota and Wall the former Merenda staff, led by Mike Millette, is putting the finishing touches on their new and retooled restaurant, dubbed 900 Wall. Millette said the business is tentatively scheduled to open its doors on May 6.

We’re not promising this kind of weather.

In case the giant bins of M&M’s and jellybeans in the grocery store and the overabundance of fish dishes on local restaurant menus weren’t a giveaway, Easter is just around the corner. That means that many of us will do two things April 12 that we probably won’t do for another 12 months, go to church and eat something called “brunch.”
While often paired with the religious holiday, brunch is thankfully a secular affair. Even better it’s usually served with a heaping of bacon and a side of booze (well, champagne at least).
According to an informal survey we did this past week, you won’t find many traditional fixed-price or fixed-menu brunches around town this Easter, although both McMenamins and Seasons are offering the full experience. But we confirmed that many of your favorite breakfast spots will be offering some specialty menu items and taking reservations (to some degree) on Easter Sunday. Here’s a rundown of some of the highlights.

I recently moved out of northeast Bend, a virtual wasteland when it comes to food and nightlife. (The last vestige of culinary civilization, Little Pizza Paradise, picked up stakes and moved to Cascade Village Mall earlier this summer.) I didn’t improve my lot much by moving to southeast Bend, particularly when it comes to nightlife. […]