When I asked my parents if they wanted to eat at Ajii Asian Kitchen with me, they asked me what kind of food they served. I explained it was a Japanese rice and noodle place that specializes in ramen from Chef Joe Kim, the brains behind the delectable 5 Fusion & Sushi Bar. They looked […]
Restaurant Review
Little Bites: Eat, Be Merry and Give Back
Here are a few ways you can continue to give back this season. Newport Market Shop at Newport Market this December and take part in the 6th annual “Food for February” fundraiser. You choose any amount you want to give upon checkout, and the money will go to the Family Kitchen, a local nonprofit serving […]
Road Trip: Beer Where People Aren’t
With any road trip, the emphasis rightly deserves to be on the roads taken. If time is abundant and solitude is one of the main priorities, there are few better options than U.S. Route 2, which starts outside Seattle, goes on until Ontario, and is mostly a barren two-lane blacktop in between. Spokane, covered here […]
Bite Me
Food carts have been prevalent in Central Oregon for years now, but it wasn’t until the advent of The Lot that they started becoming almost omnipresent in Bend. Now it’s Tumalo’s turn. If you’re looking to do a food cart crawl outside Bend, this is your chance, as Tumalo now has at least eight food […]
Little Bites: But Wait, There’s More!
The Tumalo Food Court, located just off Highway 20 in Tumalo, takes two of Bend’s and one of Sunriver’s most beloved eateries and puts them in one easy location. There’s not a lot of information online about the spot (in point of fact, there’s none), so here is a quick look at the three carts […]
Going Inland
When it comes to craft beer in the less-populated parts of Eastern Oregon, there isn’t much. Steens Mountain in Burns is one, a tiny outfit that received a glowing profile in BeerAdvocate magazine a few months ago. Beer Valley in Ontario, whose Leafer Madness IPA is a mainstay around Bend, is another. Otherwise, one might […]
Let’s Sit Down with Our Partisan Relatives!
Thanksgiving is a tricky holiday. Anytime I’m celebrating a holiday that has some negative historical connotations (I’m looking at you, Columbus Day), I know there’s also a segment of the Native American population that is mourning. Growing up, if I saw a kid crying at the birthday party I couldn’t enjoy the cake. This holiday […]
Little Bites: Conversation Starters
Not sure how to handle this year’s family gatherings in a divided nation? Here’s what to talk about, besides the elephant—and the donkey—in the room. Getting the extended family together often has bumps in the road. Make one offhand comment about the hue of someone’s orange self-tanning lotion and you may just find your head […]
The Glorious Dive Bars of Astoria
What makes for a good dive bar? A pool table helps, as well as a lack of light. The more graffiti in the bathroom stall the better. And the floor also has to be sticky and grimy, but not too sticky or grimy, or else it’ll ruin the buzz generated by the “Tuesday night shot […]
Best of Both Worlds
You’re in a foreign country, immersed by the sights, sounds and tastes of the nation you’re visiting. While you’re loving the experience and the many foods that the adventure brings, after a little while a small part of you starts to wish that for just a few minutes you could transport yourself into your mama’s […]

