Stuffed!

Coming soon to a theater near you.

The Central Oregon restaurant merry go round continues as new bars and restaurants are jumping at what they see as a window of opportunity to get in prime lease space even as others drop off.

Pour us a pint, Brother Jon.

Those in the Galveston Avenue neighborhood – referred to as the “Parrilla District” by at least one Source staffer – got another watering hole option this week with the opening of Brother Jon’s Public House.
Operating out of what was the short-lived Mahkanas on Galveston, Brother Jon’s is a venture by Downtowner partner Stephen Barnette and fellow Deschutes pub alum John Machell (along with wife Kristen). Barnette calls Brother Jon’s a “neighborhood pub” with a clean atmosphere, a full bar with choices of microbrews as well as the seemingly obligatory $2 PBR tall can. The menu is pub fare with nothing exceeding the $10 line, underlining the pub’s focus on affordability. Having opened just Monday, Barnette says he’s already noticed a come-one-come-all ethos to his pub.
“Yesterday a couple guys from down the street came by with a guitar and banjo and played out on the back patio. And we’re fine with that sort of thing,” said Barnette, adding that they also have cable sports packages.

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.

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.