Bend, I'm heart broken alongside you. In lieu of my typical weekly specials email, I've included a round-up of ways you can receive or give support to our community. Community support: Friday, October 16 🥯 Bo's Bagels: Free meals, no questions asked, no matter your situation. I was able to pickup breakfast for a Silver Rail Elementary family, and they are more than happy to provide this. You don't need to explain. All meals will be discounted 100% at the register. 🥯 Mimi's Bagels: If you are...
4 days ago • 2 min read
Take farm-to-table to the next step... with a forest-to-table feast. Autumn is one of the best times of the year to forage for mushrooms in Oregon, and the finds are often magical (no, not that kind of magic mushroom). I'm talking about forest-grown culinary mushrooms, ready to be foraged. Wild Rye at Brasada Ranch will host its annual feast, The Foraged Dinner + wine pairing, on October 24 at 6 pm. The banquet and menu is curated by Chef Karl Holl who hunts and picks the mushrooms by hand,...
13 days ago • 1 min read
📣 Hear ye, hear ye!! I am SO excited to announce that one of Bend's best Mediterranean fast-casual restaurants is no longer for sale AND will continue to operate under existing ownership. Kefi Fast Fresh Mediterranean, located in Robal Road Village, has announced they are NOT for sale any longer. So, we're celebrating with a very special special at Kefi... and they're putting my spicy custom order on the menu. Starting tomorrow, October 1st, you can get the Nancy's Spicy Favorite at Kefi for...
20 days ago • 1 min read
I'm not sure who needs to hear this but... Summer is almost over. I know, I know!! We still have six more days and the temps are on the upward trajectory. But it's time to embrace that fall is almost here. That doesn't mean you have to pull out your puffies just yet. (Well, maybe after 5 pm). Just a few days ago, On Tap was one of the busiest I've seen in awhile. The carts were bustling, the taps were flowing, and families were letting out a collective sigh as the kids played and grown-ups...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
You know what time it is, it's LOCALS SUMMER! Let me clarify. Locals' Summer is that time just after Labor Day Weekend, but before the season turns to fall. It's the time when your favorite restaurant is bit quieter, and you can still find parking downtown. It's also the perfect time to enjoy your own bit of tourism with less crowds. But this time isn't just for locals; September is the ideal time for visitors who are looking to experience a slightly less busy version of summer in Bend. One...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
No reservations. No website. Just a tiny kitchen. I've spent over a decade in Bend, and there's one place that has always caught my eye. Not because of its flashy storefront, or a robust social media presence. Quite the contrary, actually. Instead, this spot sits in an industrial park, barely visible from the road, and open only on weekdays. I wondered, "is this place quietly bustling, or hanging on by a thread?" Walking in one Wednesday afternoon, I found it was definitely not struggling....
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Alert the group chat. Assemble the teams. Consider this your formal invitation to explore the High Desert Food Trail in a way that's never been done. If you're unfamiliar with the HDFT, it's a regional map of farms and local restaurants and shops that are committed to sourcing locally. Travel Oregon founded the Oregon Food Trails program, but HDFFA (High Desert Food & Farm Alliance) manages it for the Central Oregon chapter. The trail is self-guided and has no real parameters around how to...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Dinner is better by the lake. I recently had a leisurely dinner at a fantastic lakeside restaurant in Sunriver. Most people assume this is a members-only establishment. Or only for guests of the resort. But they'd be wrong! Drum roll, please... it's Lake House restaurant in Caldera Springs. Ok, to be fair, I too assumed this was a super fancy, resort-guest exclusive. But, as it turns out, Lake House is open to anyone and it's absolutely worth the trip (or, if you're staying at Sunriver or...
2 months ago • 2 min read
It's the Central Oregon food and drink collab we've been waiting for. After what feels like years of anticipation, it's finally open... Smoked meats, deli provisions, hearty sandwiches, cocktails & mocktails... It's The Way West in the Jackstraw building! Two local favorites have come together to create this old Western-themed eatery and watering hole, combining forces (and specialties) to bring this vision to Bend. Sisters Smokehouse and Bend Brewing Co. (also owners of Waypoint BBC) are the...
3 months ago • 1 min read