$32 - The Winner Is...

Whitey?

Are you even eligible to win? You don't even live here. Is there a SOBA in Baker City?

Congratulations Whitey, you were $0.99 off and now are entitled to a half full punch card to SOBA. This meal was $32 even, as a special menu item at Zydeco.


I'll post the full review of the meal soon but for now I'll just say that this steak was delicious. I didn't know the price of this meal until the bill arrived and I was actually in shock when I saw the bill. I just wasn't expecting it to be in the 30's. I doubt I would have ordered the steak as I can grill a mean steak myself. So I question if I would have thought highly of this steak if I knew how much it was costing me.

I still wish I knew the price of specials, not just at Zydeco but at any place that offers specials. What's the protocol for asking for the price of a special menu item when the server verbally announces them vs a printed off sheet added to the menu? If I ask what the cost is, will the server think I'm cheap and in turn assume a light tip and in turn provide less than adequate service?

Not that I personally care but what about the people around me. I may not dress as nice as they do or drive a fancy car but my money is just as good as theirs and I worked hard for it. But when I question the price on a special menu item, do they sigh or make me feel uncomfortable in anyway? I am just trying to bring up the idea that some people might not be comfortable asking what an item costs and doesn't seem to be something people do. At least I don't, or haven't yet.

I think the next time I'm at a restaurant and the wait person informs me of the specials, I'm going to see what the reaction is when I ask what the price is.

Man, I've been watching Deadliest Catch while writing this and just realized I've written way too much on the subject. Thank you all that participated in the first ever "How much was my dinner" contest. Next contest will be to help me come up with a better name for contests. Oh and maybe Jake will share his skills in prize collecting so I can offer something more enticing next time.

Hope you have a great day!

Mystery Steak

How much would you pay for this steak dinner?

I think restaurants should tell you the prices of their specials. Sometimes specials are reduced priced specials and sometimes they are new menu items that the restaurant is trying out. I wish all specials were a special item with a special (reduced) price.

So I'd like to ask you faithful readers (and you groupies) to give your opinion on what this steak should cost. I'll post the review of this restaurant later. The person who get's the closest to the actual price will win a half filled out punch card to SOBA (it's sad but that's the best I can offer).

Restaurant Tipping

Restaurant tipping is a bit of an art in my opinion, at least for tip jars. For me, I tip not only to reward the good service and dining experience but also for the hookup on the next visit. If I tip well and they remember me doing so, I've found that I get extras at no charge and good portions. It makes me feel like I'm part of the "in" crowd, all for a couple bucks.

I generally am a very good tipper when it comes to restaurants that I frequent. At restaurants that I know I will hang out at often, like one of the brew pubs or at my favorite restaurants, I'll tip everyone. It's worked for me so far.

For normal visits to restaurants I don't frequent often my tip will be the standard 15 to 20% depending on the quality of service. Even if the wait person is not that good, I'll still tip because I assume that they have to split tips with the rest of the staff. I've only not tipped once...and that was in the early days of Kanpai.

Tip jars are a bit of a game for me. I have a few techniques that I play around with. If it's a restaurant that I'll go to often but they use a tip jar, I'm a fan of making the cashier put the tip in the tip jar for me. To do this, I will over pay with the tip included and then when they try to give me the change I'll point to the tip jar and say something like "Oh not that was for you". Or I'll make like I didn't know the tip jar was there and leave the money on the counter which they'll scoop up and put into the tip jar.

If an item is $5 like the meat, bean, and cheese at Longboard Louie's, I'll pay with a $10 and say "If you give me some ones I'll be able to leave you a tip". This works the best for validation and leaves a lasting impression.

I do not like tipping for coffee...it's the lamest tip jar there is and is usually in a spot where it's difficult to get recognition for the tip. In my opinion, if you don't see the money go into the tip jar, you're thinking I didn't tip. That does me no good. So don't turn around after you give me change or else it's going right in my pocket. I mean my own money will go into my pocket, not stealing yours of course. Don't want a Costanza situation where the calzone guy didn't see the tip so he tried to take it back to get the recognition.

Seriously, what does the tip jar do? They put the tip jar out but what am I tipping for? All you've done is successfully taken my order. What is the appropriate tip for giving me the proper change worth? If I had to repeat my order do I put less in the tip jar? If this is the norm, why aren't there tip jars at OfficeMax, Target, HomeDepot? They did the exact same thing you just did, they processed the transaction just the same.

Now if you read my mind or knew my order, then maybe it's worth something. But since I'm already paying $4 for my coffee, is it worth another buck on the chance that my coffee is exactly what I asked for? What if I had to wait longer than I felt necessary, what if you burnt the milk, what if you added the wrong syrup? Should I get to take my tip back?

What I can't stand is putting a couple bucks in the tip jar and not getting any recognition for it. I hate tip jars in the first place but if I drop my change or add a buck or two to the cup, I want you to at least say thank you.

On a recent trip to Cold Stone I added two bucks to the tip tray expecting to hear that song. I hate the forced singing but I still want the recognition and it's a policy that they pretty much have to sing. The cashier saw me put the money in the jar and didn't do anything to get the songs going.

I should have said something or just taken my money back. Could you imaging some jacknut just going off in a Cold Stone for not getting his $2 song? HA!

Go ahead and send in your comments, but I'm right and I know it.

Here's a nice resource on Restaurant Tipping and tipping in general:
http://www.itipping.com/tip-guide-restaurant.htm

Papa Murphy's Taco Pizza is Back!!

Papa Murphy's Bend Oregon

After my last post on Papa Murhpy's there were some saddened comments about the removal of the Taco Pizza from the menu. I ended up at Papa Murphy's again the other day and once I saw that the special was the Taco Pizza, I had to go for it.


One thing I noticed about this pizza when I unwrapped it was the stench. This pizza stinks. Not a good smell. Ok, it smelled pretty weird at first but after it came out of the oven it smelled rather good. I think it was the seasoning on the ground beef.

I like pizza, I LOVE Mexican food...this pizza is half of both but not half bad. I got tomatoes on the side so the photo above doesn't show the tomatoes. I covered mine with crushed red peppers, fresh ground black pepper, and Chahula hot sauce. I love Chahula hot sauce on pizza...and tuna fish sandwiches...seriously, try it.

I'm not sure how long Papa Murphy's will have the Taco Pizza available this time so get it while it's cold...get it, cause you bake it...sorry.

Papa Murphy's Take n Bake Pizza
http://www.papamurphys.com/
NE:
(541) 389-7272
211 Ne Revere Ave, Bend, OR

South:
(541) 382-6767
61160 S Highway 97 Ste E, Bend, OR

Croutons, Bend Oregon

Croutons on Century Drive on the west side of Bend always seems to be a popular spot. The parking lot always appears full whenever I drive by...or is that because they have one of the worst parking lot setups ever? Who has the worst parking in that part of town? Parilla? Longboard Louis? Mother's? Bagel Stop? Victorian Cafe?

Anyway, the day we went to Croutons it was after the lunch rush so we figured we'd have an easier time getting in and out than normal. They get pretty busy during lunch so calling in orders ahead of time is recommended. Also, it looks like they are working on their site to accept online orders soon so look for that.

We were right, it wasn't that busy and we didn't have to wait long to get our food. As I stood at the register looking over the menu and listening to the wife order her half sandwich and a salad combo for $7.25 I thought it sounded good. But those combos tend to be rip offs. Small salad and a skimpy sandwich for more than it's worth.

I asked if the portions on the combo were ample and the nice gal said that it's actually pretty big. She was right.


The last time I visited Croutons the lady next to our table ordered the buffalo chicken salad and it smelled sooo good. I vowed to get it the next time I went and since I'm still on my hot wing kick, I thought it was a great idea. Since I got a specialty salad, the combo was a dollar more so my lunch was $8.25 but look what I got. The buffalo chicken salad above and the "Californian Panini" (as listed on their website) below. Or should I say the Sierra Smoked Turkey (as it's listed in the menu for the local Croutons) in order to keep BendBubble2 from going off on me for mentioning California.


The wife got the same buffalo chicken salad and then this Granny Smith Chicken Salad Pita.

Eh. It was actually pretty good but not for me. Bacon, turkey, and then chicken on the salad...three animals woohoo! Vegetables are what FOOD eats!

Ok, I have to bring this up because I found it rather amusing. We're at Croutons...and do you notice anything missing from the salad above? The wife and I were enjoying our salads and we both agreed that they were good but missing something. Missing that crunch. I reread the menu and noticed that we were without our Cornbread Croutons...you forgot our croutons?!? How is this possible? You'd think that they would have bowls of croutons on the table like El Caporal dishes out the chips and salsa (best in town). You're Croutons! That's your thing. It's what you do.

I don't even like cornbread but I wanted some croutons on my salad. I went up and politely asked (yes politely, I don't go off when something is wrong with my order, I make mistakes too...very rarely...very...rarely) for a cup of croutons for our salads. After adding those to the mix, it was probably the best salad I've had. I don't eat that many salads unless you put Taco in the name...mmmm taco salad!

Croutons is great food for a decent price and great portions. It's not a mystery why they are so popular and their tiny parking lot is always overflowing.

Croutons
335 Southwest Century Dr.
Bend, OR
330-1133
http://www.croutonsinc.com/bend/main.html

Applebee's, Bend Oregon

I recently was invited to join a small group heading to Applebee's and I couldn't pass up the chance to get a photo of some of those Boneless Buffalo Wings in my pursuit of the Best Wings in Bend Oregon.

It's very rare that I ever go to Applebee's. I don't like the food served. It's not that good. Can anyone explain why it's so popular?

It's also a rare treat that a restaurant in Bend has photos of all of their dishes available online so for the first time, I can compare what they have for their photos with the pictures I was able to get at the table.

http://www.applebees.com/MenuLanding.aspx
BONELESS BUFFALO WINGS
Breaded chicken breast tossed in classic or HOT Buffalo wing sauce, with celery sticks and ranch dressing.

My photo:

These wings were actually pretty good for being chicken breast nuggets in hot wing sauce. We were a little disappointed that the description says they come with ranch and we were served bleu cheese and it took forever to get some ranch that we only had one wing left when the ranch arrived.

CLUB HOUSE GRILL
Sliced ham, oven-roasted turkey, cheddar, tomato and mayo on grilled sourdough, with Applebee’s® Signature Barbecue Sauce.

My Photos:

I did not like the BBQ sauce on this sandwich and could not finish it. The portion was great, it was stacked high with turkey and ham as you can see above. The bacon was paper thin and similar to that of the bacon you'd get at McDonalds.

I won't be back to Applebee's anytime soon since their food is not good...still. My favorite comment from lunch came as we were getting up from the table and my friend says (and I know this isn't a topic to make jokes about but it summed up lunch perfectly in my mind) "I wish I was bulimic".

No one finished their food at the table aside from the wings...and no one took their left overs home. So it's not just me.

Applebee's
3197C Highway 97
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: 541.318.5720
http://www.applebees.com/

Bendistillery - KouseFly Live Tonight

I totally forgot to post about this in support of KouseFly. I read the post by HackBend last week and thought, I should support 'em and post next week. And then I forgot. Thanks Jon for posting the reminder and since you jacked my Cinco de Mayo research:

"Music reminder: tonight, May 23, local indie-alt band KouseFly is playing live at the Bendistillery Martini Bar downtown. It starts at 7:30-ish and there's no cover charge."

I'm trying to get there tonight, I NEED a drink and some tunes. Tunes? What do the kids say these days? Can't be tunes. Who says that?

Bendistillery Sampling Room & Martini Bar
850 NW Brooks St.
Bend, OR 97701
541-388-6868
http://www.bendistillery.com/

Papa Murphy's Pizza, Bend Oregon

Papa Murphy's Take n Bake Pizza

What I don't like about some pizza places in town:

- Not enough sauce and they'll charge extra for it
- Cheap on the toppings
- Not fully cooked/soggy, doughy, crust
- Expensive

What I like about Papa Murphy's Pizza:

- No charge for extra sauce
- Generous toppings
- Baked however you like it since you bake it
- Cheap

What's the problem? There are good pizza places in town that serve up a mean pie. Cibellis, Olde Towne, Pizzicato, and Pizza Mondo are probably the most popular and will get the locals votes but they can get expensive and sometimes the toppings are meek. There's no doubting that the pizza you get at any of the places above won't be good. I've had them all and have enjoyed slices at each place. But if I need to feed more than just myself, to save on the bill and make sure everyone gets their fill, there is no better way than Papa Murphy's.

At Papa Murphy's, you can get anything from a mini pizza which is great for youngsters to the family size which is gigantic. The mini pizza or individual pizza is not advertised but the two in Bend will both make em for you if asked. If you're dining alone, a couple of those bad boys can hold you over. And they are super cheap.

I usually will just go with some family sized pizzas or a bunch of mediums with an assortment of toppings depending on the crowd. Mediums are great when the wife wants that disgusting Gourmet Vegetarian and I definitely do not want veggies to touch my pie. Medium nasty for you and family sized meat lovers with pineapple for me.

I will bake them at 430 degrees instead of the recommended 425 (adjusting 5 degrees for the elevation...works for me) for 10 minutes, give it a 180, then bake for another 5 minutes...done. The crust will have a light shade of brown around the edges and the bottom will be solid. Not like most places, Dominoes, where the crust is doughy. I can't stand undercooked pizza, it's fowl.

I am always satisfied with the service that I have received at either of the Bend Papa Murphy's. I think the owners/managers do a great job with hiring good kids. They are always friendly and willing to help out if you don't know what to order. I LOVE that they don't charge for extra sauce (which I recommend getting). There have been a couple times where I purchased the bread sticks. The bread sticks comes with a marinara sauce that's sorta chunky. I like to dip my bread sticks in the regular pizza sauce. I asked if I could swap it out and they ended up just giving me a cup of sauce on the side...no extra charge. LOVED IT.

They are also fast. Even when it's busy and the line is almost out the door, they crank through them pretty fast and you're on your way home to watch the latest movie about penguins (seriously, what's up with that?). There have been a couple of times while I was at the back of the line on a Friday night where I wanted to call my order in. How messed up would that be if you heard the guy behind you ordering his pizza while he's standing in line behind you? That's like a virtual cut. NO CUTSIES JACKNUT!

Papa Murphy's Take n Bake Pizza
www.papamurphys.com
NE:
(541) 389-7272
211 Ne Revere Ave, Bend, OR

South:
(541) 382-6767
61160 S Highway 97 Ste E, Bend, OR

Love of Jesus Let Loose in Red Robin

Often I find myself checking BendBlogs to see who has posted something new and exciting, and of course to see when the last update took place and if my recent post made the cut off. Today I noticed a blog that I didn't recognize right away and the title interested me...Life in Bend Oregon Part 2. I don't remember reading a Part 1 so I clicked through.

I can't wait to go back to Red Robin for some buzzard wings, a 28 ounce beer, and some duct tape ;-)

"Red Robin Bend will never be the same!!! (insert "evil" laugh) There are so many hurting and lost souls at that Bird place!!! Both that work there and that frequant RR way to often! I am determained! To overflow the love of Jesus, on everyone there... no matter how many times a server "yells" at me that some thing is messed up and it's my fault...no matter how bad tips are...no matter what NASTY comments people make that make me want to duct tape their mouth shut... I AM DETERMINED TO LET THE LOVE OF JESUS LOOSE IN THAT CRAZY PLACE!!!!! I will say this: i love working there and there are amazing people who LOVE LOVE LOVE Jesus who work there so props to them!"


Wow....just wow.


Red Robin
www.redrobin.com
625 SW Powerhouse Dr
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 382-9234

Another Review of Red Robin in Bend Oregon:
Old B.O.R.

the Blacksmith restaurant, Bend Oregon

the Blacksmith restaurant

After our amazing dinner at the Jackalope Grill we decided to keep the party going and swing by the Blacksmith restaurant for some dessert and a night cap. Although it's not available on the online version of their menu at the moment, they have a dessert sampler for two for only $12. Hopefully these pictures will do the talking for me as I don't know what else to say.

My favorite part was the chocolate fondue which I continued to dip pretty much everything I tried into it. I mean, it was a cup of hot melted chocolate. There were like 12 cookies, some ice cream in a variety of flavors, some other sweet things hidden under other sweet things. It was like that scene in Willy Wonka (the good one with Gene Wilder, NOT Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...that suuuucked) where he takes the tour into the big factory where everything "is eatable, I mean edible, I mean you can eat everything."

Even the crunchy bowl that had the ice cream in it was grubbin!

I'm not a huge fan of desserts or sweets in general. I'm a beer and pretzels kind of guy. But the wife is all about the dessert. So she's in heaven. Gaven definitely knows what he's doing over there at the Blacksmith.

the Blacksmith restaurant
211 NW Greenwood Ave,
Bend, Oregon 97701
541.318.0588
http://www.theblacksmithrestaurant.com

Reviews:
http://www.theblacksmithrestaurant.com/about_news.html

Jackalope Grill, Bend Oregon

Jackalope Grill

This weekend we had the opportunity to visit the Jackalope Grill which is oddly located in a strip mall off of HWY 97 by the Blockbuster near Fred Meyers. The wife and I go out to eat fairly often as you may have noticed from all the posts. But it can get rather expensive if you do appetizers, desserts, drinks or if you visit the more spendy places. We were excited to try something new and from what we could tell by the online menu, it was going to be on the fine dining side of things...a special treat for us.

After our evening at the Jackalope Grill, I will recommend it to anyone that is looking for a great meal. The food was fantastic, prepared perfectly, nice presentation, each dish served with perfect timing, and our waitress absolutely rocked. The next time we visit, we are definitely going to ask to sit in Melinda's section and I recommend you do the same. That's not to knock the rest of the staff, I'm sure they're great as well but for this great experience, Melinda sealed the deal.

I know this sounds like gushing but it was really that good. But you know I can't post about a place without saying something negative and I have two minor issues. I would like an arrow, a sign, a map, something to help me know where to go when I come through the doors. I'm used to the hostess being right up front and that's not the case here. I need my hand holded.

When you go through the front doors, your only option is to turn to your left, then right, then you're standing there with an option to go back towards the kitchen or turn to your left and enter into the dining area or go to the bar. But with the decor, we couldn't quite tell where we were supposed to go, we couldn't see the hostess station.

This wasn't that big of a deal at all as it worked out and we were promptly seated. But I noticed three other couples do the exact same thing with the exact same look of confusion. It was comical for me to watch and wonder if anyone was looking at me with the same amusement only an hour before.

When Melinda gave us our menu's she went into detail over the specials of the evening. I heard Elk and said yes. I don't get the opportunity to have Elk very often so I wanted to give it a try. The Elk was prepared in a Shiraz reduction which was infused with rosemary and topped off with blackberries served over horseradish mashed potatoes. And then some green things that I couldn't identify.



This plate left our table almost spotless. The wife and I made sure each got their share equally. We devoured this dish and even the asparagus was grubbin. Our first WT moment of the night was probably when we mopped up the reduction with the complimentary loaf of bread on the table.

While the Elk appetizer was being prepared, Melinda let us know that the day's soup was Elk barley. Well, we were both thinking of getting soup but since we just ordered the Elk starter, we decided to skip soup or salad and get another app, the steamer clams served in a garlic-tarragon broth:

Sadly, there wasn't any Chorizo added like at 38 Degrees but they were still good. Second and final complaint for Jackalope Grill was that we both found quite a substantial amount of sand or grit or whatever you want to call it in the clams. I mentioned it right off and the wife disagreed at first but shortly after said that she had bit down on a lot as well.

That didn't stop us from our second WT moment as we sopped up the garlic broth with the remainder of the bread. The broth was that good.

For our main course the wife opted for one of the specials, the trio of pork tenderloins prepared in a scrumptious cherry, balsamic vinegar reduction served with garlic mashed taters. The sauce was delicious and the pork was like butter. I'm not sure if I could have eaten a whole plate of it as the sauce was very sweet. But the wife likes the sweet stuff (that's right, just like me) so she enjoyed it immensely. No photo though, she took two photos and thought the second one came out, it didn't...rookie.

I went for the “The Cowboy Moved To Bend” New York Steak, medium rare, topped with blue cheese butter and "savory" onion jam served with regular mashed potatoes. Steak and spuds...yup. Now, I'm not sure what can be savory about onions or even what an onion jam would be but I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm generally not a big fan but I assumed the onions would be sauteed or I could just slide them off. But, as onion jam goes, it was quite good.
The steak was perfect and the wife enjoyed my veggies. I normally would ask for some horseradish to go with my steak (or ketchup "MMM mmm, nothing brings out the flavor of a steak like some ketchup" - redneck in the movie Waiting). But with the blue cheese / onion jam butter stuff on top, this steak had enough going on. I've eaten my share of good and alright steaks in town and this one is by far the best steak I've had in Bend.

So for those keeping score we had Elk, clams, pork tenderloins, steak, three different types of mashed potatoes, and grilled veggies. Yeah, that's quite the scorecard. And...quite the bill. As you can see from the online menu, the Jackalope is not the least expensive place in town. But when we were driving off we talked about it and both agreed that it was well worth it.

I can't wait to have an excuse to go back.

View the Jackalope Grill Map

Jackalope Grill
1245 SE Third St.
Bend, OR 97702
http://www.thejackalopegrill.com/
541-318-8435

Deschutes Beer Pub, Bend Oregon

Deschutes Brew Pub

Still in my quest to find the Best Hot Wings in Bend Oregon, I had a chance to snap a photo with my cell phone while eating at the Deschutes brew pub in Downtown Bend.

It was just a half order of wings as an appetizer. I like the flavor and the size of the mini drumsticks or drums. I still would prefer the other part which I'll now call Flats thanks to Wiki. I like the flats much better as the meat is tender and comes clean off the bone vs the drum which has that mess at the thick end when you're done. What is that, tendon? MMM that's some good cartilage.

The wings at Deschutes are good...they are what wings should be. I'm happy with them and will get them when I'm in the mood for wings and happen to be at Deschutes for some eats.

Deschutes Beer Pub
1044 NW Bond Street, between Franklin and Greenwood
Bend, OR 97701
541-382-9242
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/BrewPub/default.aspx

Hola!, Bend Oregon

Hola!

"Hola, is it me you're looking for?" Yes, yes it is! Thank you Hispanic Lionel.

Quite a few people have recommended Hola since it opened about 4 months ago. The part owners of La Rosa left their gig there and started up their own restaurant on the east side of Bend. Eating at Hola! gave us the chance to see Anna again, our favorite waitress at El Caporal from back in the day. Sadly, Anna was not working that day but we'll be back for sure...next time we go to Costco.

The other reviews that I have read on Hola! have all mentioned their unique take on chips and salsa.

Starting from the left we have your regular salsa, a type of hummus/peanut butter fusion, and some green stuff. All three were rather good. The salsa was your typical salsa, I still think El Caporal has the best chips and salsa in Bend. The hutter was decent for what it was but I left that mostly for the wife as I couldn't stop dipping pieces of that roll into the green stuff. Someone tell me what that is please. HackBend called it a "mint pesto-type sauce" which I'll agree with. And the roll? I'm lost.

When I get confused at restaurants I remember one of the rules from this great sushi place in Seattle called Mashiko (with the greatest domain name ever that I'll never forget) - "Shut up and eat". So I did.

I went for numero uno on the menu, the Carne Azada. Still working out the camera kinks so my photo did not come out. It was cooked to perfection and if you like steak, get it. Their rice is not your typical spanish rice mixture but a lighter more Japanese type of white rice, rather refreshing.

The wife made a great decision and got the apple bacon wrapped prawns:

The cheesy, heavy cream sauce smothering the prawns and veggies was awesome and is currently clogging my arteries perfectly. Who doesn't like Prawns wrapped with Bacon slathered with cheese? Can I unsubscribe you from reading this?

Oh and of course the drinks! Expensive beverages but worth it and the alcohol numbs the pain when the bill comes. Dishes were around $11-$16 for dinner and drinks were around $8-$11 for margaritas. At least that's what I remember. I LOVED that the bartender came out and took drink orders for all of us waiting for our tables. Although standing there with a Cactus Margarita in one hand and the freezing cold shaker containing the rest of my beverage in the other was a little awkward. The alcohol numbed that too.

Hola!
2670 NE Highway 20 Bend, OR 97701
541 389 4652
Open 7 days a week 11am to 10pm - Dinner Menu after 4pm
http://www.holabend.com/

Other reviews/mentions:
http://www.hackbend.com/2007/04/27/hola.php
http://www.thebendreport.com/archives/15 (called the green stuff a cilantro lime sauce but didn't identify the Hutter)
Jen's Yelp

Cinco de Mayo - Events

Cinco de Mayo, Bend Oregon

Please feel free to contact me at bendoregonrestaurants@yahoo.com if you know of anything going on for Cinco de Mayo and I will update this post! It would be great to know which restaurants were doing something special but I'm lazy...if anyone knows, please feel free to send that info along! Where the dollah shots at?!?!

My new friend "Chillable" says:
"Another event tomorrow: apparently La Rosa is having a big celebration, and taking over the space at Ka'va next door to accommodate the over 21 crowd."

There isn't a mention of this on their site but here's their contact info if you'd like to call to find out the details:

La Rosa Authentic Mexican
1444 NW College Way # 104, Bend, 97701 - (541) 318-7210

http://www.larosabend.com/

Found this one at the BendNights.com site:

Cinco De Mayo Party
Joker's Bar & Grill
5pm
The biggest Cinco De Mayo party in Central Oregon, and it's starting early. DJ Metalman is coming from the coast to get the party started right. $5.

I can't find this same info at the Joker's site.

¡Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!
Posted on Fri, Apr 27, 2007 Will Archive: Sun, May 6, 2007
May 5 - FREE
Come Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
When: Saturday, May 5, noon - 2 pm
Where: Grandview Hall Cafeteria at COCC (campus map pdf)
What: Taco and Burrito Bar, Classical Guitar, Mariachi Band and Children's Activities

The public is invited to attend a Cinco de Mayo celebration from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, in Grandview Hall Cafeteria at COCC.


Cinco De Mayo!!!
DJ (70s/80s/90s disco, funk, r&b)
No Cover till 9:00PM ($5 after 9pm)
Free Nachos & Salsa All Night!
http://www.541lounge.com/calendar_dec.html


Tower Theatre
837 NW Wall St.
Bend,OR
Times: May 5, 2007
5:30 pm

Description:
Fundraiser - A Cinco de Mayo celebration benefiting the Working Wonders Children's Museum, featuring The Incredible Flamenco Dance Theatre, a live auction, margaritas and appetizers and a mariachi band; 610-6203.

Pricing:
$85


Cinco de Mayo at the Bend Library

A Cinco de Mayo event will be held at the Bend Library from 2:30-5 on Saturday, May 5, 2007. Included in this event will be music and Edgar Sanchez performing a traditional dance called La Danza del Viejito. Various agencies from Deschutes County will be joining this event including the Latino Community Association, Plaza Comunitaria and Bend-La Pine School District's Welcome Center. Light refreshments will be served. For additional information, contact Jo Caisse at 312.1036.

Taco Stand, Bend Oregon

THE Taco Stand

A while back I tried to determine where you could get the best burrito in Bend Oregon and received some feedback that I needed to try a couple other places. One of those places was the locals favorite, Taco Stand. Very inexpensive burritos and large portions.

There is a great photo of the inside of the Taco Stand available in The Bulletin's review available here.

As you can see, the inside is tiny. It was packed when I went so instead of trying to be social and sit at a table with an empty seat I took my burrito to go. I was sort of out of it when I ordered and didn't realize that what I was asking for wasn't even on the menu.

"May I please have the Carnitas Burrito" - Me
"Oh you want it in a burrito? No, no, that's fine, they'll do it" - Cashier
"Oh, yeah ok, with rice and beans" - Me
"Inside? They'll do it, no problem" - Cashier
"Sweet, also can I have that echilada style" - Me
"Of course, $5.90 please" - Cashier

Perfect. I took $2 Pork taco and turned it into a six dollar burrito with all the fixins.

I should have asked for more hot sauce, you can keep the green stuff and the chunky salsa. I just want the hot stuff.

The burrito was good. It wasn't great though. I think my choice for Carnitas was where I went wrong. The enchilada sauce was great and I recommend getting your burrito enchilada style, it's a good choice. I'll definitely be back for the prices are unbeatable. I just need to find my dish.

Taco Stand
(541) 382-0494
221 Nw Hill St
Bend, OR 97701

Baskin-Robbins 31cent Scoop Night

Baskin Robbins is promoting a *31 cent Scoop Night in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Promotion/31cent.aspx

*2.5 oz each scoop. At participating Baskin-Robbins locations. So I'd recommend calling the location before going out there.

1106 Ne 3rd St
Bend, OR 97701
541-388-2637

61535 HIGHWAY 97
BEND, OR 97702
541-385-1811

944 Sw 9th St
Redmond, OR 97756
541-504-1105