Bend Brew Fest 2007

Bend Brew Fest

My thoughts on the Bend Brew Fest this year are summed up as follows - Eh (visualize the shoulder shrug if you like). I did like the little wooden tokens instead of tickets or "scripts". The beers seemed to be the usual suspects and like my sassy lazy friend over at Brewerman, I liked the Yeti the best although LSD comes in a close second.

I wish the Bend Brew Fest would go to a ticket style like the PIB has. The tickets are based on the beer and not on the sample size. All samples are a full glass but depending on what beer you select you give up 1-4 tickets. At PIB I found quite a few great beers for 1-2 tickets. Well worth it. At the Bend Brew Fest you have to talk to your friends and keep a close eye on which volunteers have the heavy hand.

My technique is to go for one, maybe two tickets and hope they overfill while I try to distract them with my clever drunken banter "Hey there, boy this is a great little festival, love the shirt". Three tickets seems like a waste as there is a maximum they can fill and then there is the head. Rip off.

For food offerings it seems like we've given up on restaurants at these events and Munch and Movies / Munch and Music. Just caterers, taco stands, and BBQ trailers. The vendors at Bend Brew Fest included Top Hat Catering, Deschutes Dogs, Rico's Tacos, Realdelphia, Kasey's BBQ, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, and Tumalo Farms.

Below are the pictures from Realdelphia cheese steaks, Deschutes Dogs, and the cutest picture ever of a little Cheetara eating some Ben & Jerry's.

This little girl was with her family next to our group. When we first sat down she came over and just stood there for a minute and no one said anything. Then she growled/hissed at us and walked back over to her table. I was dying. Cutest thing ever. Later I was allowed to take a photo while it was safe as she was busy eating some Ben & Jerry's.

Bend Brew Fest
www.bendbrewfest.com/

Longboard Louie's West - Bend Oregon

Longboard Louie's

I used to get the Meat, Bean, and Cheese Burrito at Longboard Louie's religiously but over the last year or so I have been trying to branch out a bit. I've been trying different menu items outside my norm. Longboard Louie's on the westside always has a whiteboard with special menu items which normally consist of buffalo meat and prawn dishes.

On my latest visit I went for the Spaz Taco's - Deep fried prawns, cabbage, salsa. I got the salsa on the side cause I know they like to go heavy on the portions.

Sure you can barely see the prawns but man, they are money. Squirt of lime, some of their hot sauce, and you'll be a happy customer.

Small complaint, I have never really liked their refried beans. They always seem to be like a scoop of thick dirty potatoes and they are never really warm. Luke warm at best. Normally I would request black beans but I forgot this time. But the cute skater chicks that work there make up for something that minor.

The kids these days seem to enjoy the chili fries. A friend that I was meeting there ordered them. I tried em, they didn't take. It's more like Enchilada Sauce Fries but that's just my opinion.

Longboard Louie's
1254 NW Galveston Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 383-2449

Thump Coffee - Bend Oregon

Thump Coffee

I finally purchased a beverage from thump coffee in Downtown Bend. I'm not a big coffee drinker. I'll have one cup of coffee in the morning on the weekdays and maybe a cup with some Baileys on the weekend. For the most part I don't participate is spending $3-$4 (plus tip jar change) for a cafe latte.

The other day I was meeting a friend downtown so we met up for a cup of coffee at thump. I brought my stainless steel to-go cup from the house as it keeps the coffee hotter for a longer time since it takes me a while to finish a 16 ounce, triple shot, vanilla latte. Not to mention reduces waste...just doing my part. Cost me something like $3.65 (10 cent discount for bringing in my own cup) and I dropped the coins into the tip jar. We all know my opinion of tip jar etiquette but this time I was going to hang out for a bit and to be honest, it was just a knee jerk reaction.

The wife loves the coffee she gets from thump and when we eat lunch downtown we will usually swing by either thump or Balay so she can get a cup of joe or some bubble tea respectively.

My vanilla latte was really good. Its my staple drink when I do go to a coffee shop so I feel comfortable in saying that the vanilla latte that I had at thump is one of the best I've had. I'd go there again.

thump coffee
25 Northwest Minnesota Avenue
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-0226
http://www.thumpcoffee.com/

Jake's Diner The Movie - Aug 23rd

Jake's Diner, the Movie

If I was in town, I'd be at McMenamins on Thursday night to see the Jake's Diner movie.

Kids Cooking Classes at Entrees Made Easy

Kids Cooking Classes for the Aspiring Chef

Entrees Made Easy Invites Kids Ages 10-17 to Make A Mess In Their Kitchen

Kids love to cook. Especially when it’s a fun, interactive experience — and parents aren’t standing over their shoulders complaining about the mess. Entrees Made Easy is offering two kids classes: Aspiring Chefs Ages 10-13, 3:00-5:00 pm, Thursday August 23 and Aspiring Chefs Ages 14-17, 3:00-5:00 pm, Monday, August 27.

The only cost of participation is the purchase of three dinners that will be prepared in class — as little as $39, depending on the entrees ordered and the number of servings selected. To sign up, go to www.EntreesMadeEasy.com and choose the Bend location.

Both classes provide the opportunity for kids to expand their food preparation skills well beyond cold cereal and microwave popcorn. They will learn all the steps of preparing healthy, fresh meals, and then take home three dinners to feed the entire family that they prepared themselves. Each participant will also receive and assemble a complimentary apple pie to take home and share for dessert.

Besides snacks, general cooking instruction and lots of fun, family dinner time will be better than ever because kids will be better able to participate in the entire process — just in time for the new school year.

This fun and unique learning experience teaches kids:
• Healthy Eating Guidelines
• Kitchen Safety
• How to Follow Recipes
• Basic Food & Meal Preparation
• Table Manners

For more information, call 317-4159 or visit www.EntreesMadeEasy.com
and select the Bend location.

Los Jalapenos - Bend Oregon

Los Jalapenos

I say "I like such and such Mexican Restaurant" and all I get back is "You have to try Los Jalapenos, you have to go to Taco Stand" and so on. Look suckah, I have been there. I've been everywhere.

Los Jalapenos is good. I went there with a buddy who hadn't been back to LJ's in ages. The last time I was there, I thought it was a lot less expensive. My burrito and a beer came to $12. I am still trying to add up why it cost so much. Maybe the enchilada sauce is made from ground diamonds.

Anyway, my Al Pastor burrito served wet was pretty damn good and the size was impressive.


The food was good. I'm not sure if I'll do it again though. There isn't a whole lot of seating so what do you do when there are not any spots available? Take it back to my cubicle to stink up the whole office? Well I guess it would smell better than the burnt microwaved popcorn and 99 cent budget gourmets.

Suggestions on what I should get if I do end up going back are gladly accepted. Maybe something that can be easily transported back to my desk.

Los Jalapenos
601 NE Greenwood Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 383-1402
http://www.losjalapenos.biz/

Map of Los Jalapenos

Hans Is Closing August 31st

Hans Restaurant

Last night I received an email from a reader and this morning a comment from Shannon asking me if I'd seen the article in the Bulletin about Hans Closing after 24 years.

"For 24 years, Hans Restaurant has watched countless retailers come and go through downtown Bend. This month, the longtime Bend eatery will close for good, owner Heidi Weiss-Hoffman announced Monday .... Hans' last day is Aug. 31, when its lease expires."

Well, I'll take some of blame, I never did a review of Hans even though I have eaten there a few times. The wife really liked going to Hans. The main reason I never did a review was that I never had any good photos. I always seemed to forget the camera and would take crappy cell phone photos.

So I apologize for failing you Heidi! My bad.

Hans Restaurant
915 NW Wall St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 389-9700

Cheerleaders Grill - Bend Oregon

Cheerleaders Grill

In an effort to try and get out to many of the restaurants in Bend that I have not been to, I visited Cheerleaders Grill and Sports Pub. Lately I have been on this kick to try find the Best Burger in Bend outside of Pilot Butte and Dandy's.

The 1/2 lb bacon cheeseburger:

The burger and the bacon were really good but I didn't really care for the slice of velveeta. It's not a good cheese to add to such a fine burger. I don't like how the cheese sticks to the roof of my mouth. Maybe when I was 12, but I'm all grown up now.

While I was looking over the menu before deciding on the burger, I spent a few minutes reading the full page insert about Broasters Chicken that is offered at Cheerleaders. We sampled a couple pieces and couldn't believe how good it was. Where in Bend can you get some good Fried Chicken? Since Cheerleaders is across the street from the old KFC, it sort of makes sense that they have some sweet ass fried chicken.

So I rounded my a group of fried chicken enthusiasts and convinced them that they had to try this Broasters Chicken.


I got the three piece meal and replaced the thigh for another breast for a dollar more. When the waitress brought over the food, she says "where's my breast guy"? Yup, that's me, the beast guy. The chicken in phenomenally good and I highly recommend that you try it. BUT, I recommend that you call in your order AND I also recommend NOT getting the meal.

Call in your order because it takes about 20 minutes minimum to get your order. Even if you eat there I'd still call in your order so you don't have to wait that long.

I said not to get the meal because the slaw is not good and you only get a few Jo Jo's, Potato Wedges or whatever you like to call them. I guess you get 2 with the 2 piece, 3 with the 3 piece, and 4 for the (you guessed it), 4 piece. The potato wedges were really good though but I'd rather just eat the chicken and get some regular fries.

Cheerleaders Grill and Sports Pub
913 Ne 3rd St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 330-0631

Map of Cheerleaders Grill

Best of Bend - BOR, the Source, Gusto, and BendLiving

Best of Bend ballots seem to be the rage this time of year. I'm here to help, my friends. Below you will find a compilation of the Best of Bend Restaurants from the Source Weekly with the winners from Gusto, Bend Living, and my votes added in. So far I feel the Source has the best categories.

I agree with Jon that "it's pretty much the definitive "Best Of" guide for the area." In the past I have lumped the Source with Gusto. I'd like to apologize to the Source for this mistake. I'm sorry.

Its odd that the readers from the Source are so much different than those of Gusto. I'm not sure how this could be but it is. For example, McKay Cottage dominated Gusto's best of winning for Best Service, Best Burger, Best Breakfast, and Best Waitress. Yet there was not one category or honorable mention for McKay Cottage in the Source. Odd.

My favorite is the Best Burger category. Bend Living, the Source, and I all said the same two places. But Gusto "readers" know something the rest of us don't. This is not to rip on McKay, I've had their burger and it's good, I like McKay. I'm just saying that "Best of" lists that are this different seem to me like there's something a foot.

Best Fine Dining -
I said The Jackalope Grill

the Source - Cork
Honorable Mention - Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails

Gusto "readers" - Scanlon's

Best Place to Buy Fresh Veggies & Fruit -
I said Farmers Market

the Source - Bend Farmers Market
Honorable Mention - Newport Avenue Market

Best Casual Dining -
I said Deschutes Brew Pub

the Source - Deschutes Brew Pub
Honorable Mention - Bend Brewing Company

Best Service -
I said El Caporal or Les Schwab

the Source - Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails
Honorable Mention - Hong Kong Restaurant

Gusto "readers" - Mckay Cottage

Bend Living - Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails
Runner up - Cork

Best Rookie Restaurant -
I said Deep (of course)

the Source - Deep
Honorable Mention - Kebaba

Best Vegetarian -
I didn't answer. "Vegetables are what food eats".

the Source - Kebaba
Honorable Mention - SOBA Noodles

Best Bakery -
I said Hurricanes

the Source - Westside Bakery
Honorable Mention - Sparrow Bakery

Gusto didn't have this category but they did have Best Pastries - Nancy P's

Best Grocery Store -
I said Rays...they have a liquor store, hands down the winner.

the Source - Newport
Honorable Mention - Rays

Best Lunch -
I said Toomies

the Source - The Downtowner
Honorable Mention - Toomies

Gusto "readers" - The Victorian Cafe

Best Cheap Eats -
I said Reyes Tortillaria

the Source - The Taco Stand
Honorable Mention - Longboard Louie's

Gusto didn't have this category but they had Best Value - Longboard Louie's

Best Breakfast -
I said Westside Bakery

the Source - The Victorian Cafe
Honorable Mention - Alpenglow

Gusto "readers" - McKay Cottage

Best Coffee House -
I said Thump

the Source - Bellatazza
Honorable Mention - Thump

Gusto "readers" - Bellatazza

Best BBQ -
I said Baldy's

the Source - Baldy's
Honorable Mention - Kasey's Texas Style BBQ

Gusto "readers" - Baldy's

Best Pizza -
I said Cibelli's on the West Side

the Source - Pizza Mondo
Honorable Mention - Cibelli's

Gusto "readers" - Pizzicato

Bend Living didn't have this category

Best Sushi -
I said Deep

the Source - Kanpai
Honorable Mention - Deep

Best Mexican - Nice category...sooo many places to choose from it should almost be top 5 Mexican restaurants. I listed Pepe's as my favorite even though I've only been there once. My top 5 would be:

Pepe's
El Caporal
Hola!
Reyes Tortillaria
Taco Stand

the Source - La Rosa
Honorable Mention - El Caporal West

Gusto "readers" - La Rosa

Best Asian -
I said SOBA

the Source - Toomies
Honorable Mention - Hong Kong Restaurant

Gusto "readers" - Toomies

Best Italian -
I said Cibelli's

the Source - Staccato
Honorable Mention - Ernesto's

Gusto "readers" - Staccato

Best Steak -
I said The Jackalope Grill

the Source - The Blacksmith
Honorable Mention - Tumalo Feed Co.

Gusto "readers" - Tumalo Feed Co.

Bend Living - The Blacksmith
Runner Up - Pine Tavern

Best Seafood -
I think I made a mistake on my form when I submitted to the source, I put Cork. Why would I do that? I had fish there once and it was delicious....I should have said Bend Fish Company or even better, Baltazar's!

the Source - High Tides
Honorable Mention - Anthony's Homeport

Gusto "readers" - Anthony's Homeport

Bend Living - High Tides
Runner Up - Anthony's Homeport

Best Dessert -
I said The Blacksmith

the Source - Han's
Honorable Mention - Hurricane's

Gusto "readers" - Han's

Bend Living - Han's
Runner Up - Blacksmith

Best Bagel -
I said Big O' Bagels

the Source - Big O' Bagels
Honorable Mention - Bagel Stop

Best Burger -
I said Dandy's. Skip Pilot Butte, they win every year.

the Source - Pilot Butte
Honorable Mention - Dandy's

Gusto "readers" - McKay Cottage

Bend Living - Pilot Butte
Runner Up - Dandy's

Best Ethnic -
I said Reyes Tortillaria

the Source - Kebaba
Honorable Mention - Toomies

Bend Living - Toomies
Runner Up - Kebaba

Best Patio Dining -
I said Bend Brewing Company's

the Source - Pine Tavern
Honorable Mention - Anthony's Homeport

Gusto didn't have this category

Bend Living - Anthony's Homeport
Runner Up - Pine Tavern

Best Wine List -
I said Merenda's

the Source - Merenda
Honorable Mention - Portello Winecafe

Gusto didn't have this category but they had Best Place to Buy Wine - Bend Wine Cellar

Staccato - Bend Oregon

Staccato at the Firehall

I have visited Staccato a couple times now and I have not been impressed on either occasion. The first time was a work function so I wasn't even picking up the tab. The wine was great, the service was good, but the food was just so-so. On that visit I ordered from the specials menu. Anytime you tell me that there are Brussels sprouts that have been rendered in bacon fat as the side dish, I'm in.

The meat (I can't even remember what it was) and mashed potatoes were forgettable and the Brussel sprouts were not anything special. I left wondering what all the hype was about. There are quite a few people that really do like going to Staccato but I'm not one of them.

But the wife had never been there so I let her talk me into it. I mean, Gusto "readers" voted Staccato the best Italian for the second year in a row. Now that has to count for something...right? Maybe?

On this occasion we had ran into some technical difficulties. I think it might have been the hostesses fault for seating us in an already busy section. Our waitress seemed to have to work the outside tables as well as a few tables inside including a 6 top. So she was pretty busy to begin with yet the rest of the servers didn't appear overly swamped and their sections not very full.

We sat at the table for 15 minutes without anyone coming by. Not one person. No water, no drink orders, no "hey, I'm sorry about the wait, I'll be with you in just a second", no menus, nothing. We almost walked out. But it was a nice night and the wife and I didn't have anything else planned. When our waitress finally came by to see if we'd like anything to drink, we had to ask to see a drink menu or a wine list. Then we had to ask for dinner menus. It was a mess.

The only really good dish that we had that night was the Chicken Pesto Pizza we ordered as our appetizer.


The rest of the meal was just average at best. The service that night might have tainted our taste buds and no matter how the food was, we were not happy. I try to not let one part of the dinning experience influence the other, but I am human.
Once we got our orders in, things went smoothly until we wanted to pay and leave, it took forever to get our bill, for her to collect it, and bring back my card so we could leave.

The chances of us going back to Staccato on our own dime are slim to none. But if you have to go, that pizza was really good. The wife says "why spend that much money for so-so food and crappy service when you can go to Jackalope Grill? I mean sure Staccato is downtown but I think that's what you're paying for. For the money, I'd rather go to the Jackalope strip mall."

Staccato at the Firehall
5 NW MINNESOTA Suite 101
BEND, OR 97701
Phone: 541.312.3100
http://www.staccatosfirehall.com/

Staccato at the Firehall Map

Sending Food Back in a Restaurant

When to Send Food Back

I was recently asked what it would take for me to send food back in a restaurant. I asked around a little bit and it seems that everyone has a different level of tolerance for what's acceptable on their plate and reasons for why they'd send their dish back to the kitchen.

I think the general census is that if the order is wrong, it goes back. I mean you ordered a taco salad and they bring you a couple tacos....not quite the same. When you ask steak and they bring you chicken. You are allergic to onions and they put em all up in your burrito. These are guaranteed return items.

How do you handle it? "I'm sorry, I thought I ordered the steak."

"NO, I ORDERED THE STEAK DAMN IT!"

I don't know. It doesn't happen often to me but I have sent a dish back for being wrong. Most of the time its not even my decision. As the server puts the plate down, they'll usually catch the error and just take the plate back. But every now and then when it's not the same person that took the order as the person that brings the food, and the order is not correct...sure I'll send it back.

A long time ago I was at a breakfast joint with a buddy of mine who returned his omelet to the kitchen because the cheese on top was not fully melted. That to him was enough to send his breakfast back. I was sort of shocked. He said "I'm paying for it."

So he was a little more on the next tier where the dish goes back if it's not what they expected. I ate a burger at Scanlon's recently and when asked how I'd like the burger prepared, I said medium. Am I wrong in thinking that Medium should have some pink? Maybe I should have said medium rare but I don't want to get ill. The burger was medium well to well done. No pink at all.

Should I say something? There's no going back in this situation. They can't just put the burger on the grill and uncook it. So they'd have to start over. But then I'm wondering if there is something in the special sauce on my second burger. It tasted good regardless. It wasn't exactly what I ordered but for $11, it should have been medium.

I am a picky eater at times and many times the order comes with something on it that I didn't ask for. If I can pick that item off or eat around it, I usually will. I really do try not to send anything back. I'm honestly scared to have something done to my dish by the kitchen staff.

I think all kitchens should be on camera so with a closed circuit tv at my table so I can watch what's going on. After watching Waiting a few times, I just don't want to send food back.

One friend says that if the dish is what she ordered yet it wasn't very good, that's her fault and she just wont get it again. But if it's not what she ordered, then she will return it. I agree with this. I'll just write it up and share it with anyone willing to listen/read.

So I guess I'm really looking for input from anyone that wants to weigh in on the subject. When would you send food back in a restaurant? How would you go about doing so?

Makahna's Trattoria - Bend Oregon

Makahna's Trattoria

Driving by Makahna's Trattoria the other day the wife says that we should try that place sometime. Well, that time has come my friends. I picked the wife up from her office and off we went.

Looking over the long list of imported beers I order myself a Stella Artois...I just like saying the name (just like I enjoy saying edamame). There were quite a few beers on the list that I have not seen available in town. Maybe the beer bloggers drunk and drunker should check em out.


For lunch I ordered the Deluxe Meat Panino (not panini like everyone keeps calling them). I asked what the difference between a panino and a panini and our waitress said that there isn't any..."they're both sandwiches". Fair enough.

According to Wiki, panino is actually the proper way of saying the singular version of panini (panini being the plural for panino) but the English speaking folk skipped all that and just use panini for the singular and paninis for plural. Does it matter? Back to my sandwich.

The Deluxe Meat is ham, salami, and Mortadella which is also a salami. With only a few options for paninis I decided to go for this one. The wife went for the sausage panino. We waited for our lunch while sitting on the patio watching the traffic go by. And we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited.


For lunch, we waited too long especially since we were the only ones there. By the time we were finally done with lunch and paid up we had been there for an hour. I'm not sure what the reason was for taking so long. I wouldn't have expected to wait this long especially with the small menu. Having a small menu means they don't have that many different dishes to make, should go faster. It should not take 30 minutes to bring out a couple of sandwiches and chips. And it wasn't really that good. I mean it wasn't bad, just nothing to jump up and down about or to be willing to risk waiting that long again. And the chips sucked. Bad chips, bad.

Laurie has a friendlier review of Makahna's Trattoria over at the Source. In this article she mentions how Makahna's cross trains their staff, so everyone knows how to do everything. I heard that McMenamins does this as well. Is it a coincidence that both places are slow as molasses? How about we let the wait staff WAIT ON THE CUSTOMERS and the kitchen staff PREPARE MY DAMN LUNCH?
Seems like Running a Restaurant 101 to me, but I'm just the customer, what do I know.

For you Bike Mecca - Wiki's summary of a Trattoria

Makahna’s Trattoria
1133 NW Wall St, Ste 101,
Bend Oregon, 97701
678-5750

Hours:
7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 12pm-10pm Sat-Sun

Makahna's Trattoria Map

Bite of Oregon

Bite of Oregon 2007

August 10th - 12th

From the menu listed here, there are three restaurants from Bend that will be attending this year's Bite of Oregon on the Waterfront Park in Portland.

Bluefish Bistro featuring Chicken Satay with Cucumber Noodles, Potato Dumpling served in Curry Broth, Savory Poached Pear.

Jackie's Ribs featuring Barbequed Brisket and Pork Ribs, Ribblet Sampler.

La Rosa Authentic Mexican featuring Lobster Quesadilla, Portobello Mushroom Quesadilla, Organic Veggie Tamale.

I have never been to Bluefish Bistro and I have never heard of Jackie's Ribs. But hopefully they will represent Bend to the best of their abilities. La Rosa obviously is a favorite of many Bendites so I'm pleased they are going to attend and bringing some nice dishes.

With the failure of this year's Bite of Bend, I would hope more restaurants would step up and display their goods at something like the Bite of Oregon. But I'm not in the restaurant business so I don't know what the benefits or drawbacks to attending events like this hold for restaurants. I know that I would have loved to see more restaurants attend the Bite of Bend vs the taco trailers and caterers.

I want to stuff my fat face with small plates from as many restaurants as possible. Especially the ones that I have never been to so I can see what they offer.

http://www.biteoforegon.com/food.html

"Come eat your way across Oregon! Fresh Oregon Dungeness Crab Cakes, Smoked Ribs, Corn on the Cob, Fresh Northwest Mussels, Hog Wild Wings, Huckleberry BBQ Lamb, Seafood Stuffed Avocados, Seafood Paella, Traditional Gyros, Swiss Cheese Fondue, Home-style Mac & Cheese, Oregon Steak and Cheese Sandwiches, Oregon Berry Pies, Alpenrose Dairy Ice Cream, Berry Cobbler, Savory Poached Pears and much much more.

If you love food there’s a lot of it at the Bite of Oregon. From Entrées and Bites, Soup, Salad and Sides, Desserts and Specialty Beverages there’s close to 100 items on the menu this year."

38 Degrees - Bend Oregon

38 Degrees Mediterranean Bistro

We've been to 38 Degrees a few times now. We LOVE getting the Sangria samplers. On our most recent trip, our waitress told us that there were 6 types of Sangria that evening. But the menu has a 3 sangria sampler and a 5, what to do what to do. We don't want one of the Sangria's to feel left out so we went with two sets of 3 samplers so we could try all six!! Delicious.


Our second favorite menu item is the Chorizo and Clams. In the past, I called these clams the best I have ever had. On this occasion however, the Chorizo was insanely dry and extremely tough. It was almost as tough as jerky. We were really disappointed.

The Za'atar Crusted Ahi Tuna was perfect!

Now the Steak Frites was NOT nearly as good as the last time. We ordered the steak medium rare and received it well done. You can see from the second photo below that there is not any pinkness to the steak at all.



The Sangria was awesome but the chorizo and steak were definitely disappointing.

Map of 38 Degrees, Bend Oregon

38 Degrees
745 NW Mt. Washington Drive
Bend, OR 97701
http://www.38degreesbistro.com/
541-318-8161

VVA Burger Sale - Jake's Diner

Vietnam Veterans of America Burger Sale

Jake's Diner will be joining forces with the Vietnam Veterans of America and selling Burgers and Chicken Sandwiches at the Flashback Cruz at Drake Park on August 3rd and 4th.

The crew at Jake’s will be working hand in hand with the VVA with all of the proceeds going to the VVA. The sale hours will be during the Cruz on Friday evening and all day Saturday. Information on the Cruz can be found at Flashback Cruz 2007

So, come on down and enjoy the old cars, rock and roll music, and a little Jake’s fare with a great group of vets.

The Grove - Just in Time!

The Grove

Well just before the Grove shut their doors, the wife and I made it for a quick bite. Plus Whitey said that if I reviewed the Grove, he'd not force me to send him the half filled SOBA punch card that I owe him.

For some reason I never really thought of the Grove as a desirable place for me to eat dinner. I thought it was a club for the kids. Man was I wrong. The staff was amazingly friendly and helpful and a bit sad that the place was shutting down.

The food was REALLY good. I was very impressed with the two dishes that we had.



Again, I'm kicking myself for not going to the Grove sooner. So many other plates and drinks to taste.

My bad.

The Grove
http://www.thegrove411.net/

Williams Bakery Thrift Store - Bend Oregon

After our lunch at the Bend Fish Company, we walked across the parking lot to the Williams Bakery Thrift Store.


I love these little thrift shops. I like to get the discounted products for dirt cheap. On this trip we grabbed a few snacks, some cup cakes and what not. As we were paying I noticed a trivia question on the white board behind the cashier.

"What is Campbell's all time best selling soup?"

For the answer, scroll to the bottom of this page.

For answering the question correctly I got to select a treat from a basket...Mmmm Twinky! You're jealous.


Williams Bakery Thrift Store
1830 Ne 2nd St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-8595


Answer - Tomato

Bend Fish Company

It has been a long time since we visited the Bend Fish Company so we thought we'd check back in. It's still good stuff. It's still a little on the spendy side. But, as with any fish house, you should start with the chowder:

The chowder is good but we found that it contained quite a bit of sand. That was unpleasant.

The wife had the Salmon Caesar for $6.95 (add grilled Salmon for $2). It took me a bit to understand why we had to pay extra for Salmon on a Salmon Caesar. I thought it was amusing/confusing. You'd think it was included. But the Salmon in the dressing was little bits. There was quite a bit of Salmon in the dressing but it was still worth the extra two bucks for the two pieces of grilled Salmon.


I know in my previous Bend Fish Company post I said that I'd go for the fish and chips next time. True to my word, I went with the Black Tiger Shrimp for $8.75. Now I do still feel that the menu items are on the spendy side but Deschutes Brewery charges $14 for Fish and Chips. So in comparison to Deschutes, the Fish and Chips is quite the deal.


When you get the fish and chips you have 8 choices of fish, 3 choices of slaw, and get to choose 2 of the 8 types of tarters they have available. It can be quite overwhelming.

I went with the Cilantro-Lime slaw and the Cap'n Dicks (Horseradish Cocktail Sauce) and the Toky (Wasabi, Soy, Pickled Ginger, Cucumber) for tarters. The shimp, slaw, and tarters were all very very good! The fries were edible but not really that good. There were a ton of fries though but we barely touched them. After the sandy chowder and stealing bites of the wife's salad, I still got my fill.

Also on the earlier post, Dave asked a question in the comments which I don't think I ever answered. "do they have anything for freaks like me who don't like seafood?"

Well Dave, you can get the fries, spanish rice, refried black beans, potato salad, green bean salad, salsa, guac, and slaw...all of which on on the Sides portion of the menu. Enjoy.

Bend Fish Company
212 NE Revere
Bend, OR 97701
541-330-6131
http://www.centormall.com/Bend_Fish_Company/index.htm (site needs help, dog)

Kitchen open daily at 11am