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
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
Labels: Best of Bend
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4What? Got something to say?
> I'm just saying that "Best of" lists
> that are this different seem to me
> like there's something a foot.
This seems like an odd statement to make. None of these "lists" are done scientifically. These are not random surveys done over a statistically representative sample of the Bend population. These are *all* just gimmicks to drum up more advertising for the publications. Just how many ballots were actually submitted? What are the actual tallys? How judicious were they in shifting out duplicates and ballot stuffing? Were the publication's employees (especially the advertising dept) allowed to submit ballots?
The insinuation that there is "something afoot" with the Gusto list just because it differs from your own favorite is a bit unfair. Look at the ads. As far as I can tell, McKay Cottage has a single small ad on Gusto and not a single ad on the Source. There are plenty of other restaurants with more ads and bigger ads.
Of course the readership demographics differ. This should be obvious from the content of both publications. They're targeted at vastly different audiences. Also, perhaps the fact that McKay Cottage has been around for only just little over a year may have something to do with it -- maybe the Gusto readers don't cling to their old favorites as much as the Source readers.
Who cares what these statistically-dubious polls say? Go to the restaurants you like. And if you find a new one you like, then tell your friends. I happen to agree with you that McKay Cottage has great food and great service... I don't need a poll to tell me that.
Note: In the interest of disclosure, I should say that I know the owner of McKay Cottage fairly well and have been to the restaurant quite a lot. But I also patronize and like a few other restaurants in town so I think I've got a fairly balanced perspective.
Reading over "your vs their" best of lists it appears to me that you are under the impression that the Source's best are picked by the Source and that Gusto's are picked by their "readers". The only best the Source ever picks is the Restaurant of the Year, featured in the Dining Guide that comes out in the spring. What is listed as "the best of" are reader polls, and, as "ric" comments, not very scientifically done but still a comment from the readership not the staff. Maybe you are aware of that but it was not clear in the piece.
The question I have is.... Who has the best Salads? Taste, selection, size, etc.
I'm there with ya except I LOVE Amalia's lighter menu 'cept the awesome rice AND Pizza Mondo is the best I think on the westside.
another "thebestofbend" blogger.
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