Double Happiness - Bend Oregon

Double Happiness

Double Happiness is back and better than ever. Actually DH has been back for a while and should be on Jon's Eastside Rocks. btw Jon, you shouldn't get to claim Zydeco. I read your boundaries but 3rd should be the line.

I've visited the east side Double Happiness twice now and the first time it was awesome and the second time it was good. Besides Jake's Diner, Double Happiness is a good reason for me to fill up the gas tank and make that looong drive out East for some grub.

The wife requested Pineapple Chicken which hasn't been on their menu in ages but they were willing to hook it up for her...she's cool like that.


I went for one of my staples, the Sesame Chicken.


Both were scrumptious as always. An added bonus was that the Hot and Sour was great and didn't have any negative aftermath like from other places.

Double Happiness has one of the best lunch meal deals in Bend. Definitely worth the trip out to the east side of town.

Double Happiness
2115 NE Hwy 20
Bend, OR 97701

World Series of Holdem for Habitat @ Jake's Diner

Jake’s Diner, Bend Area Veterans, and Habitat for Humanity will be partnering for this event.

Event Name: World Series of Holdem for Habitat

Where: Jake’s Diner

When: October 1st and 2nd.

Time: Signups begin at 5PM and play begins at 6:30PM

Cost: $5 on the first night and $10 on the second. All proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity and will be targeted to Operation Home Build.

The second night is the main event. To qualify, you must be a winner of a previous tourney. The first night is to help those who have not qualified or have not played before to have a chance to play in the main event.

On the first night, every table will be considered a final table and will have a winner who will qualify for the main event (if the winner of the table is already qualified, the 2nd place finisher will qualify).

On the main event night, the winner of the tourney will win two nights on the Oregon coast right on the beach at the Beautiful Sandcastle Motel (part of the prize has been donated by the Sandcastle).

Other businesses who have donated prizes for the Holdem for Habitat events include Jake’s Diner, Printer Resources, Kings Razor, Lava Lanes, and the Shell Stop & Go.

For further information, please contact Lyle Hicks at 419-6021

Jackalope Grill Oktoberfest Cooking Classes

EVENT DATES: Monday, September 24 and Monday, October 8

Oktoberfest Cooking Classes Reveal Secrets of Traditional German Cuisine

(BEND, OR) Food lovers and cooks of all abilities are invited to learn the art of preparing traditional German Oktoberfest dishes with The Jackalope Grill’s Chef Timothy Garling. On Monday, September 24 and Monday, October 8, Garling will teach classes of six cooks how to prepare an appetizer, an entree and a dessert that they can make at home to share with friends and family.

Each class includes wine and hors d’oeuvres, demonstration and hands-on preparation in the kitchen, handouts with recipes and techniques and sampling of menu dishes paired with wine and/or beer.

Different menus will be presented in each class, so true devotees can learn about more dishes by participating in both sessions. The September 24 class focuses on schnitzel (both veal and pork), and the October 8 class concentrates on wild game. Some of the menu items covered in the classes will become features of Garling’s special Oktoberfest menu, which will be served at the restaurant.

Tune into “Cooking With Gusto!” on KBND (AM 1110) at 9:00 am on Saturday, September 22 to hear Garling discuss Oktoberfest cooking with host Julia Gray.

Oktoberfest cooking classes start at 6:00 pm at The Jackalope Grill and are limited to just six participants. Cost is $50 for an individual or $75 for two. To reserve a space, call The Jackalope Grill at 541-318-8435.

About The Jackalope Grill
Named for the elusive - some say extinct - western creature resembling a jack rabbit with deer antlers, The Jackalope Grill offers the equally hard-to-find combination of imaginative Northwest haute cuisine and an unpretentious Central Oregon environment. Host Kathy Garling and French-trained Chef Timothy Garling bring to bear more than 25 years of fine dining experience, most recently in the ski resort town of Alta, Utah, where they turned an ailing local eatery into one of that state’s most highly regarded restaurants. The Jackalope Grill features a frequently updated menu of wild game, fresh seafood, pasta, poultry and Oregon beef, with fresh, local, and organic products featured whenever possible. For reservations, call 541-318-8435 or visit http://www.thejackalopegrill.com/.

Cafe Sintra - Bend Oregon

Cafe Sintra

The wife and I went to lunch at Cafe Sintra and rather enjoyed it. I don't know why I never think of this place for lunch. Maybe its because Deschutes Brewery is right next to it.

So after looking over the menu of mostly sandwiches, I went for the Sunriver Bistro - Ham, salami, and prosciutto with Swiss cheese and herb mayo.


It was really good and chuck full of pork products as it should be. I was much happier with this lunch experience when comparing it to the sandwich from Makahna's Trattoria. Our wait time was normal lunch waiting time and the kettle chips were far superior.

I'll have to try to get over there for one of the breakfast items to see how those fair.

Cafe Sintra
1024 NW Bond St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-8004

Entrees Made Easy - Oregon Part 3

Entrees Made Easy

After the delicious Pad Thai we sampled the other two dishes that I was able to score from Entrees Made Easy. Starting with the Shanghai Steak - a London broil "marinated in an Asian-inspired blend of sweet molasses, ginger, and soy sauce."
I prepped my grill and even though I know how to grill a steak I followed the instructions. For grilling the instructions read "Grill for 10-13 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness is reached."


I didn't want to grill the steak 10-13 minutes per side, I thought that was way too long. I barely made it to 8 minutes before I couldn't take it anymore and flipped the steak. I cooked it for another 6-7 minutes and took it off the grill and rested it.

Slicing it up I realized that it was a little overcooked for our liking. I like medium to medium rare. The photo below shows the best slice (not to mention the amazing grill lines, I know what I'm doing on that grill man) of the steak.

Now the London broil is not my preferred piece of beef. I wouldn't get this beef when I go back. I liked the Pad Thai and it made sense to me to try something that I normally wouldn't make at home. And to me, steaks and marinades are fairly easy. But it was good to try.

On a weeknight we tried the Crispy Chicken Strips. I had to get these to review since one of my friends LOVES her crispy chicken.


VERY easy to prepare! Took only a minute or two to get these guys into the oven. When they came out they were tender, juicy, and delicious.

Finally...

Molten Lava Cakes!!!

And you know how the wife has to do it...


All in all, for the money, it was definitely worth the trip. Since they do not charge extra for assembling the meals for you, I'd take full advantage of that.

Entrees Made Easy
3188 N. Highway 97 Suite 105
Bend, OR 97701
541-317-4159
http://www.entreesmadeeasy.com/mtb/

Entrees Made Easy - Oregon Part 2

Entrees Made Easy

Part two of my review of Entrees Made Easy is the actual cooking and consumption of the meals that I prepped while at the facilities. The day I came home from Entrees Made Easy I had three meals to choose from. Chicken Pad Thai, Shanghai Beef, and Crispy Chicken Strips.

The instructions read not to freeze the Pad Thai so I decided to make that one first. I got my pot of boiling water together to make the pasta just like I would make some spaghetti and while that was working I started my prep work.

Everything was easy to follow and I made my way through the steps. One thing that sort of confused me was that the instructions asked me to add peanut oil to the wok. The big benefit to prepping up your meal at Entrees Made Easy is that they have all the ingredient that you don't stock at home. Unfortunately, I don't have peanut oil in my inventory.

I have vegetable oil, sesame oil, and EVOO. I used the sesame oil. Other than that, it all went pretty smooth. I got to use our wok for the first time...the wife uses it more often.



Absolutely delicious! Very spicy, which I like but some might think it's a bit too spicy. When you prep up this meal, you might want to take it easy on the heat.

We got the three half orders for our meals which runs $39. For this half order, it was much more food than the two of us could eat and we were able to eat the left overs the next day. I hope to see the Pad Thai on the menu again as I'd get it for sure.

This meal made a bit of a mess and it took me longer than I expected but when you consider all of the prep work and the ingredients list, the value and time saving made it worth while. Plus this is a dish that I normally wouldn't think to make at home cause I don't know how, don't have the ingredients, and don't really have the time.

Next post will be on the Shanghai Steak.

Entrees Made Easy
3188 N. Highway 97 Suite 105
Bend, OR 97701
541-317-4159
http://www.entreesmadeeasy.com/mtb/

Entrees Made Easy - Oregon

Entrees Made Easy

I had an opportunity to visit Entrees Made Easy in the Bend River Promenade. Entrees Made Easy is "a fun new concept in home dinner preparation." When you go to Entrees Made Easy, I recommend looking over the online menu in order to go in with a game plan on what dishes you'd like to make/purchase.

Upon arriving I was greeted by an amazingly friendly staff (what up Lloyd and Tina) who gave me a tour of the facilities and a run down of the home dinner prep industry. I was also informed about one of the main reasons Entrees Made Easy has set themselves apart from the competition....with their full kitchen. They make their own sauces, marinades, and rubs right there on the property. The sauces are not sent from a main warehouse out of Georgia or Kerplakistan.

After some instructions I was given my apron and asked to wash up. They are serious about cleanliness. I am quite the germaphobe and I was wondering how they handle having civilians handling food while maintaining the cleanliness. I had to wash my hands before the meal prep, don gloves, then after each meal, dump the gloves, wash up again, then put on a new set of gloves. All I needed were my OR scrubs. Look how clean it is:


Prep work was already taken care of so all I had to do was follow the easy instructions on what to put into which baggy and presto, done.

Entrees Made Easy will slice and dice everything that you need. I know that when I attempt something new from Rachelle Ray's 30 minute meals, the prep work alone takes me 34 minutes, not to mention the time to go to the store for that one item that I forgot or don't have in my pantry. I mean, who the hell has fish sauce? Not sure what it is, sounds fishy (buh dun dunt).

I'd like to say that I figured it all out on my own but Tina was there to help me out when I didn't quite understand the instructions or tried to add in minced ginger instead of garlic....I wasn't paying attention too well as I was trying to take in everything.

All in all, it was a great experience preparing three, half order meals and I look forward to doing it again. My next post will be about the Chicken Pad Thai that I prepared and we ate that same night. Mmmmm mmmm.

Entrees Made Easy
3188 N. Highway 97 Suite 105
Bend, OR 97701
541-317-4159
http://www.entreesmadeeasy.com/mtb/