Blacksmith Beer Tasting

The Blacksmith Restaurant has brought back my favorite event in Bend, the Wednesday Beer Tastings. From 4:30-7 you can get tasters of a bunch of different beers that you probably wouldn't normally get or know if you would like. The theme changes weekly and I don't know what this week's theme is nor do I care. Beer is good, I drink it up!

For $10 you get to sample beer selected by my new best friend Robin. Robin pours the samples from beers he's selected for the week and will give you little nuggets of info about the brewery the beer came from, the type of beer it is, and why he likes it. Robin is working his way to become one of only a few official Beer Snobs. I mean, beer Sommelier or something like that.

Robin is actually really cool about his beer knowledge. He doesn't bore you with too much useless information about IBU numbers and shit. But he can if you want to know. I just want to drink it.

I'll be there tonight with head shots to sign for all my fan.

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

Blacksmith Restaurant

Blacksmith

The new Blacksmith restaurant has quickly become my favorite bar in Bend Oregon. I like going to the other places in Bend but with the atmosphere, nice televisions, quality selection of beers on tap as well as bottles, bar menu, happy hour pricing, Poem and Dave behind the bar, "Al-B-Sure" working the tables, Gavin and his crew in the kitchen...this place has won me over big time.

I was fortunate enough to visit the Blacksmith for their pre opening (which I'm willing to do for anyone who'd like to invite me) and enjoyed many appetizers of Gavin's New Ranch Cuisine and drinks. Later in the week I was able to make it for dinner and have been back to visit the new bar menu which is killer.

Congratulations to Gavin and the Blacksmith team. I can't recommend the Blacksmith enough for private parties, happy hour, dinner, just drinks, or whatever enough. The place flat out rocks. (Note: I have not been compensated for this uncharacteristically glowing review...when a place rocks, it rocks).

Here are some photos given to me and a couple I took myself like the one of my pork chop which used to be my favorite. Now I'm loving the Purist Steak...effing awesome.










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

Blacksmith Restaurant is Closing until Dec

BEND, OR (October 23, 2007) - The Blacksmith Restaurant will be closed for renovations Sunday, October 28th through December 1st.

“We’ve been listening to our customers, and we’ve been hearing three things consistently,” said Gavin McMichael, Chef and co-owner of The Blacksmith Restaurant. “One, the bar isn’t big enough, two, the space for private dining and special events is limited, and finally, there needs to be a broader selection of lower price-point items on the menu to meet demand for casual dining options.”

During our month long closing, we will be making the following changes:

• New Private Dining and Event Room that will accommodate up to 50 people. The room will include a large flat panel for presentations and other events, as well as wireless internet.

• A dramatic new bar will be located in the main entry area with adjacent lounge. Features include cush bar stools, flat panel TVs to keep your eye on the game, and twelve new beers on tap.

• New menu options, including more small plates and taster plates, will make the menu more accessible to casual diners.

• New hours. The Blacksmith will be open for early and late-night happy hours and dining.

• Enhancements to the restaurant’s overall atmosphere and seating options.

“We are bringing something unique to Bend and I couldn’t be more excited,” said McMichael, adding, “We love it that many think of us for fine dining and special occasions, but obviously we’d like to have a broader appeal and see our guests more often, and we’re trying to make that happen.”

The Blacksmith is targeting December 1st for its re-opening. Please visit www.bendblacksmith.com for updates.

About The Blacksmith
Serving New Ranch Cuisine in the corner building on Greenwood Ave., The Blacksmith Restaurant upgrades American comfort food to sophisticated status. Now in its fourth year, the Bend favorite resides in an historic Blacksmith building restored to its original 1923 mystique. The restaurant's rustic elegance fuses old and new, perfectly complementing Texan Chef Gavin McMichael's cowboy-inspired cuisine.

Where would you eat?

Where would you eat if you only had three days in Bend Oregon?

An out of state visitor to the Bend Oregon Restaurants blog emailed and asked for some advice on dinner options for three days in July. So I started thinking of where I'd go if I had only three days in Bend and was looking for dinner for two adults and an 8 yr old child with a preferred budget of around $12-$20 per entree.
Considering the child...Baltazar's is out of the question. If you have any thoughts (not about Baltazar's), feel free to post or email and I'll send them along to our soon to be visitor. Following is what I'd recommend but if you ask me tomorrow, I might have a different plan.

Friday night I'd take it fairly easy and hit up Big Island Kona Mix Plate for their prime rib special:

This photo shows the 10 ounce prime rib with some Shoyu Spare Ribs which were also the special for that Friday. Prime Rib is always the Friday special but I'll take anything Shoyu style. Wednesday's are the Shoyu Chicken which is insanely good. Slow cooked over night, the chicken and these ribs had the meat just falling off the bone. So tender, just like me. If you go for just the prime rib I believe the price is $14 for the 8 ounce and a couple bucks more for the 10 ounce. If you do get the prime rib, ask them to slice it for you since you eat with plastic ware. For the prices that they are charging, I'd really like to get away from the plastic ware and the styrofoam to-go containers.

They do have their full menu on their myspace page...don't even get me started on how silly it is to JUST have the myspace page and abandon their actual site. Not everyone has a myspace account. Anyway, the menu is accomodating for adults and kids. Opt for the Potato Mac as one of your sides.

For dessert I would definitely swing by the Blacksmith for the dessert sampler for two (it'll be plenty for all three of you) and a Spanish coffee:

On Saturday I would totally do the tourist move and go to Deschutes. Their daily specials menu is awesome but if nothing on the specials is right for you, I recommend the French Dip for only $8:


For dessert walk a block down to Goodies for some treats.

On Sunday I would head over to the west side for Baldy's to get some of the best ribs I've ever had:


You won't have room for dessert. There you have it. Locals, let me know if you agree / disagree / don't care for tourists / want to dance / like me / whatever.

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