bistro corlise - latest to close

I'm very disappointed in you who have not tried bistro corlise and helped keep one of the finest restaurants in Bend open. I just received an email from the very talented Jason Logan announcing the upcoming closure.

I'm sad. I thought you all loved me. We have a good thing going here. I tell you where the good places are and where to avoid. If I say that somewhere is good, you should believe me AND eat there. Come on people!

"Sadly, this email is not offering another wine dinner or food event. I am writing to announce that I have decided to sell the restaurant. ... Without the community's willingness to at least try what we have to offer, I cannot justify staying in Bend.

The last sixteen months have been a wonderful creative time in my life, as we have offered over fifty different menus. These include regional wine dinners, National Sparkling Wine Day, and finally our Head to Tail Dinner. I am proud of my culinary ideals, principals, and philosophies and I will continue to press on and seek challenges in the future.

We will be open our regular hours through Friday, March 6th. We will be closed the 7th and 8th, as I have been invited to cook for an event at Ken Wright Cellars. I have not yet decided if we will be open the following week."




bistro corlise
916 NW Wall St.
Bend OR 97701
http://www.bistrocorlise.com/

bistro corlise

The Wife is kicking me, and I'm kicking myself for not trying to get us seats at bistro corlise's Head to Tail Dinner on Feb. 22. The event is already sold out but I still needed to mention it. 15 course dinner of deliciously pork heaven. Chef Logan is working some serious magic with this pork filled menu from Confit of pig heart and sprouted lentils to Pork blood Ravioli with pig snout filling to braised pork tongue and ham hock with cabbage.

KICKING MYSELF! I want some pig ears...I like pigs feet! I'm sad.

The Wife and I went to dinner at bistro corlise the other night and we can't stop talking about it. Seriously, if you haven't been to bistro corlise, stop crying about the restaurants that are gone and not coming back and get out there to one of the best restaurants in Bend.

We ordered some wine with Allison's help - hostess with the mostess. We strategized our dinner plan and placed our order. We enjoyed our wine and watched people walking by - including one couple that was calling it quits for the evening. He didn't want to quit but she'd had enough. His hug was not returned and they went separate ways. I like window seats.

For our first course I ordered the Pork Sausage with pork belly and turnip ragout ($9) and the wife wanted the camaroli rice with lamb sweetbread, shaved lamb heart, and mustard seed vinaigrette ($9)


All good things about both of these dishes. Our plates went back spotless. We put the plates side by side in between us and just snacked on both. I was avoiding the chanterelle mushroom looking things in the Wife's rice under the lamb sweetbreads. Finally I couldn't avoid them and gave it a try. Very meaty. I was happy and then I found out that it was not mushroom, but the lamb heart shavings! I was in heaven. I've never tried lamb heart but I would gladly do it again.

Oh the sweetbreads were so tender and saltylicious. The first time I ever tried sweetbreads was the first time I visited bistro corlise. On that visit they were veal and very good. I liked the lamb even better.

Next up was the salad course and we selected the bean salad with air dried ham, oil cured olives, preserved lemon, and olive oil ($9). I was against the idea of a bean salad until it arrived at the table. I dove in soooo fast that I forgot to get the photo. We quickly put it back together and I took the shot while the Wife impatiently tapped her toe.


Air dried ham under and throughout the salad. It was more of a ham salad vs a bean salad. Unfortunately for me, the bean was lima. I ate around them. I don't like lima beans.

Next up were the main attractions. The last time I went to bistro corlise I said that I wanted to come back for the duck. Luckily for me, the duck was on the menu. Seared duck breast with duck confit, parsnip, and natural jus ($31). I was a little apprehensive about getting the duck as the $31 price tag was a little high for me but said eff it.


Definitely worth the money. The breast was cooked and seasoned to perfection. Not too much going on with it letting the quality of the duck speak for itself. The parsnips soaked up the jus and were little bites of salty soaked vegg. If you're going to eat veggies, soaking them in duck juice is the only way to go. I also liked the little bits of duck niblets throughout.

The wife went for the seared hanger steak with pearl barley and wild mushrooms ($20).


She loved it, said it was hearty. I didn't really care for her main but she ate it up. I was focused on my duck. I excused myself to utilize the facilities. When I returned to the table, my plate was more in the middle of the table, not where I left it. The wife tried to play it off. She steals.

Chef Logan, who had delivered some of our dishes himself and heard our disappointment about not getting in on the Head to Tail dinner, treated us to the dessert that will be served at said dinner. Chocolate and blood truffle, candied cocoa nibs, cumin vinaigrette.


MMMMmmmmm blood. The nibs were good, no complaints. Very interesting dessert. If it weren't for the sweet chocolate coating, I don't know if I could have eaten all of it, the blood/chocolate inside was quite bitter. But the combo was good.


Like I said, if you haven't been to bistro corlise yet, get there. It is some of the finest dining in Bend.

bistro corlise
916 NW Wall St.
Bend OR 97701
http://www.bistrocorlise.com/

bistro corlise

bistro corlise has a happy hour menu with $5 appetizers and $5 glasses of wine. We've visited bistro corlise before and had a great dinner. Since our last visit they have made some nice changes to the atmosphere. If you haven't been to bistro corlise yet, go for some happy hour items to get a feel for the place and you'll probably end up staying for dinner.

We sat at the bar and asked about the happy hour items and our waitress/bartender explained that they had a red and white wine. I totally forgot what the actual types or names of either were but I selected the red and the wife took the white. Both were very good and heavily poured. We were happy for only $10.

On our visit, they had three appetizers that were only $5 each.

sanglier - boar rillettes, crustini, dijon mustard. The photo for the boar rillettes was a little blury but that's ok since it's not much to look at. Two scoops of boar patte with some little crustinis and a dollop of mustard. It was my second favorite of the three appetizers. I spread a good portion on the crustini and then added the mustard. Creamy boar goodness.

terrine du style de la campagne - country style pork terrine, vegetable accompaniment, whole grain mustard. I'm not a fan of terrrines. It was good for what it is but I wouldn't get it again. But, for only $5, it was a great experiment. The wife liked the green beans.


porc - chilled pork, smoked air dried ham, oil cured olives, red peppers, zucchini mousse. YES! This was my favorite. The wife really liked the chutney of peppers and it went great with the pork. I'd gladly get this and the Boar dish anytime.

I'm pleased to see that bistro corlise is still around in this time of restaurant closings and still sitting over there next to Merenda's and I'd recommend that you get in there. If not for a full meal, go try one of the appetizers and let me know what you think.

bistro corlise
916 NW Wall St.
Bend OR 97701
http://www.bistrocorlise.com/

After bistro corlise we continued our World Tour of Bend. Stay tuned...

bistro corlise - Bend Oregon

bistro corlise

The wife and I went to bistro corlise for dinner and with the help of our awesome waitress, thoroughly enjoyed our entire evening. We sat down and viewed the small menu of starters, salads, and entrees to map out our plan for dinner. The wife and I like to make sure we get items that we can share. That way we can swap if something doesn't agree with one of us.

Then, she decided on the onion flan.

In my mind, I started thinking that she's mad at me or that I did something wrong. I can't think of something more unappetizing as an onion flan. But, since I can't tell her what to do:


tartre des allymes
onion flan, belgian endive 9.

We ate the whole thing...she ate most of it and really, really liked it. I had a few bites and liked it as well. It wasn't all oniony like I thought it would have been. You know what I mean. We think of a flan as what you get at Mexican restaurants for dessert, that runny, jiggly snot lookin thing. This was not like those at all.

Our waitress explained that this dish was more like a quiche than a flan so she decided to give it a try. We both agreed that this should be called a quiche instead of a flan. The wife says she'd go back just for that if it was a lunch item.

I only had a few bites since I was busy with my Wild Boar appetizer. Wild BOR appetizer. I'm a BOR you're a BOR wouldn't you like to be a BOR too? I'm a carniBORe.

sanglier braise
basque braised wild boar,
le puy lentils, celeriac 8.


Yup, that will work even though I have no idea what a sanlier braise is. I know the photo is not that great and the colors do not shine but for me, this is just want I want, meat and beans! Chef Logan is a fan of salt which agrees with me. I like my dishes heavily seasoned and bistro corlise does not hold back. My boar (or BOR) was very tender, it had the same texture as stew meat, and the lentils were grubbin. I enjoyed every bite.

After these two starters we wanted something on the lite side so we opted for the watercress salad.

la salade
watercress, goat cheese, golden beets, radish
champagne vinaigrette 7.

Unfortunately the photo did not come out but it was very good for a salad. The yellow beats were a great mix and the wife, who does not like beats at all, enjoyed them. She actually snagged the last couple before I could. Ok, that's way too much info on a flippin salad. On to the next course!

The wife had a tough time deciding between the duck breast and the fish special of the day. She finally settled on the fish. A silver grey fillet served over a bed of asparagus with a prosciutto reduction (the pork reduction means more salt).

poisson du jour
seasonal fish, daily preparation market price.


The skin was crispy and the meat was similar to a fatty tuna instead of being flaky like halibut. The jus was salty and delicious.

Now for my entree. I swear this menu item was right up my ally. Before looking at the bistro corlise website, I talked to my hippy friend who said "ask for the meat, meat, with a side of meat dish....they have it." I would not think that this French bistro would be catered to a meat lover like myself but sure enough, there was a entree just for me.

le veau goute
veal new york, veal sausage, veal sweetbread
potato dumpling, carrot 26.


I'm in heaven with my all meat entree. The medium rare veal went well with the potato dumplings. The best part was taking a little slice of all three veals for each bite. Yummy. There was not a scrap left on any of our plates especially this one.

The wife and I had a good chuckle over the name before I ordered it. With the combo of the all meat entree and Chef Logan's love of salt, le veau goute was quickly turned into le veau gout. My father in law has many gold sayings like "I'm gonna slosh this down real quick" in reference to his can of BER (cheap beer, so cheap they don't waste the extra ink on a second E) and my favorite via text message at inappropriate hours of the evening while he's kickin it at his local bar ... "my gout's acting up...too many hot dogs and pretzels today." I have very little understanding of the gout but I think it has something to do with too much meat, salt, beer, and lack of movement. I'm days away from calling the MD.

All in all, the dinner was insanely good and I will be going back to try the duck. I have some constructive criticism for Chef Logan that I hope this is taken as constructive.

First, I'd love to hear some French music or something to make the restaurant a little warmer. The restaurant is nice, I just think the ambiance could be upgraded a bit.

Second, I would like the idiot's guide to the menu. I've said it time and time again that I'm just your regular guy. So when faced with this French menu, it can be a little intimidating. We had to ask quite a few questions so we knew what exactly we were ordering and what to expect. Our waitress was so helpful and polite. She gladly answered our questions and gave her recommendations. We felt very comfortable asking about anything. At one point I asked "What about frogs"...do you know what she answered? (total Portland joke from back in the day)

Finally, I would like a wine pairing or recommendation for each entree. I didn't recognize many of the wines on the menu but I'm not really a wine guy. The wine shelf/cellar in my house contains mostly Costco red wines. They're my favorite. So when presented with the wine list I'm out of my element. I'd love to see a recommendation on a wine that will go well with each entree especially from a certified Sommelier by the International Sommelier Guild as Chef Logan is.

Obviously the wines that Chef Logan is stocking his shelves with are good, he knows what he's talking about. So all I need is for him to tell me which wine to sip on while I shovel fork full after fork full of food into my gullet.

For all of the above we only spent $73. That's a great deal for a great dinner out at a fine dining establishment in downtown Bend Oregon. When you get two starters, a salad and two entrees with this quality and for this price, you're doing alright. For the money I felt the portions were spot on and I'd gladly revisit bistro corlise.

On top of all that, you get to dine in Central Oregon at a fine dining restaurant rubbing elbows with locals wearing cowboy boots...seriously, that happened. Cowboy boots + fine dining French bistro = True Bend Oregon Dining.

bistro corlise
916 NW Wall St.
Bend OR 97701
http://www.bistrocorlise.com/

Bistro Corlise Open House & Tasting

I received this notice the other day about Bistro Colise's wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres coming up tomorrow evening. I am going to start posting things like this that I hear about on Friday's. However, since this event is happening tomorrow night, I am posting today. I really don't feel that I need to explain, just read it, show up for your free food and drink and shut up.

I'll be there.

EVENT DATE: First Friday, March 7

First Friday: Bistro Corlise Open House & Tasting

(BEND, OR) Bistro Corlise will host an Open House & Tasting with complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres for First Friday, March 7. The restaurant will be closed for dining, but the bar will be open. For more, please call 385-6979 or visit http://www.bistrocorlise.com/. Bistro Corlise is located downtown Bend at 916 NW Wall Street.

Bistro Corlise Regional Dinner - March 18

This sounds hella good! Anyone been to Bistro Corlise yet?

EVENT DATE: Tuesday, March 18

Dinner Celebrates Food & Wine of France’s Southwest Region

Bistro Corlise Presents A Five-Course Journey Through Beam, Quercy, Gers and Basque Country

(BEND, OR) Bistro Corlise’s Chef Jason Logan presents an evening of culinary delights from the southwest region of France on Tuesday, March 18. Seating is limited for this special five-course meal paired with regional wines and liqueur.

“Gastronomically, this region is defined as the Bearn, the Quercy, the Gers, and the Basque country; areas south of Bordeaux, north of the Pyrenees Mountains, and west of Languedoc,” explains Chef Logan. “With enough diversity and tradition to fill a lifetime of cooking, eating, and drinking, we take an evening to travel through this area of culinary treasures and amazing regional wines.”

The menu for the evening includes a first course of soupe (fish soup, fish mousseline) paired with Domaine Brumont, Pacherenc Du vic Bilh Sec, 2005. Second course is langue d’agneau (lamb tongue, cabbage, lentils, potato, lamb daube) paired with Domaines Jouffreau, Clos du Gamot, Cahors, 1989. Third course is canard (pan roasted duck breast, crépinette of duck leg, yellow foot chanterelles, cauliflower, sauce bigarade) paired with Domaine Brumont, V.V, Madiran, 2002. The fourth course pairs Domaine Brumont, Pacherenc Du Vic Doux Brumaire, 2004 with gâteau de noyer (walnut cake, prune curd, orange gelée). And for the finish, fromage (Roquefort cheese, golden raisin) and Bernard Boutinet, NV, Pineau des Charentes Blanc.

Certified by the International Sommelier Guild, Chef Logan lets wine lead the way through the cuisine. “We will be featuring three of Alain Brumont’s wines, a famed winemaker from the Madiran, says Logan. “Jean Jouffreau’s 1989 Clos du Gamont Cahors is another delightful find for this evening; the Jouffreau family has been making wine since 1610, passed down from father to son. Finishing the evening will be a Pineau des Charentes, an unfermented grape juice added to cognac, thus making a beautiful ‘vin de liqueur’.”

Cost for the Southwest France dinner is $125.00 per person. Seating is limited. For reservations, please call 385-6979 or visit www.bistrocorlise.com. Bistro Corlise is located downtown Bend at 916 NW Wall Street.