Tis the season for heavy cream, cookies, and other tasty dishes but don't forget to be kind to your body and give it a healthy treat every once in a while. With Salud re-opening for the first time in months, our office had to take the opportunity to try out this oldie but goodie. We were not disappointed. This gem of a restaurant is tucked back off the main street but you will see their sign right in their lawn from Franklin Avenue whenever they are open.
From wontons to tacos to juices, this menu had a bit of everything. We began our flavor journey today with the wontons. This expertly crafted dish was so colorful from the moment we opened the box that we could not wait to dig in. Made with coconut wonton paper, cashew cream cheese, bell pepper, purple cabbage, carrot, cilantro, and chili lime dipping sauce, these small bites were packed with so much flavor.
We were very excited to be able to try out this new little wine shop, tucked away in downtown Bend. It has only been open for about 6 weeks (what a time to open!), and Dave has done an incredible job of putting together a diverse portfolio of varietals at reasonable prices.

We made a reservation for one of two outdoor dining tables to do the weekly signature flight. The seating was appropriately distanced, and each table came with its own heater; we hardly used our blankets we brought. This week's selection was Gamay- a varietal we are personally not very familiar with, so this was an extra treat!
Our tasting experience had us traveling from France to the Willamette valley...
Today in our never ending quest to find Bend's Best Bites, we came across an absolute gem of a lunch stop. Located in an Old Bend Neighborhood off the beaten path, we found a wonderful small batch vegan restaurant called Root Down Kitchen. This entirely plant based restaurant really packed in the flavors we love and made us forget there was no meat. Root Down Kitchen calls themselves "Vegan comfort food" and we absolutely agree.
We began our flavor journey with the Red Lentil Fritters. This dish offered two large fritters topped with pickled onions, cilantro, pesto, spicy aioli, and avocado crema over a bed of spicy slaw. Not only was this dish packed with such a myriad of flavors, it was also so gorgeous to look at that we hardly wanted to dig in... but we are so glad we did.
After leaving no trace behind of the fritters, we started in on our mouth watering sandwi...
At Bend Premier, we are always on the hunt for the next best bite in Bend, and today, we found an absolute gem. Tucked away in the back side of the popular Box Factory above The Old Mill, Valentine's Deli does have some "Seriously Good Sandwiches."
When it comes to vegetarian options, we always look for big flavor and an experience that makes you forget there is no meat. The Sierra sandwich at Valentine's Deli did just that. Each bite was an explosion of flavor and had me going back for more. This sandwich was toasted to perfection, giving a nice aromatic experience before even taking a bite. Featuring sun dried tomatoes, provolone, black olives, pepperoncini, arugula, lettuce, onion, tomato and red wine vinaigrette, this sandwich was packed with so many good flavors that married perfectly. We would highly recommend this sandwich to veggie and meat lovers alike.
I'm going to share a little secret with you. Stihl Whisky Bar is the new hot spot.
In Bend, sometimes its all about brunch. This fresh menu and iconic setting will stun you. After visiting Stihl Whisky Bar for several happy hour sessions we noticed that they'd started doing Brunch! Obviously we had to go check it out and we were blown away. Not only were there some great twists of brunch classics, there also was no wait! This is Bend's best kept secret and it wont stay that way for long.
Which dish was our favorite? That's hard to say. Each item we ordered had stand-alone qualities that would leave any brunch goer thrilled. Lets dive into what we ordered!
The biscuits and gravy, even without eggs, is INCREDIBLE. Wow, we didn't know you could take a classic and redefine what it should taste like. This is a dish you could literally eat everyday. Mezcal-...