The patio at Longboard Louie’s on the west side of Bend features ski-bum decorations and festive lights that wind their way up the blooming tree that is the area’s centerpiece.
Andy Tullis / The Bulletin
Eating out
Central Oregon abounds with outdoor dining options
By Alandra Johnson and Anna Sowa / The Bulletin
Published: May 30. 2008 4:00AM PSTThe signs of spring are supposed to be flowers blooming, leaves appearing on trees and the sound of songbirds. But around here, spring can be awfully fickle. A good way to tell that winter is behind us and summer is fast approaching comes when beer drinkers start lifting pints on Bend Brewing Company’s outside patio or families eat brunch under a tree on the vast lawn at McKay Cottage restaurant.
Central Oregonians are known for loving the outdoors, so why should it be any different when it comes time to eat?
Many local restaurants, cafes, pubs and coffee houses take full advantage of local residents’ desire to stay outside, while also capitalizing on the area’s amazing natural assets. After all, while Central Oregonians can’t always count on the weather, they can usually count on the views.
Outdoor dining can come with certain risks: sunburns, bugs, rain, wind, and chilly temperatures.
But there is something magical about eating outside that makes it worth the risk. When it doesn’t burn, the sun feels lovely; when it doesn’t gust, the wind feels playful. The night can seem more romantic outside. And eating outdoors is inherently more casual than dining inside. It’s hard to feel too formal while listening to frogs croak or watching squirrels race by.
Some local establishments owe some of their popularity to their incredibly appealing alfresco options.
Terrebonne Depot is one of those places. Visitors to the restaurant are perfectly positioned to watch the sun set on the Cascade Mountains to the west or check out the red hues coming off of Smith Rock to the east.
McMenamins Old St. Francis School in Bend offers ample outside seating, but perhaps its best spot is the back bar, known as O’Kanes, which has several fire pits on a large patio. It has the feel of a cabin in the woods, but with a professional bartender on hand.
Many restaurants in downtown Bend set tables and chairs on the cobbled sidewalks, offering diners a see-and-be-seen dining experience. Some of these notables include Merenda Restaurant and Wine Bar on the busy corner of Minnesota Avenue and Wall Street, and El Jimador, where margarita-sipping and chip-dipping diners sit along Franklin Avenue.
Staccato at the Firehall in downtown Bend offers a unique dining experience when the high-end Italian restaurant opens its huge windows for an outdoor-dining feel for indoor diners during the summer.
For those looking for a great outdoor dining experience, we’ve highlighted some new eateries and old standbys that offer high-end or casual outdoor spaces. For a longer sampling of the region’s outdoor dining options, see the restaurant guide.
Dining at the Old Mill
It was the perfect temperature outside — hovering between 65 and 70 — at 7:30 p.m. on the deck of Fireside Red recently.
The Bend tapas-style restaurant has become a very popular spot since opening earlier this year. A big part of the draw is its large deck, which hangs almost like a balcony from the side of the restaurant, above the Deschutes River at the north end of the Old Mill District. Metal tables and chairs and colorful umbrellas dot the patio space.
The view is not of the mountains, which are hard to see from this location, but of the river, which is lined with cattails and attracts a steady stream of pedestrians and wildlife. Sitting on the balcony, diners can see the action below, but can feel pleasantly removed from mosquitoes or honking geese. Bluesy music played as a flock of swallows darted through the sky.
A charming backdrop like this can make food taste even better. The meal at Fireside included lobster croquette, stuffed calamari, a light beet salad and savory pita served with hummus, olives, feta and pickled onions. The food, like the atmosphere, was light and fresh.
Watching the light change and evening approach is one of the joys of eating outside. During the meal, the sunlight had transformed from bold and bright to warm and buttery. The lights of the pedestrian bridge across the river came on and a full moon appeared in the periwinkle sky near the towering smokestacks.
By the end of the meal, the sound of croaking frogs could be plainly heard.
After dinner, it was easy to stroll to the Old Mill Martini Bar for a nightcap. At 8:55 p.m., the sky was darkening. The outside balcony at the bar held several metal tables and chairs and few fellow patrons. The silhouette of the mountains looked spectacular in the light, but was partly hidden by the buildings across the street. The sky slowly slipped into a dark inky color and looked like a thick blanket had been pulled across it.
While sipping rich, chocolatey cocktails, the whole scene seemed ideal for romance or contemplative conversation — or both, depending on the company.
West side story
The Galveston corridor on Bend’s west side is an example of businesses that cater primarily to locals, including many eateries popular among young Central Oregonians who want inexpensive and casual dining. Once the weather warms up, the bike lanes are busy with residents, many of whom live in the houses clustered in the area. Parrilla Grill hosts concerts and other community events in the summer, guaranteeing that its patio will be full of diners holding bulging wraps.
Down the street, Mother’s Juice Cafe and Longboard Louie’s cater to the hungry lunch-time crowd, many of whom head outside to eat. Longboard Louie’s, which last year opened an east Bend location, has a great outdoor dining setup, complete with ski-bum decorations and twinkling lights winding up the blooming tree in the center of the patio.
Some of the best outdoor dining in town offers natural shade, and Longboard Louie’s has its picnic tables set up under a canopy of trees that rained dainty pink blossoms on hungry patrons earlier this month.
The shade was a welcome break from the glaring High Desert sun for diners and for those waiting to order in lines that regularly wound out the door. The casual setting — hot sauces are kept in tin beer buckets — matches the eclectic music playing overhead and adds to the youthful feel.
Downtown getaway
If the recipe for perfect outdoor dining includes lush landscaping, natural shade and a view of one of Central Oregon’s landmarks, the Pine Tavern Restaurant has it all.
Not only does the eatery have historical significance as Bend’s oldest restaurant, it sits on precious real estate: above the iconic Mirror Pond, where ducks, Canada geese and swans swim by impressive riverfront homes across the water from patio diners.
The patio is bordered with well-kept landscaping that includes tulips and bleeding hearts, thanks to the mastery of the Pine Tavern’s personal gardener, who has been with the restaurant for 15 years. When the summer’s Munch & Music festival at Drake Park begins, the water carries the sound to the Pine Tavern, where managers may turn down their own music so patio patrons can listen.
On the Sunday of Pole Pedal Paddle weekend, the Pine Tavern’s patio was filled with diners lucky enough to have snagged a table (managers recommend arriving to your reservation early to get an outside table). As the sun set over Mirror Pond, the water sparkled, creating a romantic setting. The Pine Tavern’s menu has options for everyone, and their bread-basket “fritters” with honey butter add to the summertime elegance.
Tables include umbrellas that protect diners from falling leaves and any bright light reflecting off the pond, and lap blankets are available when the temperature dips below comfort level.
It’s no surprise that the Pine Tavern has been a local mainstay for more than 70 years as well as a destination for tourists. The private, quiet patio adds to the allure.
Alandra Johnson can be reached at 617-7860 or at ajohnson@bendbulletin.com.
Anna Sowa can be reached at 383-0304 or asowa@bendbulletin.com.
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