The Jackalope Grill in downtown Bend has faltered in recent years as owner Laura Bliss struggled to find the right chef.

The former owner of Sunriver’s South Bend Bistro purchased Tim Garling’s restaurant in October 2022 with Chef Kelly Day, with whom she had worked for eight years. But when Day’s life led her in a new direction, Bliss was faced with finding a new chef.

What followed were three chefs who failed to successfully run the French-American restaurant, ultimately hurting the dishes brought to the table and its reputation. Reviews on Yelp in 2023 and 2024 reflect the struggles that took place in the back of the house, with complaints of mediocre food and slow service.

Last week, Bliss opened up with The Bulletin about her recent challenges and why 2025 is the year of a new Jackalope Grill.

“I remember so many times, just walking into the kitchen, eyes huge, going, ‘What? What is happening?” Bliss said of those challenging years. “I had no idea what to do.”

One of those chefs relied on preparing batches of ingredients in advance, rather than preparing dishes to order. Diners weren’t happy with the food. Wait times were long, posing a problem for the 2-hour parking limits in the downtown area.

Then, six different restaurant guests suggested that Bliss contact Chef Josh Podwils.

New chef, new menu

Podwils, 43, had taken a couple of years away from the industry to raise his kids. But Bliss happened to contact him at a time when he was ready to step back into the chef role.

Podwils, born and raised in Bend, began working in restaurants at the age of 14. His culinary expertise includes serving as executive chef at The Victorian Cafe for over six years and at Brother Jon’s Alehouse (a few blocks away from The Jackalope Grill) for over four years. He helped launch Oblivion Brewing Co. and has hosted private dinners through Elixir Wine Group.

When Bliss and Podwils met, they discovered they shared a vision and passion for French-American cuisine. Podwils recognized the restaurant’s potential and Bliss officially hired him as the new executive chef in January.

“When he came on, he jumped right in and we saw immediately that he could do what he said he could do. And that was a breath of fresh air,” Bliss said.

Over the past five months, Podwils has introduced a completely new menu. It no longer features Garling’s recipes, but an amalgamation of Podwils’ past experiences and over two decades of running kitchens.

The pork chop, sourced from Salmon Creek Farms and served with Gouda mashed potatoes and a bourbon brown sugar glaze ($48), is an homage to a pork chop served by The Blacksmith Restaurant while Podwils worked there, he said.

Other dishes that have proven popular with diners are the King salmon with tomato risotto ($38) and the duck confit with a cardamom-port reduction ($39). Podwils sources the duck from Culver Farms in Indiana because of their commitment to high animal welfare standards and the “Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare.”

Podwils has instilled new practices in the kitchen, allowing Bliss to focus on front-of-house operations, such as the bar program and the courtyard, where four kinds of mint (strawberry, orange, chocolate and spearmint) are grown and used as additions to the food and drinks.

The chef has shrunk the menu, affording the flexibility to focus on sourcing sustainable products from the Pacific Northwest.

Bliss and Podwils’ vision for the restaurant is taking shape and paving the way for a new version of the Jackalope.

“New Jackalope 2025. New year. New everything,” Podwils said.

Details

What: The Jackalope Grill

Location: 750 NW Lava Road #139, Bend

Contact: thejackalopegrill.com, 541-318-8435

Hours: 5-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

Price Range: Entrees range between

Cuisine: French, New American