Central Oregon restaurants inched toward normalcy in 2021 as new restaurants opened after long delays. A few established eateries saw the slowdown as an opportunity to reinvent themselves. All struggled with supply chain issues, rising food prices and filling job openings to cover shifts. The result was even good restaurants might have a bad night in food preparation or service.

Diners need to be patient yet applaud those who, despite the challenges, continue to do a great job.

There’s no question Bend has been experiencing an influx of newcomers, and some of the newbies are opening restaurants. Nate King and Bill Dockter wanted to open a fine Italian dining restaurant with a casual neighborhood feel. They succeeded with Bosa Food and Drink. If you go, don’t miss their homemade Foccacia bread and plates of pasta — Cacio e Pepe or tagliatelle with beef and pork ragu.

Tim Kerns and Paul Gerber also came to Bend to open a restaurant. Their vision of Walt Reilly’s was a casual indoor space with a batting cage, miniature golf and golf simulators, and a state-of-the-art soundstage. They wanted a quality kitchen and craft cocktail bar. As my review preceded the new kitchen staff, I can’t speak to the food quality. Still, they also served amazing craft cocktails, including the refreshing Stinger made with blood orange San Pelligrino and a Serrano pepper.

A pair of newly constructed restaurants share a small parking lot off Newport Avenue on the edge of downtown. Both are an excellent addition to Bend’s dining scene. The aptly named Blissful Spoon is on one side with a wonderful international breakfast menu that includes the perfect Shakshuka recipe and blissful gluten-free pastries. The tapas menu for light dinner fare is made from fresh local ingredients.

On the river’s edge is Sen Thai Noodle and Hot Pot. Opened by the owners of Wild Rose, this is an upscale version of the street noodle houses in Thailand. The hot pot experience is not only a lot of fun; it’s deliciously fresh. With a choice of sauces and ingredients, you can customize your dining experience.

For a more casual Thai noodle experience, check out TinTin on South Highway 97. Tasty potstickers and noodle soups make for a great lunch.

Likewise, there are new casual and fine-dining Mexican restaurants. The upscale Xalisco is in an unlikely strip mall location in Redmond. Still, they may serve the best Mexican food in Central Oregon. Every dish is scratch-made, fresh and the best version of each south-of-the-border recipe.

The second restaurant is a counter-service fast taco joint opened by Chef George Morris (Miyagi Ramen, Bos Taurus), who brought recipes from Mexico. The result is suburb Al Pastor tacos. Everything there is excellent, and you can enjoy a margarita while you wait.

Cinco de Mayo in La Pine has been open for over 20 years, but I discovered it in 2021. It’s a great place to get tasty, authentic Mexican food. It’s worth the drive from Bend to get the freshly house-made flour tortillas.

The protracted slowdown of the pandemic gave a few restaurants time to reinvent themselves. Drake Executive Chef John Gurnee changed the menu, which now spotlights his experience and talent. Whether it’s the Hamachi Crudo or the delicious Beet Prime Rib that uses steak seasoning to bring a meaty flavor to a vegetarian dish, the new recipes are creative fine dining.

Pronghorn’s fine dining restaurant, Cascada, also optimizes its menu with input from the collective experience of its executive and sous chefs to bring the perfect Salt Roasted Beet Salad, and outrageously tender sous-vide cooked Double Pork Chop.

Another sous-vide masterpiece is the Plancha Chicken at Roam. We are grateful to the Oxford Hotel for bringing the dining experience up from the bowels of the building to the street level and offering some creative dishes for breakfast and dinner.

This past year brought some high-quality food trucks. The Wagyu Wagon, which has moved to the Spoken Moto lot, gets pure wagyu hamburger from the 2 Sisters Ranch for decadently juicy burgers. Chris Leyden, former chef de cuisine at 900 Wall, has opened the Feast Food truck in Redmond. His menu changes according to what the local farmers need to sell for the week. He brings culinary expertise to farm-fresh food. North Fresh Sushi at The Bite in Tumalo takes the sushi experience outside for unique rolls and sushi from fish brought in fresh several times a week.

Barrio’s Steven Draheim has opened the Shimshon Israeli food truck at the Midtown Yacht Club lot. Don’t miss the smokey baba ganoush as Draheim again demonstrates his skill in creating excellent dishes from world cuisines.

When the weather is good, consider getting a meal to take with you on an adventure from Luckey’s Woodsman. Packed for freshness or to cook over the campfire, these meals are tasty hours or even days later, or eat the amazing huckleberry burger at the Office lot at Silver Moon brewery.

Take a culinary trip to the Islands with an Açai bowl at Kanona or Green Leaf. These healthy bowls feel like you’re eating dessert while giving you a massive dose of antioxidants and minerals.

For a mini island vacation, check out Rapa Nui Tiki Bar. It’s the place to get a tropical drink in Central Oregon among the Easter Island motif that takes you to an exotic paradise. While there, enjoy the delicious fusion food like a carnitas bao bun or the delicious tofu bowl.

The Rooftop at SCP Redmond offers a beautiful sunset experience for a local atmosphere. If you go, check out the Forager Burger. You’ll not miss the meat in this juicy burger. The sunset dinner at Mt. Bachelor is equally exciting for the experience of riding up the chair lift to the Pine Mountain Lodge.

During summer, I was delighted to dine at Twin Lakes resort. The beautiful view outdoors enhances a weekend prime rib dinner or an excellent eggs benedict. And an early breakfast gives you a head start to get out on the lake before it gets crowded.

Palmer’s Cafe finally finished its renovation and fully reopened for breakfast with a big deck for outdoor dining. The motel’s original owner, Dave Langmas’ friendly face, adds a warm atmosphere that makes the generous portions of breakfast taste even better. For lunch, don’t miss their simple, delicious juicy burger.

Other juicy burger choices include unique burgers with peanut butter or mac and cheese at The Point or the perfectly basic Chowburger.

If hot dogs or sausage is more to your taste, Bangers and Brews has been listed on Yelp as one of the top restaurants in the nation to try. If you go, get the housemade cheesecake. It’s the best I’ve had outside of my mother’s New York cheesecake recipe.

There are many more great restaurants and other excellent meals that I’ve had but I can’t list them all. Let us know your favorites from this past year with a comment online or an email to jlawrence-turner@bendbulletin.com.