Gusties: Vote for your fave Central Oregon restaurants

The deadline, I'm told, is May 2 to cast your vote for Gusto magazine's annual restaurant/dining awards:

"Cast your vote for the Third Annual Gusto Awards. Please only vote once and encourage your family and friends to vote as well. The winners will be announced in the Summer Issue of Gusto Magazine due out in June. Winners will be determined in categories receiving over 200 votes."

Here are the categories and some of my votes - off the top of my head:

Asian
Bar
Bar Food
BBQ
Best Sports Bar/Restaurants
Best Sub Sandwich
Breakfast
Brunch
Burger
Catering
Chef: Tim Garling, Jackalope Grill; Jason Logan, Bistro Corlise; Gavin McMichael, Blacksmith
Cocktails: Blacksmith
Coffee House: Thump Coffee
Culinary Event
Cup of Coffee : Thump Coffee
Deli
Dessert
Doughnuts
Drive Thru Coffee Location
Espresso: Thump Coffee
Family Dining
Fine Dining: Jackalope Grill/Blacksmith/Bistro Corlise
Food Presentation
[no French category?: Bistro Corlise]
Grocery Store/Market
Happy Hour: Blacksmith
Italian
Late Night Dining
Local Brewery
Lunch
Margaritas
Mexican
Milkshake
Most Dependable/Consistent
NW Cuisine: Jackalope Grill
Pancakes
Pastries
Pizza
Place to Buy Meat/Butcher
Place to Buy Wine
Prineville Family Dining
Prineville Fine Dining
Redmond Family Dining
Redmond Fine Dining
Restaurant for Kids
Seafood
Service
Sisters Family Dining
Sisters Fine Dining
Soups
Steak: Jackalope/Blacksmith
Sunriver Family Dining
Sunriver Fine Dining
Sushi
Thai
Value
Wine List: Jackalope Grill/Blacksmith/Bistro Corlise

Here's the link - go vote!

-hoc

4 Peaks Music Festival: Cheap Tix End May 15

Buy Discount 4 Peaks Music Festival Tickets Now, Save $24

(BEND, OR) Bend’s 4 Peaks Music Festival returns bigger and better this year, with 20 bands and 80 acres of music, food, beverages, crafts, kids fun and camping. But the biggest discount on festival tickets ends Thursday, May 15. Festival-goers can save up to $24 by purchasing specially priced Early Bird tickets now for $64.50, which includes two-day festival admission and camping. Price will then bump up to $76.50 — a $12 savings and still a bargain for two days of music and camping. As the festival nears on July 25-26 prices climb without notice to $88.75 — still a great deal, but a $24 premium for sitting on the fence.

For details, visit www.4peaksmusic.com. Tickets are available at Ranch Records in downtown Bend (831 NW Wall St., 541-389-6116), or at www.frontgatetickets.com. Vendors interested in reserving booth space should contact Will Nash at 541-788-0314 or will (AT) 4peaksmusic (DOT) com. The 4 Peaks Music Festival information hotline is 541-382-8064.

:: THE BANDS
Bands are still being finalized, but the line-up promises even bigger headliners than last summer, while still featuring local acts. Tentatively, the band roster consists of Tea Leaf Green, Zilla, Hot Buttered Rum, Everyone Orchestra, Blue Turtle Seduction, Poor Man's Whiskey, Flowmotion, Moon Mountain Ramblers, Izabella, Acorn Project, State of Jefferson, Brent Alan and His Funky Friends, The Grain, Swampthang, Masala Mostest, Rising Tide and Black Strap.

5/4: Chef Tim Teaches “Classic Sauces” at Allyson’s Kitchen

EVENT DATE: Sun., May 4, 2-5 pm

Jackalope Grill’s Chef Timothy Garling Teaches “Classic Sauces” at Allyson’s Kitchen

(BEND, OR) Cooks who missed Chef Timothy Garling’s sold-out “Classic Sauces” cooking class at The Jackalope Grill get a second chance at the Bend location of Allyson’s Kitchen this Sunday, May 4, from 2:00-5:00 pm.

Chef Tim will demonstrate preparation of chicken and brown stock, the classic French “mother sauces,” including white sauces (Béchamel and Veloute), egg yolk-based and other types of emulsion sauces (Hollandaise, Aioli and Vinaigrettes), tomato sauce, brown sauces and compound butters. Students will also learn tips and techniques to flavor stocks and sauces, with an emphasis on which seasonings work best for which dishes.

Cost is $65, and payment is due upon registration. Space is limited (fewer than than 10 spots left), and sign-ups are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. For registration and details, call Allyson's Kitchen at 749-9974, visit the store in the Old Mill District (375 SW Powerhouse Drive), or go to www.allysonskitchen.com.

Portfolio: KIALOA Outrigger + Surf Catalogs

See mom and dad, I told you going to college in Santa Cruz would pay off some day. For years, Kialoa has been the name in outrigger paddles. I started working with Dave and Meg Chun when they first rolled out their full stand-up surf paddle line in 2007. This year, Kialoa asked me to help write and edit both of their catalogs, outrigger and surf. I'm pleased with the results, and working with Chuck Moser of Moser Graphics and the Chuns is truly an aloha-inspired collaboration. -hoc

Treadwerks + COTA On OPB

"Bend Bicyclists Blaze New Business"

Kent Howes and Eric Sageser — longtime Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) volunteers/leaders and founders of Treadwerks, a trail design, building, construction and consulting firm — were recently interview by Oregon Public Broadcasting's Central Oregon correspondent Ethan Lindsey.

Click here to read the transcript and listen to the audio.

-hoc

Mother’s Day Cards Support Parentless Children

Share the Love With Mothers In Your Life, While Benefiting Bend-based Vima Lupwa Homes’ Zambian Outreach

(BEND, OR) What better way to show appreciation for the mothers in your life than with a card that helps support desperately poor orphan children? Cards featuring artwork created by Lister, an 8-year-old orphaned Zambian girl supported by Bend-based grassroots nonprofit Vima Lupwa Homes, are available now for $10 at Douglas Fine Jewelry in downtown Bend. For $20, Vima Lupwa will send each card to the moms, daughters, wives, sisters, grandmothers and other special people on your list. All proceeds directly benefit the Vima Lupwa Homes children in Luanshya, Zambia.

“Lister is attending the second grade and is an extremely sweet girl that loves to help with anything,” says Maleria Pratt, Vima Lupwa’s 22-year-old founder. “It took her a long time to warm up to me, but she would try to help me with everything. She is actually not living in our home — she is one of our community outreach children that we help buy school books for. After being orphaned, she was placed with her Aunt Foster, who is a seamstress. We bring all of our clothes to Foster to hem, and she also makes all of our school uniforms.”

Proceeds from card sales go directly toward meeting and sustaining the daily basic needs of Zambian orphan children living in and around the Vima Lupwa Home. Ensuring the children's continued health, providing education and job skills, maintaining their garden and chickens for food as well as for income, providing bicycles for transportation and supporting their new bicycle repair business are all components of Vima Lupwa’s plan to make the home self-sustaining over time.

A Central Oregon Community College student and Bend native, Pratt, founded Vima Lupwa Homes while still a teenager. “Honestly, I never saw myself doing this,” she says. “I never wanted to work with people full-time, but when I met the children and I saw there was a need, I had to. It’s one of those things where there’s not a whole lot of choice.”

Cards are available downtown Bend at Douglas Fine Jewelry Design in St. Clair Place on Minnesota Ave. (920 NW Bond St., Suite 106). Call 541-389-2901 for details, or visit visit www.LupwaHomes.org.

Bistro Corlise Caters Inaugural High Desert Chamber Music Concert

Last week, Chef Jason Logan catered the inaugural High Desert Chamber Music performance by the Crown City String Quartet at the Tower Theatre in downtown Bend. By all accounts, both the music and the food were outstanding - both welcome additions to our local arts scene.

Tonight (Tues., April 22) Bistro Corlise hosts its second regional French wine dinner, a six-course celebration of Alsace. There are just a couple of seats left for this special event - call 385-6979 for reservations. Click here for the complete menu.

-hoc

Jenna Bush Dines at Bend's Blacksmith

Word on the street is that first-daughter Jenna Bush dined at The Blacksmith restaurant in Bend last week while here to promote her book, “Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope.” According to Chef Gavin McMichael, he and Bush chatted briefly about their shared connection to the Lone Star State and mutual affection for Austin. Is New Ranch Cuisine the bi-partisan force that will unite our divided country in this election year? -hoc

After tax day, where do the tax pros unwind?

Apparently, at The Jackalope Grill! Kathy Garling told me today that a group of 14 tax preparers/accountants came into the restaurant for a little celebratory dinner on Tuesday, April 15. Question is: Did they write-off their meal as a business expense? -hoc

Live Fire Training in Redmond, OR

Deschutes River Manufacturing donated time to roll fire hose after the live fire training in Redmond, Oregon on Saturday, April 12. After wearing heavy fire-proof turn-outs all day and breathing through full-face respirators in scorching heat, these firefighters were grateful not to have to roll wet, heavy hose (up to 5-inch LDH) by hand at the end of the day.

Fire departments from throughout Central Oregon participated: Redmond, Sunriver, Crooked River Ranch, La Pine and others. Michelle Alvarado from Wahoo Films documented the training on video, while photographer David Morris shot stills.

These are the photos I took, thanks to the loan of a really nice camera from Carlos Perez of Perez design. These images are available for use with permission and credit. Contact me: Harold Olaf Cecil, Ad HOC : Words + Ideas

Click here to view album.

Bistro Corlise Food & Wine Journey Through Alsace

Five-Course Dinner Celebrates German Border Country

EVENT DATE: Tues., April 22

(BEND, OR) Bistro Corlise’s Chef Jason Logan presents an evening of culinary delights from the Alsace region of France on Tuesday, April 22. Seating is limited to 16 for this special five-course meal paired with regional wines. Cost is $125 per person (gratuity included). For full menu and reservations, visit www.bistrocorlise.com or call 385-6979. Bistro Corlise is located downtown Bend at 916 NW Wall Street.

:: ABOUT ALSACE
In the Northeastern part of France along the German border, The Alsace region is contained by the Vosges Mountains and the fertile Rhine River valley. The Vosges Mountains protect Alsace from Atlantic-influenced rains, creating a rain-shadow effect (much like the Cascades and Central Oregon). This climate gives the land and the grapevines a long, sunny growing season once winter has ended. The Rhine River valley is fertile ground for the vineyards, as well as fresh produce fields. The array of complex soils and fertile ground paired with the long, sunny growing season make Alsace a wonderful gastronomical region.

“Alsace boasts a strong regional food presence,” Logan explains. “The classic foods of Alsace have been influenced by many cultures and areas, yet the people and villages of Alsace have made them their own. On April 22, we will visit some of these classic dishes, paired with outstanding wines — including four grand cru wines — throughout the evening.”

“The wines of Alsace are beautiful and singular, like no other in the world. The region’s geological maze of soil and limited availability make the grand cru wines here so wonderful. To have these individual wines with their gastronomical counterpart is special indeed. These wines will certainly have our taste buds noticing the quality of terroir, along with the gastronomical values of the Alsace region.”

:: ALSACE REGIONAL DINNER MENU
Hors d’oeuvre
fleischnäcke de flétan | halibut roulade, emulsified vegetables
2005 Domaine Barmes-Buecher Sylvaner, Rosenberg, V.V.

Entrée
bäekehoge de grenouille| stew of frog leg, potato, leek
2000 Domaine Andre Kientzler, Riesling, Geisberg Grand Cru

Premièr plat
choucroute garnie | sauerkraut, pork, veal, seasonal vegetables
2002 Domaine Bruno Sorg, Tokay Pinot Gris, Florimont Grand Cru

Deuxièmre plat
paté de foie gras en croûte | duck liver paté in pastry
2002 Domaines Schlumberger, Gewurztraminer, Kessler Grand Cru

Fromage
fromage | munster, caraway seeds
2000 Domaine Rolly Gassmann, Muscat d’Alsace, Moenchreben

Dessert
tarte à la rhubarbe | rhubarb tart, almond, fennel cookie
1998 Domaine Rene Mure, Clos St. Landelin, Pinot Gris, Vorbourg Grand Cru Vendage Tardive

:: ABOUT JASON LOGAN, CHEF & SOMMELIER
Certified by the International Sommelier Guild, Chef Logan lets wine lead the way through the cuisine. He has devoted a large portion of his 14-year career to French-inspired restaurants, and his resume includes some of the top restaurants throughout the Northwest, including Caprial’s Bistro & Wine, Laslows, Campagne and Veil. A diversity of experience — as a baker, pastry chef, chef d'cuisine, sous chef, and executive chef — all comes together at Bistro Corlise.

“My main objective is to have the appetizers, entrees, desserts and wine program read like a poem or play, each with their separate acts or stanzas, pulled together by the common thread of culture,” says Logan.

Logan is assisted in the kitchen by a talented team including Sous Chef Jeremy Tugmon and an outstanding front of the house staff. “Every employee at Bistro Corlise deserves credit for their passion and dedication,” says Logan.

Rolling LDH Fire Hose at the Deschutes River Manufacturing HQ & Ranch

(Bend, OR) Inventor and entrepreneur David Johnston of Deschutes River Manufacturing demonstrates the Rookie Sidekick fire hose roller with the help of his daughter. His company's Rookie Sidekick line of fire hose rollers eliminates the grunt work of rolling fire hose of all sizes, up to 7.25" LDH. Wildland, industrial, municipal and volunteer fire departments throughout the U.S. and Canada use the Rookie Sidekick and Rookie Reloader, for re-decking rolled fire hose.



Customers include Union Carbide-Dow Chemical, Marathon Oil, Conoco-Phillips, Exxon-Mobil, Suncor, Valero Oil Refinery, Nebraska Power, Los Alamos National Laboratory, British Columbia Dept. of Energy, Fluor Hanford, Georgia Pacific, USFS, BLM, BIA, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, TEEX, CAL-FIRE Academy, Washington State Fire Academy and volunteer and municipal fire departments of all sizes. The fully portable design mounts on any vehicle hitch receiver or ATV. The Rookie Sidekick is available with either Honda gas or Baldor electric motor. Video by Wahoo Films and Ad HOC.

Drinking Big Wines With Small Price Tags at Jackalope & Blacksmith

(Bend, OR) The Jackalope Grill and The Blacksmith are offering two great ways to try exceptional wines at an affordable price this month. During April, the Jackalope Grill's "Fruit of the Vine Tuesdays" means half-price on any bottle of wine from their Wine Spectator Award of Excellence-winning wine list, with the purchase of dinner. That's a dream come true for a tight-wad foodie like me.

And The Blacksmith has started Wednesday Tastings after work. April's weekly wine tastings, hosted by Blacksmith sommelier Kevin Gilman and the occasional expert guest, feature different vineyards, varietals, vertical tastings and other fun ways to experience the beauty of the bottle. (Last Wednesday a small but enthusiastic crowd sampled eight wines for the measly $10 admission.) Gilman is a certified second-level sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Read more:
The Jackalope Grill: www.jackalopegrill.com
The Blacksmith: www.bendblacksmith.com

-hoc

Jackalope Grill & Bend WineStyles: Women's Wine Dinner Menu

EVENT DATE: Monday, April 7, 5:30 pm

(BEND, OR) Chef Timothy Garling of the Jackalope Grill has finalized his special four-course wine dinner menu:

Women’s Wine Dinner Menu

Shrimp Cocktail
Oregon jumbo salad shrimp and Jackalope cocktail sauce, paired with Amaboka Chenin Blanc.

Artisan Pheasant Sausage
House-made pheasant and wild mushroom sausage served with a duck confit and barley risotto, paired with Mio Valpolicella.

Medallions of Pork Tenderloin
Dried plum and zinfandel sauce, poached dried plums, potato puree and haricots vertes. paired with Sandholt Zinfandel.

Orange Mousse
Chocolate-orange sauce and cookies, paired with Fiororange.

Carol DelMonico, a certified life coach, and writer Linden Gross will speak briefly on how to slow down and take time for yourself. Cost is $60 per person. For reservations, please call WineStyles at 389-8889. Seating is limited.

For more, visit www.JackalopeGrill.com or call 318-8435. The Jackalope Grill is located just off Reed Market road in the Scandia Plaza, 1245 SE Third St. (S. Hwy. 97) in Bend.