Melanie from Cog Wild sends this along:

You are invited to bring your ID and come to Phil's Trailhead this Thursday & Friday from 3pm to dusk and demo a Marin hardtail, full suspension and free ride bike. Cog Wild will be doing shuttles up Skyliner so you can have a fun ride back to the trailhead and Trinity Bikes is shuttling to the Lair.

If you are not familiar with Marin Bikes (pronounced Ma-rin), this is a great opportunity to check out the company that won bike of the year from Bike Magazine in 2007 and offers high quality bike builds on great frames for great prices. You can check them out online at www.marinbikes.com

Trinity Bikes in Redmond is the local dealer and will be offering 10% off Marin bikes after the demo for COTA members (never too late to join). In addition, Marin Bikes will donate $50 to COTA for every $1000+ bike purchased.

See you at the trailhead!

In May, the Blacksmith's Wednesday tastings were all Martinis. For June, they're doing beer:

Prepare to achieve beervana. During June, the Blacksmith Restaurant + Bar + Lounge gives brews their due at Wednesday tastings featuring beers from near and far. Join the Blacksmith’s own beer connoisseur’s study group in the Anvil Room every Hump Day.

Here’s the line-up for June:
June 4 = International Beers
June 11 = East Coast Beers
June 18 = West Coast Beers
June 25 = Local Beers

Price is $10 per person, including appetizers. Party starts at 5pm.

I like the sound of it—and $10 is definitely easier on the wallet than the $25 for the martinis—though I'd like to know what beers each day will actually feature. "Local Beers" is pretty obvious, naturally. But are they brining in special beers just for the tastings, or just going with what they have on tap or in the bottle?

Photo credit: Copyright © by (my friend) Simone Paddock of Emerald Bay Photography.

This is huge: Deschutes County is now posting restaurant inspection scores online and publicly available. Go here to see them.

Every restaurant in the County—even places that are not nominally restaurants, like hotels, or small food counters in other types of establishments—is online, it looks like. You can search by name, city, score, and address, and you can click through to the details for each restaurant, which include:

• The comments and details of each violation;
• Date of inspection(s) and subsequent follow-up re-inspection(s);
• Google Map of the establishment;
• Graphed view of the score(s);
• And, of course, the actual score.

Each restaurant is scored on a scale of 100—100 being the best possible score. Each violation reduces the total score, and restaurant scoring less than 70 get the dreaded "Failed to Comply" sticker.

So far, it's been very interesting to page through all the results... there have been some surprises.

However, the site comes with the following disclaimers:

[From the press release]
Posting restaurant inspection scores is not in any way meant to disparage or benefit any restaurant in Deschutes County. The scores are a reflection of the conditions observed by the health inspector on the day she or he made that inspection.

[From the site]
It must be noted that scores don’t always tell the full story of how a restaurant is performing with regard to safe food handling practices. The scoring system is not perfect and neither are health inspectors or restaurant operators. A low scoring restaurant may never make anyone sick or a high-scoring restaurant may have an outbreak tomorrow. Foodborne illness is an inexact science with MANY risk factors that influence how, when, where, and why an outbreak occurs.

Each year at the Bite of Bend, a local "Iron Chef" contest is held, featuring—obviously—local chefs from some of the fine dining establishments in the area. I get a big kick out of this (though I've never actually watched an entire match), so naturally I got excited when I saw this year's Iron Chef contestants show up on the ad HOC blog.

1st round Saturday 12:00pm
Jeremy Baumgartner (Fireside Red) vs. David Berger (Pleidies at Five Pine)

2nd round Saturday 1:30pm
Tim Garling (Jackalope Grill) vs. John Nelson (Brasada Ranch Blue Olive)

3rd round Saturday 3:00
Victor Sommo (Volo) vs. Jeff Hunt & Rich Hall (Marz Bistro)

4th round Saturday 5:00
Johnathan Bohn (Decoy Bar and Grill) vs. David Touvell (Chow)

Those are the Saturday match-ups. On Sunday, the winners from each round will face off against each other, and then the Final Battle™ will feature the overall winner against the 2007 champion, TR McCrystal of Jen's Garden. Nice.

The Bite of Bend is taking place June 21st and 22nd.

(We'll actually be missing it.)

Update: Jeremy Baumgartner is the Fireside Red chef, not Terri Gilmore.

In today's paper, there is a photo and caption indicating that the new Sonic Drive-In up on the north end (the old Tom Tom Diner location) is open already.

Cool, but puzzling as I drove by there as recently as Friday, and it sure didn't look like it was anywhere near ready to open, construction-wise. But since I keep hearing from a bunch of people how they can't wait for Sonic to open, this'll be good news.

With the summer months coming and outdoor activities ramping up, I found this dispatch from the Deschutes County offices (the "Marine Minute") on life jacket requirements interesting:

One of the most misunderstood issues regarding boating in Oregon is the life jacket or PFD (personal flotation device) requirement. Most people understand that adults need to carry them, and children under 12 (in other words, one day less than 13) need to wear them on powered boats that are underway.

The confusion begins when it comes to non-powered boats... craft such as kayaks, inflatable rafts, canoes, etc. that have no form of mechanical propulsion (an electric or gas-powered motor):

• Canoes
• Kayaks
• Inflatable rafts of any size
• Inflatable kayaks
• Multi-chambered Tubes
• Fishing Float Tubes

Oregon Revised Statute 830.005 (2) states, “Boat” means every description of watercraft, including a seaplane on the water and not in flight, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water, but does not include boathouses, floating homes, air mattresses, beach and water toys or single inner tubes.

What this means is that on anything defined as a boat in Oregon, whether powered or non-powered, one life jacket per adult on board must be carried. Children under 12 must wear a life jacket on these same kinds of craft.

The following are exempt from the life jacket requirement:

• Air Mattresses
• Single-Chambered Inner Tubes
• Water Play Toys

For additional information, visit www.boatoregon.com or call the Marine Division of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office at 541-388-6503.

Generally I think it's a good idea to wear life jackets regardless, but this stuff is good to know.

Seems like you can't go a day around here any more without hearing news of a new restaurant planned, but I notice that two of them actually, you know, opened: The Bungalow Grille and Celina's Gourmet Latin Bistro.

(No, I haven't been to either one.)

The Bungalow Grille is the new place up north in the Cascade Village Shopping Center, serving up "tropical" themed food. Apparently they also offer free valet parking, which for some reason amuses me greatly.

Judging by the menus on their website (if you can navigate it; they've taken a stuff-it-all-into-a-single-page approach which is rather unusable), they're on the expensive side. Other than that, I haven't heard anything else about them.

The only details I know about Celina's is what appeared in today's "Small Bites" in the Bulletin:

The owners of El Caporal opened Celina’s Gourmet Latin Bistro on May 9 on Bend’s east side. Chef Francisco Simental prepares soups, salads, appetizers, and entrees in the $14 to $17 range. Dishes include Talla (pan-seared salmon marinated in New Mexico chilies) and Francisco (chicken breast stuffed with pineapple, served in a creamy coconut sauce). Celina’s space was previously occupied by Puerto Alegre. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. 547 N.E. Bellevue Drive (off 27th Street), Suite 109, Bend; 318-7567, www.celinasbistro.com.

You'll note, however, that the website address they give only points to a Register.com landing page.

This card came in the mail today, and while I assume a bunch of people probably got it as well, I'm not sure what the Park & Rec's selection criteria might be—and I figured this would be something of interest to a lot of people.

Yeah, I'm lazy/geeky enough to scan it rather than re-type in the details.

No that anyone would necessarily notice because of the weather so far, but there are controlled burns going on this week that the County wanted people to know about. (We've seen this happen in the past, when nobody quite knew what was going on.) From the County:

Last year, when controlled burns took place in the Southeast region of Deschutes County, 911 phone lines were flooded with hundreds of non-emergency phone calls for hours at a time. These calls may have prevented 911 operators from answering actual emergency calls.

This year, to help keep 911 phone lines available to actual emergency calls, please help to spread the word by sharing these media releases with friends and family.

If you have questions about a possible fire that may be different than the controlled and planned fires below, please call the 911 NON-EMERGENCY number, 693-6911.

The full details on the two planned burns follows.

Read full burn details

This weekend we had breakfast at Bella Cucina down in the Old Mill District, and I was suitably impressed to write about it.

In fact, Bella Cucina has been down in the Old Mill for quite some time and until Saturday I'd always avoided it. Why? Because of a really bad dining experience we had at their previous location (on Franklin and Third, the lava rock old Mexicali Rose building) under their previous owner years ago. Bad enough that I couldn't get rid of the tainted association.

That's all changed, and I'm sorry it took so long. I can't speak to their full menu, but BC has a good and really affordable breakfast menu (here)—I had the Italian breakfast wrap (think breakfast burrito) for only $5. That's an amazing deal, especially with the way restaurant prices have been rising out of control in Bend lately. And it was worth it—it was tasty and filling.

The space is a bit small, but comfortable, and colorful. Much more inviting than I would have guessed from the outside.

If you don't mind dealing with parking in the Old Mill District, I'd definitely recommend BC, at least for breakfast.

This weekend marks the end of Riverfest, and today is the Deschutes River Clean-Up—I'm writing this right under the wire as the event starts at 9am (view the events here):

Deschutes River Clean-Up
Come and join the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council to keep our river and its riparian area clean! Do your part during the Deschutes River Clean-Up and feel great about contributing to the health of the river. Meet at the Les Schwab Amphitheatre at 9:00 AM for bagels, coffee, & juice. Learn about all of the different clean-up sites, and then head out at 10:00 AM with a team leader for a few hours of service, smiles, and stewardship. Presented this year by the Oregon State Lottery and made possible thanks to valuable assistance from the Deschutes County, the City of Bend, and many dedicated site hosts.
Time: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Information: 633-3765

My friend Simone is having a big garage sale this weekend:

There's a Bowflex (you've seen 300 and of course always wanted to own one since), a 12' Lund fishing boat, Men's and Women's Golf Bag and Clubs, Bicyles and Bike Rack, assorted Camping Gear, a large Mosquito Tent, Snowboard Gear & a rolling travel bag for your boards, a Badminton Set, and more!

Plus ... Household stuff, Christmas Lights and Ornaments, Clothing (Alpaca Sweater anyone?), Shoes, Jewelry, Framed Art and Paintings... the list goes on.

We have Table Saws, Compressors, Nail Guns, Chop Boxes, Drills - the list goes on. How about a chain saw, maybe?

For the Office: a Portable Air Conditioner, Heater, Document Shredder, Swivel Chair, Mini-Fridge, Computer monitor, brandnew Epson Printer, assorted computer accessories, etc...

So come see us Saturday - 9am - 4pm and Sunday 9am - 3pm

53705 River View Drive, La Pine (just south of State Rec Road)

There's also a bunch of beer brewing equipment that may be enticing to homebrewers:

• Primary Fermenter (5 gallon carboy)
• Stainless Steel Soda Tank (5g)
• Aluminum Keg (5g)
• Bottling Kit
• Black Metal Wart Cooker (5g)
• Copper Coil (wort chiller)

She's nearly but not quite in La Pine, but it's a nice drive and it will be totally worth it.

This is pure press release, and may or may not have been something I'd ordinarily run, but the picture made me laugh. In a creepy kind of way. Plus, it's just unusual enough that I figured, why not.

Join BMC’s Eris Craven, MS, RD, LD on a shopping tour

On this shopping tour, get hands-on experience by separating fact from fiction when it comes to getting nutritious foods!

This tour will take you to Safeway & Whole Foods for a 2 hour educational tour

WHEN: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 10 a.m.
WERE: In front of BMC (walk over) or at Safeway in the Forum Shops
COST: $10 per person

Please fill out the section below, detach and send it with your payment (make checks out to “Bend Memorial Clinic”) to:

Eris Craven, MS, RD, LD
c/o Bend Memorial Clinic
1501 NE Medical Center Drive
Bend, OR 97702
Call Eris Craven at 318-3072 for questions and/or reservations!

[The form they referred to was an attachment to the original flyer; it's basically asking for Name(s), Birthdate, Number of Participants, and "What would you like to learn on this shopping tour?" I'm sure if you just typed that up and sent it in with the payment, it would be accepted.]

In addition to the May art I blogged earlier at Thump Coffee, here are this month's events:

CUPPING: Sunday, May 25 1:30pm-2:30pm

Can you taste the difference between a washed process and dry process coffee? Join our public coffee cuppings and taste coffees side-by-side. Discover personal preferences, likes and dislikes, and begin to taste and describe your personal and subjective sensory experience. You'll appreciate how many variables and steps along the coffee's path to us can influence how it tastes in the cup. Cuppings are usually the third Sunday of the month at 1:30pm - get details at www.thumpcoffee.com.

Click for full goings-on

Yeah, I'm running a bunch of press release type stuff recently, I know—people keep sending me stuff that I'm actually interested in posting. (For the record, I don't post every single thing I receive—only stuff I think is interesting or that I think readers would like. And sometimes I just get behind and something doesn't get posted at all.)

Anyway, Wednesdays this month at the Blacksmith are "May Martini Tastings"; it's basically their wine tastings that I blogged about but kicked up a notch for May. And I blogged this just in time, too: tomorrow's (May 7) tasting is themed "Martinis of the '20s."

Here's the clipped section from the press release—note the price and time!

Great Gatsby! During May, the Blacksmith Restaurant + Bar + Lounge mixes up its Wednesday tastings with the swankiest of cocktails, the martini. Join the Blacksmith’s own intoxicologist, John Hansen in the Anvil Room this week for “Martinis of the ’20s,” a journey through the martini’s history, including John's antique shaker collection.

Here’s the line-up for May:
May 7: Martinis of the ’20s
May 14: Post-Prohibition Martinis
May 21: Disco Martinis
May 28: Modern Martinis

Martini tasters will be served cocktail party-style, with appetizers included. Price is $25 per person. Party starts at 5pm.

So a bit spendy, but it still sounds like fun.

Photo credit: Copyright © by (my friend) Simone Paddock of Emerald Bay Photography.

Up until May 15th, that is. The 4 Peaks Music Festival is in its second year this year and is taking place July 25th and 26th.

The tickets are two-day passes which include camping (and parking), and right now you can pick them up for $64.50. After the 15th they'll go up in price $12, and another $12 after that.

Here are the details from the press release:

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. Prices will then bump up to $76.50, and climb finally to $88.75 without notice as the festival nears on July 25-26.

:: THE DETAILS
For details, visit www.4peaksmusic.com. Tickets are available at Ranch Records in downtown Bend, or at www.frontgatetickets.com. Vendors interested in reserving booth space should contact Will Nash at 541-788-0314 or will@4peaksmusic.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.

The website for the Festival was redesigned and cleaned up quite a bit, too. Except for all the text content being giant graphics, that sucks. I know that's an arbitrary thing to comment on, but hey, that's what I do.

This month is marks the two year anniversary of Hack Bend! So my retrospective will cover 2006 and 2007.

In 2006:

• Newport Market's Thirsty Thursdays were covered;
• Deschutes Brewery was giving away beer in exchange for blood (with the American Red Cross);
• Sam Waterston was in town;
• I wrote about Alpenglow Café and Palmer's Café;
• A preliminary roundup of local restaurant guides;
• The mystery(?) of Sugarbowl Park;
• A preliminary roundup of WiFi hotspots.

In 2007:

• We found out pfundamentals was closing;
• Some first looks at Mary Jane's Park;
• Checking out nearly-hidden Riverside Market;
• Bend made Inc. Magazine's top Boomtowns;
• A really early review of Greg's Grill;
• Longboard Louie's showed up on the east side;
• A really early review of La Costa Azul;
• I discovered a Bend Brewing beer I'd never seen before;
• I declared (and still stand by) the Victorian Café the best breakfast in Bend.

May New Exhibit: Shelby Leigh

According to photographer Shelby Leigh, her work is an extension of sometimes-quiet observations and how she sees tiny moments in time. In her travels near and far — the exhibit includes photos from Oregon, Morocco and Chile — she likes to "notice the little things and bring them to others so that they too can see the beauty and intricacies that this world has to offer." Though she says her stories are infused in each image, she invites you to "let your imagination take you on your own journey to find peace, simplicity and wonder."

Read on (with an image, too)

It's confirmed; Duncan first reported it yesterday and it appears in today's paper (E-edition online only; no link). They've been downtown on Minnesota Avenue for 35 years (though not at the exact same location). 35 years! I don't even know what to say.

(And before anybody points an accusative finger as to supposed lack of community support, yes, I have bought books from them.)

On the bright side, they plan to continue to exist online (and take phone orders starting June 1). I hope that works out for them.

The Bend Bulletin has rolled out their new and improved website today (announced the other day here). Overall it's a much, much better interface, with better use of space and design and flow. The default fonts—at least on Firefox—might be a bit large for my tastes; it's possible to be well-designed and yet use too much space (six screenfuls on the home page), but by and large the site now looks like a current news site.

They still have the E-edition problem, as Jake points out—the very fact it exists is, essentially, the "problem." Another problem is the comment system: the fact that they are willing to accept and post user comments online is great, but—you have to be a subscriber (either E-edition or print) to do so. Ouch.

Still, it's a step in the right direction. Hopefully not the last.