Bend is home to another branch in the McMenamins dynasty. Their spot is called Old St. Francis School, because it actually used to be a catholic school. Now, it’s not only a pub and restaurant, but also a hotel and movie house. They truly run the gambit here. On a lovely evening, we dined outside. They have plenty of outdoor seating and have umbrellas so you don’t get scorched.

J went crazy and got a burger. It is a third-pound Country Natural Beef patty with fixins and a secret sauce on a regular bun. It’s a healthy sized burger. He also added a fried egg. It also comes with a side salad or fries. J was a big fan of this burger.

I went with the Smokehouse Pizza. I’m not regularly all that into pizza, but this is what I was drawn to that evening. It features slow-smoked pork, Hammerhead BBQ sauce (made with their own Hammerhead ale), and mozzarella and fontina cheeses. Oh my word, this was a lovely pizza. The crust was great too, not too thin, not too thick, with enough crunch from the wood fired stove. It was kind of like a pulled pork sandwich on a pizza, and I loved it. Service is just ok here, nothing to rave about. Something strange happened there during our dinner. At three separate tables, a glass of water was spilled. It was just bizarre. I mean it didn’t affect the meal at all, but it was worth mentioning, due to its randomness.

While in Bend we were staying at a kick ass condo that had pretty much every amenity you could ask for. There was a balcony in front and a raised deck and patio out back. And the patio had a perfect little grill. So one night we grilled up some steaks and asparagus and I caramelized some onions. Everything turned out really well, except for the extra burnt pieces of asparagus. But I really like burnt things, so I didn’t mind at all! I also grilled up some sweet corn, but it wasn’t very sweet. Trader Joe’s, you lied to me!

Another night, we switched to chicken. I can’t do just plain, so I grilled up some pineapple rings (thanks for the brilliant idea, J), and also used sweet baby ray’s hickory & brown sugar bbq sauce, which I’m rather loving right now. It’s hard not to grill when you have amazing sunny and warm, not hot, weather and are surrounded by majestic freakin pacific northwest beauty.

It’s been about 5 years since I was last in Bend, and the city has certainly grown since then. It is still just as beautiful. There are tons of new places eat. One of these new spots is the perfect new 10 Barrel Brewpub. They’ve been brewing beer for about three years, but the brew pub has only been open since February. It’s an amazing spot. It is warm, comfortable, and inviting. There is a nice outdoor eating area. The bar has two giant garage door type windows that open behind it, and you can just walk up to the bar, from the outside, and order food. So it’s one bar, with both seating indoors and out. The bartender was nice, friendly, and quite the multi-tasker. They have standard pub grub, salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. And of course, they have tons of their own beer. We only tried one and it was great.

J got the rib-eye chopped salad. Look how big and gorgeous this salad is! It is a giant heap of romaine, marinated rib-eye, red onion, tomato, cucumber, warm prosciutto, and avocado. It is typically served with a creamy gorgonzola dressing, but you can get whatever dressing you want. It’s a stupendous salad. I ate all the prosciutto out of it!

I got the 10 barrel mac & cheese. It was unbelievably great. It is large elbow pasta with a 4 cheese sauce, hunks of pancetta, and green onions, and is served in a hot cast iron skillet. You also get delicious, hot, buttery garlic toast. I love, love, loved it. Just like I love, love, loved this whole entire place. We really loved everything about this place, and would have happily gone back again and again. If you’re ever in Bend, please stop by! You will love it. It’s places like this that make me wish I lived in Bend!