Bon Bien

Bon Bien, Bend Oregon --

There's a reason I remain anonymous about my identity, and Bon Bien is it.

If I can reach just one person, just one, and convince them to spend their hard-earned money elsewhere, this blog will have done justice.

Bon Bien is Non Bien. Not good.

• Crab Cakes? Tastes like solidified deep fryer oil.
• Escargot? Snails the consistency of frozen gummy bears in a buttered spinach dip baked in an oily pastry crust.
• Shrimp Etoufee? Frozen, diced carrots mixed with frozen peas, okra and canned tomatoes cooked with frozen, small shrimp, then set atop minute rice. A "Microwaved" flavor.
• Hazelnut crusted catfish? Mushy -- so mushy that I couldn't distinguish the fish from the starch served with it. And the nuts as a crust? So hard, I was sure that I'd chip a tooth.
• Service? Terrible. The young girl with the corn-rows in her hair kept saying "You guys all done?" and "Ya want more wa-duhr?" So much for the beautiful (!) atmosphere.

Seriously, the owners shelled out big money to remodel and impress with this place. It's gorgeous! The high ceilings, rich pumpkin colors, and crystal chandeliers are astounding -- there isn't another restaurant in 100 miles that can compete with the ambiance. It's just too bad that the service and food quality aren't up to par.

I would suggest visiting the bar about a half an hour before your movie at Pilot Butte Cinemas to have a delicious and authentic "Hurricane" (oh-so-good!) to see how beautiful the place is. Just steer clear of the appetizers and entrees.

Taco Time? What???

Taco Time, Bend Oregon --

Fantastico! I hate to even bother this blog with a fast food restaurant, but Taco Time next to Fred Meyer on Hwy. 97 is now my favorite junk food! Their burritos are friggen amazing! For two bucks, I got a three-pound burrito filled with fresh ingredients and enough sour cream to actually notice it was in there. It even had sunflower seeds! The green sauce that came with it was mediocre, but the red sauce was awesome! We were on our way out to float the Deschutes River from the Sunriver bridge to the marina, and had to get something super-quick on the way. We stopped at the atrociously-painted Taco Time (Red, Green, Yellow, and puke-y Orange) and I was worried. I figured I'd end up drinking too much beer on an empty belly and sleep it off as soon as we got home. Hogwash! After eating this double pound burrito, I was satisfied until the next morning, and still truly liked the memory of eating it -- whereas usually the meal the day before a float trip is unmemorable. Good stuff.