Welcome to the 343 new banner readers this week. We’re Paige and Mason. The Bend Banner is our way of keeping tabs on this wild, beautiful place we call home. To the mornings that start with coffee and mountain air, the trails that somehow always lead to a brewery, and the kind of small-town stories that remind you why you chose to live here in the first place.

Dad’s Visit Last Weekend

My dad came to visit last weekend. Every time he visits, we get to play tour guide for one of the best food towns in the Pacific Northwest, and it never gets old.

Here's where we took him.

We started the trip at Haven Bagel. Everything is handmade, fresh that morning, and the flavors they've put together are not something you find at a chain(ie, bacon chive cream cheese). The Sunday Roll alone is worth the trip. He was quiet for most of it, which is how I know it hit.

Then we headed to On Tap for beers and Rush's Squares. If you haven't been to On Tap lately, it's one of those places that just feels like Bend. Truly one of my family’s favorite spots. Fire towers, a huge lawn, 35 taps rotating constantly, and six food carts parked outside. Rush's does Sicilian-style square pizza out of a cart, and they do it crazy well. Thick crust, crispy bottom, loaded with toppings. Dad is a pizza guy, so this was a safe bet. He said it might be his favorite pizza ever…that was the review.

For dinner one night, we hit Cuban Kitchen, which I genuinely think is one of the most underrated spots in town. You can feel the authenticity in every bite. The Cubano is pressed on bread they make in-house. Dad ordered the slow-cooked pork plate. We ate too much.

We wrapped up the weekend at Ballers and Brews, which opened last fall and has quickly become one of my favorite spots in the city. It's a pickleball taphouse with a rooftop deck, fire pits, and a genuinely great lineup of food trucks. We grabbed Manzanita BBQ. Owners Joaquin and Jade Ortiz smoke their meats low and slow and the brisket is something else. The BBQ has an unmistakable Mexican influence that really makes me crave it. Dad kept asking if this kind of place was normal for Bend. The answer is yes, and that's exactly why we live here.

He's already asking when he can come back.

Spring Quarterly Mailers

Our Spring Quarterly Mailer kicked off last week, and dozens of you signed up! Thank you so much for the support! For those that don’t know, we're putting together a Bend Banner Quarterly. A physical mailer. Something you can hold.

Inside, there will be things that are genuinely from here. We're talking locally sourced seeds grown for Central Oregon soil. A drink ticket from a Bend business we love. A seasonal story card written the same way we write this newsletter, just printed on something you can keep. A sticker or printed coaster. A few local perks.

We're not ready to tell you everything that's inside yet, but you’ll get your value back right away.

The Spring Quarterly ships in May and is available for preorder.

Get The Spring Mailer

This Week’s Conditions
☀️ Sunrise: 6:35 am
🌅 Sunset: 7:39 pm
High Temp: 66°F
Mt. Bachelor: 35” base depth
Local Shop of the Week: Kids Paradise
Local Artist of the Week: Steve Giardini

🐾Bend’s Best Good Boys & Good Girls 🐾

🐶 Sasha – 9 years, Husky
Sasha is friendly and energetic and can’t wait to be a part of a new family. She loves to run and will need a family with lots of outdoor exercise to take her in.

🐱 Shadow – 1 year - Terrier/Pitbull/Mix
This 1-year-old is a playful pup that is known to be good around children and extremely fun to play with.

🐶 Arcadia - 8 months- Terrier/Pitbull/Mix
This sweet girl is just under a year old and still very much in her puppy era, playful, loving, and full of energy.

The Bend Banner is as local as it gets. Written here, for the people who actually call this place home.

No big media machine, no out-of-town editor guessing what Bend cares about. Just a weekly letter built from real conversations, real places, and real curiosity.

If you choose to support it, every bit helps me bring you more of the good stuff. The stories, the characters, the weird corners of this town that deserve a spotlight.

Appreciate you, friends. Thanks for being part of this.

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