Hidden away in
downtown Bend at Bond and Mississippi is Blacksmith, formerly one of
Conde Nast Traveler's best new restaurants in the world. We
had noticed Blacksmith last time in Bend, and it looked nice - we
were eager to try it. It was a Saturday night in January, and
we didn't call for reservations until that afternoon. When we
called, we were told that there were no tables open until 8:45 PM.
That was later than we wanted, so we parted ways. We talked
for a moment, and decided what the heck - we wanted to try.
When we called back for reservations, now all of a sudden they were
full all night long, and even the bar was full all night.
Disappointed, we decided to just go into town and find somewhere
else to eat.
We found a
place to park, and as we walked toward Staccato at the Firehall, one
of our favorite restaurants in town, we happened to pass by
Blacksmith and noticed that there were several open tables in the
bar. On a whim, we went in and asked if there was any room for
us. "No problem" and we were seated in the bar. Hmmm....
Well, we were happy we would get to try Blacksmith.
They were
already out of their popular appetizers - Dungeness Crab corn dogs
and Mussels - which was disappointing. We ordered a martini
and a vodka tonic to drink while we looked over the menu, which the
server promptly brought. The martini was excellent, but the
vodka tonic was flat and undrinkable. When the server came, we
told him about it, and instead of pleasantly offering to bring us
another one, he argued and told us he had just changed the soda
water yesterday. Ok, we said, how about trying a Vodka
Collins? He begrudgingly brought that, which was terrible as
well, neither of us could drink it. When he asked if it was
better, we tried to be nice, but said it too was flat. He told
me that it was just me, and walked off.
The rest of
the night after that, the server wouldn't so much as look at me, or
talk to me. The vodka collins sat in its place on the table
the entire rest of the night - he never did take it. We
ordered the Chichen and Waffles for an appetizer (which was actually
quail), and asked to share the Lamb, along with a glass of wine
each. When the entree came (we had asked to share the lamb),
he placed it in front of Sandra without any other plate, and walked
off without a word. She called him back and asked for another
plate and for the wine we had o
What we liked:
Fireplace, Jazz Ambience, Personally met by chef, Exceptional food,
Introductory Glass of Champagne, unusual offerings, excellent
service, open on Sundays and Mondays when nobody else in town is,
place settings and tables, four entrees to choose from, friendly and
knowledgeable server, complimentary appetizer.
What we
didn't: The sauces didn't stand out, and the mashed potatoes
were too thick. It would have been nicer if our two entrees
weren't prepared the same way with the same sides.
Our
Recommendation: Our favorite restaurant in Bend - and that's
saying something! Great place for a special occasion. Go
on Mondays to hear live Jazz. A real treasure.
Reservations:
Recommended on the weekends.
Entree Prices:
Four course fixed price menu $49.00 per person. With three
glasses of wine between us, appetizer, soup, salad, champagne,
entree and dessert, the total damage was $122.00 for two.
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