Last weekend a host of our family members gathered in the Central Oregon city of Bend to celebrate the marriage of my niece Charlotte. Located at an elevation of 3,600-some feet on the east side of the Cascades in the high desert, Bend is a popular destination for outdoor adventurers in any season. Downhill skiers flock to Mt. Bachelor in the winter, when the Deschutes National Forest offers miles of trails for crosscountry skiers and snowmobile enthusiasts as well. The warm, dry days throughout the rest of the year provide perfect conditions for golfers, hikers and bicyclists, while the Deschutes River and other waterways provide venues for rafting, boating, fishing and swimming. The Redmond/Bend regional airport offers non-stop daily flights between the area and Portland, San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle and Salt Lake City; or one can enjoy a very scenic three-and-a-half-hour drive from Portland, as we did.

Bend is a former mill town whose economy has done well since the last lumber mill closed in the 1990s. Tourism is a mainstay, but the lifestyle draws an influx of young entrepreneurs who’ve built up a range of businesses from microbreweries to high tech firms. One can find great shopping and dining here, and the arts are well represented. We enjoyed two great meals during our short stay, and we’d happily return to either spot to try more items on their menus.

Friday night found us at Zydeco Kitchen and Restaurant, located in the heart of Bend on Bond Street. Our sizable party of 17 was cheerfully accommodated even on a busy night, and the food (American with a heathy dose of Southern Creole cooking) was fabulous. We started with spicy barbecued shrimp resting on a southern grit cake and decadent duck fries (fried in duck oil and serve with truffle aioli sauce). My husband ordered the shrimp, andouille and crawfish jamabalaya, which he reported had generous amounts of each featured item and came with a dense, fabulous slab of cornbread. I thoroughly enjoyed my blackened redfish in zydeco sauce (spicy, but not overpoweringly so) with Dungeness crab meat, sautéed spinach and mashed potatoes. Others at our table ordered pan-roasted steelhead, a huge steak salad, and a tangy plate of barbecued baby back ribs. The menu also featured some tempting housemade desserts and a lengthy list of microbrews and specialty cocktails.

Sunday, post-wedding and pre-departure, an even larger gang of us (21 this time) descended on the McKay Cottage for a hearty breakfast before we headed in our separate directions homeward bound. This Craftsman-style bungalow is famous for its hearty comfort-food meals, and we became instant fans. Seated at a long outdoor table, we ordered from a generous selection of pancakes, scrambles, omelettes and hashes. Special mention goes to the scones, which, unlike some I’ve had, were light and not overly dry and were served with tiny jars of housemade strawberry jam. Our waitress handled our large group with good humor, never acting harried or flustered; she took time to exchange pleasantries with each of us, and yet service was prompt. Great food can’t be enjoyed if you feel the service staff treats your group like a burden or an inconvenience; we felt welcomed and tipped accordingly.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend in a beautiful setting shared with family. What could be better?

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor