I was in town for just a weekend.  It was so good on our first night, we went back on the second night even after considering a number of other good options.  Chef Chan is wonderful.  Even something commonplace like the polenta on the side is startlingly good.  Very top notch cuisine at a good price with a good wine list.  And a bonus of  being much quieter than the other noisy places in town.  Great service too.
Review Source:Heard  there were new owners so decided to try the happy hour. Checked out the HH menu online and found a lot of variety, something for everyone. Manager Joey was professional and knowledgeable when answering our questions about menu items as was our server,Jessica. Favorites were the brussel sprouts with bacon, ahi appetizer, beet salad and caesar salad. HH pricing is $1 off certain food items, $1 off glasses of wine and $4 off bottles of wine.
Joey explained that new owners want to bring back the reputation of the Blacksmith as a steak house. None of my friends and I eat red meat so we can't speak to that, however, we were impressed enough with the service, menu options (for us non-meat eaters), preparation and presentation that we returned a few days later to celebrate a birthday.
On this occasion, we ordered off the HH and the main menus and were pleased with our selections; Ahi tuna and cider-brined pork chop (both on the dinner menu), BLT salad & caesar. In honor of our birthday girl, we all shared the Table-side Fostered Banana Split!!! Four of us shared but there was enough for a couple of more.
Hope the word gets out soon about the new Blacksmith.
My boyfriend brought his parents and I here for dinner Friday evening. Â We all shared the mussels as an app - they were good (though I've never had mussels before so do not have a solid benchmark to compare them to). Â My boyfriend and I split the beat salad, a steak (can't even recall which one), and a side of smoked mac and cheese. Â The mac n cheese was the best.
His mom had the Cajun medallions - those were easily the best meat on the table. Â I do not like spicy at all and these were not. Â There was just a light flavor to them that made them extra good.
Our server took great care of us, the meal was solid, and the company was perfect. Â For that, I give it 4 stars.
No, no, no, don't do it! Â Overpriced food, bad service, small portions. Â Enough said. Â I am adding a correction here that I am basing my review on a dining experience there under previous ownership about two months ago. Â Apparently it is different now for which I can't comment since I haven't been back.. Â My apologies to the new owners as this should not reflect on them.
Review Source:Went to Blacksmith last evening. Â The once stellar destination restaurant in Bend has fallen from grace quickly. Â The service was slow and unprofessional, the food was barely adequate with gentlemen's entrees being served several minutes before the ladies'. Â The first wine we ordered was out of stock and the 2nd was a substituted year from the wine list. Â Very disappointing experience overall.
Review Source:This is one of the worst dining experiences in Bend! When we arrived we were told a 20-25 minute wait (at 6:20pm on Saturday). Â The place was half empty. We sat at the bar to have a drink while we waited and it took 20-25 mins to get a glass of wine and tap beer. After waiting more than an hour we were finally seated. It took about 10-15 min before our server came to the table. When it came time to order she tells us 1 of the 3 steak choices (at a steakhouse) was not available. She states I can order the cheesesteak which has blue cheese so I did. My husband ordered the porkchop with mac and cheese. We ordered polenta fries for an appetizer and were told they were out of those as well. We skipped the appetizer and had salads. The menu is quite small and running out of anything seems ridiculous and makes it hard to order with lack of choices. Â About 20 min after ordering we were brought some bread. Â Then another 30 minute wait for salad. My beet salad had a weird blob of goat cheese with oddly cut chunks of beets pushed into it. Not appealing. The caeser had cubes of polenta that were over the top salty. All was drowned in dressing on both salads. Well past 1 1/2 hours after being seated our meals finally arrived. Â Mind you, the entire time we were waiting our waitress never came back to update us on the status, apologize, ask if we needed/wanted another drink, or cleaned up the dirty plates. I had to ask a busboy for a wine list so I could possibly have a glass of wine with my meal! The food was covered in sauces, reductions and liquid. The presentation looked as though a high schooler was plating the meals in the kitchen. Way too much going on and it really took away from the main part of the dish - the meat. The mac and cheese sauce was powdery (the feel on the tongue) and not anything like homemade cheese sauce - the consistency of Kraft sauce. There was a bunch of cider like liquid underneath it which ruined it even more. The cheesesteak which states on the menu (and the waitress also stated) it had blue cheese arrived with a slab of brie sitting on top of it. I asked the waitress about this and she said I must have gotten an old menu because it is no longer made with blue cheese. Remember, the waitress told me when ordering it was made with blue cheese and now she acts like she never said that and offered no apology. FYI... I just checked their website and it says the cheesesteak is made with Rogue blue cheese :-) Â We ate the meat (we were absolutely starving) and it was average but couldn't stomach all the salty sauces all over the plate. Â Our waitress never came back to our table after bringing the main course to see if we needed anything or if our meals were alright. Â We were never offered drinks, dessert......nothing! Â I must also mention our dirty bread and balsamic plates were left at the table during our entire meal. We ate our main course with the dirty plates sitting right in front of our dinner plates. We were completely shocked by the poor and really non-existent service at this restaurant considering the prices they charge. Â Any restaurant that charges these prices should provide a lovely dining experience with impeccable service. Part of fine dining is the experience, not just the food - and this place has neither! Â Save yourself the heartache and go somewhere else if you're looking for a great dining experience - if you eat here you will be sorely disappointed and upset over a ruined evening and a lot of money wasted!
Review Source:The husband and I decided to splurge a bit last night when the opportunity arose for a date night. Â We originally wanted to go to Zydeco but were unable to get a reservation once they finally opened at 5pm. Â So the husband called The Blacksmith and they were more than happy to take us on short notice. Â Oh how glad I am that the fates sent us--it was hands down the best meal we've had here in Bend over the past four years that we've lived here! Â What a treat! Â
Our meal was phenomenal, service impeccable.  We had the beef carpaccio, table side warmed bacon spinach salad (awesome!), blackened salmon and maple cider pork chop with Mac n cheese.  Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!  My only regret was that I was too full to order dessert (although I did mooch a few bites of my husbands scrumptious creme brûlée).  Our server was attentive without being invasive and the hubs and I had a much-needed, romantic dinner with views of the falling snow outside the large windows across from our booth. Â
It was spendy for sure (about $130 for the above mentioned food, one cocktail and 3 glasses of wine), but well worth it if you are looking for a special evening out with your honey. Â We will be back to the Blacksmith again the next time a special occasion arises. Â Hey, my birthday is next month! Â :)
I'm all most certain my Steak was Chuck Roast pounded to make it tender. Â It was very thin and very wide covering almost the whole plate. Â I had the Cowboy Steak which also included canned beans dumped on the Steak. Â It was OK at best but very unfavorable. Â We shared some potatoes and that was the best part of the meal.
OK here are my impressions. At the door the odor of spices are powerful and your expecting some great flavors but alas it must just be an air freshener as the meal was bland. Â
The service was very good. 4 stars. Â (5 stars is pulling out the booth table, putting napkin in lap, plating the table at one time, just tiny details.
The drinks were good and we picked out wine at less then we paid for one entree. Â
I tried the Abs-tine that is lighted on fire, it tastes like Black Licorice and was not my style. Â But it was fun and I'm glad I experienced it.
The restaurant is very nice inside and the bar looked inviting.
I paid the two hundred dollar bill for the two of us...made me a little sick.
We've been coming to this restaurant, while on vacation, for the past 3 years and it's never failed to please. Â The food is consistently delicious and the service and atmosphere are fabulous! Â We love the dining room but, when we're looking for a late dinner, we often sit at the bar. Â The coolest bar in Bend. Â On weekends, there's a dj and dancing. Â Again, this place never lets us down. Â Whether we're looking for an upscale, romantic dinner or a late night happy hour with the best dance music around, The Blacksmith provides it all.
Review Source:I was really craving steak on our road trip and chose Bend's Blacksmith after a bit of research. Neither of our steaks was cooked just right-- Wakako's wasn't the way she wanted it even on the second try. That being said, the flavors were robust and the mac and cheese side was great. My martini was stiffer than a corpse in January and our server was top-notch; she even stuffed bleu cheese into tiny olives for my martini. But the steaks just did not blow me away. And the place was too expensive for central Oregon.
Review Source:I ordered new york steak rare. Â I first received it medium. Â They graciously offered to prepare another. Â I then received it blue. Â I ate it because I was tired of sending steaks back. Â The flavor was good but I disagree though with Lonely Planet's assessment that this is a top choice.
Review Source:My boyfriend and I are in Bend for a family reunion which just happened to fall on the same week as our 5 year anniversary. So we ventured away from the crowd for a nice, romantic dinner.
We called EVERY place in Bend that had 4+ stars on Yelp, most were closed and so we ended up at the Blacksmith.
Being that it was the 4th of July the restaurant was empty. When we went to give our name for the reservation they said they didn't have it. Whoops! Luckily it was dead so we got seated right away. We had to ask to sit in the big comfy booth, even though it was dead they wanted to put us at this tiny little table along a wall. Nope, 5 years people. We would like a comfy booth please!
Our server was great. The 3 star rating is pretty much all him. If 3.5 was an option i'd go there but it's not. He was friendly and knowledgeable and didn't overstep his bounds or push anything on us. I would put him in any fine dining restaurant and he do fabulously! He even brought us out an amuse bouche as a special anniversary treat! Awww! Thanks!
The food, was OK. We started with the warm spinach salad. Prepared table side, which my boyfriend had never seen. The flavor was there but the guy completely wilted the spinach so it was more like a side dish than a salad. I like my spinach a little crunchy still... but the bacon made up for it! :-)
Dinner was OK. We ordered a rib-eye medium-rare, some truffled mac-n-cheese and some asparagus with bearnaise sauce.
The steak, while cooked perfectly was OK. for $33 i expect a little more flavor out of my steak. My boyfriend was obsessed with the mac, he said it was perfect, i said it was waaaay too heavy on the truffle. Truffles are a highlight, not the main. Meant to be done with a light hand, but this was overkill. The asparagus was exactly what you'd expect. And for a steakhouse their wine list was severely lacking. They had a TON of Pinot Noir and very few Cab's or Merlot... weird...
Overall the experience was OK. not great. not bad. I've had waaay better steak but i've had waaay worse service. So it's pretty equal in my mind.
my cousin LOVES her steak...heck, we all do! Â so she chose blacksmith for our one dinner in bend. Â [truthfully, ariana was our first pick, but there was a snowball's-chance-in-hell getting a table.]
we arrived when the restaurant opened and there was only one other table seated for a good hour. Â the staff is polite and friendly from the greeting until we left; that's a good thing.
the food, on the other hand, was "eh." Â we started with the cheese selection ($13-ish). Â for these prices, i would think presentation matters. Â the 3 cheeses were nice and didn't really mix with the carmelized apples with coriander seeds or toasted nuts, but we were hungry. Â my issue, is that the items were PILED on to a dish that was not appropriate to fully appreciate the items. Â i don't think that the cheese people want their selections co-mingled together because the flavors, well, co-mingle.
i ordered a tasty potato-stout soup with a gratin top ($4/cup). Â you really can't go wrong here...i enjoyed all of the artery clogging properties that went into my body!
i also ordered the carpaccio with fennel and arugula salad ($12-ish). Â i love me some meat, but this was a confusing mix. Â so i ended up peeling the meat off the "rolls," and just eating the meat plain. Â the whole dish had a lot going on that was just too much. Â it made me sad.
my nephews ordered the burger with fries ($12) and it looked great! Â my cousin ordered the rib-eye. Â the supposed 14 oz. portion looked underwhelming and too thin for my tastes. Â she's an atkins gal, but did not seem happy about the presentation. Â
we left full, but sad that we expected more from a place that did not live up to what we expected...especially at those prices. Â sigh!
From the moment we walked in the host was excellent, the server was excellent, the drinks were awesome and the food was to die for! Â The Chicken Pacata melts in your mouth and the serving size was enough for two so, we shared it. Â The Polenta Fries are an exellent compliment to the chicken. Â The Martini was the real deal - filled all the way to the top of the glass. Â If we are ever in Bend again, we will come back and experience the wide variety on their menu.
Review Source:Blacksmith's light box bar is dazzling walking into its dimly lit interior, as are the prices on the menu. The 4:30 to 6:30 happy hour was definitely not happy hour priced. My nine dollar smoked mac and cheese with bacon tasted of refrigerator and was dreadfully far from al dente. I had high hopes for the 11 dollar crab corn dogs, but the crab-esque goopy filling in overly sweet corn batter deep fried and served with a tarter, just didn't perform to my standards. Not sure I want to return to find out if the full priced menu items are any better. Mary from Boston, whom we met there and swapped fishing stories and pictures, says the 32 dollar cheese steak was one of the best she had ever had. I liked my Fizzy Lizzy blueberry cocktail, but the boy's Super Ginger was just too sugary to really enjoy.
Review Source:Good food, decent atmosphere. Â Our server was lacking overall. Â Took forever to take our drink and food orders. Â After that, she was appropriately available... but she failed on the most important first impression.
The food was very good. Â I had a pork chop which had a very interesting and delicious presentation. Â The wife had a steak (forget what cut) and she was very happy with it. Â We also got the table side bananas foster which was delicious and somewhat fun.
They did not have the wine we ordered, so they upgraded us to next bottle of zinfandel on the menu for no extra charge. Â It was a $25 difference in price, so that was very professional, gracious, and appreciated.
Overall, this is a great place to go. Â The final bill was not too bad considering, and all the food was excellent.
Consistently inconsistent for food and service quality. Â
Consistent for high prices. Â
Skilled at creating marketing hype for visitors to Bend, we are a tourist driven economy, to try this out.
Our  three experiences here have been simply "meh" on sum of the parts for food, service and cost.  Not to mention, realizing this is different strokes for different folks, we weren't jazzed about the dark ambiance or space planning either - just not a comfortable place to be. Good cocktails though - we'll give them that.
Still owner Gavin McMichael who also owned Bourbon Street Bend (he closed it last month) and Gatsby's (closed it a while ago) in Bend remained in the forefront for Blacksmith.  Until he filed bankruptcy last week. <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tsweekly.com%2Fformer-blacksmith-and-bourbon-street-owner-files-for-bankruptcy.html&s=1229bc032a5b63c0fbb9c772ecd52339fcf1fb083c3383a7934775d360582905" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.tsweekly.com/…</a>
Since he filed Chapter 7 and not Chapter 11, Â restructuring for ongoing operations is unlikely. The sad thing, if this place goes under, is the number of restaurant workers that will lose their jobs in a community where unemployment already hovers around 12%. Â
But for us, Blacksmith is simply not a good enough place, especially at the ultra high prices, to go back again.
Let's get the negatives out of the way. Â The food is overpriced, and the decor makes you feel like you're eating in a sex dungeon with a blues soundtrack.
We had a lovely absinthe, and revelled in the oil and vinegar with honey and coriander. Â The roasted marrow was salty for me, but the chop, steak, and polenta were spot on.
Delicious, but dark. Â Come in daylight, right after payday.
*** Not for food/restaurant service
I was skeptical upon entering this place. It has been a looooong time since I frequented establishments with glowey bars, dance floors, and groups of girls in tutu's. But - when you have a reunion with you 9 college roommates, you have to go with the flow.
And I am glad I did b/c this place turned out awesome. First I ordered a cocktail and was SHOCKED at how much change I got back from a $20. These drinks are CHEAP. Then we hit the dance floor and had a blast. The Saturday night DJ is amazing. After having one too many cocktails I contemplated with my girlfriend whether I should ask if he would DJ the yet-to-be-planned-but-might-happen after-party for my wedding.
The best part was that while the dance floor was crowded and energetic, it wasn't a sweaty armpit of a room with no real space to get down. We were able to take over a corner and peacefully dance our faces off for several hours.
Decent food, looks better than it tastes, too salty, stick to the Sunset Menu.
Went here with another couple for the Sunset Menu (430-530pm, 3 courses, $24, large portions, good deal).
The mussels appetizer was amazingly plentiful, must of had 30 mussels, and tasty too.
I had the tenderloin steak with mashed potatoes and green beans for the entree. The steak was cooked perfectly (medium) but was on the salty side. Potatoes and green beans were too salty as well.
For desert I had 3 scopes of ice cream, vanilla, peanut butter, and blueberry-peach. The peanut butter was really good, not to rich, the vanilla was...vanilla, and the blueberry-peach was super bitter.
All in all it was worth $24 but I couldn't imagine paying full price for a meal here.
Blacksmith has a good happy hour. The cocktails are delicious as is the happy hour food. Everything is well priced too!
However beware that when it's busy (which happens frequently) it can take forever to get service. Additionally the night crowd tends to be a bit older, which can be awkward if you are in your mid twenties like me.
Overall Blacksmith is worth the stop, so definitely check it out.
On a recent trip to Bend, I decided I would like to get some good food in me, so I found myself at The Blacksmith. Â
First off, it was just me, and some places look at you like a freak if you are the only diner. Â They had me wait for a minute, then took me to my table for one. Â Not in the back corner, or hidden in the dark, but a lovely table in the midst of all the other diners.
I start with the Manhattan flight, three small Manhattans made with three different house made bitters. Â It was quite lovely, and very unexpected. Â They also brought out some local baked bread, and a bread dip that was really great, made from olive oil, balsamic, worchester sauce, and toasted coriander.
For dinner, I ordered the pork chop. Â This was just unbelievable, set on a bed of smoked mac & cheese, and topped with a cheddar crisp. Â Perfect in every way... Â I nearly licked the plate clean.
I deeply wanted to have the table side bananas foster, but I opted against it, since it was just me, and that would have been ridiculous for one.
If you're lucky, you'll get Luke as a waiter, top notch!
************
I went back the next day for happy hour. Â They have a great drink menu, and very yummy bites, all at great prices. Â I can't recommend this place enough, and will make sure I visit every time I'm in Bend!
Food is great, yet I just can get over how expensive this place is. With so many dining options in Bend, I'd put the Blacksmith in the top three most expensive restaurants within a 50 mile radius.
If I'm going to pay that much for a steak, I'd expect it to be the best damn steak I've ever had. Like the $5 dollar milkshake in Pulp Fiction, you know what I'm saying? This steak should blow my mind. In reality, it's good, not inspiring, not overwhelming, not something I'm going to crave in the future.
Nah. It's about as good as a steak I'd cook at home. Certainly not better than one I thrown on the grill dredged in Lawry's seasoning salt.
The bartender is great, though. I've spent time in their lounge with clients and it's always a good choice. Although again, I end up forking over $50 for a couple of drinks and a plate of appetizers.
My friends and I came here for their late night happy hour and sat at the front bar. We were very impressed by their cocktails (which were a steal at the happy hour price - $5) and I loved the truffle mac and cheese!
I'd come back here for sure next time I am in Bend! I only wish we had come here for dinner.
This is for happy hour.
We had some great munchies and drinks for late night happy hour. Â The trio of mac & cheese was awesome! Â We also had the cerviche of the day, which was snapper. Â It's not my thing but my husband loved it.
Drinks are also on special. Â $5 mixed drinks & $3 shots & beers along with some other concoctions. Â
Our bartender was great, she even brought us waters from the moment we sat down. Â When does a bar ever give you water without grumbling about it? Â We didn't even need to ask for it!
Fantastic food and dining experience, The wait staff were pleasant and hepful while the food came out perfect for each dish. Â The atmosphere and design is modern and hip yet with a strong classy feel, I feel like Im stepping into a fine downtown new york restaurant. Â
Between dinners during the week, a full bar and the live DJ's on fri or sat nights there is something for everyone. Â
I wholly recomend this for anyone looking for a fine dining expereince either on a constant basis or just in town visit. Â Food is absolutlely delicous with fantastic portions. Â The recomendations with the wine pairing were perfect. Â I love it!
This was our 2nd time to Blacksmith. Â Service was very friendly but hectic - several people waiting on us and apologizing for how "chaotic" it was - better staffing for the busiest vacation week between Christmas & New Years! Started with recommended mussels - they were good, not amazing, Liked the goat cheese toast - nice touch. Red sauce too heavy.
Truffle mac & cheese was delicious - could go lighter on massive layer of butter bread crumbs on top - these flavors stand alone without that! Fresh trout entree was good but again this dish was over-prepared - heavy breading/seasoning...a fresh fish like this should have a light sauce that lets the fish stand out.
Had to have the tableside Bananas Fosters dessert - lovely presentation - but why try to morph this into any other version other than the classic?? Brennan's New Orleans, I think? There's a reason why it's famous - follow it to the tee! Â Adding Blacksmith banana bread took away from the sauce - it just needs vanilla ice cream. Good sauce.
Lastly, the music (motown, soul, disco) does not match this restaurant. The vibe & decor here is high-end ranch, Oregon...play some really cool Americana music - Lyle Lovett, Todd Snider, Nanci Griffith -, ....could go uptempo with some of the hipper alt bands - consult a music supervisor! It is so important in the vibe! And love dimly lit rooms, but these are DARK - more corners lit, kick up the dimmer a touch.
For some of the most flavorful, tender meat dishes the Blacksmith is the choice in Bend. Â We often find ourselves there for special occasions (birthdays, friends in town, etc.). Â Interesting combinations of ingredients, spices to make for unique plates from hors d'oeuvres to desserts. Â
The decor is dark and romantic, yet the bar is modern and friendly. Â Late night disco on the weekends changes the mood to lots of fun. Â And the people of Bend are friendly even to out-of-towners.
We were recently in town for our wedding and our best man was having a birthday the same week so we threw out some restaurant suggestions for him to choose from and he selected Blacksmith. First I must say Blacksmith was very accommodating needed to change our reservation time AND party size a couple of times. I think the fact that it was a Wednesday night was working in our favor, but nonetheless, they worked with us.
We also had people coming and going...someone taking off to head to the airport to pick 2 groomsmen up (they even let him take menus so the tired and hungry East Coasters could order upon landing) and the birthday boy himself and his fiance arrived late, but our server never missed a beat. We always had a fresh drink or glass of wine and he kept the food rolling.
Service was seriously top notch. You wouldn't know you were in a small town...Blacksmith provided big city service.
I am not a big meat person, but I thought that the poke and crab corn dogs were awesome! JP and I were going to split the "meat plate" special but after a bit it was definitely too meaty for me. Maybe that's why the wine went to my head!
If you are a meat loving, fine-dining in a small town type person...check out Blacksmith...it will treat you right!
I'd heard rumors of turmoil and turnover at Blacksmith, so I was a bit worried about our return visit. Â Not to worry. Â The food, from the mussels steamed in Black Butte Porter to the dessert that we had with coffee and port, was all fantastic. Â The service was attentive and -- it has to be said -- very patient with the more inebriated among us. Â (Prior to dinner, the guys had passed the time in a bar drinking Pendleton whiskeys on the rocks while the ladies did the Art Hop thing.) Â
All the food was excellent, but I'm only going to recommend one dish: Â The warm spinach salad with bacon, which they prepare at the table. Â It's not necessarily an obvious choice, but take my word, you don't want to miss it.
One of the best upper scale dining options in Bend!
We're here for the Pacific Crest Olympic Duathlon this weekend. Dining options are limited in the area to fast food or breweries for the most part. I found this little gem on Yelp and we decided that the food looked interesting and reasonable enough that we'd give it a go.
We sat in the bar and enjoyed food off the bar and dinner menus. Lots of fun items like fried green tomatoes (delicious), polenta fries (excellent with the garlic aoili), crab corndogs (superb), a Caesar, some ribs, and the roasted red pepper mashers (there was four of us, okay).
Everything was good, and like I said, really reasonable. The dinner menu is a bit more pricey, but still pretty reasonable with items like steak and halibut.
We had a couple of cocktails: Orange Whips (just like Orange Julius, only with more feeling = gin) a cucumber fizz (cucumber, lime, mint, soda), and a glass of Merlot.
$83 before tip. Not bad at all since we ate and ate, and ate. The service here is really good, the food comes out pretty fast, and the atmosphere rivals anything in Seattle.
We liked it a lot. We might just be back for carbs after tomorrow's festivities. :)
Went for happy hour and it was great. Â Food and drinks were great. Â One friend had a small bug in her drink and they properly re-made it. Â
Snacks were GREAT, service was great. Â It was packed though- the bar areas were super busy! Â Two of my friends shared the sunset special and it looked amazing...
After reading the Yelp reviews and at the suggestion of a former Bend resident, my husband and I brought his parents for dinner one night. Â We were very pleasantly surprised at the quality of food and the swanky atmosphere in this little resort town.
We started with the Black Butte Porter marinated mussels that were FANTASTIC. Â The scallop ceviche was also good. Â At our table, we had the pan seared pork chop, two Philly Cheesesteaks & the paella. Â Of the 3 dishes, Â the paella was nice and spicy but the Philly Cheesesteaks were the stars. Â We really wanted to try the Banana's Foster flambeed table side but we were all too full to order it :-(. Â Guess that means we'll have to return sometime soon!
We also saw, at the table next to us, someone ordered absinthe with their dessert and it was quite a display.
The bill was pretty reasonable too for the quality of food. Â The priciest item was a couple glasses of wine at $15 a piece. Â They have lots of beer on tap but if you must go with wine, I suggest bringing your own since the corkage fee is only $10.
Geez, I don't know how this place could get less than 4-Stars.
I dine at Blacksmith, every time I come to visit my parent's in Bend. The restaurant is private, with a beautiful ambiance, and decor to go with the ever so sexy bar.
The drinks, I had a Mojito, was excellent, not too minty, not too sweet, but just right.
For dinner I typically go with a steak, or a pork if it is being served. They  cook the meats just as ordered, and really bring out the natural flavors instead of garnishing it with tons of spices to cover a poor cut of meat.
The dessert...... Oh man, the dessert. THE DESSERT ALONE IS WORTH A TRIP. I Â have had mud pies, brownie ala mode, creme brulee, and each has been DAMN AMAZING, AND DAMN FILLING!
The service has been great in my experience. I feel like as long as you are polite, the service is great. Not that they should not always have great service, but shouldn't we always have proper etiquette?
If you have not yet been to Blacksmith, you are simply missing out.
Red bricks. Black leather. Glowing white bar. Â Not a child in sight.
This is a place that I can imagine will polarize diners. Â I made a spur of the moment reservation and then started looking at the web site. Â I saw a selection of basic American food (chicken and biscuits, corndogs, meatloaf, creamed corn, smores), but presented in an oh so precious fashion. Â My husband is a salt-of-the-earth guy who likes good food, but neither of us appreciate pretension. Â And he'd been skiing all day so I was worried there wouldn't be enough food for the dear price we'd have to pay (visions of that commercial where the couple go to the convenience store after the fancy restaurant).
But, here's how it went down....
Arrived early for our reservation (definitely make one) and they sat us right away at a cozy table for two. Â The waiter was the funniest guy I've ever had. Â Not funny, ha-ha, but funny like are we on Candid Camera? Â He looked like a butch version of Michael Urie (Ugly Betty), had a speech pattern like Christopher Walken and walked quickly with one arm tucked behind his back.
Thus began his soliloquy, "I would LIKE to present to YOU our specials (long pause) for this EVEning...." Â This went on for about five minutes. Â My husband and I were exchanging looks and stifling laughter. Â Every cut of meat indicates which farm in Oregon it came from and everything is a very high-end interpretation of basic fare. Â I started making up questions, just to hear what would come out of the waiter's mouth. Â
"Tell me about this salmon. Â Is it really from Tasmania?"
"Salmon (pause) is out of SEAson (pause) in the northWEST, so it is FED exd daily from a wild MOUNtain stream...."
Caring is sharing so we split a Sonora sushi appetizer (Kobe beef), garden salad, Tasmanian Salmon, New York Steak (with the Blacksmith steak sauce), grilled asparagus and the lemon meringue tart. Â It was plenty of food and everything was cooked to perfection. Â You could spend a ton of dough here, but I didn't get sticker shock based on what we ordered. Â They do offer a six-course tasting menu for around $80/person.
We were dressed in jeans and totally fit in. Â Bend just isn't a formal kind of place. Â So this would be a pretentious place in other parts of the world, but I just found it charmingly wacky. Â The guy at next table was eating with his hands (no utensils for me, ma'am) and they didn't kick him out, so it was great dinner theater all around.
When my husband was served his coffee, he leaned in and said "What the diners don't know is that their coffee has been replaced by Folger's crystals." Â I love that man!
Note: the format of this review is based on a challenge is to write in the reverse order of a traditional narrative.
I was full in the best way. The type where a pleasant warmth rises up from your core, but not so stuffed that it hurt to move. The last few bites of chocolate and freshly-made Bailey's flavored ice cream hit the spot but I was very glad that the other goodies on our dessert plate - cookies and some peanut brittle - could be boxed up and enjoyed at home... much, much later.
It was one of those truly great dinners, I had decided. When a server brought the food to the table she asked, "You really don't know what you are getting? That is so cool!" The risk was worth it. The trout dish selected by the chef was done very well, and was something I wouldn't order for myself. It was accompanied by a delicious rice dish. The beurre blanc sauce was slightly sweet and light, enhancing the flavor of the fish well. Scott's pork chop and mac & cheese tasted as good as it looked too. With a second apple-pear martini at hand I dove into the dish and savored every bite.
When the second "surprise nibble" appeared I was impressed again. We were served a black-pepper pasta made into a ravioli, filled with a marscapone cheese mixture, served with capers and sun-dried tomatoes. Delicious and tantalizing - I wanted more. I had been considering the pasta dish from the menu but now was undecided. I made a big decision - and asked our server to find out what the chef recommended. They were more than happy to oblige.
Shortly after my first apple-pear martini and Scott's beer were served our waiter reappeared with a surprise. The chef had prepared a special amuse-bouche for us - a seared diver scallop served over an asian slaw with mandarin oranges. The sauce was slightly sweet and the scallop was creamy. Yummm... if everything was going to be as good as this starter then dinner would very good!
The timing couldn't have been better. After a somewhat stressful first few days of the week we decided that it was finally time to use the gift card for the Blacksmith Restaurant that was given to Scott. We had originally planned to go on Wednesday night but found out that a friend recently started there, and would be cooking on Thursday. He strongly recommended that we change our plans and come in on Thursday. So we did!
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