The Jackalope Grill may be one of the best-kept fine dining secrets in Central Oregon, largely because they’re unobtrusively located in Scandia Plaza, the stripmall-looking small shopping center at the corner of Reed Market and Third Street. Embarrassingly, I’ve never eaten there… even though I’ve known about it for years and have heard nothing but good things about it from everyone who has.

For a good example, check out the Bend Restaurants Blog review. Best steak in town, according to him. Everything else was good, too.

Expect fine dining prices (upper 20s for most entrees), but nothing outrageous. Reservations are probably a good idea.

So I need to make it a point to go sometime. Plus, I received a note and their latest press release via email, which prompted this post and which I’m running.

Read the press release

CATCH AND RELEASE
August 2007

The Jackalope Grill Uncorks Award-Winning Wine List, Best NW Cuisine Honors

(BEND, OR) The Jackalope Grill recently garnered a Best Northwest Cuisine “Gustie” award from Gusto Magazine, and its wine list received Award of Excellence honors from Wine Spectator magazine.

The Jackalope Grill is one of only five Bend restaurants to have its wine list recognized by Wine Spectator. Among Bend recipients, the Jackalope is the only list rated as “Inexpensive,” meaning they offer many bottles for less than $50, while also employing a below-normal markup.

A complete list of award winners is published in the August issue of Wine Spectator, and the magazine’s website lists all the Bend winners in the Dining & Travel: Restaurant Search: http://www.winespectator.com

According to the magazine, “Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.”

About The Jackalope Grill
Named for the elusive – some say extinct — western creature resembling a jack rabbit with deer antlers, The Jackalope Grill offers the equally hard-to-find combination of imaginative Northwest haute cuisine and an unpretentious Central Oregon environment. Host Kathy Garling and French-trained Chef Timothy Garling bring to bear more than 25 years of fine dining experience, most recently in the ski resort town of Alta, Utah, where they turned an ailing local eatery into one of that state’s most highly regarded restaurants. The Jackalope Grill features a frequently updated menu of wild game, fresh seafood, pasta, poultry and Oregon beef, with fresh, local, and organic products featured whenever possible. For reservations, call 541-318-8435 or visit http://www.thejackalopegrill.com/.