Bistro Corlise is closing
And yet another downtown restaurant is closing: Bistro Corlise, the French fine dining restaurant that’s been downtown for about a year and a half. BOR broke the news on his blog today, email direct from the owner:
Sadly, this email is not offering another wine dinner or food event. I am writing to announce that I have decided to sell the restaurant. … Without the community’s willingness to at least try what we have to offer, I cannot justify staying in Bend.
We will be open our regular hours through Friday, March 6th. We will be closed the 7th and 8th, as I have been invited to cook for an event at Ken Wright Cellars. I have not yet decided if we will be open the following week.
"Without the community’s willingness to at least try what we have…"
wow
No doubt.
Sorry I didn’t want to drop in and try one of your $30 dishes.
Adios, douchebag! Good riddance.
Sorry I never got a chance to try this place out. Things are a changin’ round here aren’t they?
sometimes there are dishes worth 30$. if you can’t afford that, it’s not for you. but if you appreciate a single-handed chef who puts their blood sweat and passion into a dish and you can actually walk away and say it was one of the most memorable meals of your life, then it is worth the 3 times you drove through the window at mc d’s or subways. there is perspective in the art of food. just know where you want to be in the spectrum and be happy. some people like bud light and some people like veuve cliquot and some would not substitute one for the other.
It’s the economy, plain and simple.
Shame on me for not trying this dude’s offering. I feel so bad that I have caused him to close up shop. Where does this guy get off in chastising the community for not coming to his place? With an attitude like this – buh bye!
This community thought it was so ‘foodie’ and then someone comes and says lets see if we can get away from meat, potatoes, out of seasaon product, etc. and people don’t even try it. I see the guy’s point. Last I talked to him, no one from the media ever even tried or walked into his place, minus the manditory bulletin person. Businesses he advertised in and traded with never sat foot in there, not once. It’s not food for everyone, but it was real and honest which is all one can ask for.
I think his comments where aimed torwards the main stream media. I personally know Jason and as intense as he may be, he never would blame people for being themselves. Here is a nice grounded person who is one of five people in the USA with his creditials, yet doesn’t brag about them or go around all high profile and snotty with his chef coat on. Jason’s belief that food is much greater then any individual didn’t mesh with major media. I think our major media wants trends rather then culture or as he says ‘pop rather then rock and roll’.
Hmm. Never even heard of the place. With that attitude, I’m glad I never spent my hard earned dollars there.
Any of us who has ever poured blood, sweat and tears into a business here in Bend, only to end up having to close down due to circumstances out of our control can be heartbreaking. Jason’s apparent frustration with the local media & current economic times is a frustration that is or has been shared by many. Oh and the douchebag and buh bye people…… seriously??? (funny how two little words can be so character revealing.)
I agree with Amy on this… how easy it is to anonymously call someone a douchebag on a blog. It’s also easy to dismiss a place as being too high brow and over priced just because it showcases food and wine that we might not be used to and thiry dollars may be more than you want to spend on a meal. But the fact is that Bistro Corlise is actually a good value for what you are getting. If you took the time to look at the menu, you will see that most of the main dishes are less than 30 stones and the wine selection is reasonably priced and showcases stuff you will not find anywhere else in town. They also offered up a happy hour that let you enjoy appetizers and wine by the glass for something like five bucks. Chef Logan and the folks at Bistro Corlise believed that dining was a cultural event and a meal deserved to be savored, discussed, and remembered. And the food there is simply amazing. If some of you anonymous dismissers that are so eager to spit at Logan on his way out ever went in and sat down, you would realize this. Where else in this town are you going to have the head chef/owner with his wine and cooking credentials spend the time to share his passion and knowledge with you. Logan and his crew were happy to lead you through the dining experience without talking down to you or just giving you what you’re used to. They made you feel like your meal was important to them. How many places can you say that about in this town?
Meanwhile, local celbrity "chef" Jody Denton (or Jett, or whatever his name is) and Merenda are being mourned because they were "victims" of the bad economy and they did so much for the downtown dining scene. What a joke, you couldn’t even hear yourself think in that place and the food was, well, ok I guess. Not memorable. The guy is still being celebrated as he stiffed local vendors and investors to the tune of 2.4 million dollars. But thanks for the memories, fella, and enjoy the beach!
The fact is that it didn’t work out for Chef Jason Logan and Bistro Corlise in Bend, for whatever reason, but he can hold his head high and be proud of what he shared with the few of us who put our tastebuds and our preconceptions about dining in his hands. Thank you and good luck.
Not even going to read replies for those who stick up for this guy…. what a rude arrogant asshole! Good ridance, go back to where you came from and maybe they’ll like french food there dipshit!
I can’t beleive the hostility for someone bringing their craft to town and attempting to give us some culture. I guess we’ll reap what we sow.
what are you talking about? don’t you think his response to the community was a little hostile?
"Without the community’s willingness to at least try what we have to offer, I cannot justify staying in Bend."
If he was upset at the media it doesn’t make it any better, it’s the business’ responsibility to advertise, not the media to come in and give him free advertising. A good restruante will create hype on its own and draw the media in if its worthy, not the other way around…. Sounds to me like he was butt hurt that there was not a following of what he had to offer. Unfortunately that is part of running your own business…. maybe he should have done more research into the community he wanted to start a business in to see if it was actually viable and would stay afloat? Either that, or just bite the bullet and accept the cards you were dealt and don’t chastise the community you live in. It’s not the communities fault his restraunte failed, it’s his own!
Hit the road jack, we don’t need or want people with that kind of attitude here!
is the name-calling and brutal negativity in the minority in central oregon? i’ve been here a mere decade; thankfully settled in before craigslist, BOR, bend blogs, etc. became the court of popular opinion. if i’d been exposed to so much spewing of hatred and this bizarre 1959 oregonian crap of ‘go back where you came from’ -i would have gone back to where i came from ( i am a native oregonian though, does that mean i CAN stay here or do i need to return to my county of registered birth?) EVERYONE belongs here. everyone has a right to make their own living and follow their passions; and you have the right not to support their passion financially. that influx of peope from ‘back there’, their businesses and their contribution to this community creates an economy. i cannot understand the loathing of these small business owners- big chains with laminated menus larger than a bale of hay should really infuriate you, if you want true arrogance, look there. jason exhibited true passion, pride and true integrity. you are now becoming that old person who used to tell you how far they walked to school in the snow without shoes; good old days.
I think this is funny, who really knows what goes on behind doors.
— Yes, this is a great place for any or all, I agree. But don’t come here and get an attitude when the community doesn’t accept what you have to offer in a big enough way to make a living. Like rising star futon, and many, MANY other restarauntes in Bend this is another to fall under. The only difference is those other business owners accept what happens and didn’t lash out publicly at the community (who i’m sure appreciate the offering and diversity, just not on a large enough scale to maintain the business). You’re probably right, i’m sure the owner spewed his heart soul and sweet and blood into that business, but where he went wrong is to lash out at the community as if it were there fault for his business going under…. First note to you and your obvious friend "Jason" is learn a little about public relations before giving the business world a go next time around because the public will remember the harsh words spoken previously.
I’d be surpised if this was a lash out at the community or the circumstance. I bet their is more here then we know. It does not seem as angry as it has been taken, but then again who knows. I think, for as slow as this place was, the response and passion towards the letter is unreal. We are talking about a restaurant which was slow and fairly unheard of. Now, it made the papers, the news, and the blogs. I doubt anyone intended it for that, but perhaps I’m wrong. Why was it posted and who was it intended for? If this was sent to his customers, then they probably can understand where it comes from. For all of us, who have not been there, we have no idea. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, I’m saying its an opinion and obviously it rub someone wrong and got posted. If they really wanted to piss off the community, it would have been in the bulletin. I think their is more, but who really cares…its just a restaurant, they come and go just like the seasons. We can all eat at home and save money and not have these soap operas…..
I respect anyone who has the guts to open their own business.
However, I have serious doubts about the business acumen of someone who choose to open a dilettante restaurant in downtown Bend during the glut of other, similar openings.
I feel the same way towards these people as I do towards those young folks who purchased homes that were way overpriced, in new ‘cookie cutter’ neighborhoods, on adjustable-rate mortgages, during the housing boom.
Yes, these are sad times, but viewed through the harsh light of reality – most of these folks wanted to jump on a bandwagon without checking to see if the structure was sound, or if they could really pay the price of admission.
Chef Logan not only made a bad business decision to begin with, he follows that up with "it’s not my fault, people didn’t understand me!". How sad that instead of learning from this experience, he has fallen back to a "it’s not me, its you" attitude.
Many (if not most) of the homeowners and business owners who did ANYTHING during the boom times acted in haste and focused on getting rich off the perceived fat of the Central Oregon market.
Some of these people are now waking up to an extremely harsh reality, they are losing homes, businesses and their way of life. Many have realized it was their own fault for getting caught up in the madness, but some are still playing "poor me, it’s not my fault, the mean old bank forced me to do it" game.
Chef Logan’s comment strikes a very sour chord with those of us who were conservative during the boom. We weren’t spending $30 on a meal, we were still saving our money. We weren’t living off the fat of an over-mortgaged over-valued home, we were living within our means.
I agree that name-calling reflects poorly on the person throwing the stones, but I understand where the venom comes from.
The real sadness I feel is for those individuals and companies who did the right thing throughout this mess, but are still being punished by the backlash of everything crashing down around us.
I’m someone who can afford this place more than most, but I had not eaten there. So, I guess I’m someone responsible for their failure? Huh?
There are many places to eat WELL above average cuisine for a town of this size. Hell, my favorite place is in Redmond, not Bend (I live in westside Bend so this is not a homer comment) – Brickhouse.
But it’s hard to not wonder if the attitude (blaming the people living here for not being adventursome…a tourist town…I don’t think so!) of the owner might not have been the downfall of this restaurant.
Directly, or more likely, indirectly.
All this negativity really isn’t necessary. The comment was taken from a letter written to our regular customers. Taken out of context, it sounds different. It wasn’t intended for the blogs and it was not meant to offend. All Jason wanted to do was bring something good to the community. Yes, he was frustrated and disappointed. I know this because I was there with him throughout this 16 month venture into the restaurant business. I know how hard we tried to make it work. And I now know how difficult running a restaurant really is. And yes, we made some mistakes along the way. But we did the best we could. It just wasn’t the right time or place. So please, no more name calling and derogetory comments. Enough is enough.
I am coming to Bend this Thursday and was planning to visit this restuarant that evening with old friends who live there but hadn’t had a chance to try the restaurant yet. From the things I had read, I was looking forward to it. It’s a shame that economic times are really what has made it hard for this establishment. My husband and I no longer live in Bend because of the poor job situation. We hope to come back some day and live in our house again. If you decide to try S.F./Bay Area, I hope to try the yummy food choices I read about. The negativity in this blog boggles the mind–can’t believe the meaness that was generated by the comment made in the statement. Good luck in your next venture, Jason.
I came here this weekend and I’m sadden to see Bistro Corlise gone. I read all this stuff and I’m amazed. The hostile people have never been in and the supportive have. If you have been in, you would support no matter what the price. For the others, it was just a lack of understanding, but not many probably understood what Chef Logan was doing, yet if you went in, he’d tell and teach you. He had direct vision and great teaching ablilites which are very rare anywhere in the world (yes, I have dined across the world). What does that tell you?
Oh, by the way, did anyone read the James Beard article?