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Nestled among the pines in Camp Sherman, the Kokanee Cafe can accommodate guests in its dining room or on a screened-in porch in the back.
Photos by Melissa Jansson / The Bulletin
Three words about Kokanee Cafe:
Location, location, location
By Markian Hawryluk / The Bulletin
Published: May 12. 2006 4:00AM PSTBend residents may never feel they need to “get away from it all,” but if they do, Camp Sherman offers a nearby respite. And even if you’re roughing it, there’s no reason you can’t include fine dining in your sojourn.
Kokanee Cafe, nestled among the pines in the heart of Camp Sherman, has been offering the finer side of life to vacationers and visitors for some 15 years now.
“It’s hard to beat,” says owner Paul Mercer, who bought the cafe with his wife, Denise, and partner, Peter Lowes, from the original owners in 2001. “You drive out to Camp Sherman, it’s one of the most beautiful settings on the face of the planet. It’s just such an awesome feel.”
Views from the main dining and the screened porch showcase the beauty of the Metolius Recreation Area and the log cabins of Camp Sherman.
“It’s got a setting out there that makes it feel amazing,” he says. “You could serve dog food on toast out there.”
Fortunately, they chose to do quite the opposite. The menu consists of what Mercer describes as Pacific Northwest cuisine, dominated by local game and produce.
“Our whole concept is to match the setting with some incredible food out there,” he says. “I think we’re moving in that direction.”
The Mercers continued the tradition of operating the restaurant only in the warmer months from May to October, giving the owners and staff a half-year to regroup and re-energize, and then reopen.
The Mercers, as well as the many of the staff, take the time off to travel, often bringing back exotic flavors and new approaches to the restaurant.
Each winter, Mercer and chef Steven Draheim completely overhaul the menu. “Top to bottom, every year,” Mercer says. “Rewriting the menu is fun.”
Fun, maybe, but not easy. Draheim starts the process by proposing a new menu, which Mercer than “butchers” and sends back to him for more revisions. After a half-dozen versions go back and forth, the final list is one that Mercer drools over.
“This year, I’m in a huge dilemma,” he says. “There’s nothing on the menu that I don’t like.” Pressed to choose, he lists the veal osso buco ($29) and the grilled salmon filet ($26) as his favorites on the standard menu. The Kokanee, as he affectionately calls it, also runs a number of weekly appetizer and entree specials.
Desserts could be a meal by themselves, particularly the Kokanee Mud Pie, an ice cream cake with a dense chocolate crust.
“That’s the one holdover,” he says. “That’s the one thing we haven’t taken off. There would be a mutiny.”
Unlike many other restaurants, the staff rarely mutinies or even jumps ship. Mercer returns the same staff from year to year, helping to ensure continuity despite the long winter break.
This year, for the first time, the cafe will stay open through November and December, with the goal of eventually being open nine months a year.
“Now we just want three months off,” he says. “We’re not as greedy.”
The Kokanee also offered a pair of rooms for rent above the restaurant in past seasons, but this year those will be occupied by staff members. Visitors will have to be content with their brief stay in the restaurant itself. The decor inside is charming, with all the warmth of a cabin in the country, even if the chairs are more patio than dining room caliber.
But then, it could be the best meal you’ll ever have sitting on a porch in a plastic chair.
Markian Hawryluk can be reached at 617-7814 or mhawryluk@bendbulletin
.com.
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