more photosA rich, dark ambience creates a tranquil mood at Diego’s Spirited Kitchen in downtown Redmond.
Rob Kerr / The Bulletin
Redmond’s Spirited Kitchen
Diego’s abandons tradition on its contemporary Latin menu
By John Gottberg Anderson / For The Bulletin
Published: October 30. 2009 4:00AM PSTThere are Mexican restaurants, and then there are Latin-influenced restaurants whose menus extend well beyond the tortillas-and-frijoles category.
Such a place is Diego’s Spirited Kitchen. Opened in late January on busy Sixth Street in downtown Redmond, Diego’s brings a gourmet sensibility to classic Mexican and Southwestern plates and a level of service more commonly found at fine-dining establishments.
Filling a space occupied just a year ago by a cafe called The Spot, Diego’s may have earned its “spirited” designation from the full bar that greets patrons the moment they walk through the front door. More likely, however, it’s a nod to the creativity of its team of chefs, headed by co-owner Juvenal Santana.
“We think of our menu as American Latin cucina,” said co-owner Pablo Peņa. “We have contemporary American food, such as pork sambuca ... and our Mexican food is different than the Mexican food you’d get elsewhere.”
A rich, dark ambience welcomes diners. The walls are painted a deep, rust red, the ceiling is black, the broadly tiled floor is ochre in color. Far from the festive and frenetic decor of traditional south-of-the-border cafes, the mood is one of tranquility, perhaps even romance.
Solo lunch
My first visit to Diego’s was a solo stop at lunchtime.
No sooner was I seated than a smartly dressed server brought a basket of homemade tortilla chips with a moderately spicy salsa, thick with onions and cilantro.
I ordered a two-item combination plate: a chimichanga and a chile relleno. A very generous portion of shredded chicken filled the chimi, which was creatively wrapped with a spinach tortilla and topped with an iceberg-lettuce salad, sour cream and guacamole. The relleno comprised an Anaheim pepper stuffed with Monterey jack cheese, fried in an egg batter and covered with a mild tomato sauce. Both were delicious.
The meal was served with rice and beans, but not everyday rice and beans. Diego’s rice is long-grained “green” rice, cooked in chicken broth with spinach and cilantro. Diego’s beans are black beans, lightly refried and topped with a bit of melted cheddar.
Dinner for two
A friend joined me for dinner several days later.
We started with a shared order of coconut shrimp tacos. Large prawns, deep-fried with a coconut breading, were chopped into smaller pieces and blended with a garden of other ingredients: red cabbage, red and green onions, mild peppers, carrots, tomatoes and cilantro. Spooned into blue-corn taco shells and filled with a mango salsa, they were a highlight of our meal almost before it began.
As a main course, my companion chose what can only be termed a Mexican-Italian crossover. Her pork carnitas raviolis (eight of them) were filled with shredded pork and presented with a creamy sauce made with chipotle, cilantro and garlic. The sauce was heavy, the garlic flavor predominant, and she wound up taking leftovers home but enjoyed it nevertheless.
I ordered the vaquero steak, made not with a tenderloin or New York cut but with a slow-cooked and slightly fatty beef brisket. Cooked medium, the brisket was cloaked in a very tasty bourbon-chipotle sauce and topped with ribbons of fried onions.
The beef was served with mashed potatoes and black beans topped with strips of cotija cheese. I ate every bite.
Besides a full bar, Diego’s has a list of wines that Peņa said he is expanding to about 70 bottles. Many are available by the glass, and the restaurant’s owners said they are looking ahead to a biweekly schedule of wine tastings.
That’s certainly something not offered by traditional Mexican restaurants.
SMALL BITES
The new Maragas Tap Room , replacing the former Maragas Winery tasting room in downtown Bend, is hosting a Halloween “beatnik bash” to celebrate its new identity. Costumes are encouraged but not required for the party, scheduled from 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Maragas wines will be on tap for $4 to $6, local beers for $2.50; light food will be served. Beatnik images grace the labels of the local winery’s zinfandel, pinot gris and muscat vintages. 643 N.W. Colorado Ave. (at Bond Street), Bend; 541-546-5464 or www.maragaswinery.com.
Brickhouse Steak and Raw Bar in downtown Redmond now offers a menu of budget-priced early-bird dinners. Featuring sirloin steak, Alaskan salmon, scampi and seven other choices, they are priced at $14.95 — including soup or salad, potato or rice, fresh vegetables and warm bread — between 4 and 5:30 p.m. daily except Monday. 412 S.W. Sixth St., Redmond; 541-526-1782 or www .brickhouseredmond.com.
RECENT REVIEWS
Tomo Japanese Restaurant (B): Although the seafood is fresh and the butterfish superb, sushi rice is mediocre and hot dishes such as teriyaki chicken lack finesse. Nonetheless, the prices are reasonable, service friendly and atmosphere inviting. Lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday; dinner 4 to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday. 61160 S. U.S. Highway 97, Bend; 541-323-8888, www .bendsushi.com.
Johnny Carino’s (A-): A family-style Italian restaurant at the Cascade Village shopping center, Carino’s serves a menu ranging from classic pastas to individually prepared steaks and seafood. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 63455 N. U.S. Highway 97, Bend; 541-318-6300, www .carinos.com.
Croutons (A-): One of the best places in Central Oregon for a fresh, creative salad, Croutons also offers soups and pressed panini and flatini sandwiches in a casual, modern atmosphere. Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. 335 S.W. Century Drive, Bend; 541-330-1133, www.croutonstogo.com.
John Gottberg Anderson can be reached at janderson@bendbulletin.com
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