Companion Coffeehouse, Bend, OR

Bend, Bend, Bend... oh how sweet it is. When you're here in Bend and you need some caffeine, I think you should give this place a shot (get it!?). And let me say that a bit more positively - this is one of the nicest coffee shops I've been to in a long time. 

Now, they really only do coffee and some select eats. It's not like a bike/coffee shop, or one that also serves beer at night. It's just coffee, and they seem to do it very well. I mean, have you ever heard of a Brown Sugar Bourbon Latte? Well, I'd highly recommend it (decaf for me of course). 

I give high marks for their store design, staff & service, coffee, and at least the gluten-free peanut butter cookie I scarfed down. The evening we visited, they stayed open past closing to serve us - impressed.

They serve up some merch as well, plus art work for sale around the store.

And who would have thought of this little detail above the menu baords? I dunno, not me.

If you need some joe, you gotta go!

Bonta Natural Artisan Gelato, Bend, OR

If you've read some of my post from Milan, you know gelato & I are fast friends (maybe too friendly according to the scale). But, I was in a new town, new state, and was faced with a new gelato place. I was compelled to try it. This is Bend's local purveyor of the sweet stuff, and boy do they do it right!

They have a good amount of to-go items and souvenir type stuff, but also do great on the main event...

Cones? No thanks. Just gelato, please.

Ah, finally. Come to papa!

They had many traditional and some unique flavors, all delicious. You can try as well. I went with Pumpkin (right in middle) and an Apple Caramel, I believe. No pics of my dish b/c I ate it too quickly. I also liked their pricing, $4 for a dish with two flavors. This is a steal, IMO.

I also noticed the woman and young man working behind the counter looked awfully alike. I said to the woman, "That's your son." To which she replied, "Yep". Kind of nice to see a family-run small business making such awesome product. You should have seen the number of kids getting stoked on gelato. If this is any indication of progress for our youngins, the future is bright for America.

When I'm back in Bend, this place is always on the list.