Thursday, april 1, 2021 • ThE BullETiN
GO! MAGAZINE • PAGE 13
FOOD
TRUCKS
& CARTS
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bendbulletin.com/goeat
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Raymond’s strong culinary back-
ground is evident when you taste the
depth of flavors in each dish at Moth-
er’s from-scratch kitchen. She de-
scribed her approach, “For me with
Mother’s, we don’t necessarily call it a
health food restaurant, but it’s good for
you food. You are going to leave here
feeling good. You’re not going to feel
super weighed down. We try to use as
much organic and sustainably sourced
product as we can and try to keep our
portion sizes down. You’re not going
to get a giant plate of french fries.” Ray-
mond doesn’t use a ton of cream or
butter. Rather than offer specific glu-
ten-free dishes, all items can be made
according to the diner’s needs and
wants — gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian,
etc., just ask when ordering.
This last year has brought changes
to Mother’s. The Galveston location
has expanded to a full menu, and there
are now just two locations — one near
Costco on the east side and one on the
west side. The downtown kitchen was
located next to the Oxford Hotel. It
closed about a year ago for reasons out-
side the pandemic.
The west Bend location was a Moth-
er’s Juice Cafe, but after 22 years in
business, it was time to renovate. The
Galveston eatery has been closed for a
remodel and reopened on March 17.
It has an unmistakable new look in-
side and out. Replacing the wooden
exterior is an aqua, chartreuse and
white wall. Matching furniture set next
Mother’s Kitchen
1255 NW Galveston Ave., Bend
541-318-0989
Mother’s Kitchen on the Westside has a new look.
to a long fire pit and small rock foun-
tain invites us to enjoy sunny days and
smoothies. Not only is it a facelift, in-
side and out, it now has a full kitchen.
As the restaurant was able to upcycle
the tables, cabinetry, countertop and
fixtures, it now looks much like the
downtown location. While it is airy and
clean and gives a healthy feel, I have to
admit to missing the sofas and comfy
chairs where I’d curl up settling in to
meet a friend for a smoothie or coffee
and a bagel.
Breakfast
Aside from the menu, there are a
smattering of baked goodies like ba-
nana bread and bagels available for a
Mustard rubbed tender chicken atop creamy
polenta in Renee’s Roasted Chicken.
lighter breakfast. The Good Morning
Sunshine has been available at Mother’s
from the start and is popular. I chose an
egg dish from the list of breakfast sand-
wiches and wraps and a sweet bowl.
The Perfectly Sunny is two organic
perfectly cooked sunnyside eggs atop a
sweet potato-kale hash with caramel-
ized onions and blistered tomatoes.
Like Mother’s bowls, the hash is where
Chef Raymond’s talent really shines,
exhibiting a depth of flavors. The vari-
ety of sweetness from the sweet potato
and onions are balanced with a bit of
acid from the tomatoes, plus earthy av-
ocado and bright mint pesto.
Oatmeal is an unexpected place to
find a complexity of flavors. Yet, the
Chai Oatmeal is a tasty mix of sweet,
savory and tart. It may be the best oat-
meal I’ve had at a restaurant. It starts
with steel-cut oats and healthy chia
seeds; it is cooked with chai that adds
a cinnamony, brown sugar flavor, and
hemp milk to make it creamy. It is
topped with sliced almonds that en-
hance the nuttiness of the other ingre-
dients. Fresh strawberries, blueberries,
and raspberries bring tartness that
counters the creamy sweetness. It’s fin-
ished off with real maple syrup.
Lunch
From the wraps and sandwiches sec-
tion of the menu, I chose the Mother
Clucker. This is no typical chicken
sandwich. It starts with a basic juicy
chicken breast, fresh greens and av-
ocado. Pickled onions brighten the
flavors. Smoked gouda cheese and ro-
mesco add a rich, earthy smokiness.
Romesco is often made with a blend
of smoked paprika, chili powder for a
bit of spice and nuts, contributing to a
wonderful blend of satisfying flavors.
Since I don’t typically think of a
burger when I go to Mother’s, I had to
try the Burger She Wrote. The burger
item changes regularly, as they offer
different types of meat and toppings.
For the opening, it was a teriyaki tur-
key burger. The burger is mixed with
Asian seasonings like lemongrass, gin-
ger and scallions, so it pairs well with
Sri Lankan style pineapple chutney that
adds both a little heat and sweetness.
Grilled red onion adds to the sweet bal-
ance. It’s topped with Swiss cheese and
mayo on a Big Ed’s brioche bun.
Both the burger and sandwich are
served with a “side of Mother’s love.” I
wasn’t fond of the day’s offering. It was
a slaw with shaved Brussels sprouts and
cabbage. While it tasted farm fresh, it
was too bitter for my palate. I would
have been happier with a side offered
another day — a Moroccan lentil salad
with shaved carrots and golden tan-
doori spice.
As I’ve tried many rice and qui-
noa-based bowls, the savory Re-
nee’s Roasted Chicken stood out as
it is served over creamy polenta. The
shaved Brussels sprouts were deglazed
in Bragg’s amino acid to add earthiness
and a salty balance to the sprouts’ bit-
terness and contrast to the gentle po-
lenta. Tender chunks of roasted chicken
were laid atop the polenta, its mustard
rub was also a punch to the taste buds.
Spinach with a grilled lemon vinai-
grette added another dimension that
cut into the creamy polenta flavor, and
goat chèvre added coolness to the bit-
ing tastes on the tongue.
If you are a Mother’s Kitchen regular,
you won’t find anything you aren’t used
to seeing from Mother’s.
For those on the west side, the re-
modeled location is a lovely new spot
to get the full Mother’s menu. And, it’s
well worth a visit if you’ve never been
to Mother’s.
e e
Reporter: barb@barbgonzalezphotography.com