You live in Bend, you’ve procrastinated (blame the storm) and now you need to do some turbo shopping. Here are 14 ideas for mostly local gifts and/or stocking stuffers — all under $25 — for the awesome carnivores, lushes, and cyclists in your life.
For the Carnivore
Primal Cuts Baseball Hat
$22
They can sniff out frying bacon from roughly 2.3 miles away. They believe in the food chain but also in the humane and ethical treatment of the animals they eat. What socially conscious Bend meat-lover wouldn’t love a fitted baseball cap with an embroidered Primal Cuts logo? Hold on, I think I smell bacon… Mmmmmmm.
Primal Cuts
1244 NW Galveston
(541) 706-9308
For the Locavore
Nature’s Shopping Tote
$14
They’re zealous about local food, and all things local. Their recurring nightmare is forgetting the canvas totes at home and having to slink out of Newport Market with their goods in — gasp — paper bags.
They need more bags, clearly. Get them some from Nature’s Marketplace. The canvas-handled tote has a vintage-y Central Oregon locavore message on the front and the store’s logo and deets on the back.
Nature’s General Store
1900 NE 3rd St
Near Revere and 3rd
(541) 382-6732
For the Locavore Lush
Bend Blend Wine
$13 – $15
They’re totally crushed out on our little town and have Bend pride in spades. Grab a bottle or two of the local house wine to support their love affair. Is it any good? Who cares? The bottles are pretty and will look lovely as vases when the contents are long gone.
Volcano Vineyards
70 SW Century Drive
In the courtyard behind Good Life Brewing
(541) 617-1102
Also available at Prime Cuts (see above for location).
Crater Lake Sweet Ginger Vodka
$23.95 (750 mil)
He sidles up to the bar at Sidelines and asks if they have coconut vodka, right before Eric leans across the bar and bitch slaps him. Indulge the adventurous drinker with Bendistillery’s latest delicious creation, Sweet Ginger Vodka. And btw, you should insist on sampling the goods after giving them.
Bendistillery
19330 Pinehurst Road
(541) 848-0032
For the Biker
Cast-iron Wall Plaque
$16
Their bikes are worth more than in their car, and they can’t stop improving and tinkering with their two-wheeled investments.
They’ll know just where to mount this sweet decorative plaque. It’s made of cast iron, is about 4 3/4″ x 3″ (the size of an iPhone, except a little wider) and has drilled holes at the corners for hanging. It feels solid in the hand, quite heavy, which might be a little strange for your titanium-obsessed friend.
Bend Bungalow
937 NW Wall Street
(541) 383-2992
For the Chocoholic
Euphoria Chocolate Company Dark Chocolate Truffles
$14.10 for 6 truffles
They’re cuckoo for cocoa-anything, they think vanilla is only for the boring, and their eyes go all glassy when savoring single-origin chocolate. They’re going to worship you when you introduce them to Euphoria. After extensive research (resulting in some unwanted backfat), I’m convinced these are the best truffles on the planet. I’ve been a rabid fan for almost two decades now and there’s no use trying to explain the gloriousness of a Euphoria Chocolate Company truffle. Just try them. Grab a few from Devore’s — they only display two at a time, since these babies require refrigeration, but they have more in back. As an aspiring locavore, I have to confess these are not made in Bend, but they are made in Oregon (Eugene, to be exact).
Devore’s Good Food Store
1124 NW Newport Avenue
(541) 389-6588
For the Trail Rat
Trail Rags
$11
They’re into every “-ing” you can name. Hiking, climbing, snowboarding, stand-up paddle boarding, snow shoeing, skate skiing, etc. Those -ingers can always use a rag. With all that mud, sweat, snot, and gear grease (and occasionally blood, for the ragers), it’s nice to have a rag on hand, especially when it’s an accurate, durable, washable trail map.
Plus, they probably own a dog, and sometimes they put cool bandanas on said dog. Two-in-one gift. Woohoo!Crow’s Feet Commons
875 NW Brooks
Downtown across from Cowgirl Cash
(541) 728-0066
For the Cowgirl
Cowgirl Cash T-Shirt
$20
She’s a little country, a little rock-and-roll, and of course she digs Bend. If she doesn’t already own this T-shirt, you must remedy that situation, pronto. Rustle up a T-shirt for her and check out the awesome vintage boots that line the walls of Cowgirl Cash. (Oh and P.S. the vintage boots in the photo are for sale — they’re Dan Post, women’s size 8 1/2, $130, and in case you were wondering.)
Cowgirl Cash
924 NW Brooks Street
Downtown
(541) 678-5162
For the Bend Newbie
Bend, Overall Guidebook
$17
They’re new to town and still in the honeymoon phase, all starry-eyed and snow-drunk. They’ll never admit it, but Bend is a little overwhelming for a newcomer.
There’s so much to do and see, the Internet isn’t much help, and all the locals seem to know where to go like they were born with trail maps imprinted on their DNA.
Pine Mountain Sports carries the 2012 edition of this guide book which offers a slew of local adventures — 99 of ’em. It covers the basics and the secret out-of-the-way stuff too. This is just what that that newbie needs to get oriented. Pine Mtn Sports
255 SW Century Dr
(541) 385-8080
For The Lover of All Things Spicy
Custom Three-Bottle Spice Gift Set
$17.40
He scoffs at jalapenos, has a superhero’s tolerance for “heat,” and has never met a ghost pepper he didn’t like. Yeah, I know someone like that: my father. I put together this custom set for Dad at Savory Spice Shop.
You can choose any three spices/salts/herb/mixes you want, but this one includes Extra Hot Cajun Seasoning, Ghost Pepper Salt and Ground Habanero Chiles in three 2-oz glass bottles. The gift box comes with a few bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole nutmeg and chilis, thrown in for decoration. Some like it really hot, so sock it to ’em.
Savory Spice Shop
375 SW Powerhouse Drive
Old Mill District, Next to Ginger’s Kitchen
(541) 306-6855
For the Dog Parent
Stellar Ranch Leather Slip Collars
$20
They own a rambunctious dog that really should be wearing a choke collar at all times, but those collars just look so mean.
As a result, your friend can often be found at the end of a leash, being dragged around Bend by their “best friend.” This collar is the answer to their prayers. The beautiful Stellar Ranch leather collars are handmade and limited edition (meaning they’re not being made anymore).
You slip them over the dog’s head and attach a leash to a D-ring. When your pup tugs on the leash, the collar tightens. It’s basically a very stylish training collar. (Many thanks to Betty’s boyfriend, Clyde, for modeling.)
Cowgirl Cash
924 NW Brooks Street
(541) 678-5162
Hugglehounds Flat Piggy Squeaky Toy
$21.95 (large) $11.95 (small)
They love their dog. Their dog loves bacon. They would love to give Lola all the bacon she can eat but they know that’s a bad idea. Give them a pig squeaky toy and everyone’s happy.
They’re not pork flavored, but they are flat and stuffing-free in the center so if sweet little Lola tears it apart, there’s less mess involved. Oh, and each toy has five, yes five, squeaky spots, but you’ll be long gone by the time that gets annoying.
Healthy Paws
1052 Newport Avenue
Next to Backporch Coffee
(541) 318-2998
For a Foursome
WinterFest Family Four-Pack
$20
You don’t have to be a Stark to know that WinterFest is coming. (If you haven’t seen Game of Thrones, never mind.) Since I’m new to Bend, I have no idea what WinterFest actually is, but I keep hearing about it, everyone goes, and it’s supposed to be fun.
Buy your fave foursome their tix in advance and they’ll get discounts at Ben & Jerry’s, Boken, Longboard Louie’s, Ranch Records and more, through 2/19/13. Pick up the tickets (which are actually buttons) at Newport Avenue Market, OnPoint Community Credit Union, Old Mill Ticket Mill or Ray’s Food Place.
Newport Avenue Market
1121 NW Newport Avenue
(541) 382-3940
For the Francophile
Lettres d’un Inconnu
$23.65 (17.95 Euro)
3-month subscription
She pounces on any excuse to speak French, even if it’s just menu French (she casually peppers her conversation with “s’il vous plait” and “merci” and “oui”). She dreams of April in Paris and summer on the Cote d’Azur.
Give her a subscription to Lettres d’un Inconnu (translation: letters from a stranger) and she’ll get two letters a month, written in French, from a perfectly fascinating stranger.
She’ll love getting snail mail from France and it’ll give her a chance to brush up on her French… And may encourage continued overuse of phrases like entre nous, je ne sais quoi and joie de vivre. It’s obviously not a local gift but it seems cool enough to warrant an exception, no?
Website: Lettres d’un Inconnu