One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to visit grocery stores.
Whether I'm strolling the endless dairy aisle in a French supermarket, admiring colorful produce displays in Guatemala, or exploring the endless new-to-me fruit and vegetable ingredients in Thailand, grocery stores tell me more about a place than almost anything else. You learn what people value, what they cook, and how they live their daily lives.
That's why one of the first questions I get from people relocating to Central Oregon is surprisingly simple:
"Where do you grocery shop around here?"
The answer depends on what you're looking for. Bend has everything from familiar national chains to regional favorites to locally owned markets that have become community institutions. Here's a quick guide to some of the stores you'll want to know when you arrive.
You'll find famil...