Every spring, right around daylight savings, my anxiety over cooking winter’s hearty greens reaches its apex. I’m eager for asparagus, morels, English peas, tomatoes and corn. Roughly 25 dinners separate winter and springtime in my kitchen. Stores have artichokes from far-flung locales tempting me with spring flavors at designer prices. But if I can make the most of winter’s bounty, you can too.

As teenagers, my friends and I became known by name at the Chinese Buffet in our upstate New York town. There, we followed a ritualistic fortune cookie reading in which we’d tack on “in bed” to the end of our fortunes, making each experience a memorable one, and the buffet rotation felt almost like a school cafeteria. Whether it was the sleep-inducing buzz from MSG or our raging teenage hormones that led to the tagline, a reprise of “in bed,” fortunes echoed at Red Dragon Chinese Restaurant this week.

For many foodies, Americanized Chinese food isn’t a regular stop with more authentic Asian options like Japanese and Thai food available, but several of my friends, devout fast-foodies, as I’ve come to call them, enjoy nothing more than heaping portions of General Tso’s (an American invention) at Red Dragon. We arrived at this south-end spot and settled in with good intentions and were greeted by a giant gold Buddha in the entryway and the familiar sounds of trickling water and soft music. The space was well lit and decorated with porcelain vases.

It’s not always glamorous being a food writer. Dining out on a stipend and describing the food, ambience, a restaurant’s pedigree, has its challenges. But one of the hardest parts about food writing is relativity. If you’re trying to fill a Mexican fast-casual niche, you can’t be compared to El Bulli, the best restaurant in the world. If you’re a corporate giant set to take over the North end of Bend, you won’t be compared to a locally owned restaurant in Sisters, one of the finest in Oregon, Jen’s Garden.

Jennifer and T.R. McCrystal, recently anointed citizens of the year in Sisters, have been sculpting the art of fine dining in Central Oregon. Upon entering Jen’s Garden, a charming house turned restaurant with low ceilings, intimate tables and a local feel, my date and I took a seat in the small room just off the main dining room.

The “food dude,” the brains behind Portland's www.portlandfoodanddrink.com, a go-to site for foodies, recently predicted the “Ins & Outs” of food trends in 2010. “Out” was bacon; “in” was comfort food. But bacon is comfort food, dude. He also declared that foams are “out” and, most notably, food carts are “in.” Cue Bend’s rolling comfort emporium, Spork.

If you haven’t heard of Spork, then snap out of that mid-winter coma because this mobile streetfood kitchen—housed in a ‘62 Airstream trailer and rocking iTunes from a subwoofer—is serving some of the most creative and affordable food in Bend.

Chef Jeff Hunt, formerly of Marz Bistro, is in charge of the stoves, with Chris Lohrey and Erica Reilly (formerly of The Grove) lending support in as many ways as you can cook an egg (that's a lot of ways). Spork is a from-scratch kitchen, cooking globally inspired cuisine with high-quality ingredients. They also have “green” ethics, visible in their compostable serving ware and biodegradable cleaning products— refreshing alternatives to other food service establishments.

So off I went in search of Spork— a mobile streetfood kitchen. They could be anywhere, right? Quite the contrary since their website (www.sporkbend.com) and weekly mailing lists their current location, weekly menu, events, catering, contact info and hours. Spork is also on Facebook and Twitter to be friended and followed.

Using the website as my locator tool, I found Spork outside of Skjersjaas. My companion and I shared the Breakfast Burrito ($6), and the Lomo Saltado ($7). Packed with pan fried cage-free eggs, Oregon potatoes, peppers/onions, spiced beans, ham/bacon, queso fresco and salsa, I had a hard time giving up my burro until I saw what my friend was rapidly devouring.  Generous slices of local beef sirloin, pepper/onions, potato with soy, tomato, cumin topped with fried egg and beautiful radish salad. It was perhaps a touch over seasoned, yet I couldn’t believe I was sitting in my parked car eating such delicious food.

My next visit to Spork was for take-home dinner. The Roast Pork Belly Sandwich ($6) was out of this world.  Served in a grilled Torta bun with mortadella, local pork belly, Hoisin bbq sauce, scallion, sriracha mayo and pickled slaw, this easy-to-hold sandwich is a globally inspired local success. A self-appointed “sporksperson” that I met claims he eats two per day. The Grilled Vegetable Coconut Red Curry ($6) with an addition of grilled Cascade Natural flank steak ($2) was warming and well balanced (not all coconut milk). The Korean BBQ ($7) came with jasmine rice, spinach, sesame and homemade kimchi. Properly handled (and organic) tofu is worth coming back for again and again.

With all of that said, between bites of yet another Pork Belly Sandwich, I propose this to the Food Dude for 2010: Spork is definitely “in” and bacon will never, ever be “out.”

Spork

Check Sporkbend.com for current location and hours

541-390-0946

Owners Ron and Diane Burns opened El Pollo Gordo in 2008 with a mission to provide, “fresh and healthy food at a reasonable price.” I admit when I first visited the restaurant, located across from the Wagner Mall, I anticipated fast food of dubious quality. Drawn in by “dollar taco” sandwich boards dotting the front lawn like maps to an unexpected culinary treat, I was met with a pleasant scene of golden rotisserie chicken, a brilliant salsa bar and endless combinations of chicken meals, salads, burritos and tacos. Ahh, the tacos…

Silver dollar pancake-sized white corn tortillas hugged carne asada and succulent chopped chicken topped with cilantro-spiked salsa. The taste and presentation reminded me of a Southern California or Baja Mexican delight. Satisfying but not greasy and with just enough piquant heat.