Bend's hippest downtown restaurant offers country French and Italian cuisine that is the result of Chef Jody Denton and his talented staff pushing the culinary envelope while paying tribute to gastronomy's historical past. Fresh ingredients combined with Old World methods of cooking, such as wood-fire grilling and rotisserie, bring distinctive flavor to the ever-evolving menu. Lavish yet rustic, contemporary while classic, this is Merenda Restaurant and Wine Bar.