Jen's Garden - Sisters, Oregon

Rating: 5!!!  (ratings are between 0 - 5)

Besides being a Foodie I am a glassblower, among other things, and every year for the past 7 years I have done a show in Sisters Oregon, one of my favorite places on earth and where I hope to retire too someday.

Sisters is an 1880's old west themed town, with basically 3 major commercial streets running  East -West, the southern of these three streets is East Hood Ave.  At the far east end is a cute little green and red cottage this is Jen's Garden. 

I have been very lucky in my professional & personal life to be able to travel the world and eat in some incredible restaurants, including some of the most amazing French restaurants you can imagine, Le Grand Vefour in Paris, Gaddis in Hong Kong,  Comme Chez Soi in Brussels & Mirazur in Menton France just to name a small few.  Then there is Jen's Garden which I have to rank up there with these Michelin starred restaurants.  They have a Prix Fixe menu of 3 or 5 course choice as well as à la Carte menu.  The wine list which includes wine flights that compliment the Prix Fixe menu is wonderful.  The food is French with the freshness that those of us that live in the Pacific Northwest expect.  See the Current Menu here.

The cottage is fairly small, I think there is 11 tables downstairs max, and out in the garden there is maybe 5.  If you want outside state it in your reservations, it fills up fast!!!!

As much as I would like to say that Jen's is kid friendly, I am really glad to say it isn't.  This is the kind of place that you take a someone special too, or girlfriends out for a nice night.  Kids are welcome I am sure, but the atmosphere, price and menu don't lend themselves in that direction.  So get a babysitter and spend a night in Sisters.

This is also not a place that would be a good place to bring your own food, so that really leaves out smaller kids too.  Again I am sure they are welcome,  just saying out of respect for the other diners, date night is a much better idea. 

One of the best things that Jen's has going for it, is that the service you get it is second to none.  I always make my reservations well in advance, and I email them first and make a clear note on my major tomato allergy,  my other food issues I work around the menu.  Jen always seems to have something that fits my needs.  Of course I have to bypass the bread and that is always hard.  The fish is almost always one I can have, as is the steak.  If you just let Jen's know in your reservations email what you need they will make suggestions and work around your needs I am sure.

The last time I was there, our waiter Jamie, let Jen know I had arrived.  Jen walked back into the kitchen and very clearly announced that there was a customer with a tomato allergy in house and to take extra special care, the soup that week happen to be a tomato consommé, a recipe for disaster for me.   Every course, when it was time for them to fire it, Jamie and/or Jen re-announced that it was for the allergy table.  I knew with extreme confidence that even though there where tomatoes in that kitchen that nothing I was serviced had been anywhere near those ugly red things.   I don't even have to tell you how great the food is, I have never had anything there that I haven't liked, but I am an advantageous eater.  Just trust me this is one of the best places in all of Oregon to eat.  Food-wise, Services-wise and Allergy Awareness-wise they rank 5 out of 5. 

Now the details:

Value - price:

Most French restaurants are know for huge prices and small portions.  Jen's 5 course is $52 with a flight of wine to match is between $12 & $20.  What I have done in the past is get a 3 course ($39) a 5 course and 2 flights of wine for two people.  Two of the courses general only have 1 choice, so by doing the 8 courses you can share with your dinner partner, as long as your allergies allow you.  your flights of wine will be different as well so you can end up with as many as 10 wines to try.  So for $112 you get 8 food items and ten wines, that is $6.22 for each one.  To me that is a great value for a 5 star dinner.

Tipping:

I usually leave: 30% that is my max, I work down in 5% increments from there.  I think the least I have every left at Jen's is 25%.

Best hours to go:

Jen's is only open for dinner watch their website for the seasonal hours.  I like going early personally, that way I can go back to the hotel and relish in the wonderful meal that I have just eaten.

Tips:

Make reservations early on

Request the patio when making reservations if you want to eat outside

Make it a date night

Email your allergies to Jen's will in advance, the menus are only good for two weeks so you will have to look up the menu before you go to double check the offerings.

Allergy Extras or places that are close by:

There isn't much close by expect for the annual events that the chamber has, look here for the Chamber Events.

There is a cute little grocery store west of Jen's that has a nice select of wines and foods.

Ray's is the main grocery store and it is at the far west in of town just as you get into the city limits coming from Salem.

Restaurant info:

Jen's Garden

403 East Hood Ave
Sisters, OR 97759
(541) 549-2699

Reservations:

Telephone: Best - Call 541-549-2699

Email: Second Best - trmccrystal@yahoo.com
I always do both, email first call and confirm a week are so later.  (I make my reservations well in advance, a month or two)