Lauren and Lisa Cassity grew up loving Bend since the ‘80s, coming here with their parents from Hawaii every summer and winter break. Their taste for Central Oregon was shaped by learning to snowboard at Mt. Bachelor, while their culinary sensibilities were formed in Oahu and Southern California before the twin sisters moved to Bend and opened Hook & Plow restaurant in 2023.

Growing up on Oahu, nightly dinner at home reflected local culture, from sashimi to Hawaiian barbecue, and rice at every meal. As teenagers, the sisters’ first jobs were in restaurants.

“Hawaii is such a mixing pot of culture and diversity—[with] all sorts of different styles of food, like Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian, obviously the fresh fish, all of these different cultures melding together in one location on an island,” said Lisa. “We started being really passionate about food and different cultures early on.”

They earned bachelor’s degrees: marketing for Lisa, finance for Lauren, and headed to the corporate world, but realized it wasn’t for them. They landed in Southern California, managing a little beach bar in the early 2000s, learning everything about running a restaurant. By 2014, they opened the first Hook & Plow in Hermosa Beach, just as the farm-to-table movement was in full bloom. Local restaurants hadn’t yet embraced that ethic, so they focused on it in their new endeavor, serving local seafood, organic farm fare and wine and beer crafted in the area. Two more Hook & Plows, in Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, followed.

The Cassitys had always dreamed of living full time in Bend though, and by 2022 they’d both moved to Central Oregon with their families and opened the fourth Hook & Plow. The “hook” part of the dining concept begins with briny, sweet Pacific Northwest oysters, glistening on the half shell with fennel mignonette and tomato ponzu alongside them. A nod to the Cassity’s roots, Hawaiian-style ahi poke is layered artfully with avocado, scallion and cucumber. House-made poke sauce brings a subtle zing; tortilla chips, a complementing crunch.

The Menu at Hook & Plow

Entrees such as pan-roasted halibut with delicate bunashimeji mushrooms in dashi broth with house-made ricotta gnocchi, freeze-dried corn and microgreens change with the seasons. Diver scallops are seared and served with risotto al nero—arborio rice with black, buttery squid ink, Calabrian peppers and delicate, parsley-esque chervil.

From the “plow” comes dishes such as grass-fed beef from an Oregon-based cooperative of ranchers. Slices of perfectly grilled steak top potato puree, beneath a rich peppercorn demi-glace and seasonal vegetables such as lemon-garlic Brussels sprouts. Burgers are heightened with sweet onion jam, rich gorgonzola and crunchy, fried shoestring onions, sandwiched between a toasted brioche bun.

Executive Chef Ryan Ohmert brings a passion for making fresh pasta and a style aimed at letting great ingredients shine.

“I’d much rather us do ‘simple-done-well’ than overcomplicate something, making [the menu] unapproachable,” he said.

Creative cocktails follow suit, such as the brown butter old fashioned, which blends bourbon with butter, browned to a smooth nuttiness, and walnut bitters for a cool drink with warm, round flavors. Chilly high desert nights call for a pear hot toddy with Oregon pear-infused vodka, brandy, cinnamon, honey and lemon.

It all happens in an ambiance that Lauren designed using details such as a drape of nautical ropes, blonde wood and round mirrors that suggest portholes. The effect is cozy and beachy, matched with a culinary journey reflecting the Cassitys’ past and present, which the community is pleased to embark on, too.

The Hook & Plow Bend
210 SW Century Drive, Suite 150, Bend
thehookandplow.com