Jen’s Garden is open for fine dining

A little cottage has been reinvented as Sisters’ newest restaurant.

T.R. and Jennifer McCrystal bought the cottage last year and began the hard work of turning what had been a home into a restaurant with a professional kitchen. There is now seating for 30 people to enjoy the cozy space complete with local artwork and a fireplace.

The McCrystals paid attention to detail in remodeling the space and choosing the cuisine.

“To me it’s the five senses — and you’d better surpass diners’ expectations in each area,” said Jen, noting that customers appreciate touches such as their French press coffee.

The owners have impressive culinary backgrounds. After graduating from culinary school, they worked at restaurants including Evergreen Bistro in Sun Valley, Idaho, and Oregon’s Steamboat Inn. The McCrystals ran a successful restaurant in Bend called Little Pizza Paradise. Jen worked as a private chef on the East Coast.

The McCrystals describe their restaurant’s style as “intimate cottage cuisine.” T.R., who is the chef, said their menu is Southern French influenced, “France being kind of the epicenter of cuisine.” He added that Southern France is influenced by the Mediterranean so that gives him plenty of room for creativity.

“We’re trying to use local purveyors of meats, produce and cheese,” said Jen.

Jen’s Garden menu changes weekly with about four main course selections or a prix fixe option. Diners might choose grilled leg of lamb with Bing cherry and port wine reduction or enjoy grilled game hen. Jen is the pastry chef turning out such treats as mixed berry cobbler and dark chocolate torte. They designed their business to be family-friendly while raising their two young daughters, with Jen sometimes rolling out pastry dough in the wee hours of the morning with baby Lizzie in her back carrier.

Opening a restaurant in a community they enjoy was a natural step for this culinary couple. However, they took a detour along the way. Having both worked in the restaurant and hospitality business since their teens, T.R. and Jennifer tried out other careers.

“We wanted to explore stuff we’d never done before,” said T.R. The couple sold their pizza business and went on a bicycle tour for a year. Then he became an elementary school teacher and Jen a veterinary tech. They enjoyed discovering new careers but after a few years, “the siren song of the restaurant business called me back,” said T.R.

The McCrystals have plans for their restaurant when the weather turns warm. As the name suggests, they want to turn the backyard into a spot for warm weather dining.

“We want to have this beautiful, magical outdoor garden,” said Jen, who is a gardener.

The McCrystals opened their restaurant in early February and are excited that their long-term dream has come true.

“It’s even better than we could have imagined,” said Jen of their first month in business.

Jen’s Garden is located at 403 E. Hood Ave. Dinner is served Wednesday through Sunday and reservations are recommended. Call 549-2699 for more information.