Meals aren’t just the same without friendly company. Creating a community, family-like atmosphere is what ties together the restaurants we’ve featured in the spring Chow issue.
For Seize the Cafe, chef and owner Chad Fuhreck has a lunch and dinner spot that is community-minded. With affordable fine dining prices, Fuhreck says his restaurant is a place where the community feel as if they’re part owner of the restaurant whether it’s helping build a patio or dropping off vegetables from their garden.
Opening up Osteria DOP’s kitchen to make it feel more inclusive is what makes that downtown Eugene southern Italian restaurant different. Owner and chef Rocky Maselli named his brick-and-mortar restaurant after the osteria model, which inspired him to open one in his first trip to Italy.
Cafe Med co-owner Rossella Ruggeri-Harris opened Cafe Med with the intent to create a family-oriented, comfortable and friendly atmosphere. “A family business 一 not just a business — is that atmosphere that we want to create with our customers,” says co-owner Stefano Sala.
We hope this issue inspires you to not just grab some pizza from an inspired dinner from Seize the Cafe, Neapolitan pizza from Osteria DOP and “kickass” tiramisu from Cafe Med but also crave a friendly restaurant atmosphere. Because after all, like a certain Italian restaurant chain once said, when you eat at these restaurants, “You’re family.”