Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen — and order some takeout.

The heat of summer is here, and sometimes cooking dinner can be a grind, so we’ve got some ideas to freshen up your summer eating routine.

Looking for heat? We take a look at what’s up with hot honey. Maybe you saw Pizza Hut’s big commercial during the NFL’s Big Game back in February? But, some of Eugene’s restaurants have been playing around with hot honey. In fact, one of the co-owners — Mikey Lawrence — of the Hot Honey food cart at the Oakshire Public House has a long history with the sticky, spicy substance.

But how do chefs stand cooking at home when they spend so much of their day cooking? Eugene Weekly talked to a few chefs in the Eugene area to find out what’s inside their fridges at home and how they look at food when not at the restaurant.

Trying to get away from the heat? Head downtown. Yes. It’s been several years since Red Wagon Creamery closed down, but the opening of Michoacan ice cream Peek-a-Boo Delight means ice cream has returned to Eugene’s downtown. The ice cream shop celebrates the flavors of Mexican ice cream, like fresh fruit.

We all know summer nights are when magic happens (I mean, would Grease lie to us?). We sent Bentley Freeman and Faheem Khan to the recently opened PLAY Eugene, which has so much room for activities — including batting cages and indoor golf simulator.

Like PLAY Eugene, this summer Chow issue has a ton to offer you, so stop by your favorite food cart hub, order something from every cart and dive in.

What’s new, good or missing from this issue of Chow? Send us an email at Chow@EugeneWeekly.com. We’re always looking for good food, drinks and ambiance.

Fine Dining Reimagined

Hot to Go!

Bats, Beers and Buds

Peek-A-Boo Delights Downtown Eugene

We’ve Got Food at Home

Dine in and Bao-Out

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!