Author: EW-staff

The Good, the Bad and the Noodly

Two music writers sound off on the legacy of James Taylor

Music
James Taylor

Sweet Baby James If storied careers are your bag, you’re already a James Taylor fan. When the single “Fire and Rain” dropped in 1970, it is possible that nobody understood what the Boston-born singer-songwriter and multi-platinum artist was alluding to. After all, a human who writes his first song at 14 is a natural chaser of stories, and Taylor’s tale — through depression, self-help, institutions and modesty — is one for the ages. Continue reading →

Eat Eugene

Grab a bite to eat at these spots

Culture

Many breweries, restaurants and food carts in Eugene deserve to be on this list of top-notch eats, but these are the limitations of print. In no particular order, the following locales are highly recommended places to grab a bite to eat or plunk down for a microbrew. Want more? Go to eugeneweekly.com/chow for EW’s delicious quarterly restaurant guide.   Kun Fusion Facebook.com/KunFusionGrill Continue reading →

Who Makes Your Food?

Eat local, buy local

Chow

Buy local: It’s a mantra repeated with such frequency in the bountiful Willamette Valley that it’s almost lost all meaning. Let’s take a step back and look at some numbers. According to the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition, a 2010 analysis estimated that Lane County consumers are spending less than 5 percent of their food money on locally produced food.  “OK, but locally produced food is hard to find,” you scoff. Continue reading →

Herbal Blend

Mountain Rose Herbs provides herbs for many local businesses

Chow

In Eugene, we take comfort in having local stores and markets dedicated to wholesome organic food, from The Kiva and Sundance Natural Foods to Market of Choice. But where do they get their ingredients? For herbs, teas and spices, one top supplier is Mountain Rose Herbs. Mountain Rose Herbs has operated in Eugene since 2010. Along with boasting a total of 3,000 different products, it is rooted in the values of sustainability.  Continue reading →

Salsa & Spice

Salsa Garcia will spice things up

Chow

Stroll through the Lane County Farmers Market on a Saturday morning and you’re bound to see Patricia Garcia's cheerful face at her colorful salsa stand. That same cheerful face is on all of her products, inviting salsa lovers to give Salsa Garcia a try. “I believe that sauce really makes the meal, no matter what kind of food you’re having,” Garcia says. “If you have a good sauce, then your meal is right-on most of the time.” Continue reading →

Craft Chocolate

Eat chocolate; be happy

Chow

I’m here to report that the Euphoria Chocolate Company in west Eugene bears little resemblance to the delicious Byzantine splendor of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Sadly, no orangey Oompa Loompas mobbed me at the entrance when I visited, and Euphoria proprietor Van Glass is practically the antithesis of that passive-aggressive tyrant Willy Wonka, whose benevolent disregard sent poor Augustus Gloop up the tube. Continue reading →