Gone Toxic

Like it or not, football season is upon us like a fullback in tight pants. For many, football means parties and parties mean food. If you need a fresh catering option for your next tailgate (or couch-gate), consider the meanest-named new restaurant in Eugene: Toxic Wings and Fries on River Road.  Continue reading 

Smoke That Salmon

It’s hard calling to mind the mouth-watering taste of smoked salmon when staring at a scaly, pungent, eyeballs-and-everything fish. But don’t be intimidated — with the help of a smoker, some brine and a little insider information, you can transform your fishy friend into a Northwest delicacy. Continue reading 

Best of Both Worlds

For folks who relish both the stewy, fruity tang of the tropics and the spicy stuff that’s served with rice and beans south of the Rio Grande, the cuisine of Costa Rica presents a savory medium. A Central American country bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, Costa Rica touches the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Caribbean on the other, and is therefore uniquely positioned to receive two different but complimentary cultural and culinary influences. Continue reading 

Word Is

• Laurelwood Golf Course opened its new restaurant, Laurelwood Bar and Grill, earlier this summer, and now it’s serving up cocktails, thanks to its newly acquired liquor license. The open-to-the-public restaurant is decked out with six new big-screen televisions in preparation for the upcoming football season, and it’s also home to the iconic tables and chairs that once bedecked the old Oregon Electric Station, repurposed to fit Laurelwood’s antique-chic look. Continue reading 

Let’s Be Frank

When I heard author Jon Ronson interviewed on NPR recently about Frank, the film based on his book, I was excited. Having seen trailers featuring Michael Fassbender wearing a papier-mâché head, I was tickled to learn from Ronson that the story was inspired by a real person — Frank Sidebottom, the English musician and comedian who lead the band The Freshies as the ’70s sank into the ’80s. With Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal on the roster, how could Frank be anything but a delightful whimsical romp? Continue reading 

Eugene Cannabis TV

Too stoned to read EW's recent marijuana coverage? (Or simply an "inexperienced consumer? Sorry, pot legalization is no laughing matter but there's something about weed that just gives us the giggles). Eugene Cannabis TV, which is sort of the Grateful Dead meets Between Two Ferns, is here to get you updated on the world of weed. Continue reading 

Pets

According to Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz, “Happiness is a warm puppy.” We agree. It’s also a warm kitty, a happy pig, a galloping horse or singing bird, to name a few of the many animals we have in our lives. Pet-lovers, we remind you, as always, to spay and neuter, and to check out Greenhill, First Avenue or any of the many caring rescues in Lane County when looking to add another non-human animal to your family. You can find rescues and available pets at PetFinder.com and find pets of the week here in EW’s pages. Continue reading 

North by Northwest

When a man grows up in Italy fishing for octopus and has a tattoo of an octopus on his arm, you can be pretty sure that he knows how to cook an octopus. At Noli Italian restaurant in Eugene, you won’t ever see chef and owner Davide Mulone (DAH-vee-day) serving fried calamari. “I never like fried calamari,” he says. “Where I come from, calamari is grilled. We do nice calamari here, quick on a flat-top with a little olive oil.” Continue reading 

An Indian Lunch

Leela Nelapudi has always loved making delicious meals. “I cook every day,” she says. “I love trying flavors, and I always cook healthy.” That passion is now blossoming in the commercial kitchen space at Sprout! in Springfield. Every weekday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, as well as during the 3 to 7 pm Friday Sprout! farmers market, Nelapudi serves up plates of Indian food that are healthy, vegetarian and delicious. Continue reading