Eugene Weekly

The top of the mountain — the summit — as well as a circle representing wealth and success are a couple of the cultural connotations restaurant owner Alex Han drew upon when naming his new Asian fusion restaurant. The word “Maru” means mountaintop in Japanese, but it’s also known colloquially to represent money because the Chinese character of the word is circular.  Maru opened its doors about six months ago with clean white platters of sushi and steaming bowls of Korean and Japanese cuisine.  Continue reading →

Sitting in a booth at Marché, my fiancé and I admire the etchings above our table. Each one features a different food-smith, a sort of lineup of French food superheros: There’s the Beurière, or buttermaid, outfitted with a dress made of pails, measuring slabs of butter on a scale; the Poissonnière (a fishmaid) wearing a crab headpiece and a gown covered in fish; and of course the Vinaigrié (a vinegar maker) carrying barrels of vinegar while sporting mustard-box pantaloons. Continue reading →

Line up! In its first few weeks, Tacovore, the new taquería at 5th and Blair, has already attracted quite the following with its menu of tacos, tortas, desserts and drinks.  “I felt like Eugene needed another place that was a quick-service restaurant that served relatively healthy food in a fun environment,” says owner Steve Mertz, longtime general manager of Laughing Planet. Continue reading →

Driving up Willamette the other day, I was greeted at the corner of 18th Avenue by the unmistakable smell of smoked meat. Now that the BBQ King has moved into a brick-and-mortar location, painting the intersection with the glorious aroma of his creations, it’s got me thinking about ribs. And once you get ribs on your mind, there’s really only one way to remedy that: a good old-fashioned rib-off!   BBQ by Tony  Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

Eugene chef Beverly Lynn Bennett is on a roll — specifically, a gluten-free, dairy-free roll sprinkled with chia seeds enclosing a veggie burger made with chia seeds, alongside a salad made of chia seed dressing and chia sprouts. Bennett’s new cookbook is called Chia: Using the Ancient Superfood, and it’s all about this member of the mint family.  Continue reading →