The Italian Stallion

The building at 1290 Patterson is among the West University Neighborhood’s last remaining examples of early 20th-century architecture.  Prime for foot traffic, the building, a former coin laundry and tanning salon among other things, is located near the UO campus and PeaceHealth’s university location. Only adding to the desirability of the address is a brand-new, five-story mixed retail and residential development right across the street.  Continue reading 

The Slice is Right

If there’s one thing that everyone’s got an opinion on, it’s pizza. Folks get downright adamant about the “best” in town. We decided to visit a few of the local favorites for some pizza and put together a little guide to who has what. One thing that is hard to get around is the fact that pizza is amazing. Even mediocre pizza is still pretty damn good. But what sets our entrants apart is in the details. Whether you’re a sauce man or a crust kind of gal, no two slices are quite equal. Continue reading 

Baked Goods on Broadway

Walk into Noisette Pastry Kitchen and you know you’re somewhere special. Sun pours through the glass walls and, even in winter, the open kitchen with its bustle and chatter makes the place feel alive and exempt from cold-weather hibernation. Noisette’s menu is visual, with names of dishes written on the parchment paper lining cases of sweet and savory pastries, sandwiches and salads. Continue reading 

Tiny Tavern, Big Makeover

Reviews on Yelp for the Tiny Tavern range from “Ever wonder what the gateway to hell looks like? Check the men’s bathroom” to “Smells like pee.” The Whiteaker’s classic dive bar suffered from an unfavorable reputation, but in recent months the oldest bar in Eugene has undergone an extraordinary transformation. With new management, the Tiny Tavern is serving exceptionally tasty bar food, offering live music and entertainment throughout the week and is slowly returning to the epicenter of Eugene’s bar scene. Continue reading 

Bringing Canning Back

Settled where The Bier Stein used to pour pints for locals lies The Cannery, a hip but homey restaurant where owner Mike Wares is “trying to put an honest culinary effort behind pub fare.” The restaurant has 20 beers on tap, a full bar and a menu that boasts homemade food with a true Northwest feel.   Continue reading 

Home Is Where The Food Is

Eating locally year-round can be intimidating, even to people who are adventurous cooks. Though we have an abundance of farms and produce here in the Northwest, sometimes it can be hard to know what to eat in February when the potatoes have run out. Author Elin England is trying to make that easier. Her first book, Eating Close to Home, is a seasonal guide to what’s available in the Pacific Northwest and what to do with it. Her newest book, Further Adventures in Eating Close to Home, covers beans, grains, nuts and seeds.  Continue reading 

Duck, Duck, Dinner

Tiffany Norton

Duck confit, duck charcuterie, duck-fat ice cream … sometimes you have to break a few duck eggs and eat a few fowl in order to protect ducks and their habitat. On Dec. 11, local restaurant Party Downtown is teaming up with conservation group McKenzie River Trust (MRT) for an evening of duck feasting and river saving, along with celebrity hunter, gardener and cook Hank Shaw. Shaw is on tour promoting his new book, Duck, Duck, Goose: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Waterfowl, Both Farmed and Wild. Continue reading 

Ark Of Taste Celebrates Squash

Turkey may be November’s big flavor, but the slow food movement hopes Eugeneans find another flavor to relish: the Lower Salmon River squash. On Terra Madre Day Dec. 10, Slow Food Eugene and Open Oak Farm will celebrate the Northwest cultivar and learn about the Ark of Taste, a global project dedicated to saving some of the thousands of heritage foods that globalization and monoculture crops are endangering. The 6:30 pm potluck will be held at the Eugene Garden Club, 1645 High St. Continue reading 

Cuckoo for Cocoa

It’s cold, it’s rainy, so give me a cuppa

Vero’s cocoa uses My Chai syrup. Photo Athena Delene.

A few years ago some friends and I were driving around on a cold wintry day and stopped by a popular place for hot cocoa, just for fun. The waiter, with great aplomb, opened a pack of Swiss Miss into a paper cup! We were astonished, and not just because of the flair with which he tore the paper packet, but because my friend spoke at length on the drive about how great the cocoa at this particular place was. How could she have been so wrong?  Continue reading 

Grit is Elegant in the Whit

There’s a new kid on the block in Whiteaker’s culinary community. Grit is dignified but rough around the edges. And in keeping with Eugene’s passion for the slow food movement, Grit will offer an entirely farm-to-table menu that will change weekly if not nightly. Continue reading