Slurp Local

A good local alternative to Starbucks downtown—light, airy, comfy chairs, friendly, free wi-fi and a big green tree soaring to a vaulted ceiling with skylights. They could use a little bigger baked goods selection, though. Continue reading 

Mark Bittman Eats at Belly

I’m a bit embarrassed that I completely forgot to mention this last week, when I first heard it, but better late than never: Culiarnia Eugenius, also known as EW’s food columnist, Jennifer Burns Levin, reminded me with her recent post that hey! Mark Bittman ate at Bellly last week! And that’s kind of nifty. Continue reading 

It’s a Rough Life: Looking for the best job ever?

Economy got you down? How about the weather? Looking to make a little more money but also get out of the rain? Australia would like you to apply for what they are ever so casually calling The Best Job in the World: The Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef (their excess capital letters, not mine). You live on a teeny island for six months, get paid good money for it and tell the world about how totally awesome the experience is via blogs and photos. Responsibilities of the job include: Continue reading 

Trendy McSaltypants

At the very tail end of last year (I admit it: I’m still stuck in 2008), The New York Times had one of those I-wish-I’d-thought-of-that pieces, this one about the rising popularity of salted caramels, now available not just at Starbucks, but in your local (er, well…) Wal-Mart. Continue reading 

Your Favorite Bartender is EVERYWHERE

How does the national media love the man Eugeneans voted Best Bartender? I’ll spare you from counting the ways; you can check the press page of his website for that. I just want to mention the two latest, er, mentions: • Last week, The Wall Street Journal did a story on Repeal Day, the growing-in-popularity sorta-holiday that celebrates the end of Prohibition: Continue reading 

PETA Loves PRI

Pizza Research Institute now has another award to hang next to their handful of Best of Eugene certificates: The delicious pies and slices have led the tiny, tempting-smelling joint to be selected as one of the country’s Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Pizzerias. They’re sitting nicely in the middle of the pack at number five; the press release from PETA says: Continue reading 

Happy Birthday, Bier Stein!

The boyfriend and I wandered into the Bier Stein tonight on a whim, which is usually how we wind up there: “I think I’m hungry.” “OK, what do you want to eat?” “Um, I dunno … Bier Stein?” We have a thing for their sandwiches, though the pizzanini is still missed. Continue reading 

Fine. Just Take Your Toys and Go … to Oklahoma

You might think I wouldn’t care about the fact that Seattle’s basketball team is leaving. Seattle’s a long drive, for one thing, and for another, my heart belongs to the Pistons (and then to the Suns. Gotta love hippie Canadian NBA stars). But for some reason it still pisses me off that the Sonics (though they won’t be called that anymore) are ditching Seattle. Continue reading