Tacos, Tacos, Tacos

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 

Rib-Off!

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 

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 

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 

It’s About Time – June 2014

In the Willamette Valley the farmers markets are flush with vegetable garden starts. Our traditional vegetable season starts late because of our typical cool spring but lasts long into the fall. I harvest hot peppers in October. I encourage supporting the local organic farmers by buying well-rooted starts. For a small garden, it seems to make more sense than investing in starting from seed indoors. Only my peas and beans are seeded directly into the ground, one following the other. Continue reading 

The Beautiful Game

After Charles Miller brought two soccer balls with him from Scotland to Brazil in 1894, the game caught on like wildfire. Soccer has become a defining characteristic of this young, diverse nation, which often identifies itself as o país do futebol (“the country of soccer”). Alex Bellos, former South America correspondent for The Guardian, concluded that “football gives Brazilians a feeling of national identity — citizenship, even — much more than anything else.”  Continue reading 

World Naked Bike Ride is Saturday

The event we've all been waiting for… The World Naked Bike Ride is happening at 4:30 pm Saturday, June 14, and this year the ride was gather at 4 pm at the east end of Skinner Butte Park, just north of the Campbell Community Center. If you need a GPS, the rough address is 200 E. Cheshire. Continue reading