Culture: Page 232

A Golden Year?

Drink

It’s time for our annual rendition of “September Song,” ’cause September is wine time. Just as a fr’instance, on Labor Day weekend, almost every Oregon winery/tasting room opens, even many not normally open to the public, and they dress up: music usually, nibbles sometimes, special events of various sorts and, of course, lotsa wine. In case you missed, make a calendar note for next year. Plan a major gig. Get out in the Oregon backcountry, so beautiful, so bountiful, it’ll take your breath away. Continue reading →

Word Is

Chow

• 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 →

Best of Both Worlds

Chow

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 →

Be Their Guest

Chow

The Oregon Electric Station, one of Eugene’s bastions of fine dining since 1977, reopened Aug. 9 under new ownership, and people have taken notice. “We expected to be busy,” General Manager Paolo Ruffi says, “but we have been beyond busy. We’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction of the people.”  Continue reading →

Smoke That Salmon

Chow

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 →

Gone Toxic

Chow

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 →

All About the Fish Sauce

Chow

Tam Howitt and her husband Heath Howitt say that to understand Vietnamese cuisine, you have to understand fish sauce. The pair recently opened Tam’s Place Vietnamese Cuisine, a food truck located on 29th and Friendly in Eugene. Fish sauce is made with fermented fish extract and sea salt. Different people use different ingredients to taste — for example, peppers to add a little heat. The Howitts add lime, giving their sauce a tangy bite. Continue reading →

To Catch a Salmon

Columbia River salmon face dams, predators and coal trains

Culture

It’s dawn at Buoy 10 on the Columbia River, and some of an estimated 1.5 million fall Chinook salmon are swimming through the mouth of the river heading home to their spawning grounds. The silvery speckled fish, like their fellow coho, steelhead and sockeye, face a gauntlet of challenges as they swim upriver to spawn and die — if they are not caught and eaten first by humans or other predators. Continue reading →

We WILL Celebrate!

A little tumult can’t kill the buzz

Culture

This coming weekend will be a time to celebrate Eugene even if some of the names, venues and entertainment are not quite what we have been accustomed to in past decades. But Eugeneans are flexible, right? Familiar will be the Eugene Celebration Parade and Pet Parade Saturday, Aug. 23, followed by something new, a gathering outside Civic Stadium at the end of the parade for a rally. And Festival of Eugene is still happening as we go to press despite some moments of uncertainty as the new festival came together. Here’s what we know to help you plan your weekend: Continue reading →